Jay-Z Gets Sharp Criticism From Lance “Un” Rivera Over New 1999 Stabbing References

Lance “Un” Rivera says Jay-Z should stop revisiting their decades-old altercation, arguing the repeated lyrical references keep reopening wounds he thought had long been put to rest.

More than 25 years after one of Hip-Hop’s most infamous altercations, Lance “Un” Rivera says it’s high time Jay-Z stops revisiting the past that links them.

Rivera responded after Jay-Z referenced the 1999 stabbing incident during his recent freestyle performance at the Roots Picnic. Before his comments, he released a lengthy open letter urging the billionaire rapper to embrace a message of healing.

All of this took place in an expansive interview with podcast The Art of Dialogue.

In his open letter, Rivera acknowledged Jay-Z’s status as one of Hip-Hop’s most influential figures and encouraged him to use that influence to promote unity rather than repeatedly invoking decades-old violence.

However, the interview took on a different tone.

He dismissed the latest freestyle bars as some of Jay-Z’s weaker moments.

“I thought it was not one of the best bars that he’s had,” Rivera said. “I think what people need to understand is that most of Jay-Z’s intentions are purely based on marketing rollouts. I was part of the rollout for the products that’s going out right now in the streets. So, I fell victim to that.”

Rivera suggested that references to the stabbing have become a recurring part of Jay-Z’s promotional cycles.

“I’m used over and over again in that capacity,” Rivera said. “From the beginning, it’s always been about marketing. I continue to be the joke. He talks about trauma, but what about my trauma? What about people who lived trauma? He keeps bringing it back up and back up.”

Although Rivera said he has no issue with Jay-Z’s continued business success, he argued that repeatedly invoking the altercation projects the wrong image.

“If you want to send the message to your brand and your partnerships that you’re dangerous… using me as an example of how dangerous you are just to sell products, then that’s up to him,” Rivera said. “I’m not against him making money… find another way to make you a tough guy, a bad guy. Stop using me to do it. Unless you’re going to pay me, send me a check. I’ll be a part of your marketing strategy.”

The recent freestyle is not the first time Jay-Z has referenced the incident.

He previously mentioned the stabbing on 2002’s “I Did It My Way,” 2005’s “Dear Summer” and the reflective “Kill Jay Z” in 2017.

Rivera explained the violent confrontation itself.

“I was put in a position where I was surrounded by multiple weapons,” he said. “Anybody who’s ever been put in that position… knows you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to stay alive. That’s really what happened.”

The incident occurred in December 1999 at New York City’s Kit Kat Club during the release party for Q-Tip’s album Amplified. Jay-Z later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and received three years of probation.

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