Some updates after further thought, your comments and offline convos: "Linda Tripp" was never officially "released on the internet". It was delivered to Stretch and Bob and played once on the show. Dubbers of the show then posted on the internet and it went "viral" for what "viral" was in 1999. The Olive Oil/Popeye cut was a collab of sorts, it was actually El's record that Len made his own with how he laid it down.
I got myself a copy of Class X A tribute to Company Flow by Mr Len on double vinyl a good few years back and only opened it recently, it's great to hear Linda Tripp at the correct speed as all of the uploads on yt are slightly too fast making El sound like an angry chipmunk. After all of these years it is still arguably the most savage diss rap ever and still makes me giggle at the thought of Sole hearing it and his reaction 😂
Thank you for doing this. I experienced this at the time, in the moment. Not enough history on this period in hip-hop. BTW, I think “Dear Elpee” was a great track, too. Love that beat. Also, pretty certain (would have to be home and check my collection) that Vordul appeared with other Atoms members on a track on Sole’s ‘Music Without A Face’ EP. 99% certain of that.
I remember when this dropped - I copped it off Audiogalaxy because I had heard it was played on Bobbito's show a few nights before and someone had recorded it. In fact, I heard about it from a friend who actually heard it while it played live at some god awful hour of the morning. I was fucking DYING listening to it because I couldn't believe how badly he had absolutely murdered Sole in every single way. The phone call recordings and the "I LOVVEEEEE Company Flow" sample was just the most embarrassing thing I ever heard. Anticon was relevant for about 11 minutes once and this was why.
Been waiting on this one! I discovered Anticon via "Dear ElPee" after thinking 'who would have the balls to go after Company Flow??' as a teenager. Still remember them dropping Linda Tripp live on Stretch and Bob's show, I had that tape for years. Fun times.
I was definitely around during this time. I miss the old Ozone times. The time of chopping it up on the regular with the legends and hip-hop heads, and getting the super exclusive joints. The best diss track ever recorded.
Just peeped the episode, super dope! Would you consider the Saafir vs Casual (Hobojunction vs Hieroglyphics) on the Wake Up Show an early underground beef? It was in 1994, so it was pretty early. Casual was on Jive at the time and Saafir didn’t drop his full length yet so technically he was still an underground artist.✌🏼
Sole said in a interview that its was because Fat Beats rejected his albums (it wasn't that Company Flow Lane). He said he was immature and took it personally which he probably shouldn't have so he recorded the diss. He still regrets it apparently
Genius says this is the lyric that Sole interpreted as dissing him: "Diss me on the internet like picket line-crossin' Teamsters Scabs that's really down with hip hop only if convenient Kill 'em!" Anyone know why he thought that was dissing him?
There was an additional line "is it live you fucking suckers???" that Sole perceived as a diss to his then crew called "Live Poets" ... its a stretch I know lol
i was bumpin Sole and Co Flow around 1999 heard Sole Dear Elpee really felt the beat def was a diss track to El P then i heard Linda Tripp and Daaaaamn!! El P totally obliterated Soles diss track. i still love Sole tho he made a mistake with that El Ps diss but still had a lot of quality music def bumped Anticon songs Savior and Divine Disappointment Eyedea Slug hard ass lyricists
Re: the motivation for the Sole dis-just speculating based on my unreliable memory, but didn’t Sole accuse El of using his influence to torpedo Sole w/ distributors? I feel like he alluded to this in the song somewhere, but your Fat Beats / Other Music comparison would suggest that this may have been simply more to do with audiences that for various reasons did not overlap rather than any shady / delusional conspiracy. Nasa, you’re too humble - you’ve always been more than “the guy who hits record” PS love Fuze subtly shooing away the cat :D
Before Eminem was signed mainstream, the beef between him and Cage was probably the first indie. Was it as big, ehh. But Cage swore that Em stole his style, and his rebuttal was that Agent Orange/radiohead 12". The minute this Linda Tripp song was recorded it was given to Bobbito on a DAT tape to be played every WKCR show for months. And i know this because I spoke to Bobbito after one of his shows. Good times. I miss that show breaking new tracks. Also, Sole's verse on Dear El-pee was like a cheap flow, like if you're down and respect co flow style it's hard to respect that diss style on Dear El-pee, "serving me ice-creamin the Mall", horrible lol. For me there was no comparison.
Some updates after further thought, your comments and offline convos:
"Linda Tripp" was never officially "released on the internet". It was delivered to Stretch and Bob and played once on the show. Dubbers of the show then posted on the internet and it went "viral" for what "viral" was in 1999.
The Olive Oil/Popeye cut was a collab of sorts, it was actually El's record that Len made his own with how he laid it down.
I lovvvvvvvvve Compannnnny Flow.
I got myself a copy of Class X A tribute to Company Flow by Mr Len on double vinyl a good few years back and only opened it recently, it's great to hear Linda Tripp at the correct speed as all of the uploads on yt are slightly too fast making El sound like an angry chipmunk. After all of these years it is still arguably the most savage diss rap ever and still makes me giggle at the thought of Sole hearing it and his reaction 😂
Thank you for doing this. I experienced this at the time, in the moment. Not enough history on this period in hip-hop. BTW, I think “Dear Elpee” was a great track, too. Love that beat. Also, pretty certain (would have to be home and check my collection) that Vordul appeared with other Atoms members on a track on Sole’s ‘Music Without A Face’ EP. 99% certain of that.
BTW, got home. Cofirmed Vordul and others are on that EP from 1998.
I remember when this dropped - I copped it off Audiogalaxy because I had heard it was played on Bobbito's show a few nights before and someone had recorded it. In fact, I heard about it from a friend who actually heard it while it played live at some god awful hour of the morning. I was fucking DYING listening to it because I couldn't believe how badly he had absolutely murdered Sole in every single way. The phone call recordings and the "I LOVVEEEEE Company Flow" sample was just the most embarrassing thing I ever heard. Anticon was relevant for about 11 minutes once and this was why.
Been waiting on this one! I discovered Anticon via "Dear ElPee" after thinking 'who would have the balls to go after Company Flow??' as a teenager. Still remember them dropping Linda Tripp live on Stretch and Bob's show, I had that tape for years. Fun times.
I totally forgot they played that up on Stretch and Bob (may have been CM Famalam by this time tho). I do remember that now. Crazy.
Cracking episode. Looking forward to Fondle Em Fossils!
I was definitely around during this time. I miss the old Ozone times. The time of chopping it up on the regular with the legends and hip-hop heads, and getting the super exclusive joints. The best diss track ever recorded.
it's funny they both ended up working with DJ Krush and are on the Stepping Stones Self Remix album.
Just peeped the episode, super dope! Would you consider the Saafir vs Casual (Hobojunction vs Hieroglyphics) on the Wake Up Show an early underground beef? It was in 1994, so it was pretty early. Casual was on Jive at the time and Saafir didn’t drop his full length yet so technically he was still an underground artist.✌🏼
Thanks for this episode. I actually felt the conviction and the pain from that "Linda Tripp" dis. It was lethal.
Sole said in a interview that its was because Fat Beats rejected his albums (it wasn't that Company Flow Lane). He said he was immature and took it personally which he probably shouldn't have so he recorded the diss. He still regrets it apparently
🔥🔥🔥
Genius says this is the lyric that Sole interpreted as dissing him: "Diss me on the internet like picket line-crossin' Teamsters
Scabs that's really down with hip hop only if convenient
Kill 'em!" Anyone know why he thought that was dissing him?
At the time, Hip-Hop Site did a great breakdown of the beef. It involved a website banner that Sole had on his site.
I just added two links on the main thread, the first one has Sole explaining his perspective on this. Hope that helps you out.
There was an additional line "is it live you fucking suckers???" that Sole perceived as a diss to his then crew called "Live Poets" ... its a stretch I know lol
I heard they making a new PopEye with Will Smith 😂😂
i was bumpin Sole and Co Flow around 1999 heard Sole Dear Elpee really felt the beat def was a diss track to El P then i heard Linda Tripp and Daaaaamn!! El P totally obliterated Soles diss track. i still love Sole tho he made a mistake with that El Ps diss but still had a lot of quality music def bumped Anticon songs Savior and Divine Disappointment Eyedea Slug hard ass lyricists
Real history, from a veteran, right here. Great episode.
Re: the motivation for the Sole dis-just speculating based on my unreliable memory, but didn’t Sole accuse El of using his influence to torpedo Sole w/ distributors? I feel like he alluded to this in the song somewhere, but your Fat Beats / Other Music comparison would suggest that this may have been simply more to do with audiences that for various reasons did not overlap rather than any shady / delusional conspiracy.
Nasa, you’re too humble - you’ve always been more than “the guy who hits record”
PS love Fuze subtly shooing away the cat :D
Before Eminem was signed mainstream, the beef between him and Cage was probably the first indie. Was it as big, ehh. But Cage swore that Em stole his style, and his rebuttal was that Agent Orange/radiohead 12".
The minute this Linda Tripp song was recorded it was given to Bobbito on a DAT tape to be played every WKCR show for months. And i know this because I spoke to Bobbito after one of his shows. Good times. I miss that show breaking new tracks.
Also, Sole's verse on Dear El-pee was like a cheap flow, like if you're down and respect co flow style it's hard to respect that diss style on Dear El-pee, "serving me ice-creamin the Mall", horrible lol. For me there was no comparison.
The best track Sole ever released was Dear-EL Pee. He at least rhymed in it.