Los Angeles, CA – HipHopDX’s KXNG Crooked was able to reconnect with Irv Gotti for an interview at the 2019 BET Awards. The two Hip Hop veterans discussed how the Murder Inc. co-founder helped the Crook’s Corner host years ago by getting the West Coast lyricist on Ashanti’s “Baby” remix.
“As soon as I heard him rap, it was no fake shit,” Gotti said Crooked. “It was pure. I heard him rap and I was just like, ‘Yo nigga, we working.’ The ‘Baby’ remix, that shit was hard.”
He added, “Everyone goe listen to that record! The ‘Baby’ remix featuring Crooked I. It’s like I never wanted … when we did R&B shit, I wanted it to be harder. You know what I’m saying? To represent that side. And he represented the Westside to the fullest.”
Later, Gotti did some more promotion for his television series TALES. The rap mogul reiterated Kanye West would be debuting a new song featuring Charlie Wilson in the Season 2 premiere, which is scheduled to air on BET this Tuesday (July 2).
As the conversation came to its conclusion, Crooked asked Gotti about the first rap song he ever memorized. The Queens native cited Run-DMC’s “Sucker MCs” and reflected on the legendary group’s influence.
“I knew Sugarhill Gang and everything but that record hit me,” Gotti said. “To me, it was different from the Hip Hop predecessors and what they was doing. It opened up a new style. I give them credit … I credit Run-DMC for ushering in a new style Hip Hop. And they’re] the first real group to take Hip Hop to the pinnacle, selling 4 or 5 million records] and owning the world making everyone buy Adidas.”
Watch the entire interview above.