Benzino and Jay-Z are both East Coast veterans. They rose to prominence around the same time, even if their impact on hip hop is radically different. Benzino has been labeled a cautionary tale and clout chaser by many, while Jay is considered to be one of the greatest emcees of all time. The latter's recent lawsuit, however, threatened to put a damper on his legacy. Benzino weighed in on the lawsuit allegations during a recent interview. He also heaped praise on Hov for handling it.
The former Source editor told Vlad TV that he was relieved to see the assault lawsuit against Jay-Z had been dropped. "That's huge for Jay," he asserted. "I mean for Diddy, it's just one charge out of a hundred but for Jay... that's huge. I really thought if that stuck, that really would f*ck that up over there." Vlad host Shawn Prez was similarly enthusiastic about the rapper's approach. He noted that Jay-Z refused to issue statements through legal reps, and directly communicated his frustration to the public. Both men felt it set a great precedent for artists. "That was dope," Benzino asserted, before shifting to Tony Buzbee, the lawyer who sued Jay-Z. "He's an ambulance lawyer. He got the hair slicked back, he's on social media. That's a major blow for him. It's a W for us."
Are Benzino And Jay-Z Friends?
Benzino's praise for Jay-Z has not always been consistent. The rapper and life long Eminem hater has already been critical of Hov in the past. During a 2023 episode of We In Miami podcast, he claimed that he ran Jay out of his office at the Source. Benzino claimed the rapper and Dame Dash were upset about the cover of a particular issue. The editor was not willing to budge, however. "One time, Jay and Dame was complaining about a cover situation," he recalled. "They came up to the Source on some rah-rah sh*t. So I had n**gas strapped up in different rooms. They didn’t know that."
Benzino claims that Dame Dash showed more fear that Hov, but that both men backed down after they were threatened. "Jay don’t get loud, it was Dame," the former editor alleged. "They started getting loud and then, you know, 'Aiight, enough is enough. That’s it. Y’all got to go.' It's nothing against Dame Dash. Respect to Dame. But that happened." Benzino and Jay may not be best friends, but the respect, from the former's perspective, at least, has risen in recent years.
