Some of Hip Hop’s most memorable moments happened far from recording studios, concert stages, and television cameras. In 1989, two exceptionally talented young Bronx MCs, Lord Finesse and Percee P, faced each other in a legendary rhyme battle at the Patterson Projects. Fourteen years later, they returned to the same location for another exchange, this time with established reputations and considerably more experience behind them.
The 2003 footage, associated with Paul Nice’s SBX! Holding Down the Tradition project, captures something increasingly rare: two veteran lyricists trading verses in the environment where they developed their skills. There’s no elaborate staging or unnecessary spectacle. The attraction is straightforward: Lord Finesse’s effortless punchlines against Percee P’s extraordinary technical precision.
Both men approach the microphone differently, and watching them together is a reminder of how much personality matters in battle rap.
Lord Finesse: The Funky Technician
By 2003, Lord Finesse had been a respected figure in Hip Hop for well over a decade. The Bronx MC and producer first attracted widespread attention with Funky Technician (1990), recorded with DJ Mike Smooth and featuring production from DJ Premier and Diamond D. The album established Finesse as a formidable punchline rapper, combining clever wordplay, relaxed confidence, and an exceptional sense of timing.
His follow-up, Return of the Funky Man (1992), strengthened that reputation, while The Awakening (1996) demonstrated his growing abilities as a producer. Finesse also became a central figure in Diggin’ in the Crates, better known as D.I.T.C., the influential collective whose members included Diamond D, Showbiz & A.G., O.C., Fat Joe, and Big L.
His production work extended beyond his own records. He contributed to The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die (1994) and Big L’s Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous (1995), helping shape two important New York Hip Hop albums.
As an MC, Finesse has always preferred precision over volume. His delivery is conversational, almost casual, but his verses are packed with internal rhymes, unexpected comparisons, and punchlines delivered with impeccable timing. He can make a complicated rhyme sound effortless, often allowing a brief pause or change in emphasis to give a line its full impact.
That approach is clearly visible in the Patterson Projects footage. Finesse doesn’t need to raise his voice or rush his delivery. He controls the rhythm, lands his punchlines, and leaves his opponent with plenty to answer.
Percee P: The Rhyme Inspector
Percee P’s story followed a very different path.
Born John Percy Simon, the Bronx MC developed a reputation during the late 1980s as an exceptionally gifted battle rapper. His technique was remarkable even by the standards of an era obsessed with lyrical competition. Percee could deliver long sequences of multisyllabic rhymes at extraordinary speed, maintaining intricate patterns without losing control of the beat.
Where Finesse relies on measured delivery and carefully placed punchlines, Percee attacks verses with an almost continuous stream of syllables. His breath control is exceptional, and his ability to maintain complex rhyme structures over extended passages makes him one of Hip Hop’s most distinctive technical MCs.
Despite his considerable reputation, commercial success proved elusive. Early recordings with Ekim, including “Now They Wanna See Me,” demonstrated his abilities, but a proper solo album remained out of reach for years.
Percee continued recording, battling, and making guest appearances, developing a devoted following among underground Hip Hop fans. His appearances alongside artists such as Jurassic 5 introduced his extraordinary technique to another generation of listeners.
His long-awaited debut, Perseverance, finally arrived in 2007 through Stones Throw Records. Produced entirely by Madlib, the album paired Percee’s relentless verbal gymnastics with dusty, sample-heavy boom-bap. It was an overdue opportunity for one of Hip Hop’s great overlooked lyricists to demonstrate his abilities across a complete album.
But long before Perseverance, there was the Patterson Projects.
The Original Battle: Patterson Projects, 1989
The original 1989 encounter between Lord Finesse and Percee P has become an important piece of Bronx Hip Hop history.
At the time, Finesse was an emerging MC on the verge of releasing his debut album. Percee was already earning recognition for his remarkable technical abilities. Both came from a culture where reputations were established through direct competition, and a strong performance in front of the right crowd could carry considerable weight.
Their contrasting approaches made the encounter particularly interesting.
Finesse brought his trademark confidence, clever insults, and measured delivery. His strength was making difficult rhymes sound natural, with punchlines that connected immediately.
Percee countered with speed, elaborate rhyme patterns, and an extraordinary number of syllables packed into each passage. His technique demanded close attention, with rhymes arriving so quickly that listeners often needed another hearing to catch everything.
The encounter became part of the personal histories of two MCs who would go on to earn enormous respect within underground Hip Hop.
Unlike the heavily promoted battles that emerged in later decades, this was an example of lyrical competition developing organically within a local scene. The Patterson Projects provided the setting, and the participants brought the skills they had developed through years of practice.
The original footage remains fascinating because it captures two future underground legends while they were still establishing themselves.
The 2003 Rematch: Fourteen Years Later
When Lord Finesse and Percee P returned to the Patterson Projects in 2003, their careers had taken different directions.
Finesse was an established recording artist, respected producer, and founding member of one of New York’s most important underground collectives. Percee remained a fiercely independent MC whose reputation rested primarily on his technical abilities, live performances, and underground recordings.
Neither had abandoned the approach that made him distinctive.
Finesse delivers his verses with the same relaxed authority heard on his classic albums. His punchlines arrive at a measured pace, supported by carefully constructed rhyme patterns and the confidence of an MC completely comfortable with his abilities.
Percee is considerably more frantic. His rapid-fire delivery packs complicated rhyme sequences into passages that seem to leave almost no room for breathing. He attacks the rhythm from different angles, demonstrating the extraordinary technical control that earned him his reputation.
The contrast makes the footage entertaining from beginning to end.
Importantly, the performances consist of prepared rhymes rather than spontaneous freestyling. That distinction takes nothing away from the skill involved. Hip Hop’s battle tradition has always included carefully written verses, and the ability to deliver them convincingly in front of another accomplished MC remains an important part of the craft.
The atmosphere is relaxed, with the two veterans clearly enjoying the opportunity to revisit their history. There’s competitive energy in their performances, but the encounter is also an acknowledgment of their shared roots.
The footage is associated with Paul Nice’s SBX! Holding Down the Tradition, a project dedicated to preserving the spirit of traditional Hip Hop performance and the culture surrounding it.
Two Different Approaches to Lyrical Excellence
What makes these encounters particularly interesting is how differently Finesse and Percee approach the same fundamental challenge.
Lord Finesse is a master of timing. His rhymes are carefully constructed, but he rarely allows the technical details to interfere with the listener’s enjoyment. The punchline comes first, delivered with the confidence and humor that made him one of the most influential battle-oriented MCs of his generation.
Percee P takes technical complexity to another level. His verses are exercises in rhyme construction, filled with extended multisyllabic patterns, internal rhymes, and rapid changes in emphasis. His performances reward repeated listening because there’s often too much happening to absorb everything the first time.
Neither approach is inherently superior. Their differences demonstrate the range of skills that developed within Bronx Hip Hop during the 1980s.
Finesse influenced generations of punchline specialists, including his fellow D.I.T.C. member Big L. Percee became a reference point for listeners who value extraordinary breath control, complicated rhyme schemes, and relentless technical precision.
Watching them trade verses makes those differences immediately apparent.
A Valuable Piece of Bronx Hip Hop History
The 1989 battle and 2003 reunion offer an unusual opportunity to see two respected MCs at different stages of their careers.
In the original encounter, Finesse and Percee were young competitors building their reputations. Fourteen years later, they returned with the experience of recording, performing, and navigating an industry that had changed dramatically since their first meeting.
The 2003 footage is especially enjoyable because neither man appears interested in changing his approach to accommodate contemporary trends. Finesse remains the relaxed punchline technician. Percee remains the relentless rhyme specialist. Their respective styles had already been fully developed long before the cameras returned to the Patterson Projects.
For anyone interested in Hip Hop’s lyrical traditions, these recordings deserve attention. They document a connection between two exceptional MCs, preserve a small part of the Bronx’s competitive rap culture, and demonstrate how different approaches to rhyming can be equally impressive.
Fourteen years separate the encounters, but the fundamental attraction remains the same: two skilled MCs, a beat, and the pleasure of hearing great rhymes delivered by people who know exactly what they’re doing.