Feud With Nas
The song's chorus uses a vocal sample from the "The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)" by Nas. Nas was originally invited to re-rap the chorus for Jay-Z and appear in the track's music video, but he declined. Some view these two actions as the foundation of their feud.
When Nas and Jay-Z feuded directly, both rappers discussed the merit of the sampling in the song in individual "diss" records. In Nas' track "Stillmatic Freestyle," he says:
You show off, I count dough off when you sample my voice.Jay-Z responds to Nas' claims in his song "Takeover" with the lines:
So yeah, I sampled your voice; you was usin' it wrong: you made it a hot line, I made it a hot song. And you ain't get a coin nigga you was gettin' fucked then; I know who I paid God, Serchlite Publishing.The line was later used in Cassidy's 2005 hit "I'm a Hustla":
Yeah I used dude's voice props to the boy Shawn, He made it a hot line, I made it a hot song.In 2005 at Jay-Z's I Declare War concert, he performed "Dead Presidents II" with Nas, officially ending their feud.
Read more about this topic: Dead Presidents (song)
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