Trapped in a NY Studio: A West Coast Rapper’s Story of the Biggie vs. Snoop Beef | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

0:00
Did you meet them at D&D or where did
0:02
you meet them? Uh I don't think we were
0:04
at D&D the first time. We were The first
0:06
time I was with all of D&D I mean all of
0:08
D I G C was
0:11
I got these weird stories but it was I
0:13
was in the studio with Joe with
0:15
everybody.
0:16
Uh I think yeah with Fat Joe I'm sorry
0:19
with Fat Joe but when when when Snoop
0:21
was shooting what you call him when Dogg
0:23
Pound was shooting New York New York.
0:24
>> New York.
0:25
>> I was in the studio when Biggie called
0:26
in the Hot 97 bro. We listening to the
0:28
radio at the studio but when it when
0:30
they
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bro
0:32
Uh
0:33
that was an interesting conversation we
0:35
all had but yeah. You were in the studio
0:37
listening to Hot
0:38
>> listening to Hot 97 when Biggie called
0:41
and it's like Fat Joe O.C. blah blah
0:45
blah blah blah and then I had an opinion
0:47
then the in Red Hook then they shot it
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up and all that yeah. Yeah you know cuz
0:50
for those who don't know they were
0:52
shooting New York New York video at a
0:54
really
0:55
very tense time and they were crushing
0:57
the buildings in the video.
0:59
>> And that's what he said they crushing
0:59
the buildings yo. I was like
1:02
So what did people say like when when
1:05
like what was the immediate thing people
1:06
said like when you looked at the room
1:08
cuz I know you were sitting little
1:10
nervous probably I mean I'm the youngest
1:12
I'm little you know I'm not the buffest
1:14
dude. I just was like uh you know like
1:18
he kind of giving some information there
1:19
like Red Hook yo they crushing the
1:22
buildings yo I WAS LIKE
1:23
BRO
1:25
>> [laughter]
1:26
>> DID YOU AT ONE POINT DID YOU THINK YOU
1:28
MIGHT get mopped? All the time.
1:31
>> [laughter]
1:31
>> That whole entire you know
1:33
that entire
1:35
hour in the studio cuz it was from
1:37
calling in to it getting shot up. You
1:40
know what I'm saying? And I didn't know
1:41
like I you know I didn't know Kurupt and
1:43
them like that you know what I'm saying?
1:45
I knew I used to battle Snoop and all
1:46
them like the Long Beach dudes they
1:48
older than me you know what I'm saying?
1:49
So you know they got obviously Snoop got
1:51
on before me and you know what I'm
1:53
saying? Then and I didn't even think he
1:54
even knew who I was anymore you know.
1:57
Yeah but but I still felt like uh
2:00
I'm from the West I had to stand on
2:02
business like hey man
2:04
you know Yo what you saying
2:05
>> man I was like
2:07
you going to get me in trouble. Yeah he
2:09
being an op like
2:10
damn. You see I'M TRYING TO
2:12
YOU SEE I'M
2:13
>> AGO BRO. kind of walk on eggshells
2:15
around this mother [ __ ] I got you I
2:17
GOT YOU
2:18
WATCH him just because it's his show you
2:20
ain't got to you got to [ __ ] with him.
2:21
That was
2:22
>> [laughter]
2:22
>> 30 that was 30 years ago man. Still it's
2:24
painful. Right [ __ ] was yeah. Just
2:26
traumatic right?
2:27
>> Traumatic experience. PTSD Ooh thanks
2:30
see how they thank you.
2:32
>> you I know how he operates I'm here for
2:33
the for the guest. Yo you wrapped THE
2:35
WEST THOUGH.
2:36
>> [laughter]
2:38
>> HOPPING YO.
2:41
YO YOU BATTLED SNOOP before like you and
2:43
him had a You can ask you can ask Beefy
2:45
Loc like you know bro I was a stupid
2:48
look no we hip hop changed our life bro.
2:51
So when we really you know the music
2:53
existed but once I paid attention I
2:55
tried to rap I was super whack.
2:57
So I wrote this rap for like R Street in
3:00
in Watts
3:02
99th and like basically
3:04
Avalon really.
3:05
So I wrote this rap I was trash so I
3:07
gave it up I just like okay I'm going to
3:09
be a fan then I went back and tried it
3:10
again uh and and essentially uh me and
3:15
my friend Bird who would help me produce
3:18
all you know my whole you know my first
3:19
album
3:21
we made a tape where we dissed each
3:23
other and long story short Battlecat
3:25
heard it. And then he
3:27
brings us in he basically adopts us like
3:29
you know what I'm saying? So Battlecat
3:31
he tells me like you can write good and
3:33
then he tells Bird you got a great ear
3:36
and then the journey starts from there
3:37
yeah.
3:37
>> Yeah. So you battled Snoop though.
3:40
>> Yeah so they would bring us out to go
3:41
battle.
3:43
And that would so whatever I'm from
3:44
Carson till they whatever they'll take
3:46
you like even even Kurupt so people are
3:48
going to like Gardena to the mall or
3:50
they going to you know what I'm saying?
3:51
Different malls or different high
3:52
schools like I heard he could rap good.
3:54
Sometimes they bet money on us you know
3:56
what I'm saying? $100 like yo. So yeah
3:57
[ __ ] was going to I was washing
3:59
[ __ ] With with everybody? I I was
4:01
washing [ __ ]
4:03
>> [laughter]
4:03
>> I'm just saying.
4:06
By the time I got my confidence up I'm
4:08
you know probably 15 acting like I'm 17
4:11
or whatever yeah [ __ ] was getting it.
4:13
Yo uh But I used big words so sometimes
4:15
I had to like
4:17
they be like I don't know what the [ __ ]
4:18
he saying though but that was the
4:19
argument about my music period like oh
4:21
he used big words so I see you know what
4:23
I mean? But no we
4:25
Snoop could freestyle Domino it was a
4:27
dude named Radio from Long Beach rest in
4:29
peace. It was a lot of dope [ __ ] you
4:30
know Domino could sing those are the
4:32
deadly ones the ones that could rhyme
4:34
and kind of do a little note so I kind
4:36
of avoided them [ __ ] cuz they could
4:38
sing. I didn't
4:39
>> Domino Ahmad
4:40
>> Ahmad [ __ ] that could hold a note.
4:41
Wait that's not the same Domino here we
4:43
go here we go. They were in a group
4:46
Snoop and them they older than me and
4:47
they and and Perfection because
4:50
Perfection is Perfect Circle I'm making
4:51
it up
4:52
that was that was a group that Snoop was
4:54
in so they had before 213 I think 213
4:57
was Domino Snoop
5:00
and like Warren at first before Nate
5:02
came whatever so yeah now it's all we
5:04
all got all this history together. So
5:06
you said something very interesting to
5:08
me that could be like your career
5:10
changing moment you said I wrote a rap I
5:12
was rhyming I was trash. Yeah in fact.
5:16
Who told you you was trash? The homies
5:18
in Watts that I was writing to impress I
5:20
was probably
5:21
13ish 14ish and I I'm
5:25
I don't know I forgot I I feel like it
5:27
was a like a Run-DMC record that
5:30
inspired me like I'm going to write this
5:31
anthem for this clique it wasn't a gang
5:35
that um
5:36
are in in in where I grew up and went to
5:38
school is is Watts it's basically the
5:41
gangs would be 97 East Coast
5:43
Front Street Watts and Grape Street but
5:46
some of the 16 and 17 year old dudes
5:48
that didn't gang bang wanted to make a
5:49
crew so they were going to be the 99
5:51
East Side Hustlers. Mhm. So I wanted to
5:54
be down with the crew I'm Baby John so I
5:58
was like I'll write a rap so in my brain
6:00
I'm like I'm going to write this rap.
6:01
>> ugly name. I'm John and I'm the baby I'm
6:04
the little one and my grandma and my
6:06
grandma called me Baby John that's what
6:07
it is.
6:07
>> a break Slave he was a little. Take it
6:10
up with Mercedes Baptiste [ __ ]
6:12
>> [laughter]
6:13
>> My granny they called her Miss Pryor.
6:16
Right.
6:17
>> my grandfather but long story short I
6:18
wrote the rap and I was like when I go
6:21
back and this is probably during summer
6:22
so I was like here when I go back
6:24
tomorrow
6:25
I'm going to I'm going to be the king
6:27
I'm going to say this rap and all of you
6:28
know all the cool homies you know they
6:30
17 16 and they going to love me anyway
6:33
I'm going to be the pop most popular
6:35
little little [ __ ] in Watts like in
6:37
the neighborhood and then I said my rap
6:38
and it was trash they was like oh Baby
6:40
John just you black don't rap.
6:41
Damn. And I was cool with that I didn't
6:43
get defeated. What made you pick the pen
6:45
back up again then?
6:48
Probably a year and a half two years
6:50
later
6:50
>> Wow.
6:52
Which was cool I was like oh I'm whack
6:54
so don't rap enjoy the music. Mhm.
6:57
>> And then I would you know people were
6:58
dancing and [ __ ] so I was like okay I'm
7:00
just you know break dance and do some
7:01
[ __ ] like that and
7:03
um but I met my homeboy Bird and
7:07
[ __ ] we were playing with G.I. Joe we
7:09
were still playing with toys I had G.I.
7:11
Joes and at some point which is crazy um
7:16
um
7:17
we were playing in my front yard playing
7:19
with G.I. Joe and I remember at the same
7:22
time we looked up and said
7:24
it's like girls over there so we
7:26
literally matured this like and stopped
7:29
playing with toys and started wanting to
7:30
play with girls the same day and then we
7:33
like really got into the music so we
7:35
were like So girls. Girls.
7:37
>> Girls. Girls made you pick up your pen
7:39
again. Yeah well well we we started
7:42
I had a I had bought a turntable cuz I I
7:44
did a commercial so I done a Pepe Jeans
7:47
commercial so I was already getting Oh
7:48
wow okay. residual checks cuz I was
7:50
gymnastics I could break dance so I
7:52
started getting booked and I was making
7:54
money I was getting these checks you
7:55
know what I'm saying? Young boy getting
7:56
you know what I'm saying? Getting [ __ ]
7:58
you know whatever you whatever get a
7:59
commercial whatever you might get 10
8:01
15,000 plus you get residual checks.
8:03
Yeah yeah.
8:04
>> Yeah you know what I'm saying? Maybe
8:05
even more I can't remember what those
8:06
checks were but I did a couple I got
8:08
casted so I bought a Technic 1200. Mhm.
8:12
He had a Numark mixer with the little 6
8:14
7 second sampler and that so it was the
8:17
girls and then we put our [ __ ] together
8:20
pause that's how they were we put our
8:22
equipment together and and then we just
8:24
grabbed all the vinyls that we had and
8:26
we would just make these diss tapes.
8:28
So
8:29
one hour in my garage I make my diss
8:31
tape I was just making records and [ __ ]
8:32
on him and then he would make records
8:34
[laughter] and [ __ ] on me
8:36
and
8:37
we made our our our coup de grace one
8:39
album we dissed each other it was tight
8:42
so we we let all our homies hear it and
8:44
one of the people who had gone to be my
8:47
harshest critic and you know and my
8:49
biggest my first fan his name is Curtis
8:51
Daniel he owns Patchwerk Studios.
8:53
>> Mhm. But obviously he didn't own the
8:55
studio back then we lived in
8:57
Patchwerk is named after a
8:59
neighborhood in Carson called the patch.
9:00
Mhm. So the one in Atlanta is named
9:02
after where we grew up in Carson but
9:05
yeah we made the tape Curtis and them
9:07
like
9:08
[ __ ] tight so we just kind of going we
9:09
were going kind of viral in the hood off
9:12
the diss tape like Rhas is jokes is
9:15
better cuz we would just freestyle them
9:16
I would just catch our little basic
9:18
ideas and [ __ ] on each other but this
9:20
one was tight. Bird gave it to his
9:22
sister's boyfriend
9:24
and I would have never listened to these
9:27
stupid kids we were you know like I said
9:28
14
9:29
uh
9:31
and he came back and told us we were
9:33
cool and that was Battlecat. I've had a
9:35
very interesting journey. Oh my god. It
9:37
makes sense now it makes sense. That was
9:38
Battlecat. It was Battlecat. He took the
9:41
time to listen to the tape I would have
9:42
never listened to these stupid kids if I
9:44
was him.
9:45
And he he came back and I I'm too shy I
9:48
would never have given him the tape cuz
9:50
he was the K Day and mix master and he
9:53
you know the [ __ ] and he probably was
9:54
just starting to do Domino [ __ ] and all
9:56
that so he didn't have no reason to give
9:58
a [ __ ] about us. And he he really took
10:00
the time, he came back and he was like,
10:01
"You could rap good and you got a good
10:04
ear." And then he took us to the studio,
10:05
him and Kurupt, so rest in peace. And uh
10:08
and uh Box. And Box got a deal and see
10:10
that he pulled us in and me and Burt
10:12
danced for Box while he was developing
10:15
our music and gave us both SP-1200s. And
10:17
like
10:17
>> Wow. And that's what I produced like,
10:19
you know, uh "Rhyme Life" and all that
10:21
[ __ ] "Solo Artist." Solo Artist. With
10:22
that with that SP from Battlecat. I
10:24
ain't I've known this dude decades. I
10:26
haven't heard that story but Ras Kass,
10:28
it's here, man. Let's talk about it,
10:29
man. We played the song "Leopard Eats
10:32
Face." Yeah. Reminds me of when Chris
10:34
Rock said the tiger went tiger.
10:37
>> [laughter]
10:38
>> What does "Leopard Eats Face" mean?
10:40
Well, it's not a term that I created.
10:42
So, it it's kind of in the political,
10:44
you know, sphere, it's
10:46
kind of a analogy for like
10:49
you knew what was going to happen before
10:50
you did it. So, don't be surprised. So,
10:52
the saying is kind of like
10:54
uh lady who voted for "Leopard Eats
10:57
Face"
10:58
party surprised that leopard eats face.
11:00
Yes. You know what I'm saying? So, like
11:03
uh fire's hot, water's wet, leopards eat
11:05
face. And in this analogy, I am the
11:07
leopard. MCs are the face. And and boy
11:11
are they because when you start going
11:12
through these lyrics
11:14
>> [laughter]
11:14
>> Let's talk about some of these lyrics.
11:17
>> Oh, and you [clears throat] know what?
11:17
Also, I'd be remiss keep keep a pin put
11:20
a pin in that. I did want to say it's
11:21
also with that analogy. I didn't want
11:23
this album to be
11:25
overly political in in that sense where
11:28
like a "Solo Artist" political. But,
11:30
this was kind of a old to say I told you
11:31
so anyway. So, this is kind of my like
11:33
my victory lap on "Solo Artist." Like
11:36
all that [ __ ] you said I didn't Y'all
11:38
wanted to shuck and jive and [ __ ] out.
11:40
And then "Solo Artist" like and now
11:42
we're living in it. So, uh [ __ ] you. I
11:44
was right.
11:45
>> Yeah. Unfortunately. And you say, "I
11:47
hate to say I told you so." Yeah, I do.
11:49
>> But but I do. I told you so, Kurupt,
11:51
Kurupt, Kurupt. Yeah.
11:53
Yo, so I
11:53
>> [laughter]
11:54
>> I caught all that by the way. I caught I
11:55
I I I I
11:56
I you barred down this whole whole
11:58
thing. There's a line in the song where
12:00
you say, "I heard rap ain't selling no
12:02
more on the Billboard charts."
12:04
"Y'all be pushing water down trash." Our
12:06
time is flopped. Mhm. "Not a little real
12:10
not a lot of real art in the
12:11
mainstream."
12:12
>> Since 2010. Lot of females misogynists
12:15
that hate black men. It's all stripper
12:16
music. I respect lyricists.
12:19
You listen to what rich people tell you
12:21
to. The difference is you chase famous
12:23
people. I don't care where that [ __ ]
12:25
is. Blacks been chasing parties since
12:28
[ __ ] built the pyramids. [ __ ] that.
12:31
Post Malone the colonizer. What? [ __ ]
12:34
liar. Elvis stealing from Chuck Berry
12:36
again and y'all [ __ ] are
12:37
sympathizers.
12:40
Post Malone is a colonizer.
12:44
Yeah.
12:45
It's a lot more. We could keep naming
12:46
them.
12:46
>> When you say uh
12:48
uh
12:49
you call somebody a liar, I feel like
12:51
you muted it. There is.
12:53
You didn't mute that? Damn, you would
12:55
catch that.
12:56
I'm not going to fall into it. Not
12:58
falling for this banana in the tailpipe.
12:59
No, wait. WAIT. WAIT.
13:00
>> [laughter]
13:00
>> I'M JUST SAYING, I WAS CURIOUS, RAS.
13:02
I LOVE IT.
13:03
>> you you called somebody a liar and then
13:05
you kind of mute or beep it or
13:07
something.
13:08
Look. Why did you do that, Ras? Art of
13:11
war. What?
13:11
>> [laughter]
13:12
>> But, why did you
13:13
>> Art of war.
13:14
>> Why did you censor yourself?
13:16
I do it all the time. It's a human
13:18
journey. Okay. I I I I got it out my
13:21
system.
13:23
It's always there. There's a version
13:25
with it on there. You know what I'm
13:26
saying? It's it's the Summer Jam thing.
13:29
Just depends on if you want me to bring
13:30
out the Summer Jam picture. Okay. Yeah.
13:33
All right. Uh you keep that picture in
13:35
your pocket, I guess.
13:36
>> [laughter]
13:37
>> Yo, why why do does Post Malone does
13:40
Post Malone owe anybody anything? Uh
13:44
I think you owe this culture
13:46
collectively. And I think some people
13:47
reap the benefits and then [ __ ] on it
13:49
and I find that insulting. I don't care
13:51
black, white, yellow, green, whatever.
13:52
If, you know, uh
13:55
I was thinking about that earlier. Like,
13:57
you know, um you know, people they claim
13:59
they [ __ ] lay claim to [ __ ]
14:01
like eradicated us out of [ __ ] black
14:04
music but take credit for rock and roll
14:06
and tell us we can't be country or
14:08
Beyoncé and she from Texas but we can't
14:09
do country music. [ __ ] that. And if if
14:12
I'm the elephant whisperer. We walk
14:14
around in rooms full of [ __ ] Dumbo
14:16
[ __ ] and act like it ain't no elephants
14:18
in here.
14:19
And that's that's like insane. So, I
14:21
think the most therapeutic thing for me
14:23
to do is be as honest with myself as
14:25
possible. Uh-huh. Um you know what I'm
14:27
saying? Um Yeah, like stop They steal
14:30
all our [ __ ] Culturally, people steal
14:32
our [ __ ] and then rename it. I used to
14:34
do a joke. I uh and I used to say
14:39
with with with
14:40
Latino music and then I'd be like, "Who
14:42
the [ __ ] is Tony?" You know what I'm
14:43
saying? Like, reggaeton reggaeton like
14:45
[ __ ] it's [ __ ] music. You got
14:47
African blood. Who the [ __ ] is Tony?
14:49
>> [laughter]
14:49
>> Who the [ __ ] is Tony, bro?
14:52
Who the [ __ ] [ __ ] Your [ __ ] got come
14:53
from Africa. It's an African term. Stop
14:56
acting like you a different [ __ ] You
14:57
just a [ __ ] that speaks Spanish. Stop
14:59
playing with me. You're insulting my
15:01
intelligence.
15:02
>> [laughter]
15:03
>> So, that's something that So, who the
15:04
[ __ ] is Tony? Who was Tony? Reggaeton
15:06
reggaeton.
15:08
[ __ ] [ __ ] music. Spanish You just a
15:11
[ __ ] that We ain't going to call him a
15:12
[ __ ] Okay, [ __ ] music. Black people
15:14
negro music. Oh, diaspora. Diaspora.
15:17
>> Okay. But still, we niggs and hard Rs
15:20
FOR THE DUMMIES.
15:21
>> [laughter]
15:23
>> I'M NOT A [ __ ] ALL RIGHT. WE ARE we
15:26
are [ __ ]
15:28
>> [laughter]
15:28
>> In the African language.
15:30
Negus. Negus.
15:32
Right.

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