Uh oh, Hot 97 is in the news again.

We all remember the infamous Ebro-Riff Raff debacle that ended with the rapper calling the program director a racist for questioning his background and authenticity. The whole event blew up  when twitter fans let the radio station know who was really the boss, by bombarding Ebro with hateful messages. This time around, it’ Angie Martinez  who found herself on the wrong side of a heated debate with up-and-coming Atlanta rapper: Trinidad James.

When the radio host approached James about the perception of his music and character, the emcee  quickly defended his art. He stated that he never intended for his song “All Gold Everything” to become the “Ratchet Anthem.” Rather, he wanted to share a piece of himself with the world, to show that people could be comfortable being “themselves.” He concluded the interview stating that his music was “real,” it was a representation of the actual lifestyle of people in the streets.

One of his best lines in the interview, came roughly halfway through the video. James describes the feeling of his art being disregarded as just ratchet music with an apt comparison to Picasso. “That’s like looking at a Picasso and saying ‘that’s a cool Dr. Seuss painting.’ What you mean, that’s a Picasso Nigga!”

Does Trinidad James raise a valid point about ratchet music? Is it really dumbing down or could it be looked at as reaching a larger audience? Could it be viewed as talking to people in an understandable way? Watch the video and let us know what you think below.

Jimi (@Nativejimi)