You know, it’s like everyone’s obsessed with this whole “checking in” thing. It’s become the go-to move—hitting up someone just to end up getting played. It’s stupid! Why would you think some random guy in California, who you barely know, has got your back? Especially when he’s already got beef with other neighborhoods. And yet, people keep trying to get in good with him. The whole “checking in” thing is something people just can’t seem to let go of. Maybe it’s time to update the term for today. What should we call it now? Maybe we should say people need to get connected—yeah, properly connected.
Let’s be honest: this idea of a “mob” is just a made-up title. They’re not actual gangsters. “Mob TI” is as real as a guy from Malibu pretending to be tough. Most people, including Jay Prince Jr. and his son, are just playing a role, like the character Malibu in “Most Wanted.” They’re not the real deal.
Lately, there’s been so much buzz about this whole “checking in” drama and extortion in hip-hop, especially with rumors flying around about Drake and his supposed Houston protector, J Prince—the guy who’s rumored to be some kind of extortion kingpin. Word is that J Prince might have ditched Drake. Apparently, Drake tried to ban all rappers connected to Kendrick Lamar from performing in Houston, thinking J Prince would back him up. But then Schoolboy Q stepped in, making it clear he’s not scared of Drake’s so-called mob ties. Earlier this month, he performed in Houston in front of a huge crowd, and he didn’t just stop there. Schoolboy Q also called the whole “checking in” thing goofy and embarrassing, especially for someone like J Prince, who should know better than to keep playing these childish street games and trying to extort his own people.
So, what’s really going on with J Prince and this extortion drama? Who’s he tried to shake down, and has it led to any serious consequences for those who stood up to him? Let’s break it down.
But seriously, why are you even getting involved in this? What’s the point? And then you’ve got the nerve to call me about it—when I’m just trying to chill, play video games, or get ready for my daughter’s soccer game tomorrow. Man, grow up!
Let’s talk about how extortion became a part of hip-hop culture. The roots of extortion go way back to 18th century Italy, where the local Mafia would send threatening letters to business owners, demanding money in exchange for protection. When the Mafia came to America, extortion became a common practice in cities like Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, spreading fear with regular shakedowns. Other street gangs and crime groups quickly picked up on these tactics, and as hip-hop started making serious money, it wasn’t long before they began targeting rappers.
Today, extortion is almost ingrained in the hip-hop world, affecting even the biggest stars. Take Tupac, for example. In 2011, the FBI released documents that revealed an extortion scheme involving the Jewish Defense League (JDL), which the FBI classified as a right-wing group. According to these documents, the JDL was extorting protection money from Ruthless Records and several well-known rap artists, including Tupac and Eazy-E, by making death threats and then offering protection for a fee. The documents, originally from 1997, stated: “JDL and other yet unidentified persons have been extorting money from various rap music stars via death threats. The scheme involves [redacted] and other subjects making telephonic death threats to the rap star subjects, then intercede by contacting the victim and offering protection for a fee. A source reported that Eric Wright, also known as Eazy-E, who owned Ruthless Records, was a victim of this extortion scheme prior to dying from AIDS. Name [redacted] also reportedly targeted Tupac Shakur prior to his recent death in Las Vegas, Nevada.”
In the present day, many Black American street gangs continue to rely on the extortion of rap artists as a source of income. They often demand that rappers “check in” when they visit their city, ensuring they can move around safely without being harassed or worse. This allows rappers to move freely while the locals earn money by providing security or opening for the big names.
Even top-tier artists aren’t safe. Take Kanye West, for example. During a trip to Philadelphia, he found himself in a sticky situation and had to call in Beanie Sigel, the Broad Street Bully, for help. Kanye was sitting at a diner with friends when some shady guys pulled up chairs to his table, just watching him without even ordering food. Kanye had to hide his jewelry and keep a low profile until Beanie arrived to handle the situation.
So, Beanie noticed some guys giving Kanye weird looks, probably checking out his jewelry or something. Kanye started getting a little anxious and sent word to Beanie. Not directly, but the message got to him somehow. Beanie quickly made it known that Kanye was feeling threatened. When Beanie showed up, he made it clear that as long as he was there, nothing was going to happen to Kanye.
But Detroit, well, that’s a whole different story. The Motor City has something called Trick Trick’s “no-fly zone.” Trick Trick explained it on the Drink Champs podcast. Basically, if you’re a rapper coming into Detroit, you better show respect and pay your dues—or else. I had to ask him, “Trick Trick, what exactly is the no-fly zone? What does that even mean?” I’ve been to Detroit and had a great time, so what’s the deal with this no-fly zone? Trick Trick explained it was all about the record labels. Back in the day, labels had street teams that would bring artists to different cities. They’d come to Detroit, take what they wanted, and not give anything back. They’d even charge local artists to perform, even though those local artists were the ones bringing in the crowd—sometimes 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 people, all paying to get in. How could they charge them when these artists were bringing in the money? Eventually, the locals had enough. They were paying to perform, and it wasn’t just the artists—radio was involved too. Summer Jam events barely featured Detroit artists; it was all people from out of town, and the Detroit artists still got charged. So, Trick Trick put a stop to it. He decided that the only entertainment allowed around there would be local talent. They’d focus on their own people first, and then, maybe, they’d let in a few outsiders, one at a time. If anyone disrespected the rules, they’d handle it.
Rick Ross knows this all too well. Back in 2014, he was supposed to headline a Summer Jam event in Detroit, but the no-fly zone crew had other ideas. Ross’s entourage got stopped by a hundred locals, making it very clear he wasn’t welcome. Rumor had it that Ross got seriously shaken up, though he later denied everything, saying he could come to Detroit whenever he wanted.
So, what’s the deal with you and Detroit? There was a show you were supposed to perform at, right? You even joked about it on Twitter, but now the headlines are blowing up. Blogs are saying, “Rick Ross is scared for his life; he’s banned from Detroit. What’s happening with the no-fly zone?” Here’s the real story: someone got it all wrong. We headed to Detroit, ready for the gig. My team was leading the way, like always. But just so you know, I never even made it to the venue. Me and this so-called enforcer never crossed paths. He never talked to Ross, and I expect him to clear that up. I expect him to tell everyone, “We never talked to Ross. We never spoke to MMG.” Anyway, as the caravan got close to the venue, we saw that someone had padlocked the gates. My team was there before me, and they didn’t even realize there was an issue. It’s the promoter’s job to make sure everything’s safe, so he said, “Let’s get this sorted.” We decided to head over to the casino instead. Shout out to Greektown Casino. So, that’s where we hung out. That’s when the story started spreading that this was some mob gang situation, which was completely false. I let the rumors go for a day, expecting someone to correct it. But no one did. No one talked to MMG. No one.
So, what’s next? Are you heading back to Detroit? The fans are still out there, waiting for you. For me, it’s not personal—I got paid, and I got paid well, you know? But I do feel bad for those kids who waited six hours to see Ricky Ross, only to be let down because someone decided to lock the gate. If you’re from the jungle, you don’t lock the lions out—you let them in, and that’s when the real action happens.
And then there’s DaBaby. While shooting a video in East Atlanta, he ran into some trouble with a local gang who didn’t appreciate him being on their turf. They tried to press him, but DaBaby didn’t back down.
“What’s up? Nah, I didn’t sign no permission slip. Didn’t even know about it. But let me tell you, I’m not here to ask for permission. If you wanted to talk, you should’ve come to me. That’s how real ones handle it. I’m not here to be disrespected. If you show respect, you’ll get respect. Whoever told you I was here, go ask them who I am. I’m not signing anything, and I’m not checking in.”
Later on VladTV, DaBaby talked about the situation and how it could’ve gone bad for the other guys. “I held my ground. With all those cameras around, I didn’t think anything would actually happen, but you never know when egos get involved. It was just me and my brother out there, and I had just ordered some pizzas for the crew. I was in shorts, doing my thing. It ended up working out for them, but everyone else was pretty shaken up—it looked like it was about to go south real quick.”
“Yeah, but they walked away just in time.”
“Exactly.”
In the music industry, some people, like Joe Budden, see extortion as just part of the game. He compares it to paying state taxes—annoying, but something you have to do. For Budden, it’s easier to just pay up and avoid any trouble than to risk facing the streets’ wrath. “I think of it like this—checking in is like paying state taxes. I don’t live in LA, but I’ve done some work there, and at the end of the year, LA sends me a bill for what I owe. That’s just how the government works. The street guys who control their cities—like Big U, Trick Trick, and others—they operate the same way. Artists come to these cities, make money all year, and never give back. So, to avoid having the streets take what they want from you, you pay up, but there’s a fee attached. That’s how I see it. I don’t know you, I didn’t grow up with you, I don’t really care about your well-being, but you’re going to pay. Alright, he’s good for the three days he’s here.”
Then there’s J Prince, the so-called Houston Boogeyman and Drake’s long-time protector. He’s been tied to extortion for decades, but it’s only recently that he’s been making headlines for it. For example, when NBA YoungBoy’s place in Houston was robbed in July 2020, J Prince publicly offered to return his stuff—a move that many saw as blatant extortion. “While we were away, I got a call. YoungBoy’s place got broken into, people went in and disrespected his stuff, and I got a call about it. The guys who did it want to make it right because they know YoungBoy’s family is good with me. So, long story short, I’ve got your keys to your Rolls Royce, your McLaren, everything they took. Shakur, what else you got?”
“You’ve got your umbrellas, your keys, and a bunch of other stuff. So, get in touch with us. We’re waiting on you.”
YoungBoy wasn’t about to let that slide. He hopped on IG Live to make it clear to J Prince that he’s not here for the games. “No new relationships. I don’t respect any of that, man. If you’ve got something for me, there are plenty of people around me you can reach out to. There’s a ton of ways to get in touch with me, man. But don’t go on the internet and try to do anything publicly. Don’t do anything for publicity or clout. And I’m good on keys, gangsta. When you buy stuff cash, two keys come with the car anyway. Mind your own business, man.”
And then there’s the tragic case of Migos’ Takeoff, who was killed in Houston back in November 2022 while supposedly under the protection of J Prince’s son, Jazz Prince. You might remember Kendrick Lamar’s track “Euphoria,” where he raps, “his daddy and he want to be junior, they must have forgot the stuff they done. Demonic must run in his family, but let it get shaky, I’ll park his son.” A lot of fans think Kendrick was calling out J Prince and Jazz Prince, suggesting they were somehow involved in Takeoff’s death. Basically, people think Kendrick was warning J Prince to stay out of his beef with Drake unless he wants his son dragged into it.
Speaking of Kendrick, let’s talk about Schoolboy Q, one of his close affiliates. He’s the latest rapper to publicly call out the whole “checking in” thing, saying he’s not about that nonsense.
There are rumors that LA is one of the most dangerous places for rappers. Do you think that’s true?
“Well, yeah, because everyone’s out here trying to check in with someone who might rob them. It’s stupid! Why? Do you really think that guy in California, the one you don’t even know, has your back? The guy who’s got beef with other hoods—you’re checking in with him? Just go to your hotel, grab something to eat, and stay out of trouble. Why would you want to go looking for it? Don’t call me.”
He also added, “[N-word] have the nerve to call me sometimes, like, what are you talking about, bro? I’m playing video games; my daughter’s got a soccer game tomorrow.”
You might have heard that Schoolboy Q had two concerts in Canada canceled last minute, supposedly because of Drake. And the rumor is Drake tried the same move in Houston, thinking J Prince would back him up and ban Kendrick and TDE from the city. But it seems J Prince isn’t down to fight Drake’s battles anymore. On August 3rd, Schoolboy Q performed for a full house at the House of Blues in Houston. Fans are now saying Drake is out of touch for thinking he could control Houston from Canada and tell American artists where they can and can’t perform. As for J Prince, people are saying he’s too old for these street games and extortion schemes.
One fan said, “Drake and J Prince are corny as hell. Just take that L and get back in the studio—if Drake can even make a better song. That Canadian ego is out of control.”
Another fan chimed in, “A 60-year-old gangster still trying to play the tough guy? These old dudes need to take a seat. No respect for the generation that wrecked our communities in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.”
But what do you think about J Prince and the rumors about his extortion business? And what’s your take on the gossip that Drake tried to ban TDE artists from performing in Houston? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and don’t go anywhere—we’ve got another video coming up!