The Pete Rock vs. Lupe Fiasco controversy rolls on. I guess it was wishful thinking to imagine that it would be squashed so quickly. Since we last checked in with our heroes, Pete Rock issued a statement on the subject, declaring the matter resolved. You can read it in full after the jump but the substance of it boils down to this sentence:
“The storm is over and it’s time to move on…”
Case closed. Nothing to see here. Please move along. But suddenly…
(Enter Sway.) Even after an amicable phone call with Pete, Lupe expressed frustration with Pete on a call to Sway’s Morning Show, getting detailed about his original reach-out to the legendary producer and his above and beyond the call of duty to clear the samples, get their publishing ducks in a row and generally handle things the right way. But you have to hear the audio of the phone interview below to really get the edge of vexation that creeps into his voice over the whole um, fiasco:
Which leaves us where, exactly? No reply from Pete’s camp since the official press release but clearly the discrepancy is still playing out. Maybe our own afro’d overlord ?uestlove can get his King Solomon on and drops some words of wisdom on the sitch (watch above, via MTV). Let’s hope.
Pete Rock official statement on Lupe Fiasco’s “Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free)”:
“The storm is over and it’s time to move on,” says iconic Hip Hop producer Pete Rock. After two and a half days of heated discussion and debates within the Hip Hop community about Lupe Fiasco’s remake of Pete Rock’s classic Hip Hop song (T.R.O.Y. / They Reminisce Over You), the legendary producer gives a full statement: “There is no Pete Rock vs. Lupe Fiasco and there never was. Lupe called me last night for the first time about the remake of my song and we worked out our differences. With that, we can do business together and focus on what we both love to do, which is make great music.”
On Monday (May 21st), GRAMMY® Award winning rapper Lupe Fiasco released the lead single Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free) from his forthcoming album. The song, produced by SimonSayz and B-Side, is the artists’ take on T.R.O.Y., a Hip Hop staple originally released in 1992 by hip hop duo Pete Rock and CL Smooth on their debut album Mecca and the Soul Brother.
According to the explosion on social media that began on Monday, the Pete Rock classic holds an “untouchable” and “sacred” place in Hip Hop music history given the tragic circumstances surrounding why the song was made. Troy Dixon (aka Trouble T Roy), who was part of the group Heavy D and The Boyz, died accidentally in 1990. Dixon’s close friends, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, would later release Mecca and the Soul Brother which featured the tribute song. It was instantly heralded as a classic. Reflecting on this and the passing of his cousin, Hip Hop trailblazer Heavy D (who died unexpectedly just six months ago), Pete Rock explains the emotions behind his Twitter timeline: “The whole meaning behind T.R.O.Y. is that it’s a song about showing respect and doing what’s right. That can’t be down played. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t think about Troy and Heavy. All my emotions are front and center, especially now. But as long as respect is given where respect is due, then it’s all good. That’s why we’re moving forward.”
spotted at LE
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