Still promoting his just released Dream.ZONE.Achieve album, Smoke DZA recently spoke with VladTV about his reaction to Trinidad James’late-2013 claims that Atlanta runs the New York Hip Hop scene.
“At the time that all that shit was happening, it was just, niggas was using New York as a doormat,” Smoke DZA said. “It was cool to certain people for that to happen because it was bringing light on the city. But for the people that’s actually in the city moving and shaking and busting they ass, I felt offended like anybody else. I spoke to Trinidad about that over the telephone. It’s not like that shit was just some computer shit. I ain’t no computer nigga, I don’t fuck with the computer cyborg bullying or none of that bullshit niggas be on. If I know a nigga—which I know Trinidad—I’ll shoot him a text [or] give him a call. The only reason I went to Twitter is because I reached out and I didn’t hear back the first time and then he got right back at me. But that’s how shit be sometimes. That’s the homie. But it definitely lit a fire under everybody in New York’s ass including mines.”
Alluding to the impact of Kendrick Lamar’s 2013 “Control” verse in a similar vein, DZA went on to describe feeling like the incidents were “a gift and a curse.”
“From Kendrick saying what he said in ‘Control’ to Trinidad fucking go on his rant in Brooklyn,” Smoke DZA said. “it made everybody be like, ‘Okay.’ From the deejays to the rappers, coming together. It was a gift and a curse. It made everybody look at each other and look at what’s what.”
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When asked directly about his hometown competition, DZA explained feeling like he’s the best of the current landscape of New York artists.
“In the current New York right now?” he said. “Definitely. None of these niggas ain’t fucking with me. As far as the legends, the legends paved the way and they still paving the way. So I”m not about to sit here and turn brown-nose them niggas or sit here and act like I’m better than them niggas after they been successful. You’re only as good as your success. As of right now, in the crop of what’s going on right now, I’m the best. I got the best album out. Best rapper. Best dressed. Smell better than these niggas. All of that.”
Earlier this month Smoke DZA revealed plans to release a collaborative album with Dipset emcee Cam’Ron. “We just started to build and it led up to what we doing right now,” DZA said in an interview with Complex. “We got our project that we working on.” According to Rolling Stone, the rappers are tentatively scheduled to release their joint project later in 2014.
RELATED: Smoke DZA Explains Inspiration Behind “Dream.ZONE.Achieve” & Working With Cam’Ron
