Benzino Gives His Side To Angie Martinez

Benzino phoned into the Angie Martinez show on Hot 97 to respond to her interview with Eminem. Benzino was sorta upset that Angie seemed to take sides with Eminem, but she says she isn’t taking any sides. Benzino tried the argument that Eminem is a white boy trying to steal hip hop, but Angie told him that Eminem isn’t to blame, he should be going after the industry. Read on for a transcript.

Benzino: “Yo I’m from da hood! I’m reppin for my people man!! I rep
the block!! This is for hip hop!! Hip hop is da streets!!”

Angie: But why don’t you have beef with any of the other artists who’s
selling like Nelly and Ja? Why Em?

Benzino: Cuz this cr@cka dont know nothing about the streets! I’m from
the streets! I’m reppin for all my ghetto ni99az man! This cr@cka think
he can come here and extort hip hop! Hip hop is the streets!

Angie: Is this cuz he’s white? Why did you just use the word cr@cka’?

Benzino: Yo, forget you Angie!! He called me a woman and a ***** in
that interview with you, and you let him get away with it, so I have the
right to call him a cr@cka! Whats your problem?!

Angie: But you’re using a racial slur here Ben.

Benzino: So what? You know that white boy wants to call us ni99as, but
he wont do it cuz that would be the end of his career! He’s dying to call
us all ni99az, but he cant do that. I thought you was with me on this,
and I’m sad to see that you not. That white boy obviously brainwashed you!.

Angie: Brainwashed? I don’t appreciate that at all Ben. You need to
accept the fact that people dont agree with you.

Benzino: But the streets do AGREE with me!!

Angie: But alot of people dont, and you need to understand that!

Benzino: I do understand that. Bottom line is this white boy dont know
nothing about the streets. And if he’s listening, we can fight anywhere…
Denmark, Alaska, Detroit. Set it up and I’ll destroy you.

Angie: What about some people saying that you’re dissing Em to boost
your record sales?

Benzino: C’mon now, let me say this… ya boy Ben is financially set.
I dont need to do this hip hop thing anymore. Angie, we both from the same
label (Elektra). You know how I get down. True, I never sold any records,
but it aint about rap to me. It’s about connecting with the hood and the
streets. I dont know nothing about fame and being arrogant. I’m with my
people and the hood. People who know me knows that Benzino is the realest
²²²²² they know. This dude aint even from Detroit.
Okay so he’s from some trailor park, but he dont know nothing about the
streets. He dont know how it feels about going outside and worrying that
somebody might shoot you.

Angie: But he never talks about that in his rymes Ben…

Benzino: ::not even listening to Angie anymore, just babbling away,
heated as ****:: He dont know anything about us. What does he talk about?
About his slut of a wife who ****s every dude? About killing his moms?
He can say whatever he wants, but nobody will stop him cuz he’s white.

Angie: Nobody stops him? What about the thousands of activists who tried
to shut him down?

Benzino: ::ignoring her:: This dude is wack. He’s stealing hip hop from
us, from the streets.

Angie: I’m sorry Ben, but Em is one of the nicest in the game. The kid
is nasty.

Benzino-: ::shocked:: Thats cuz he brainwashed you!

Angie: *laughs* whatever man

Benzino: Look at this. You obviously on his side. Compare this interview
to his interview, and you obviously on his jock. He was talking all that
**** about me, and all you did was giggle.

Angie: Ben, I’m not your babysitter dog. You came at him, so he responded.
I’m not here to defend you or Em.

Benzino: But throughout that interview, you kept on referring to me
as ‘that dude’. What the hell was that about Angie?!?

Angie: ::laughs:: What are you talking about?

Benzino: Why didn’t you call me by my name? Why you callin me ‘that
dude’? Why are you on his side?!

Angie: You can’t be serious Ben. I called you by your name at least
4o times, and you’re gettin mad at the times when i said ‘that dude’?

Angie: Yes, I went out and bought Em’s album because I love him as an
artist. I think all of his albums were dope. He’s nice.

Benzino: : as hell:: Nice?! Him? Compared to who?? I know thousands
of street ni99az who’s better that cant even get a deal because of this
white boy!

Angie: So what about the people who worked with him?

Benzino: SELLOUTS!! But anybody who agrees with this kid has to have
other motives, like wanting to be on his album. Thats gotta be it.

Angie: ::laughs:: What about the idea that you might be wrong?

Benzino: I can’t see it, cuz it is what it is.

Angie: What about Dre?

Benzino: Dre is a great producer, but his street credibility is real
shaky right now. I dont even think he ****s with Em anymore.

Angie: Have you ever listened to any of his albums Ben?

Benzino: Heeeell no. I dont listen to that trash. I listen to real hip
hop.. Scarface, Jay, Nas, Mobb Deep. Thats street hip hop. This ******
dyed his hair blonde, took a bunch of blonde white kids at the VMA’s and
he’s stealing hip hop. He even said that in his rhymes… ‘i use black
music to make myself wealthy heeey’. You didnt hear that ****? He’s extortin
us yo! I cant believe yall are gettin brainwashed like this!!

Angie: ::aughs::

Benzino: See, you laughing now. But we’ll see whos laughing in 10 years.
I cant believe yall are sleeping on this guy. Yall laughing now, but soon
yall wont have any deals, and this game wont even be in our hands anymore,
and we’ll be suckers…just like Elis Presly stole rock ands roll from
blacks. When that happens, then we’ll see who laughs.

Angie: Ben, dont be mad at me–

Benzino: Thats why the Source is a great thing. The Source will be here
forever. Even when most ni99az are gone, the Source will still be here.

Angie: Lets not bring the source in here Ben..

Benzino: Why not? Don’t you wanna be in the source angie?

Angie: ::laughs:: I dunno, The Source doesnt like me, so it doesnt matter
to me at all. I dont care.

Benzino: ::changes topic:: Bottom line is, these white people are stealing
from us! Why is he selling so many units?! Answer me that!

Angie: Because he appeals to alot of people.

Benzino: Appeals to who?!?

Angie: To people like myself, a young puerto rican woman.

Benzino: AHHH!!

Angie: Yeah, and to a lot of white people of course.

Benzino: But how come Scarface dont sell that many units?? Or Mobb Deep?

Angie: Ben, you gotta realize that a lot of people appeal with Em, mostly
white people. Theyd dont appeal to Scarface. This is a buisness. If you
want your product to sell, you need to appeal to the masses. Thats why
theres so many party records out there. More people appeal to Em and his
struggle than they appeal to the hardcore street things that you talk about.
Dont be mad at Em. The way I look at it, if you’re gonna try to hate on
Em, dont target all your hate on him… hate the whole system. But all
you’re doing is putting all your attention on one single person.