Ozone Exclusive: Scarface Feels “Slighted” by VH1’s “Disrespectful” Dirty South Hip Hop Honors, Will Not Attend
By Maurice Garland • May 13th, 2010 • Category: Uncategorized 2,926 views
Scarface at VH1’s 2008 Hip Hop Honors
Seems like the closer we get to VH1’s “Dirty South” Hip Hop Honors, the more voices of dissent we hear about the event. Adding his two cents, legendary Hip Hop artist Scarface sent Ozone an exclusive statement regarding his feelings on this year’s show and how its being handled.
I was nominated [to be honored at the Dirty South Hip Hop Honors] but I declined to accept because I don’t wanna be classified as just “Dirty South.” I’m Hip Hop, man. I’m not going because I feel slighted. Even though it was a nice gesture, I feel like it’s just a pacifier. They’re like, “Let’s give these niggas down there a pacifier so they can stop feeling left out. We’ll make Luke and all these niggas down there look funny,” you know? “Let’s put a plate of fried chicken and some watermelon and let’s just do some nigga-ass shit.” (laughs) Quote, end quote. “Some nigga-ass shit.” Fried chicken and watermelon. “Shit, the faster we get this over with, the better.”
Honoring [Uncle] Luke and James [Prince] and [Master] P and Timbaland and JD and Dungeon Family is a good thing. I don’t wanna fuck their Honors up. They helped lay the foundation. More power to ‘em. I respect what they do and I respect what they’ve done for Hip Hop, but to put us in a category is disrespectful. Why would you categorize us as “Dirty South”? Why can’t you just honor some muthafuckers from down here and leave it like that? You ain’t gotta make us look extra country. We know where we’re from and we know where you’re from. We know where Hip Hop came from, man. We’re cool with that. I’m proud to be from Houston but don’t make a mockery of my accomplishments. We’re not “dirty” down here in the South anyway. This shit down here probably cleaner than the rest of the country, cause we got grandmas down here. Our grandmas don’t play that shit.
I was a part of the Slick Rick and De La Soul and Too $hort and Public Enemy [Hip Hop Honors]. I felt good about being a part of that. I went [to Hip Hop Honors] when they honored Def Jam because I wanted to be a part of that. I felt honored that they would even call me to do it. But this year, I totally disagree with how they’re trying to categorize us. You know how they make us look on TV? Like we live on the front porch with flies and shit flying around us, with our stomachs all big eating watermelon rinds? That ain’t us, man. Don’t fuckin’ make a mockery of us because we come from down here and you have no fuckin’ idea what it looks like. They’re gonna try to put us with some cows and just make us look fucked up, man, like we don’t know what the fuck we doin’ down here. We’re smart, man. Our life is slowed down so we don’t miss nothing. When shit gets moving too fast you miss everything. Shit’s slowed down here so we see it all.
I come from the era when New York and L.A. had the only Hip Hop, and they weren’t fuckin’ with us, at all. If you think I’m lyin’, check the history of Hip Hop. Try to pull up some footage from the 1989/1990 New Music Seminar. That’s what I base my whole fuckin’ life on: the New Music Seminar 1989/1990. They was NOT fuckin’ with us. We sold records all over the fuckin’ country and New York made a mockery of it. They fuckin’ booed the Geto Boys in New York. They sure did.
Back when Luke had Skywalker Records and J had Rap-A-Lot Records, they weren’t tryin’ to do no South shit. “It didn’t come from New York, son, so fuck that.” That was their attitude. Just because a TV was made in Japan, is it a Japanese TV? Or is it just a fucking TV? If a lightbulb was made in China is it a Chinese lightbulb?
It was hard breaking through. It was hard getting respect from the East Coast. We didn’t get no fuckin’ love from nobody. Fab Five Freddy came down here early in our career to see what we were really about, and I respected and appreciated that. But we been having money down here. We been rollin’ fuckin’ Bentleys and Ferraris down here since the 80s. Muthafuckers ain’t just started rockin’ gold and platinum chains. We had that shit in high school. Shit, we just now started running out of money. (laughs) That’s how long we been had money down here.
Everybody throws up a fuckin’ smokescreen to make the picture look how they want it to look, but I know shit stank. I ain’t no goddamn fool. I was there in the beginning. We were fighting the power for real. Our raps were considered negative rap, and we got a lot of fuckin’ flak behind that shit. And we were just telling the truth. We were under immense scrutiny, from politicians to radio stations to the media. Luke got up there talkin’ about “Pop That Pussy” and had naked hoes on the stage; they were going to jail and shit. The Geto Boys were talkin’ this politicially-charged, racist-ass, system-ran, gangsta-ass dope-dealing whoopin’-ass shit, and it wasn’t accepted in New York.
Eventually New York came around and started fuckin’ with us. But for an East Coast-based show to call themselves showing some fuckin’ love by making a Southern watered-down version of what the show is supposed to be or what Hip Hop really is, man, I feel fucked up about that shit. Because we fought harder than a muthafucker. When [Ice] Cube was on Hip Hop Honors, it wasn’t the “Hip Hop West Coast Honors.” Every part of the ghetto is the same mu’fuckin’ story. Hip Hop is one machine, regardless if you come from New York or Bareback, Africa. It’s fuckin’ Hip Hop.
But that’s just [my opinion], and fuck me. I don’t mean nothing. I’m just a nigga who fought harder than a muthafucker to get our records played in New York and on the East Coast period. And now all a nigga needs to do is fart on a record and it gets played. So it’s fine by me. I’m cool with that. I’m not mad about it, I just feel disrespected. Whoever goes [to Hip Hop Honors], it’s fine and dandy by me. But if you wanted to do a Southern-based show you shoulda got a nigga DOWN SOUTH to do it in the South.
PREVIOUSLY: Vh1 to Honor the “Dirty South” | Big Boi on Why Outkast Hasn’t Been Hip Hop Honored
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RESPECT , TRUE SHIT he talking about.. this one of the reasons why ozone blew the fuck up cuz jb and staff kept it gutta,stayed on the grind with the south and all of it’s underground artist,had ozone award in the south,Lets keep it going mane,THE MIC IS IN OUR HAND AND THE WORLD IS LISTENING,
it feels like the Bun B track “everything” you say door we say doe, you want more but we want mo,
shout out all southern spiters,we got so many artist doing big shit,
TI, LUDA,JD,JEZZY,BLOOD RAW,BUN,WAYNE,BUCK,ROSS, BALL AND MJG,TRICK DADDY,TRINA, BRISCO,BILL BLUE,ZRO,SLIM THUG,
“COME ON SON”
yo: face thanks for your thoughts mane, you mean more than you know
[...] Face explains himself to Ozone. I don’t wanna be classified as just “Dirty South.” I’m Hip Hop, man. I’m not going [...]
[...] the full statement here. via RR Share & [...]
[...] Upset With Hip Hop Honors Posted on May 13, 2010 by djashyknuckles He spoke to Ozone magazine and had this to [...]
[...] Face explains himself to Ozone. I don’t wanna be classified as just “Dirty South.” I’m Hip Hop, man. I’m not going [...]
So, let me get this right. Face is mad because they chose to honor his contribution to Hip Hop on a Nationally televised TV show where is his music would played for few million people. Fab Five Freddy is an Exec Producer for the show if I am not mistaken, sounds like he hasn’t really done his homework.
No truer words have ever been spoken. We writers have the same problem. Everybody will go out and buy Nicholas Sparks’ books because he’s a great author. But people like myself, Terry McMillan, Walter Mosley; we’re not great authors, we’re black authors. And black people that will buy Nicholas sparks’ and Dean Koonce’s books won’t buy ours. Game recognize game and talent recognize talent. If other people put us in the box centuries ago, why do we keep putting the damn lid back on it so we can’t get out? I’m from NC and I’m with Face. Ain’t shit dirty ’bout us. We don’t have no real control over that show, so ultimately they honor who THEY want to honor, anyway. I’m glad he ain’t going. I damn sure ain’t gonna watch it.
I’m glad he is not going as well. Scarface has been scorned by the hip hop community. He is right; we didn’t have a westcoast Hip Hop Honors, we didn’t have a eastcoast Hip Hop Honors—so why are we putting a stamp on the south? To someone coming from the south, that’s offensive because it reminds most of the educated southerners of the old segregated, civil rights south. Once again you have broke us apart from something that we all have a right too. I am from Alabama and I can understand the passion behind his forth coming comment. As a southern woman or southern man, it is hard to gain respect. We listen to everything—that’s how we have been conditioned. SOCIAL WORKERS STAND UP!
Thats some of the realest shit I’ve heard in a minute…..I’m from Jersey I can remeber going to see NWA and PE in philly..Too short came on he got booed off the stage…when I was a freashman in high school…A brother gave me a tape of these dudes named the Geto Boys…Mr Scarface was on of the illest street emcees I ever heard….And New York wasn’t feelin it…I had NWA and the Posse when it first came out cats weren’t feelin it….If they’re gonna honor people just do it as artists…on the real this is what they want to do to divide hip hop….Man I’m from the EAST AND I’M GOING TO LISTEN TO SCARFACE BEFORE JIM JONES, RED CAFE, PAPOOSE, SAIGON, or any of these wack mixtape dudes who keep pushing up here but they can’t make a album…..Dope emcees are just that dope from any coast…..if you can spit you can spit no matter waht the topic….thats why I can listen to G Rap then De La then Heavy D then El-P……diversity is lacking now….people complain how the net killed music, but where else can you find something different than what they play on the radio….
[...] http://www.ozonemag.com/2010/05/13/scarface-speaks-on-vh1s-dirty-south-hip-hop-honors/ Scarface [...]
[...] an interview with ozone, the recently returned rapper spoke on the Minstrel Show-like tactics be used by the [...]
Well spoken Scarface. I’m from Dallas and when people say Texas they think of horses and cows and shit and how slow and country we are, we’re far from country i don’t sit around all day and eat friend chicken in shit,hell I feel SOUTHERN RAPPERS go harder then any other rappers period. Outside of 2Pac and Biggie and N.W.A i don’t really listen to all that west/east rap,but I do respect them and all that they have done for the game. I feel southern rappers don’t get enough recognition
for all their hard work i.e. UGK,8BALL & MJG,SLIM THUG,LUDA, you get the picture.You see southern rappers have a story to tell and not only that they rap about it but they lived it as well so to all the southern rappers keep dropping these hits on them.
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[...] http://www.ozonemag.com/2010/05/13/scarface-speaks-on-vh1s-dirty-south-hip-hop-honors/ Scarface [...]
I understand where Scarface is coming from. He is just as much Hip Hop as Public Enemy, De La Soul, N.W.A., Ice Cube, 2pac, Biggie, Outkast, Common, Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, and many countless others and (Scarface) made such an influence on some of these rappers as well many others. He’s one of the very few artists (like I said “artist) that have stayed true to themselves instead of crossing over for fame and fortune.
I understand Scarface thats wack why would they put the whole South in one category,,thats disrespectfull cause Scarface is one of the best MCs ever notice i did not say rapper there is a diffrence.and i cant belive the havent honord Roxanne Shante,U.T.F.O that usherd in the golden age if you gonna Honor floks VH1 need to get it right they started out good what happin?
Scarface Feels “Slighted” by VH1’s “Disrespectful” Dirty South Hip Hop Honors, Will Not Attend…
I was nominated [to be honored at the Dirty South Hip Hop Honors] but I declined to accept because I don’t wanna be classified as just “Dirty South.” I’m Hip Hop, man. I’m not going because I feel slighted. Even though it was a nice gesture, I feel lik…
being from Flint, Michigan and a dj i played records from all over. And scarface is one of da realiest mcs out there. To tell yall the truth i love hip hop and as krs said a dope mc is a dope mc. Back in the 80s and 90s there was alot of originality. Nowadays everyone scared to step out the box and be different. I still dj 2 dis day and love a lot of newer cats in the game, but very few are saying anything different than every other rapper that wants to be a pop star. Ghetto boys all day f*ck them homos like drake
[...] alienated folks including Luther Campbell (who’s participating anyway), Scarface (who’s not), and Tony Draper (who wasn’t invited). Nevertheless, you can surely expect plenty of [...]
[...] alienated folks including Luther Campbell (who’s participating anyway), Scarface (who’s not), and Tony Draper (who wasn’t invited). Nevertheless, you can surely expect plenty of [...]