A$AP Rocky says he was caught completely off guard when Denzel Washington started dropping bars from Nas, Tupac, DMX, and others during a pivotal scene in Spike Lee’s new heist thriller Highest 2 Lowest. In the film, Washington’s wealthy music executive character, David King, confronts Rocky’s aspiring rapper, Yung Felon, in a tense music studio showdown that turns into a rap battle.

Although scripted, Washington freestyled many of his lines, leaving Rocky stunned. “I’m like: How does this man know who Moneybagg Yo is?” Rocky said. The 70-year-old Washington grinned, proving his hip-hop chops were more than just acting. Lee described the scene as a heavyweight fight: “If you got somebody who don’t got it, Denzel is going to slaughter them. SLAUGHTER.”

Despite being a professional rapper, Rocky admits he lost the battle. “I had to go with the flow with him… But I lost a rap battle to this man,” he laughe