Anyone in attendance at Chicago Rocks 2006 most likely shares in some of the shock and surprise that I experienced when Rhymefest and JUICE drew definitive lines in the sand. Rhymefest went at JUICE on Friday night at Abbey Pub, and JUICE answered during his finale set on Saturday at The Metro. I had no idea where any of that came from, or why two Chicago emcees of good standing would go after each other that way. We may never really know the real reasons for tension between JUICE and Rhymefest, two highly skilled battle rappers from the Windy City. And in all honesty, I’d rather not know, and continue to maintain the good relationship I have with each.
Anyone who has visited RubyHornet in the last two months knows about the work we’re doing with Rhymefest, as he readies El Che (dropping March 2010). I met Fest a few years ago, and have gotten to know him pretty well since, and learned a lot from his passion towards music, creativity, and really, activism. What you may not know is that I’ve also known JUICE for quite some time. Prior to the Chicago Rocks incident, JUICE actually made an appearance in my classroom at Henderson elementary, speaking to my students as well as helping each to write a rap about their lives. Anyway, I say all that to emphasize that the purpose of this post is not to cause more beef, but to examine what’s really going on between to iconic members of Chicago’s real Hip Hop scene as both a fan and a journalist. We spent over an hour with JUICE during our interview at SoundScape, and he talked a lot about his new album and the new start he hoped it would bring as well. That piece will be coming shortly, but what didn’t really fit in the larger picture is this clip in which JUICE was asked if his battle with Rhymefest would ever end, and if he could see a day when they worked together. See his answer below.
Who Is JUICE? Preview from Ruby Hornet on Vimeo.