RZA Explains His Harsh Comments About the South

Last month, Jay Electronica found himself at odds with New York radio personality, DJ Kay Slay, after making some controversial comments about Wu-Tang member RZA, and the divide between East Coast and Southern rappers.

During an interview in London, the New Orleans rapper revealed that he had taken offense to some of RZA's comments about the South in the past. "I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for the RZA and the Wu," Jay expressed. "But also RZA you said some crazy wild s---, and if you would have seen me at that time we might have had a physical altercation ... Going around thinking people are slow."

Jay Elect and Kay Slay exchanged a few heated words via Twitter, but RZA recently explained to MTV News that most of his comments were based in fact. "I know I said a few things about the South throughout my career in different periods," RZA said. "I don't know the exact moment, but I remember I did an article in Rap Pages years ago, 'cause me and Master P had a talk about this years ago. I was speaking on the education level in the South, how brothers drop out...in the sixth grade, some of them because they have to go to work, some of them because of the poverty, some because they're not interested in the education system ... just a lot of crazy things that people from up North had evolved from."

The Staten Island rapper also made it a point to emphasize that his observations were coming from a personal place. "When I was doing this article, I was talking about my own family at first. My family comes from the South," RZA said. "They frying fat back in the kitchen. Grandpops didn't have more than a sixth-grade reading level. My grandma was a welfare mom." And hurt feelings or not, he maintained that his words are still accurate. "The truth is the truth, first of all. The south has evolved later than us ... But hip-hop has helped it all evolve."