Ras Kass Reveals How He Missed An Opportunity With Roc-A-Fella Records

BYCaroline Fisher795 Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
The Art Of Rap Festival 2015
IRVINE, CA - JULY 18: Rapper Ras Kass performs onstage at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on July 18, 2015 in Irvine, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Ras Kass says he "lost focus."

Ras Kass recently did an interview with My Expert Opinion. During the interview, he explained how he believes he "fumbled" what could have been a huge opportunity. The artist says that Roc-A-Fella Records was looking to create a West Coast division of the label at the time. He shares that when Jay-Z allowed him to crash at his house in New York, a night out might have cost him a deal with Roc-A-Fella West Coast.

“I was brought out," he began, "That was kind of the idea, you know — to bring the West Coast out." “So I stayed at State Street — at Jay’s house in downtown Brooklyn," Ras Kass continues. "So I came out for a summer and started recording with Jaz-O, [...] I ended up going back to L.A. and just, time changed, you know what I’m saying?” The artist then continued, detailing the night he believes cost him the opportunity. “I think I was picking the wrong production, to be honest, at the time. One time, me and Jay went to the club together. And I got too drunk back then, I was drinking Hennessy and I was like, yo, we might really get down," he explains.

Ras Kass Reflects On Roc-A-Fella West Coast Opportunity

He explains that he was nervous that a potential fight could break out, which made him drink more than usual. “So I just kept drinking Hennessy and just waiting for the war to pop off, and then he got on the mic and rhymed, and killed it, and then he called me to the mic. And I was too drunk. I think I fumbled on that one, that n***a is unforgiving. That was the one opportunity that, if I had gone back, would have changed everything.”

"I lost focus on what the end game was, which is the bars," he explains. Ras Kass then reveals that he frequently reflects on the opportunity, considering what he could have done differently. "Remorse is the most pointless f***ing emotion ever made," he says, "cuz you can't fix it."

About The Author
Caroline Fisher is a News Writer at HotNewHipHop from Chicago, Illinois. She started at HNHH this year, and has since spent her time writing about all that is newsworthy in the world of hip-hop. With a drive for hunting down the hottest stories, she enjoys documenting new developments in culture and entertainment. She also has an appreciation for hip-hop and seeks to cover the most important trends and shifts. She has a Bachelor of Arts which she received at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having graduated in 2022, she majored in English with a concentration in Media, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies. Specializing all things music, pop culture and entertainment, some of her favorite musical artists include Snoop Dogg, OutKast, and Nicki Minaj. When she’s not writing about music she’s also a fan of attending shows, watching the latest movies, staying up-to-date with current events, photography, and poetry.
...