In a surprising tale from Kanye West’s rise to fame, the music icon recalls a heated moment involving Dipset and a beat that became legendary with JAY-Z.
Kanye West’s creative journey wasn’t always smooth, and one of the bumps in his path came when he gave JAY-Z the beat for ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A.)’. What started as a creative decision turned into a source of tension with the hip-hop group Dipset, particularly with Cam’ron and Jim Jones.
On Justin Laboy’s The Download podcast, Kanye recounted how he initially promised the beat to Cam’ron. However, the magic touch of Kanye saw it making waves with JAY-Z instead. This decision didn’t sit well with the Dipset crew, leading to some dramatic moments that Kanye summed up starkly: ‘They was gonna kill me for that ‘H to the Izzo’ beat!’
Kanye remembered staying in Jersey for about three months, reaching out to his then-manager, Gee Roberson, in hopes of quelling the storm. Jim Jones, known for his fiery nature, was livid, shouting down the phone in what Kanye playfully recalled as a loud encounter.
Fortunately, time has a way of healing, and the initial fury has since evaporated. Jim Jones and Kanye look back at this tale with laughter, a testament to how perspectives can shift. A video clip shows this moment of reminiscence, capturing an important piece of hip-hop history.
Cam’ron, providing his perspective years later, opened up on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, sharing that he was irked by losing out on the beat. Originally slated for his use, the beat was part of Cam’ron’s vision, and the unexpected shift of plans left him with a ‘real attitude’ towards Kanye.
The song Cam’ron had written with that beat in mind found new life. He adapted it into ‘Live My Life (Leave Me Alone),’ a remix of 2Pac’s ‘Ambitionz Az A Ridah’ featured on his 2002 album, ‘Come Home With Me’. Although the original intention changed, it inspired Cam to pivot creatively.
Cam described how his anger subsided as he joined Roc-A-Fella, recognizing the larger artistic currents at play and resolving his mixed feelings towards Kanye. As much as beats and lyrics fuel creativity, they also pave the way for unexpected narratives that, while tense in the moment, become cherished tales in the rap community.
Years later, Kanye and Dipset find humor in their past conflict, highlighting how misunderstandings in music can evolve into shared stories and laughs.
