Nine years ago this month (November 2005), the LOX‘s Jadakiss and Styles P turned it up on Diddy while being interviewed on NYC’s Hot 97. It feels like ages ago, doesn’t it? I bet it doesn’t for the LOX though.
Diddy has a reputation for allegedly mistreating his artists. We, the Internet (which I include myself in, hate it or love it) joke about it, but I’m not sure that artists who’ve parted ways with Diddy do. They’ve pleaded and voiced their frustration on radio shows. (Do you remember when Mase popped up on Diddy at Atlanta’s V-103 radio station with release papers in hand?)
The LOX and Diddy beef started when they pleaded to be dropped from Bad Boy Records through their orchestrated campaign “Free the LOX.” “Let the LOX Go” T-shirts and all, Diddy set them free.
But the LOX wanted Diddy to share the wealth of their success and pleaded for their publishing. They claimed that Diddy owned 50 percent of their publishing. Diddy later told Hot 97’s Angie Martinez that he owned 20 percent and has made $400,000 off the LOX, according to AllHipHop. A rep for the group later refuted Diddy’s claim with legal documentation countering his statement.
The LOX and Diddy are on good terms now; they settled their publishing dispute in December 2005.
Their Hot 97 argument is an epic one, though, therefore I had to revisit it and break it down for Throwback Thursday here on The Juice.
00:52: “All that throwing a refrigerator, you’re gonna kill… y’all ain’t killing nobody man.” – Diddy
(You know it’s deeper than rap when someone reportedly threatens to kill you by pushing refrigerators on you from the top of the building.)
01:43: “And don’t say we can come to your office or do none of that, ’cause we can’t do none that. We can’t handle it no other way than with lawyers… You actin’ tough.” – Jadakiss (Refrigerators are not an option.)
2:07: “We made one record with you, Money Power & Respect. It’s 10 years later and you still got half of our publishing. And you can’t make it justifiable that you deserve half of our publishing.” – Styles P
(Tell ’em why you’re mad.)
2:39: “Real recognize real. Y’all know where the office is at. There’s a big sign on it. I’ll be there.” – Diddy
(By far the best line from the entire conversation. If that’s not some A+ taunting…)
3:28: “You had a bunch of artists whose careers never went right with you. Look at the list…” – Styles P (And here it comes…)
3:46: “112 not happy with you, gone. Faith [Evans] not happy with you, gone. We not happy with you, gone. Mase not happy with you, gone.” – Styles P (There are some names missing, but there you have it.)
And the final blow comes from Jadakiss at the 3:53 mark: “B.I.G. dead. Shyne in jail.” (Sweet baby Jesus.)