The recent brouhaha surrounding Mos Def's challenge to Jay-Z has given rise to the question of what exactly should the title the greatest alive should be based on. Jay Z has staked claimed to the title for some time now and for the mos(t) part, no one has questioned or really challenged it, with the exception of maybe Lil' Wayne. Is the title of greatest alive, determined by the fans, sales, or by just sitting in the the throne until someone pushes you out of it?

Hip Hop itself consists of a large amount of braggadocio. There is historically and currently a lot of "I'm nicer than you on the mic", "my clothes are flyer", "ladies like me more" type rhymes. However in the past there were formats to validate these claims. In 1981 Busy Bee claimed to be the greatest alive, and told everybody that would listen that he would take out any MC. Kool Moe Dee took him up on the challenge and battled him on stage. KMD buried him, leaving no doubt in the minds of those present and those that heard the recording of it later that HE was the greatest alive. In doing so, KMD showed us all the best possible format to determine who the greatest MC alive is. After all, the name MC itself is indicative of one's ability to move a crowd.

Recently a lot of magazines have come up with other methods to determine who the greatest alive is, undoubtedly to help boost sagging sales. Some have used longevity, album sales, or number of hits as a measuring stick. Others such as Vibe Magazine have opted to use Ouija boards (How else would Lil Mama enter this discussion???). The problem with these formulas are that they are ALL severely flawed. If it's longevity, then what about Too Short? If it's album sales, then isn't it Eminem? If we're basing it on hits, then wouldn't Nelly be (pun intended) Number 1?

At then end of the day, Jay Z can't truly lay claim to the title because he hasn't gone through anyone to earn it. In fact in his only real lyrical confrontation, most people said he lost to Nas. There is only one tried and true way of determining who should own the title, a good old fashion MC battle. Mos Def's proposal for the battle of New Orleans is a fantastic idea. It's a great way to settle the debate, an excellent way to bring some excitement back into Hip Hop, and most importantly a phenomenal way to use the power of music for a worthy cause.

Jay Z may feel like he has nothing to gain and everything to lose by participating in this event, but doesn't that just prove that he isn't the greatest alive? Ali never ran from Foreman or Frazier, and that's the stuff that the greatest MC alive should be made of.