Hip Hop beef gets dirty

Internet went on a frenzy last week when Hip Hop artist Sarona Motlhagodi, popularly known as Sasa Klaas went hard on her ex-boyfriend, fellow rapper Ted ‘Ozi F Teddy’ Phaphane on her new song titled, 24.

The two dated a few years back in what Hip Hop fans saw as ‘the cutest pair ever.’ Two young people, trendy, stylish, lyrically good, dating and rapping - that was a match made in heaven for most young people. After their break-up, the couple threw snide remarks at each other, initially with Ozi F Teddy dissing the Mmamongwato hit-maker on social media.

Back in 2014, the fashionable rapper attacked Sasa on Twitter asking her to remind him how to spell the word ‘whore,’ and this was after she was romantically linked to athlete, Nigel Amos. Sasa did not reply. Not too long ago, social media users got furious at Ozi for ‘insulting Sasa’s step father in a Facebook page where he is believed to have implicated sexual relations between the step father and daughter.’

Recently, he threw another spat via Facebook saying ‘There are no female rappers in Botswana, except ATI.’ Ozi and ATI (former best friends) have been at each other’s throats for a long time even though there was a time when they sang together and gave young people all reasons to envy them in a song called On My Way which still plays on Trace.

Now Sasa Klaas, the self-acclaimed Queen of Hip Hop who often introduces herself as ‘Mama Slay’ in her songs, clearly has had enough in her new song. She is finally taking the load off her shoulders, and without beating around the bush, she picks Ozi’s name for mention.

‘Ozi F Teddy is a b *** A** nigga…Don’t make me expose the sh** you used to say about dilla…You wanna talk about my family in the internet, but I was feeding your family before you had a cent…’

Facebook users went crazy about the song. “Sasa has buried Ozi. He should forget about rap,” said one user. Another said Sasa had just shown who the real MC in Botswana is. “She is Hip Hop herself. You don’t mess with her.” But team Ozi, remained unfazed and continued to rally behind their man.

“Ozi just posted that he is not busy. That boy means he is coming for Sasa with everything. She made the greatest mistake of her life. You can’t diss Ozi with a disco track,” wrote one Facebook user. “Ozi is creative. He is BW Hip Hop. He is going to put Sasa in a bag, like he did with ATI,” wrote another.

In an interview with The Midweek Sun, Ozi said he does not feel the song released by Sasa is for him, based on the standard. “It’s not dope. Also, Sasa is a girl. I wouldn’t want to go back and forth with her. I want to focus on my new album. No need to get trapped in this beef,” he said.

But Ozi, who is also known as Lord Summer in Hip Hop circles, says it may change. “I know Hip Hop. This track didn’t hurt me. Though I saw it coming, I don’t think it is something worth responding to. But it may change,” he warned, adding that he wants to focus on his girlfriend and son, music and pleasing his fans. Asked whether Sasa took care of him and his family, Ozi said he did not know what she was talking about.

He said that Sasa’s new friendship with ATI is meant to spite him. “Last week I posted that there are no female rappers in Botswana and that the only female rapper that I respect is ATI. But I’m not bothered,” he laughed. There are people who say Sasa’s diss track was fuelled by Ozi’s post last month, where he shared a photo with Nigel Amos and captioned it ‘Me and Nigel f*** the same ho**.’

Actually, he released a track with the same title as the caption. “She never expected Nigel could share a moment with Ozi. She felt humiliated,” said one of the local rap producers.

‘I’ve moved on and I’m done’ – Sasa
The 24 hit-maker says that even though their break up was mutual, she felt disrespected by Ozi’s constant social media attacks on her. “I didn’t think he would stoop that low. That our break up would hurt him like that! We were young and at the time, we knew nothing about relationships,” she states, revealing that they broke up three years-ago.

“It got worse when he heard from the media that I was dating Nigel. Despite my efforts to calm him down and to advise him to ignore media hype, he kept bashing me and even my family on social media,” she says. She however, would not want to comment on her relationship with Amos. She would rather comment on her association with ATI. “ATI has a very good work ethic and I enjoy working with him. He used to look out for Ozi, but now Ozi calls him gay and disrespects him on the internet,” she says.

Scar calls for introspection
A veteran Hip Hop artist Thato ‘Scar’ Matlhabaphiri says Ozi and Sasa’s rivalry is more personal because they dated in the past and their beef is in the public domain. “Unfortunately, with this beef, a lot has happened and fans are involved,” he said, explaining that the two rappers are talented and passionate about their craft.

“I love them both. I’m hoping in their own personal space, they can introspect and rather recall all the good memories that they shared. They loved each other deeply but clearly, they hurt each other again,” he says. Otherwise, Scar says beef is part of the Hip Hop culture and that he has had it with other artists before. “If it’s clean, it’s ok. In this music genre, everyone wants to be perceived as the best,” he says.

Internationally, beef is rampant in Hip Hop, and it can be exciting and scary, especially where there is likelihood of violence. Some of the corniest rap beefs include Meek Mill vs. Drake, Kanye West vs. Wiz Khalifa over their ex girlfriend/wife Amber Rose, Azealia Banks vs. Iggy Azalea, Jay Z vs. Nas, and Tupac vs. Notorious BIG, among many others.