Jay-Z and Lil’ Wayne: H.A.M, It’s Good but Beef is Better
It appears that the Jay-Z/Lil’ Wayne beef has finally come to a head. Here’s a brief background for those who are not up on the subtleties of this rap war.
Back in 2004 when Jay-Z announced his first retirement, he released his “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” single off of “The Black Album” where the song ends with a repetition of the Jigga-man claiming that he’s “the best rapper alive.” June of that same year Lil’ Wayne released the first installment of his Carter series, “Tha Carter“. On his first single from the album, “Bring It Back” he ended the song with a similar proclamation to Hov’s. Lil’ Wayne claimed that he was “the best rapper alive…since the best rapper retired.”
Within the next two years, Lil’ Wayne shot to super-stardom and received critical acclaim from the hip-hop community, once again bringing Cash Money to the forefront and sowed the seeds of what would become his own Young Money imprint. Jay-Z on the other hand was planning his return to rap with “Kingdom Come“, a sub-par album by his standards. Around this time he had squashed his long-standing beef with Nas and had become President of Def Jam. While the single “Show Me What You Got” had the clubs buzzing, it was the b-side, “Dig A Hole” that had the streets buzzing. A slick diss track in which Jay-Z addressed his fallout with Roc-a-Fella co-founder, Dame Dash and his beef with Dip-Set leaders, Jim Jones & Cam’ron. The song was easily deciphered but it was the third verse on “Trouble” that left people speculating whether or not Jay was going at Wayne due to his excess use of the word little.
Last Verse on “Trouble”
You lil niggas aint deep, you dumb
You niggas aint gangsta, you gum
I chew lil niggas
Hock-tphew spew lil niggas
I can only view lil niggas like lil niggas
But in lieu of lil niggas
Tryin’ to play that boy,
I ptoo-ptoo lil niggas with the latest toy
Unlike you lil nigga, Im a grown ass man
Big shoes to fill, nigga, grown ass pants
Prolly hustled with ya pops, go ask ya parents
Its apparent yall staring at a legend
Who put a few lil niggas in they place before
Trying to eat without saying they Grace before
Blasphemous bastard, get your faith restored
Yall viewin yall version of the Lord
God MC lil nigga, applaud or
Forever burn in the fire that I spit at yall
I rebuke you, little nigga!
The meek shall inherit, I ROOF you little nigga
Im a project terrorist
CUTE you little niggas think you in my class
Substitute lil niggas who feel my wrath
I mute you little nigga
You a lil nigga- I child abuse you lil nigga
Im a ill nigga
Now shoo! You lil niggas go somewhere and play
Cause the day I lose to you lil niggas? No day!
Wayne never responded (most likely out of respect) and the song was easily forgotten once Jay and Wayne began collaborating on songs together.
Kanye West & Jay-Z – H.A.M
Most recently the Kanye West and Jay-Z collaboration album, “Watch The Throne” has been welcomed with open arms, receiving mostly positive reviews and breaking iTunes sales records. On the song, “H.A.M” Jay-Z spits:
Niggas fantasize about the shit that I do daily like
These rappers rap about all the shit that I do really
I’m like really half a billi nigga
Really you got baby money
Keep it real with n-ggas
Niggas ain’t got my lady money
Watch the Throne don’t step on our road
Bad enough we let you step on our globe
The bold lines is the most important line and is viewed as a swipe to Lil’ Wayne. Claiming that Lil’ Wayne’s money isn’t his own but in fact Baby’s (CEO of Cash Money Records). With his fourth installment of his Carter series, “Tha Carter IV” the song “It’s Good” (featuring Jadakiss & Drake) contains Lil’ Waynes retaliation:
Talkin ’bout baby money? I got your baby money
Kidnap your bitch, get that ‘how much you love your lady’ money
I know you fake nigga, press your brakes nigga
I’ll take you out, that’s a date nigga
Im a grown ass blood, stop playin with me
Play asshole and get an ass whippin’
I think you pussy cat ha, hello kitty
Lil’ Wayne – It’s Good feat. Jadakiss & Drake
Now we just await Mr. Carter’s next move. Um, S. Carter to be clear.
