Video After The Jump
The 2010 'Paid Dues' Festival was a success by all accounts and of course being in San Bernardino, CA had quite a few West Coast artists on the bill.
One noticeable absence was Watts rapper, Jay Rock.
Rapper Murs, who put together the festival along with Guerilla Union talked to Shade 45's Angela Yee about Jay Rock's absence.
"There was some fear on the part of other rappers that there might be something [beef] happening," Murs tells Angela. "When certain artists [Ice Cube] come and you have to provide a certain amount of security for them [and] they are already in fear of what's gonna happen and you invite the person [Jay Rock] they may be in fear of, then he might not perform and I can't have that."
"I don't know Cube, I respect him, he's not a friend, but I know [Jay Rock's} Top Dawg [Entertainment] and that was hard. I had to make a businessman decision. It was mainly my business partner that kept pushing me in that direction cause I was like 'f*ck it I don't give a.....'. But then for somebody [Ice Cube] to get on stage and talk sh*t about the New West. I'm like why would you do that? We're young kids who respect you. I'm paying you to come out, but maybe he wasn't talking to me, maybe he wasn't talking to Jay Rock."
For those that might not be familiar with the Ice Cube vs Jay Rock situation let me break it down. A lot of of the younger West Coast artists like Glasses Malone, Bishop Lamont and several others have alluded to the fact that they feel like older, more established artists out West weren't giving them a helping hand.
Although, he didn't name anyone specifically, Ice Cube sent a message out to the New West via his blog.
"They're just mad cause I don't fuck with they wack-ass. They ain't on my level, why should I waste my time. I don't even remember ever meeting these clowns or even being in the same room with any of 'em. They can't make a name for themselves so they need help from the O/G's. I refuse the throw'em a life line. Fuck'em. It ain't my job to make nobody famous. And for the record, I ain't scared of no nigga. Especially, no rappers....seriously people."
Jay Rock read that, and being a new West Coast artist felt some type of way and spoke on it saying Cube should say names.
Since that point there's been kind of a beef bubbling underneath the surface. Which I guess culminated with Cube not wanting Jay Rock at the Paid Dues festival.
Murs also added that the New West just needs to keep doing their own thing. "If Dre won't put us on Detox, so f*cking what."
Personally, I think the West should try to unify. A lot of great music could come from that. But if they beef, keep it on wax and out of the streets.
Personally, I think the West should try to unify. A lot of great music could come from that. But if they beef, keep it on wax and out of the streets.
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