Both crews are very passionate about their native neighborhoods - Shaolin and Queensbridge, respectfully. But they both are large groups with in-house production from the likes of RZA and Marley Marl, and unique voices like Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah and Roxanne Shanté and MC Shan. It’s these facts that had the race one of the better matchups of round 2, however the Wu was able to be victorious.

Two Big Apple groups who dominated the early 2000s, Ruff Ryders and G-Unit were two of those crews fans would represent as their own, religiously. Each of them also had very powerful figures in hip-hop leading them with DMX and 50 Cent being two of the most recognizable voices in the culture, not just at the time, but into the 2020s. The two crews also intertwined as 50s “Piggy Bank” and Jadakiss “Animal” were shots at one another as they were beefing at the time. Ruff Ryders were able to come away with the victory and will face the Wu in round 3.

This is the round it starts to get really tough. While each’s eras overlapped, Wu-Tang Clan began their reign during the early ‘90s while Ruff Ryders really began picking up steam at the end of the ‘90s and early 2000s. Still though, they’re very formidable opponents with many classic albums and moments between them. Fans will have to decide how efforts like Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… stack up against It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot and Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady. Good luck to each crew.

Moving to the Midwest, G.O.O.D. Music faced off against Shady in the second round. The two crews – based in Chicago and Detroit respectively – have two of hip-hop’s 5-10 most recognizable figures in their histories leading them with Kanye West and Eminem. While both collectives have dissolved themselves from their heyday in many ways as we’re now in the 2020s, each still was formidable in creating music – both as a group and individually. Unfortunately for the latter, G.O.O.D. was able to come out with a round 2 victory as ‘Ye, Pusha T and Big Sean were able to best Em, Slaughterhouse and D12.

While these groups were someone close geographically, their sounds couldn’t be more different. The likes of Questlove, Common, Q-Tip, and J Dilla mixed avant-garde soul with conscious, alternative rap while Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat and the rest of Memphis brought crunk and horrorcore hip-hop to the forefront around the same time. Hypnotize Minds was able to take a win in round 2, perhaps not because of the fame of the artists involved in these crews, but perhaps the identifiable cohesion Triple Six had as they moved into the 2000s with a myriad of Billboard-charting hits.

These two groups couldn’t be more different, but maybe that’s what makes this matchup a more interesting one. Both are more label-centric, containing groups and individuals in a more wide-ranging manner, but each spent a while on their come-up before they attained their eventual fame in the culture. This one could be one of the major breaking points in this whole fan-voted competition.

In the Western bracket, this one was a little unique, considering Dr. Dre is a part of both of these crews, depending on which era of his career it was. But since the legendary producer cranked out hits for each group, it makes this matchup all the more unique. However fans decided that it was Dr. Dre’s second label situation that would prove to be a fan favorite as they chose hits like “California Love” and “Hit Em Up” over “Straight Outta Compton” and “F**k Tha Police.”

In this round 2 matchup both collectives presented an alternative option to the hip-hop music that was coming out at the time as TDE ruled the 2010s with introspective and quality albums that rivaled any that were dropping during that period (Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city and ScHoolboy Q’s Habits and Contradictions come to mind). Sick Wid It, which was founded by E-40 in 1989, presented a funky version of hip-hop during a time when West Coast gangsta rap was on the rise. Ultimately, fans went with the newer Top Dawg Entertainment in round 2.

It’s hard to argue that both of these crews held down the West Coast in the prospective decades they reigned supreme. The question is, will fans in 2023 choose a group that made monumental hits in the ‘90s by the likes of Tupac, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg or ones of the 2010s by Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock? There’s really no wrong selection for this match-up.

Last but not least, moving to the Southern bracket, we brought you the round 2 bout between YMCMB and No Limit Soldiers. Both groups dropped a lot of music during their reigns, and it could be argued that much of the latter’s behavior influenced the former’s. It was also a transition for certain artists like Curren$y and Mystikal, who were both signed to both of the New Orleans-based labels during their careers. This one was family against family, however it would be the Lil Wayne-led Young Money Cash Money Billionaires who would come out top, according to the fan vote.

Atlanta, where you at!? Perhaps the most influential city in hip-hop today got much of its start from the Dungeon Family and So So Def. The former, led by artists like OutKast and Goodie Mob helped pave a way for the ATL sound while Jermaine Dupri and So So Def helped epitomize how to bring that sound to the commercial front. Again, fans decided to roll with the most recently-successful crew as Nelly, Bow Wow, Da Brat and Ludacris, among others, will move on to round 3.

This is an interesting one because both crews are labels and each was helmed by a music mogul. Birdman’s prowess for making excellent signings like Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne will take on So So Def and Jermaine Dupri’s wide roster of stars – much of which included a cast of superstar R&B talents like Monica, 3LW, Xscape and Jagged Edge. It’s almost like the singing and rapping elements of So So Def molded itself into the rapper-singer artists, like Drizzy, that are extremely popular in modern day.