Former Bad Boy Rapper E. Ness Criticizes Beastie Boys as 'Culture Vultures': 'They Were Forced On Us'

E. Ness, a one-time Bad Boy Records artist whose reputation has been built as much on his ego and battle rap skills as on his music, has found himself in hot water for the comments he made about the Beastie Boys.

When a new interview with E. Ness referred to the group, he created quite a stir in the music community by calling them "culture vultures."

E. Ness reminisced about the Beastie Boys in a recent interview released by AllHipHop, who was heralded for shattering racial lines in hip-hop in the '80s and '90s.

To back up his point, he discussed how the group, comprised of Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Michael "Mike D" Diamond, were—in a manner that hurt authenticity—almost co-opting the genre.

E. Ness, who gained notoriety from Diddy's reality show "Making the Band," said the Beastie Boys were "forced on us" by record labels, specifically Russell Simmons with his Def Jam Recordings.

While he recognized the group's achievements with songs, such as "Brass Monkey" and "Licensed to Ill," he felt that their achievements were facilitated by major labels and public relations concerns constantly rather than being well regarded for their contributions within urban communities.

"They had some dope records, but it just feels like back then they was forced on us," E. Ness stated.

Additionally, he stated that the Beastie Boys made "fraternity boy music" as opposed to "Urban neighborhood music" that was prevalent at the time.

The punk rock band identity that they had at the beginning of their career likely also contributed to their public image (at least in part) as the "wild boys of hip-hop."

E. Ness lambasted the Beastie Boys but acknowledged they were talented and credited the trio for paving the way for other artists to thrive.

He said their impact was similar to paving the path for artists like Eminem, who also employed themes of irreverence and humor in their music.

And, of course, no real hip-hop conversation would be complete without a touch of controversy— including whether or not hip-hop culture has become a suburban household norm and the larger effect of hip-hop overall.

E. Ness also addressed his comments in a previous interview with AllHipHop, referring to not only the Beastie Boys but the continued legal woes of his former labelmate Sean "Diddy" Combs.

While Ness earlier called Combs a "smear campaign," he now acknowledges that his perspective has changed with new information.

"I never said that the allegations weren't true or false. I just said I never was exposed and witnessed to it," he clarified.

As severe as the allegations could be, E-Ness wished Combs luck, saying, "I think Diddy is resilient and resourceful... God willing, he'll be able to pull through."

When addressing the drama with the rest of the group, the rapper also mentioned some of the "old beef" she had with Da Band member Dylan.

He referenced a famous sketch of Dave Chappelle's. The two have been at odds for some time now, creating some friction—E. Ness tells it flat out, as he calls it, "they don't see eye to eye."

Another thing that stands out about E. Ness is that he has not stopped working within the music industry—content creation and the traditional form of rapping.

He teased future endeavors with major players, highlighting his position at the forefront of the ever-changing hip-hop landscape.