Ras Kass who was featured on the song “Riiiot” talks with Hip Hop XXIV about Chino XL dissing Tupac.
After his release from prison, Tupac’s issues with Biggie Smalls, had him also beefing with other New York rappers. During that time rappers such as Nas, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep and Fugees were on Shakur’s hit list, lyrically. One of those rappers would also include Chino XL, who Tupac dissed on the classic “Hit ‘Em Up” song.
It all started when Chino XL decided to diss Tupac on his 1996 debut album, “Here To Save You All.” Featuring Ras Kass on track number seven, Chino’s opening verse in the song, “Riiiot!” included the line, “By this industry, I’m trying to not get fucked like 2Pac in jail.”
Tupac would respond back as he closed out “Hit ‘Em Up,” where he said, “Chino XL f–k you too!” XL would drop his own response with a freestyle, but things never escalated. In fact, according to Chino XL, he and Tupac squashed the beef before Shakur’s passing.
Speaking with AllHipHop, the New York rapper said, “I’ve got a chance to see him on Venice Beach one time right before he passed and I let him know that if I would have known [my lyrics] would have [upset] him like that, I would never have said it. I mean I was a fan of his like everyone else was. Everything was straight though and the Outlawz are my peeps from Jersey so it was all peace.”
Ras Kass, who was featured on Chino’s “Riiiot,” felt he was next on Tupac’s radar after “Hit ‘Em Up” dropped. “I’m like f–k, I’m next.” Ras Kass had never met Chino XL prior to working together on “Riiiot.” According to Ras Kass, he agreed to the feature as a favor to Rick Ruben.
After hearing Chino’s bar dissing Tupac, the L.A. native, did “That line when he said it, it wasn’t malice, it was just an ill line,” Ras Kass explained on Hip Hop XXIV. “With me, it hit close to home because the Thug Life Dudes were my homeboys. they’re older, but they were my homies. I ran around the streets with them.”
Watch the exclusive clip below via Hip Hop XXIV, as Ras Kass talks about the Makaveli album, Exhibit, One Nation, and more.
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