Ray J Finally Reacted to Kanye West’s Lyrics About Their Relationships With Kim Kardashian West
It’s been years since Kanye West jabbed at Ray J over his past with Kim Kardashian West, but he’s just now addressing it. The Yeezus rapper famously called out Ray J on 2016’s “Highlights” after Ray J appeared to diss him over his relationship with the reality star. Now, the “One Wish” singer is finally responding to West’s lyrics.
The drama between Ray J and Kanye West started in 2013
After West started dating Kim in 2012, Ray J — who dated the reality star in the early 2000s and helped her find fame when their sex tape released to the public in 2007 — dropped a song called “I Hit It First.” Just like it sounds, the song is basically about a man so salty over an ex who has moved on to “rappers and ballplayers” that his only defense mechanism is to boast about having her “first.”
Though he didn’t say names, the song was widely believed to be about Kardashian West, especially after the release of the video, which featured a Kardashian West lookalike. Despite that, Ray J maintained in an interview on HOT 97 that he wasn’t referencing his ex.
“It’s a song, it’s not about that, it’s about a concept,” he claimed. “People going way too deep. They just gotta keep it on the surface. I’m not trying to create no war, it’s all love; we’re doing music.”
Kanye West was reportedly ‘not pleased’ with the song
After the song dropped, a source told HollywoodLife that West was “very upset” and thought Ray J was “crazy.”
The insider also claimed West thought it was nothing more than a publicity stunt. “Kanye don’t condone broke a**, jealous [guys] who be trying to bite off he and Kim’s fame just to stay, wait, just to become relevant,” the source continued.
Then, on a final note, the source said: “Tell him to call Ye when he gets to the $100-million mark. Cause guess what — Ye ‘hit that’ first.”
West would eventually call out Ray J himself, including on “Highlights,” which appears on his 2016 album The Life of Pablo. On the track, he raps: “I bet me and Ray J would be friends / If we ain’t love the same b*tch / Yeah, he might have hit it first / Only problem is I’m rich.”
Ray J’s response to Kanye West’s lyrics
Over four years later, in February 2021, Ray J appeared on the Genius series Between the Lines, where he reacted to songs that referenced him. When the lyrics from “Highlights” came up, Ray J seemed shocked by what West had said about him.
“That’s what it say in the song? No it don’t,” a confused Ray J said. “That was cool. That’s like he having a conversation. I didn’t know it said all of that, I thought it ended after the b*tch line.”
Despite the jab, Ray J offered West praise for his artistry and even signaled he’d be open to being friends with West, who is now divorcing the reality star.
“Maybe we might need to be friends now,” Ray J continued. “Everybody needs to put that sh*t behind us. It’s 2021, it’s all love over here. Let’s bring the love together. It’s all good, man. God bless.”
