Battle of the Hip-Hop Moguls: Diddy Takes on Jay-Z

Two of hip-hops biggest names hail from the great city of New York. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Sean "Diddy" Combs are two of hip-hops biggest moguls today. Which one deserves to be on top? Of course, Jay-Z fans believe he is the ultimate hip-hop mogul in the game today, while fans of Diddy believe he is the number one man in the business.

What would happen if Jay-Z and Diddy were to clash in a battle for the top spot in the hip-hop game? Would one of these moguls brutalize the other? Would it come down to a KO in the final round? Well, here is how I would see this battle between Diddy and Jay-Z.

Round #1 - The Music

Jay-Z leans in with a nasty right hook on Diddy's jaw, as he spits his latest rhyme. Jay-Z has a unique style which makes him stand out above other rappers. He is the master of hooks in the hip-hop world. His hooks are catchy and make the music more memorable. Jay-Z also has the uncanny ability to drop a track in one take because he crafts his rhymes in his head and never rights them down. Once he steps into the studio, he is able to lay the track and record his rhymes in one take. Jay-Z has laid down many original rhymes to include "Hard Knock Life" and "99 Questions." I wonder if Diddy will recover from that nasty right hook.

Diddy comes back with a nice jab, not as powerful as Jay-Z's hook, while he gives a taste of his latest remake. That's right folks; Diddy is the king of remaking other people's songs. We heard it in his tribute to B.I.G. "I'll Be Missing You", where he sampled "Every Breath You Take" by the Police. We see Diddy sampling Michael Jackson on some tracks of his newly released album, "Press Play." Diddy does have personality and can make some excellent beats for his rhymes, but he is no way close to being original. Sorry Diddy, the first round goes to Jay-Z.

Round #2 - The Labels

Jay-Z comes off the ropes with a nice upper-cut when he launched Roc-A-Fella Records in the 1990s. Jay-Z self-produced all of his albums, including his debut album Reasonable Doubt in 1996. Jay-Z has also met much success with mentoring other artists under his label. The most notable is Kanye West, who went to earn eight Grammy nominations for his debut album College Dropout in 2004. Roc-A-Fella Records produces music for DJ Clue, Foxy Brown, Memphis Bleek, Tru Life, and Young Gunz to name a few. It is clear Roc-A-Fella Records will be around for a long time.

As Diddy shakes off the sting from Jay-Z's upper-cut, he lands a nice jab-upper-cut combo with his Bad Boy Records and Bad Boy Worldwide companies. Diddy not only makes his own music, but in recent years he has put his own rap career on hold and taken in interest in boosting the careers of others. Diddy has mentored rap star Yung Joc, whose debut album New Joc City received nominations for multiple music awards. Not only has Diddy helped Yung Joc, but he created Danity Kane through MTV's Making The Band. Diddy has several current artists under his Bad Boy Records including Boyz-N-Da-Hood, Cassie, Mario Winans, 8 Ball & MJG, and B5. In his past, Diddy helped create a name for the late Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, and rapper turned preacher Mase. Sorry Jay-Z, but Diddy has you beat up pretty bad in the second round.

Round #3 - The Clothing Lines

The battle is tied up at 1-1 with Diddy trying to go for a knockout with his Sean John clothing line. Diddy has a knack for fashion. You can bet he will always look good. From his white suits and hats to his fur coats, Diddy vows to make a statement. Diddy's clothing line brings out the best of the best when it comes to men's fashions. He perfects every style and gives his final approval on his clothing by adding his signature to the clothing. It is a shame he cannot knockout Jay-Z with his clothing line, but we will settle for a knockdown here.

Jay-Z recovers from his knockdown, and comes back with a one-two punch style with his Roca Wear line. Jay-Z always makes sure to look presentable. He has casual clothing, leisure clothing, and nice suits. Even though the line is quite pricey, the look is worth the price for many. Jay-Z's Roca Wear line has been around since 1996. His line includes fashions for men, women, and children. He has full control over the style. It has been a solid success. The line was recently sold for a whopping $204 million in cash. Congratulations Jay-Z, you win the third round.

Bonus Round - Extracurricular Activities

With Jay-Z in the lead, does Diddy have trick up his sleeve to tie it up? Diddy gives Jay-Z a nice right hook - left jab combo when he comes with his other ventures. Diddy has come back with his acting and humanitarian activities, making him nice competition. Diddy made an appearance in the 2001 film Monster's Ball starring Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton. Diddy also took a chance when he appeared in the Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun in 2004.

Diddy's interest in humanitarian activities earns him a nice spot. Diddy has donated over 100 computers to more than 500 New York schools. He created Daddy's House Social Programs, Inc. in 1995. He also gave 30,000 homeless people Thanksgiving Day dinner. He definitely believes in giving back to the community. He has made donations to Howard University, where he attended two years of college, so the school can keep giving young African Americans a chance at an education.

Diddy has a few other ventures to add to his resume. Diddy owns a franchise of restaurants which he named Justin's, after one of his sons. Diddy also has a magazine, Notorious, and an advertising company, Blue Flame to add to his resume.

With Diddy's impressive combo and resume, does Jay-Z have any chance to knock-out Diddy? Jay-Z has not ventured into acting, but he does have a film section of Roc-A-Fella Records and has released films such as "State Property" and "Death of a Dynasty." Adding to his film success, Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella label has its own brand of vodka, Armadale. He also owns 40/40 Club which is an elite chain of sports bars in New York and Atlantic City.

Jay-Z does do his fair share of giving back to the community. His partner, Damon Dash, created Team Roc, endorsed by the label. Team Roc brings benefits and opportunity to underprivileged children in New York City. Jay-Z has a scholarship fund, the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund where he gives young people the opportunity to gain an education. There is also the Annual Jay-Z Santa Claus Toy Drive where he gives a wealth of toys to the children of the Marcy Housing Projects in Brooklyn.

It seems both of these moguls are neck and neck and Jay-Z would win the battle by default, but he has one more thing up his sleeve which is sure to knockout Diddy. Jay-Z is part owner of the New Jersey Nets. That's right folks; Jay-Z owns an NBA team. This puts him at an even higher status. Sorry Diddy, you just got knocked out, but you came out to fight. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter wins the battle of the hip-hop moguls this time, but watch out because the new stars are rising fast.