The very first song on Ab-Soul's new album features a direct jab at Jay Electronica: "I was like a swami of Jay Electronica until he figured Dizzle wouldn't admit that he would body him for a milli. I told Kenny keep quiet, I'ma get him. We don't need dirt on your hands getting the key to the city ya feel me. Hurts when your OG, who is supposed to be a G-O-D is standing next to King Kunta feeling like Toby."
This comes in response to Jay Electronica's rant earlier this year in which he said, "Kendrick is my son, Kendrick is my baby, Kendrick wishes he could be me."
Speaking with Billboard about the verse on his Do What Thou Wilt intro song "Raw," Ab-Soul said, "We’re all familiar with Jay Electronica’s Periscope rant earlier this year and I’m the guard dog of the squad. I’m the rapper’s rapper."
Understanding that Kendrick has too much on the line in his career to respond to things like this, Ab-Soul said he felt the responsibility to stand up for him. He explained, "Kendrick was in a position where he’d just had his Grammy nominations and a lot of positive things happening in his career where he didn’t need to respond. I didn’t feel like he even needed to say anything. I wanted to speak to him because I had the relationship with Jay Electronica anyway. That’s the black God to me, even to this day, and he knows that."
"He put out a public apology too," Ab-Soul added. "Note that, but I said what I said for the same reason he said what he said. I know he respects that. It’s hip-hop and anybody can get it. Nobody’s exempt. We’re gonna keep that spirit alive with respect. Oh, and remember too, man, that all’s fair in love and war. Love is synonymous with war."
Listen to the song for yourself below and check out the full album here.
