Just Blaze says he understands why Kanye West considers him an “arch nemesis.”
The mega producer addressed the topic during a recent appearance on Talib Kweli’s The People’s Party podcast, where the host pressed Blaze about a specific comment made in the Jeen-Yuhs documentary. At one point during the film, Kanye referred to Blaze as his best friend as well as his arch enemy, fueling rumors that the two had some mild beef while working at Roc-A-Fella.
“I can see why he would look at it as the ‘arch-nemesis’ thing,” he said around the 1:16:00 mark. “I guess it kinda was that, ’cause a lot of arch-nemeses … a lot of times they’re actually guys that are friends. Most of the classic super-villain/superhero stories, there’s a friendship there.”
Blaze also disputed the longstanding claims that he was extremely competitive with Kanye, insisting they would frequently help each other in the studio.
“Some people like to spin the narrative, ‘Oh, they were super competitive, they were out there duking it out,’” he explained. “I never, I honestly never looked at it like that. Like, he would call me to ask me, ‘Yo, how did you get your horns to sound like this on this record, I’m trying to figure that out,’ right?”
Blaze described their relationship as “motivational,” admitting he would sometimes go back and try to improve his work after hearing something solid from Kanye.
“It was never a thing where I was, like, trying to hold something back from him or hold back his progress, and neither was he,” Blaze continued, before touching on the amount of time he and Ye spent in the studio. “He didn’t come through often. I was there every day. I had no own room there …
“I think he said something to the effect of, ‘This guy is making four or five records a day.’ I think he made some comments along those lines in the documentary. But what that was because I was there 24/7 at least six days a week. He would show up occasionally, but when he did show up on those occasions, he would just have a bag full of bombs.”
Blaze told Kweli that his relationship with Kanye “was always a good one” and “always mutually inspirational.”
He said they would speak frequently during their time at Roc-a-Fella, but eventually lost touch—not because there was an issue, but because their careers took them on different paths.
You can check out the full interview above.
Back in 2021, Kanye accused Blaze of being a “copycat” and wrongfully received all the credit for Jay-Z’s sixth studio album.
“[Blaze] get credit for The Blueprint, and I did the first half of The Blueprint, and he just copied my half,” Ye said during a Drink Champs interview. “I mean look—look where I’m at today and look where he at today. So that should show you… I like the originators man. I don’t mind, like, you know, the copycats too, and—by the way—you just gotta say it like it is. … But I love you, but just know what it is.”
Blaze responded to the comments in an Instagram post, making it clear he had no problem with the Donda artist.
“Respectfully, I’m happy for him and the fact that he has succeeded in the ways he wanted to, but not everyone wants to be where he is,” he wrote. “Everyone’s definition of personal success is a bit different. I’m quite happy where I am creatively, with my family, and my life in general. We were a part of history together and I wish him well and continued success.”
