Steve Roth Drops Diss Track Calling Himself “The Real King of New York”
Since the beginning of New York hip-hop, the title of “The King of New York” has long been debated and vied for. The most famed competitors, perhaps, include popular rappers The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, and Jay-Z.
But the debate is ever-raging, with more recent arguments on who can truly stake a claim to the title counting among themselves NY Drill pioneers Pop Smoke and Kay Flock, for example, or even newer producer/performer Cash Cobain, who has been credited with forging his own sub-genre of NY drill.
But, in a turn of events no one who is involved or interested in this debate expected, this past weekend Steve Roth, the founder and chairman of Vornado Realty Trust, dropped his own song laying claim to the throne.
For context, Vornado Realty Trust is the largest commercial landlord in New York City, and Roth has apparently felt slighted and disrespected by the absence of his name in conversations about who the real “King of New York” is.
“Niggas better recognize,” he began the track, before breaking down all the things he felt niggas needed to recognize.
“29.7 million square feet/Nigga I own Kay Flock’s cell block and street!”
Some New York residents are up in arms over the track, calling it “unfair” and “bullying”.
“When we say, you know, ‘Ahhh, Nas the King of New York’ or ‘Big’, we know that they not actually kings. But what we sayin’ is, in our community, away from all the big shots and corporate rats, this is our king. This is who we choose to crown,” says Jamarion, 34, from the Bronx.
“I mean, this is just mean. It’s like, can’t you just let us have this? It really sucks cus’ the song is actually hard, too.”
So hard, it seems, that even with Roth’s perceived bullying, most New Yorkers still can’t resist to bump the track.
“Ion give a fuck! Steve Roth the new King of New York! Fuck Jay-Z!” says RaRa, 17, from Queens.
Roth is even slated to appear this Saturday at famed club, “Harbor NYC Rooftop”. The show is sold-out.
The reception to the track is curious. With lyrics like, “And I’m spiking rent too!/Broke motherfucker I own you!” the 808’s and braggadocios nature seem to distract New Yorkers from noticing, or just plain caring, that the diss track is really dissing them.
In a survey we posted asking if that fact hindered their experience of the song at all, 30% answered, “Yes, that changes things,” and 70% answered, “No, that shit hard.”
Roth has declined to comment, but he has announced plans for a national tour soon. It’s worth noting that he also owns retail in Chicago and California, with Snoop Dogg allegedly in the running to open for the California leg of the tour.