For fans of 1990’s hip-hop, there were always lingering rumors of bad blood between the late Notorious B.I.G. and certain members of Wu-Tang Clan. The speculation was fueled by an interlude on Wu member Raekwon’s classic solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… On the track “Shark N—– (Biters),” Rae’s bandmate Ghostface Killah complains about unnamed rappers who he feels “bit off of Nas’ s—, caught his little album cover, boom, then done did a Nas for that s—.” In 1994, Nas had released his debut album, Illmatic, which prominently featured his baby picture on the album cover. Six months later, the Notorious B.I.G. released his debut album, Ready To Die, which featured a photo of a baby on the cover.
But in a recent interview with XXL, Ghost says he didn’t have any serious issue with B.I.G.
“Before Biggie died I wanted to work with him and s—,” Ghost told XXL’s Jake Rohn. “I shook his hand out here [in Los Angeles]. I shook his hand. Me and him, because I had said a little something on Raekwon’s Cuban Link album. Remember, we was 25, buggin’ out. Wild. But as time went on, you know, because it really wasn’t no beef, just something I said or whatever-whatever. But I wanted to hook up with him and tell him, like, ‘Part of me, whatever-whatever-whatever-whatever, B,’ ’cause I liked him. I liked B.I.G. It’s just that we was coming in wild so a lot of things that I say was out there, like, ‘Oh s— you talkin’ about B.I.G.’ I wanted to just be like, ‘Yo, let’s clear the air and let’s go ahead and just do a joint.’”
Ghostface went on to admit that he was more saddened by the death of Biggie than the death of 2Pac, who was killed six months prior.
“And I was more hurt over his death than Tupac’s death because it just felt like, we’re from the same city and … I don’t know,” he shared. “Maybe because I didn’t see ‘Pac that much or whatever the case may be, or get to hear a lot of his music like that. Don’t get me wrong, I love his music, but I wasn’t hearing it like B.I.G. And Meth did the song with Biggie.”
