22Gz has been at the forefront of the Brooklyn drill scene before its explosive arrival into the realm of mainstream music. From the release of "Suburban" to 2020's Growth & Development album, he's maintained an uncompromised authenticity in his music which is why many gravitate towards him.
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Last month, he made his feelings about Staten Island's CJ evidently clear following the success of "Whoopty." The rapper went off on CJ, saying the rising MC is giving him "6ix9ine vibes." Just a day later, he cemented his feelings on wax with the release of "Goofy/Back In Blood."
During a recent interview with AllHipHop, 22Gz explained why he felt the attack is warranted. As mentioned, he's among those considered a forefather of Brooklyn's drill scene and his real-life experiences are what propelled him towards stardom. He explained that he doesn't feel that CJ is actually rapping about his authentic life, especially by using terms like "Whoopty" that have been largely associated with gang culture.
"I just want people to know what the truth is, we gon keep it 100. Especially [since] this drill rap. There's a lot of rappers in this category who been through some real s***, so we ain't just gonna have somebody come [and] make this whole s*** some flawed, fake s***," said 22Gz. Ultimately, he wasn't looking to bully or antagonize CJ but he did want his credit with hopes the "Whoopty" rapper would tap in.
"I didn't even say that to really expose boy, but it's like hey if he can lie about that, why wouldn't ya'll think he'd take my whole s*** and run with it?" continued the rapper. "I wouldn't even mind. I just wanted the credit for my s*** because I done gave sauce to damn near everybody in the city and nobody tapped in. Even the opps use my s*** -- all the lingo you see, all the dancing, that's mine."
When it comes down to the Tekashi 6ix9ine and CJ comparison, 22Gz explained that those were the two biggest artists to jack his swag without giving him credit or even hitting him up. For 6ix9ine, it was the whole Blicky phrase that he popularized on "GUMMO." CJ, it was the sound of drill and the use of "Whoopty."
CJ recently sat down with HNHH for the inaugural edition of our new editorial series, Rise & Grind, where he discusses the origins of "Whoopty," his upcoming EP, and Wu-Tang clan.
Check out the interview below.
