E. Ness, the one-time Bad Boy Records artist whose reputation was built as much on his ego and combat rap skills as on his music, has found himself in hot water over the comments which he brought up about the Beastie Boys.
When a new interview came out with E. Ness mentioning the group, he created quite a stir in the music community by calling them “culture vultures”.
E. Ness reminisced about the Beastie Boys in a recent interview conducted by AllHipHop, who were heralded for breaking racial boundaries in hip-hop in the ’80s and ’90s.
To reinforce his point, he discussed how the group, which included Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, Adam “MCA” Yauch, and Michael “Mike D” Diamond, had—in a way that compromised the real—almost agreed to join the genre.
E. Ness, who rose to fame from Diddy’s reality show “Making the Band,” said the Beastie Boys were “forced on us” by record labels, especially Russell Simmons with his Def Jam Records that.
While he acknowledged the group’s achievements with songs, such as “Brass Monkey” and “Licensed to Ill”, he felt that their achievements were facilitated by major record labels and constant public relations concerns rather than being appreciated for their contributions in urban communities.
“They had some drug records, but it felt like they forced it on us back then,” E. Ness said.
Additionally, he said that the Beastie Boys made “fraternity music” as opposed to the “urban neighborhood music” that was popular at the time.
The punk rock band identity they had at the beginning of their career may also have contributed to their public image (at least in part) as “the wild boys of hip-hop”.
E. Ness criticized the Beastie Boys but admitted they were talented and credited the trio for paving the way for other artists to develop.
Their impact, he says, was like paving the way for artists like Eminem, who also used themes of irreverence and humor in their music.
And, of course, no real hip-hop conversation would be complete without a bit of controversy— including whether hip-hop culture has become a suburban household norm or not and the larger influence of hip-hop in general.
E. Ness also addressed his comments in a previous interview with AllHipHop, mentioning not only the Beastie Boys but also the ongoing legal woes of former labelmate Sean “Diddy” Combs.
While Ness previously called Combs a “smear campaign,” he now admits that his opinion has changed with the new information.
“I never said whether those allegations were true or false. I just said that I never came into contact with and witnessed it,” he clarified.
No matter how serious the charges may be, E-Ness wished Combs luck and said: “I think Diddy is resilient and resourceful… God willing, he will be able to pull through.”
When addressing the issue with the rest of the group, the rapper also mentioned some “old beef” she has with Da Band member Dylan.
He referenced a famous sketch by Dave Chappelle. The two have been at odds for a while, creating some friction—E. Ness is blunt about it as he calls it, “they don’t see eye to eye.”
Another thing that stands out about E. Ness is that he has been constantly active in the music industry—creating content and the traditional form of rapping.
He teases future efforts with major players, highlighting his position at the forefront of the ever-changing hip-hop landscape.