Lance “Un” Rivera is asking JAY-Z to stop turning one of the darkest moments of their shared history into rap material.
Speaking during an appearance on The Art of Dialogue, the former music executive revealed he had planned to handle the situation behind closed doors. Instead, he chose to read an open letter publicly, saying JAY-Z’s repeated references to their infamous 1999 nightclub altercation continue to shape how people see him decades later.
The renewed conversation comes after JAY-Z’s freestyle at the Roots Picnic brought attention back to the Kit Kat Club incident in New York, where he later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and received three years of probation.
Rivera didn’t hold back in his letter, arguing that the story has been retold too many times from one perspective. He described the recurring lyrics as “revisionist history” before questioning the message behind them, asking, “He talks about trauma, but what about my trauma?”
He also accused JAY-Z of revisiting the incident whenever there is something to promote, saying, “Stop using me to do it. Unless you’re going to pay me, send me a check.”
Even with his criticism, Rivera acknowledged JAY-Z’s influence and success, encouraging him to use that reach to plant “seeds of hope, discipline, ownership, and awareness” instead of bringing old street conflicts back into the spotlight.
Rivera later punctuated his stance on Instagram with one final remark aimed at the rap icon: “30 years later and you still rapping about me. I’m flattered.”
