J. Prince Addresses Rumor That Harry-O Co-Founded Rap-A-Lot: "That's A Lie"

BY Erika Marie 8.5K Views
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James Prince, J. Prince, Lil Wayne, Kodak Black
Prince explained where the rumor originated from and said that back in the day, he was in trouble with the DEA & IRS because of it.

They've been set free from charges, but that hasn't stopped the conversation about Lil Wayne and Kodak Black's pardons. Charlamagne Tha God has already stated that he doesn't blame Weezy for posing for a photo with Donald Trump during the 2020 election season, and recently, Boosie Badazz added that he believed Wayne was playing chess with Trump while everyone thought it was just checkers.

Kodak has celebrated his release by getting his lawyer's name tattooed on the side of his hand, and both he and Wayne have publicly thanked the former president for their pardons. Discussions remain about whether or not partnering with Trump was the best idea, but it sounds as if Rap-A-Lot Records icon J. Prince agrees that people have to do what they have to do to stay out of prison.

Prince sat down with The Breakfast Club and was asked to share his thoughts about the pardons. “I’m happy for both of those brothers,” said Prince. “I’m a full-blown fan for homies getting out of the pigpen. I’m not mad about that. I think more presidents need to do things like that.” He also spoke about Michael "Harry-O" Harris, co-founder of Death Row Records, who received a pardon after serving decades behind bars on attempted murder charges.

There have been rumors that Harry-O was involved with Rap-A-Lot, and Charlamagne asked if the Death Row icon was a founder of his label, as well. "Never," answered Prince. "That lie need to be cleaned up. Harry-O never had no business whatsoever where Rap-A-Lot was concerned. The only thing we ever done in the music industry together was he took the Geto Boys on tour with a couple dates in L.A. and Oakland with The Fat Boys and Salt-N-Pepa back in the day. And then, that was in 1989 or '90."

When speaking about how the rumor of Harry-O's involvement with Rap-A-Lot began, Prince said, "From what I understand it came out his mouth." He added that he heard from their mutual friend that it was told to him by Harry-O that he owned the Geto Boys way back when. "That caused me a lot of problems when a man makes that statement, a lie like that."

"It caused me problems with the DEA, the IRS back in the day because they attacked me based on statements being made that way," Prince continued. "Of course, there was nothing there to find. I'd like to clear that up more so than me, I hope someday he will clear it up because I think it'd be better for his resumé."

Prince said that he's been around long enough to know that in the streets, you "can't play games with nobody's money or play games with situations like that." Watch J. Prince's clip from The Breakfast Club below.

About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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