Swizz Beatz Says Today’s Rappers Should Pay “Taxes” To Hip Hop Originators: “A Million Apiece”

Swizz Beatz believes the rappers of today should pay “taxes” to the founders of Hip Hop.

I know they say show deference to those who come before you, but is Swizz Beatz taking it too far? The record producer chatted with Joe Budden on his Beatz’s Zone Radio show via Instagram Live and explained why he feels Hip Hop originators should be compensated for creating the music genre.

“I want to raise a million dollars for each icon that started hip-hop…[DJ] Kool Herc on down. The fact we’re not paying taxes on who started hip hop shows we don’t fucking really love hip-hop. The fact we don’t pay taxes as artists to those icons that paved the way took the lower cut for the music that allowed us to feed out families,” said Beatz, 41. “We need to be paying taxes to the creatives of hip-hop that gave us freedom of speech to go forward.”

Swizz listed some of the creators of Hip Hop, including Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash, and Sugarhill Gang, saying they all should be paid “a million apiece.” While there, he also mentioned that he wants to see a battle between Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. Complex reports the producer is also orchestrating a piano playing battler between John Legend and Alicia Keys. A Nelly #Verzuz Ludacris battle is set to air on Instagram live this Saturday.