Pete Rock recently opened up about how his involvement in Common’s 1996 diss track ‘The Bitch In Yoo’ sparked some tension with Ice Cube nearly thirty years ago.
During an appearance on Drink Champs that aired on June 1, Pete Rock discussed producing the track, which took shots at Ice Cube, Mack 10, and WC. ‘Of course Ice Cube was a little upset with me,’ Pete Rock revealed, adding that Common made him feel guilty about it: ‘Yo, he was angry, he was upset.’ Despite the initial tension, Pete Rock recalled Ice Cube eventually reassuring him, saying, ‘Aww Pete, come on — you good, bro, you good.’
Common also shared his perspective on their mid-90s feud during an interview on Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero’s podcast 7PM in Brooklyn. Reflecting on the beef, Common admitted he feared their rivalry could turn violent. ‘I’m a warrior too,’ Common said. ‘I’m from the South Side of Chicago. At a certain point, if you come at me, I’ma defend myself and I’ma go at you. I’ma fight to kill, John Wick style.’ He acknowledged that things almost escalated beyond diss tracks, especially after a confrontation in Atlanta in 1995. ‘It was getting to that point with me and Cube, because they was looking at me like,
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Common and Ice Cube eventually reconciled, thanks to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who organized a peace meeting. The meeting was attended by notable figures including Snoop Dogg, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Too $hort, Fat Joe, and Chuck D.
Despite the rocky history, it appears that Ice Cube and Pete Rock have moved past the old beef, proving that time can heal even the most strained relationships in the hip-hop world.
The decades-old tension between Ice Cube and Pete Rock over Common’s diss track is a reminder of the intense rivalries that once dominated the hip-hop scene. In the end, it’s reassuring to see that both artists have moved on from the past.
