Rapper LL Cool J responded to DJ Akademiks calling old rappers “dusty.”
“It came to my attention that a DJ — and I’m not gonna say any names ’cause I don’t think it’s necessary — a DJ basically said that a lot of the pioneers in Hip Hop, they’re dusty or how can they be the person that invented Hip Hop if they don’t have a lot of money, or if they don’t represent like they have a lot of dough,” LL Cool J says in the video.
“Let me explain something to you: don’t think just because somebody knows how to get money — or fails to get money — that they didn’t make a contribution to the culture. No one discusses Miles Davis’ bank account. We don’t talk about John Coltrane’s bank account. A lot of even rock musicians…a lot of great country artists, we don’t talk about their bank accounts. This idea that you have to have money or else you don’t have any value is a bad idea and it’s a misinformed way of looking at the world and the culture.”
On his Twitch rant, Ak said:
“Them old rappers, man. Have you seen any of these old rappers who be like, yo, they’re the foundation of Hip Hop really living good?” Ak said. “Them n-ggas be looking really dusty, I kid you not. And none of y’all try to come for me ’cause I don’t f-ck with y’all n-ggas either, so I’m just telling y’all the truth. Every time there be like an old, old n-gga talking about Hip Hop, you be like, ‘Yo, bro. You sure you invented this? ‘Cause everybody else is looking better than you.’ Facts!”