Audio By Carbonatix
Getty Image / Jemal Countess
J. Prince’s name has been in the news a lot lately. The Rap-A-Lot CEO is the man who shut down the beef between Drake and Pusha T. Wait. What? Let’s rewind a little bit.
If you weren’t following last week and the week before, Drake had released a diss track that eviscerated Pusha T. Pusha then responded by murdering Drake with a track of his own that many people say got too personal. The latest revelation is that Drake had a track ready to release that would have destroyed Pusha T and Kanye’s lives and careers but J. Prince intervened. Here’s what J. Prince had to say:
“After speaking with Kanye, I spoke with the brother, and he didn’t want this. I saw this going to a place that I feel would have ended his career if Drake would’ve put out this song that he had on him,” Prince explained while a guest on “Sway in the Morning” this weekend. “And definitely would’ve hurt families and we’re not in it for that. That’s not Drake’s character to tear a man down to that extent.” (via)
If you’re wondering why J. Prince was able to step in and end this beef immediately then read this amazing story on Twitter from comedian Roy Wood Jr. about how he was paid to prank call J. Prince but ended up fleeing town within hours:
In Houston in 2006, I tried to prank call J. Prince, CEO of Rap-A-Lot Records. We had a conversation that made me not only leave the studio but also the city of Houston. A thread….
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
Those of you that know my history know I used to do prank calls HEAVY. And in those days comedy and hip-hop were far more symbiotic. As a result, my pranks were getting a lot of love on down south mixtapes. A gang of DJs, Chamillionaire and even a few unauthorized Pimp C projects
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
From this “heat” I got a call from Houston based BCD Records. They wanted to do a prank call album with me. but instead of pranking regular people, they'd give me access to their rolodex and we'd solely be prank calling black celebs.
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
We ironed out the contracts & I flew to Houston to start production on the album. I went straight to the studio from the airport. The targets for Day one we were Bun-B, Lil Jon, Matthew Knowles, Vince Young, Tommy Ford from ‘Martin’ & J Prince.
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
First up was J Prince. The premise of the prank call was gonna be me posing as the owner of a Mom & Pop record store criticizing Rap-A-Lot records not cranking out as many hits as they used to as a result my profits were suffering. I demanded J. Prince pay my rent.
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
Most prank calls follow a basic template:
1. Present a problem
2. Demand impossible solution
3. Argue
4. Reveal prank
5. Laugh together— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
J. Prince answered the phone and I laid into him. Instead of arguing with me, J Prince simply took a breath and calmly said “Where you at”
A chill came over my body.
I tried to keep the prank going, J Prince cuts me off again.. "I need to see u face to face. Where you at?”
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
I was so shook I broke character and told J I was a comedian and it was just a prank call. He still didn’t laugh. My audio engineer stopped laughing. Shit just got real.
It was so awkward at this point my producer jumped on the phone to try and save me.— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
My producer said “Hey J it’s Lucas (name changed). I’m in here with Roy we were just trying to have a laugh.”
J PRINCE: (5 seconds of silence) Ohhhhhhh, you with Lucas? I see. I know EXACTLY where y’all at. (to driver) Aye man turn the car around.
*J. Prince hangs up*
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/roywoodjr/status/1003696714002436097
https://twitter.com/roywoodjr/status/1003697226043068416
Even in the sky I didn’t feel safe. I felt like J Prince was going to slide out an overhead bin like “Yeahhhh Ngga. Where you at?" Even now 12 years later, I'm still convinced J. Prince will run up on me at Rite Aid "Yeah Nggga. I see you getting them pills, where you at?"
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
I’m willing to bet in his entire life, J. Prince has only laughed a total of 5 times. And four of them were Bernie Mac related. He's bout his businsss.
J Prince could look at lava & say “Aye ngga, why you keep burning everything?”
The lava would crawl back inside the volcano.
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
J. Prince Prank Call Template:
1. Present a problem
2. Demand impossible solution
3. Apologize Profusely
4. Leave Town
5. Pray he confused you w/ Roy Jones Jr— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
J is respected at every level of the game from janitors to A&Rs to CEOs. He's always made moves that made hip-hop better. His intervening is no diff. Say what you want about Drake not clapping back at Pusha but If J. Prince says beef is dead,It's dead. no one will cross that line
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/roywoodjr/status/1003706794596814848
It’s suddenly cleary why Drake shut down the Pusha T beef and didn’t release his diss track against Pusha and Kanye. If J. Prince asks you to do something then you do it. I guess I’m not so clear on the financial entanglements here, and where J. Prince stands to lose if Kanye and Pusha T’s careers took hits from whatever it was Drake was set to release, but I’m sure a forensic accountant could figure it out pretty quickly on Wikipedia by following the entanglements of all these rappers.