Mobb Deep in New York City, September 2011. Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage
Earlier this week, the radio station Power 105 aired audio footage of the rapper and producer Havoc claiming that his Mobb Deep bandmate Prodigy was homosexual. The accusation involves Havoc saying, “Watch these niggas in the jail come out from the woodwork who are going to tell you what the fuck he was doing. He gay. I had to smack him like a month and a half ago at South-by-South-West.” It’s not the first time rappers have sparked beef or made gaffs while being unwittingly recorded on tape though – as these five (now classic) moments reveal show.
1. 50 Cent Makes Young Buck Cry!
No rapper has dedicated themselves to the modern art of beefing with such joy and playful gusto as 50 Cent. Finding himself disgruntled with comments one-time G-Unit soldier Young Buck had made, Fif’ went back into his vault and plucked out a prior phone conversation he’d enjoyed with Young Buck wherein the southern rapper pleaded with 50 to let him back in his gang and, er, at one point broke down into tears. Well played, Curtis.
2. The Game’s Police Prank!
Possibly inspired by his old G-Unit boss’s propensity for using the Internet to play out pranks, last summer The Game decided to tweet to his half-a-million followers that he was looking for an intern and that interested applicants should call up the phone number included in the missive. Alas, the number was that of the local Compton Sheriff Department, whose lines were quickly flooded to the point of near break-down. Looking to minimize his liability, Game then tweeted that someone – a “wackstar” – had hacked his account. Here he explains himself to CNN:
3. Drake‘s Disgruntled Gal!
“Marvin’s Room” is one of slick-talking sweater specialist Drake’s most mega of hits, but it’s a song that came about after a bit of surreptitious recording — at least according to his old girlfriend, Erika Lee. Having filed a lawsuit against Drake earlier this year, Lee claims that her recorded voice and, er, “creative ideas” were used on the song without her permission. The case is currently unsettled.
4. El-P Embarrasses Sole!
The height of late-’90s indie rap bickering! Here Company Flow and Definitive Jux head honcho El-P shot back at Anticon cult leader Sole by interspersing his “Linda Tripp” track with taped footage of Sole declaring his love for Co Flow and imploring, “I want to be down.” Key (but now quaint) line: “The only thing advanced about your music is that you need a computer to hear it.”
5. Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane Kiss and Make Up!
Proving that not all rapper-related uses of the telephone result in controversy or quibbling, southern rap chaps Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane used a conference call into DJ Drama’s radio show to end their long festering dispute. (It’s a beef that originally started over the Snowman’s involvement in Gucci’s early hit song “Icey.”) “Wow, it’s a big moment in hip-hop right here,” said Drama after the two rappers puckered up and made up – although it’s unclear whether Gucci and Jeezy made their friendship frugal and signed up for a cellphone family plan.
