S. Samuel
Hip-hop pioneer Marley Marl has lashed back at accusations made by former Juice Crew member MC Shan claiming he is notorious for shady business practices and takes credit for produced records he is not responsible for.
Acknowledging Shan’s allegations of not compensating artists and using other producer’s beats, Marley Marl defended his image and suggested his ex-friend uses drugs.
“To all the Juice Crew fans and who have loved our legacy for all these years, I’m real sorry that you have to see this go down,” Marley said in a video. “To the other kids who don’t know who this dude is in the background, this is MC Shan. He used to be one of the top rappers in the ’80s down with the Juice Crew. … As for me not making the records, come on man — You saw what happened to all the artists after I wasn’t producing their sh*t no more? I don’t have to go there. I get to them every day on the radio. My skill levels right there, people see where I’m at so I doubt anybody believes that bullsh*t. This just comes from years of bitterness, drug abuse. Drug abuse and bitterness don’t mix. This is what happens ladies and gentlemen.” (YouTube)
On camera, Shan accused Marley Marl of treating artists unfairly.
“Let me address that. I know this is something old I’m touching on,” Shan said. “What y’all gotta understand is I knew Marley Marl and I’ve done songs with him that I didn’t get paid for. So, I can understand [Masta] Ace for listening to that crap Marley was tellin’ him but if y’all know me, I was never one to say nothin’ on the side, behind your back. If I felt something about you, I was gonna say it to your face. It wasn’t because Shan didn’t wanna be on that record that Ace got a spot. Ace got a spot because he held his own. … All of those joints y’all thought Marley Marl produced, let me tell you something. Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Biz Markie, all of them bring their own beats. They bring their own beats to the studio. Marley threw them in the sampler and put his name on it. My songs were the only ones that Marley sat down and actually had to work for.” (Serious Knock Entertainment)
According to reports, the war of words stems from a past Masta Ace interview.
In 1988, the Juice Crew released “The Symphony,” which stands as one of the most beloved posse cuts of its era. The song features Big Daddy Kane, Craig G, Kool G Rap and Masta Ace and it was released on Marley Marl’s In Control, Volume 1 album. A few years ago, Masta Ace shared his take on why MC Shan did not appear on the song. According to Ace (in the interview from 2008), Marley Marl told him that Shan did not appear on it because he felt he would have been “playing himself” to be on the same song as “new jacks” at the time. In response, Shan claimed this is not true. (Hip Hop DX)
Known for speaking his mind, MC Shan previously called out Slaughterhouse’s Joe Budden.
“If you see Joe Buddens in the street, just slap him in the back of the neck ’cause he’s so full of it,” Shan said in an interview. “He’s trying to use the Internet, there’s nothing wrong with it, but when somebody punches you in your eye and puts it on film and makes you apologize, quit. Quit — most of the time you outnumbered. I would have took the punch in the eye, right, but forget about me apologizing. You already punched me in my eye, picture me apologizing. I better not catch one of y’all by yourself — Joe Buddens does a show on BlogTV, I used to do shows on BlogTV. You can go on there and watch his videos and see how corny he is. Joe Buddens, I don’t care, I’ma see you and if you wanna pop off, that’s what it is. But I’ma be by myself, so it’s gonna be a one-on-one. So if either one of us get an eye jammie we ain’t gonna say the crew did it, n*gga. Understand me? ‘Cause I don’t like you anyway — Joe, from your man MC Shan, the battle n*gga, you ain’t nobody, relax bro. You made one record.” (Street Disciplez Radio)
Check out Marley Marl speaking on MC Shan below:
