Video of EnJ vs. Niks
I guess I missed this video the first time around. According to the interview it captures the end of a battle between Long Island rapper EnJ and his competitor Niks. The video does not provide much background but, ultimately, it seems towards the end of a heated one on one Niks starts threatening EnJ with gun talk and as a result of that, and some other misunderstandings, gets snuffed. I feel kind of funny posting this video because it might be misinterpreted as us finding this amusing or entertaining. So just to clarify, I am not putting this up lightheartedly. I’m sharing it mainly because it is representative of a very real aspect of hiphop. Violence and gang culture permeate hiphop in the same way those things permeate other sub-cultures and groups of people. I found the interview interesting because of the character of EnJ’s responses. Reading his words I couldn’t help but be reminded of another mc who goes by the name of Tru Life. In the first Beef DVD there is a feature on the misunderstanding between Tru Life and Prodigy of Mobb Deep. Egos flare and, as you’ll hear for yourself below, violence erupts. What is striking about that incident though, and what I think would benefit EnJ and other rappers coming up, is the hindsight that Tru Life shares in the end. Link to interview at Rock and Roll is DEAD (Thanks Sneek!)
Video of Mobb Deep vs. Tru Life, from Beef DVD
