NEWS
In a rare interview with Peter Rosenberg, the New Jersey-via-Haiti rapper explained how the R&B legend blew his mind when they crossed paths.
“I think Usher had an ounce on the table or some shit,” he began with a chuckle. “That was interesting to me. He had his Haitian flag shirt on. He was like, ‘Sake pas [‘what’s up?’ in Haitian], n-gga?’ very loudly.”
He added: “We in a country club, bro. It’s broad daylight. It’s fucking one in the afternoon on a Saturday with the ounce right there. He blew up his spot, so shortly after that it’s like a line of people with their daughters who wanna take pictures.
“I was like, ‘Nobody told you to do that, bro!’ He was like, ‘Man, they won’t leave me alone.’ I’m like, ‘Yes they will.’ That line formed in five minutes.”
After the fans were ushered away (no pun intended), Mach then recalled the “Yeah!” hitmaker interrogating him about the creative process behind his intricate lyrics.
“What’s funny about Usher is he was really on some, ‘How do you do it?'” he continued. “I was like, ‘What? I don’t know. Make music!’ He’s like, ‘Nah, man. What you be doing?’ I guess everybody has a ritual; I don’t.
“He was like, ‘Come on, bruh!’ He tryna shake me down for this shit. Usher is mad aggressive, yo — in a good way. You wouldn’t know until you meet the n-gga.”
The Griselda affiliate went on to share the advice that Usher gave him before their strange enounter came to an end: “He was cool as hell. He was like, ‘Yo, by the way, stay away from such and such, don’t fuck with this, da-da-da. You’ll do great in this town.’
“He laid it down. He wasn’t bullshittin’ so I knew he was really familiar. That shit blew my mind. Because the n-gga came here to meet me. The crazy shit is Jay had to be the one to call him.”
Check out his story at the 1:33:09 mark below.
Mach-Hommy was previously pictured with JAY-Z in 2019 and released his album Mach’s Hard Lemonade exclusively via TIDAL the following year. The deluxe edition vinyl was sold for a whopping $444, a nod to the Roc Nation mogul’s own 2017 LP.
The enigmatic rapper has remained a favorite of Hov’s, featuring on his “Block Vibes” playlist in 2021 alongside other indie rap icons like MF DOOM, The Alchemist and Madlib.
In a 2023 interview with The FADER, Mach opened up about rapping Jigga’s hat off (literally) during a studio session for Jay Electronica‘s long-awaited debut album A Written Testimony.
“I’m in the lab with Jay, [Young Guru] and my man Dred who came with me,” he said. “Guru is playing records off the upcoming album with Jay and Jay Elect. They had my favorite bottled water on deck, room temp, so that was cool.
“We listened to a few tracks. Jay would chime in every now and again with some mix notes. Track after track he’s like Joaquin Phoenix’s character in Gladiator: thumbs up or thumbs down? Shit was surreal, in the moment.”
He continued: “After about an hour or so, Gu plays this one track. Then Jay is like, ‘Mach, you got something for this?’ Meanwhile, I can’t believe this n-gga Hov is asking me that?!? Like, ‘N-gga, is the sky blue?’”
Mach went on to say that JAY-Z disappeared for over two hours while he crafted his verse. When he returned, Mach apparently blew Hov’s mind to the point his hat fell off his head.
“We get to my part,” he said. “He had the shit face going with the hand gestures and everything. About six or seven bars in, the n-gga JAY-Z’s Roc Nation hat flies back. I mean the hat flew. You hear me? Paper planes fresh off the tarmac. That way. ‘Mach, too much Mach, too much!’”
As if impressing JAY-Z wasn’t enough, Mach then said that Beyoncé walked into the booth and asked to hear his verse for herself.
“Even I had no earthly idea what was about to happen, Beyoncé walks in,” he continued. “Beyoncé is like, ‘Where’s the stuff you were talking about?’ She asked Gu to play certain records I was working on, the week prior, like two or three times in a row. What an experience!
“Now it was time for the pièce de résistance, the verse that I recorded earlier that day. At that moment, Gu’s about to press play, guess who walks in? Jay Elect enters. The record plays. Alchemist has another fit. Beyoncé infers, doesn’t inquire, ‘Y’all tryna hurt somebody.’ When she said that … that right there was the finest compliment of the day.”
He concluded: “How’s that for a studio session?”
NEWS
Ice Spice has released her new single “Pretty Privilege,” marking a noticeable shift from her signature New York drill-inspired sound. But the change in style isn’t the only thing that’s getting people talking. Fans are once again speculating about the rumored tension between her and Cardi B, a topic that first gained attention when a snippet of the track appeared online.
For those who missed it, Cardi B had previously gone on a rant that included jabs at Ice Spice and her manager. Not long after, Spice previewed “Pretty Privilege,” which featured the lyric, “She might talk s**t on the ’Gram, but she won’t talk it to my face.” That line quickly sparked debate among listeners, with many believing it was aimed at the AM I THE DRAMA? rapper.
This added fuel to speculation that a rivalry might be brewing. During the phone call in question, Cardi B criticized Ice Spice while speaking to her manager, James Rosemond Jr. She later apologized for her remarks about Latto and claimed that Rosemond Jr. was responsible for leaking their private conversation.
Now that the full version of “Pretty Privilege” has been released, Complex reports that other theories have emerged. Some fans believe the song might actually target Brooklyn rapper Stunna Sandy, whom Spice was said to call out in her earlier track “Baddie Baddie.” On that record, she rapped, “I know that she wants to be me / But she is not doing it well,” leading to renewed discussions about hidden disses.
While talk of a feud between Cardi B and Ice Spice isn’t new, both artists have publicly denied having issues in the past. Even so, online chatter continues to shape how fans perceive their relationship. Aside from that controversial phone call, there’s no real evidence to suggest they’re actually on bad terms.
Still, as speculation keeps circulating, the story might take new turns. Whether it’s genuine tension or just fan-driven drama, it’s clear that the Internet has played a big role in keeping the conversation alive. For now, Cardi and Ice Spice don’t seem particularly close, but time will tell if the rumors fade or resurface once again.
