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Ras Kass Drink Champs interview stories cover a lot of ground, unfolding across a three-plus-hour conversation with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN.
The Carson, California lyricist — known for razor-sharp bars on albums like Soul on Ice — opens up about crashing at Jay-Z’s infamous Brooklyn “State Street” apartment during a failed Roc-A-Fella West deal, the real story behind the Golden State Warriors lawsuit that derailed his supergroup with Xzibit and Saafir, late nights next door to Mobb Deep while crashing with David Banner, and his early ties to the BMF movement.
Along the way he breaks down L.A.’s hyper-local street politics, explains why he rejects the “underground” label, and reflects on missed opportunities that could have changed his career. Below are the most interesting takeaways from the conversation.
Ras Kass Drink Champs Interview: The Biggest Moments
- Living with Jay-Z: Ras stayed at Jay’s famous “State Street” stash-spot apartment in downtown Brooklyn for a summer, flown out for a proposed “Roc-A-Fella West” deal, recording with Jaz-O.
- How he blew the Jay-Z opportunity: Nervous about trading verses with Jay at a club, he drank too much Hennessy and choked when it was his turn on the mic — right after Jay killed his own verse. He calls it the one shot that, if he’d landed it, would have changed everything, and says Jay is unforgiving once you fumble.
- The Golden State Warriors lawsuit was real: He, Xzibit, and Saafir formed a supergroup that got legal pressure from the NBA’s Golden State Warriors once Xzibit’s Restless went platinum — even spelling it differently didn’t help.
- The group’s $1M deal collapsed: Each member was on a different label (Xzibit/Loud, Ras/Priority, Saafir/Qwest), and label lawyers dragged negotiations out for about a year until it fell apart.
- He’s open to using Saafir’s archived vocals (not AI-generated) to finally finish the shelved Golden State album now that Saafir has passed.
- Crashing with David Banner: After Banner lost his deal post-“Crooked Letter,” Ras stayed on his couch in New York. They recorded together in a studio next door to Mobb Deep (Prodigy and Havoc), who wandered in curious about a Nirvana sample they were flipping — which Banner later used on the mixtape that broke him out.
- His role in early BMF (Black Mafia Family): Ras says he was in the mix from the start through his cousin Bleu DaVinci, and it was his idea to send the operation to Atlanta instead of L.A. to avoid drawing attention. He calls the way the music side was handled a poor execution of an amazing opportunity.
- On L.A. gang culture: He grew up in a Crip neighborhood but never “jumped in,” insisting nobody is truly forced — people join for protection to sell drugs, family ties, revenge, or just to impress girls.
- L.A.’s hyper-local politics: Wearing the wrong hat (like a Yankees cap, which reads as “Neighborhood Crips”) in the wrong area can get you pressed — he describes L.A. as basically “52 boroughs” that don’t mix, unlike a more unified city.
- Turned down studio time with Big Pun — a regret he attributes to L.A. rappers not always knowing how to accept genuine goodwill from other-coast artists.
- Following Biggie on a double-booked show right as “Juicy” was blowing up in L.A. — he calls performing right after Biggie one of his worst “not a good look” nights.
- Rejects the “underground” label entirely: He argues the only difference between him and someone like Jay-Z is commercial sales, not skill — “underground” is just a term for artists who didn’t sell records.
Thomas Dishaw is the creator of Rap Therapy and a lifelong Hip Hop fan with deep roots in the culture.