Let’s talk about MC Shan. He’s Queensbridge royalty and a certified Hip-Hop legend. He’s one of those figures who paved the way for not just Queensbridge rap but also Hip-Hop as a whole. He gave us “The Bridge,” a track so iconic it sparked one of the greatest beefs in Hip-Hop history.
KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions took him to task, but what they did will never been forgotten. In 2024, Shan is known for being realer than real. That brings us to the drama unfolding.
The Issue: Pete Rock & Common Apparently Sampled “The Bridge”
So, Pete Rock and Common sampled “The Bridge” on “Wise Up” from their Grammy Award-nominated album THE AUDITORIUM VOL 1. MC Shan claims he didn’t see a dime from the sample usage, even though he owns his publishing. Shan hopped on Instagram with one of his classic, unfiltered rants and he put Pete Rock and Common on notice.
The caption in all caps should have us calling Shan “Captain”—because it is a lot.
“WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW IS I OWN THE PUBLISHING ON THE BRIDGE SO IT’S A BIGGER INFRINGEMENT THAN JUST YOU TAKING MY VOICE AND SAMPLE IN A BEAT I OWN THE PUBLISHING SON.
“I USUALLY STAY QUIET ON THINGS THAT’S NOT MY BUSINESS OR WHEN I SEE A MAN SCREAMING FOUL THAT DOES THE SAME THING AND ACT LIKE HE SHOULD BE PAID AND I SHOULDN’T YOU BETTER GO GET THAT MONEY BACK FROM HOMAGE SON CUZ HE DIDN’T KNOCK ON MY DOING CUT ME IN ON NOTHING.. AND JUST LIKE YOU WERE ABLE TO GET YOUR MONEY GUESS WHO’S GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THEIRS…”
Now here is the weird part. Last year, Shan says he got paid and also called the duo “men of respect.
Here’s the tricky part. Shan acknowledges that Common and Pete probably cleared the sample through the “proper” channels, but the money somehow didn’t trickle down to him. Shan seems very confident that he knows his business.
The Bigger Picture
It’s wild to see OGs in the game clashing like this. Pete Rock is a legend, Common is a legend and Shan is a legend. Pete and Common Sense aren’t the types to intentionally shortchange an artist they are paying homage to, so I hope they clear it up.