If you haven't yet heard the news, Kanye West recently starred as the guest artist on N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN's Drink Champs, and as with any interview that involves the Donda artist, there were countless memorable moments. Throughout the nearly two-and-a-half-hour video, the artist now known as Ye unloaded everything off his chest, speaking on topics ranging from the rumor that Kim Kardashian had an affair with Drake to his profound regret for ever signing Big Sean.
As the interview progressed, it turns out that Yeezy also had words for his "Touch The Sky" collaborator Just Blaze. Similar to the Pusha T vs. Big Sean question that provoked a petty response from the G.O.O.D. Music founder, Ye was asked to choose between Swizz Beatz and Just Blaze. Without hesitation, Kanye replied, "Well Swizz Beatz, definitely, because Just Blaze is a copycat."
"He get credit for The Blueprint, and I did the first half of The Blueprint," Ye continues. "He just copied my half. I mean, look! Look at where I'm at today and where he's at today. That should show you."
On the off-chance that any readers aren't familiar with Jay-Z's classic 2001 album, Kanye produced Blueprint tracks like "Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)," "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," "Girls, Girls, Girls, Pt. II," "Takeover," and "Never Change," while Just Blaze handled the production on "Song Cry," "Lyrical Excercise," "Girls, Girls, Girls," and "U Don't Know." Considering that they both submitted timeless contributions to the record, Kanye's comments about Just Blaze were almost more surprising than his shots at Big Sean.
But while the What You Expect artist took a more lighthearted approach in his response to Ye's Drink Champs interview, Just Blaze doesn't seem at all amused by Kanye West's comments.
Keeping things civil in effort to avoid the "mudslinging" that would elicit sensational media coverage, Just Blaze responded to Ye on Instagram by writing, "Well that was unfortunate. I'm only addressing this publicly because it was stated publicly. I'm not here for the mudslinging, I'm just a bit confused and disappointed."
"None of what was said tonight regarding me fits with any of our history or our previous interactions - particularly in light of very recent attempts to work together again," Just Blaze continued. "Through recent years he has reached out to collaborate on various projects, including a much rumored collaborative project that he was looking for me to handle a good amount of. It unfortunately never saw the light of day due to reasons unrelated to me. Most recently, a couple of months back I woke up to a literal red alert from his people that he was looking for me for his last album in the 11th hour, We tried to pull something off but it was way too last minute."
Reiterating that he has no bad blood with the Yeezy designer and former presidential candidate, Just Blaze finished his statement by saying, "Regarding that one comment: respectfully, I'm happy for him and the fact that he has succeeded in the ways he wanted to, but not everyone wants to be where he is. Everyone's definition of personal success is a bit different. l'm quite happy where I am creatively, with my family, and my life in general. We were a part of history together and I wish him well and continued success."
You can watch Kanye West's full Drink Champs interview below, and for those looking to see the full context of his remarks about Just Blaze, fast forward to the 1:43:16 time stamp.
Do you think that Ye's statements about Just Blaze were out of line? And should Just Blaze have responded to Ye's jabs in the way that he did? Let us know what you think about the situation in the comments.