Melle Mel has responded to the backlash after taking aim at Eminem, Lil Wayne and several other rappers who ranked higher than him in Billboard’s Greatest Rappers of All Time list.
“Melle Mel has nothing against nobody in Hop Hop. I’ve been in Hip Hop for 40 years. Very competitive, really have nothing against nobody. I’m not jealous of nobody, I’m not intimidated by anybody or anything, and I’m not bitter. I just come across as I come across ’cause I’m a man and I say what I say, and when I say what I say, basically, I mean what I say,” he begins.
Mel claimed Eminem only ranked highly on the list because he is white. He also claimed Weezy should not have ranked so highly on the list because he uses autotune.
He continued: “Everything that I said, that I commented on, it was to comment on what he wrote and who he put on this said list. And I think Billboard is not known for Hip Hop, of course, they’re known for records. So obviously, Billboard is more leaning toward guys that made records, compared to guys like myself that put in all the time in Hip Hop.
“We’re responsible for the genre. We’re the biggest influences in the genre, and if you ask anybody that knows anything about true Hip Hop, they will tell you that. If you ask anybody that calls themselves an MC, they will be the first to tell you that there is no modern day rap or Hip Hop of that nature if it wasn’t for Grandmaster Flash, if it wasn’t for the Furious Five, if it wasn’t for Melle Mel, if it wasn’t for [Keef] Cowboy. Like I said, the word ‘Hip Hop’ came from my crew.”
Y’all agree?
