Scarface is a 30-year living legend MC. Over the years, there have been certain lyrics where Heads have wondered who the Houston, Texas rapper/producer/DJ may be speaking to. In other cases, especially over the last 15 years, many of those diatribes were not so subliminally aimed at rapper/executive Lil Troy. Troy, another H-Town native was popular on a mainstream level thanks to his 1999 melodic hit, “Wanna Be A Baller.” That track, released on Troy’s longstanding Short Stop Records, featured the Screwed Up Click’s Fat Pat and Big Hawk—both of whom have now died. On that platinum-certified independent album, Sittin’ Fat Down South, Troy featured with Scarface. The latter would reportedly receive $220,000 for using those vocals on an album without permission. Then Troy responded with a $2 million suit towards Scarface on defamation of character, for allegations of being a police informant.

The two had 10 years of important history at that point. Speaking with Murder Master Music Show, Troy details helping send Brad Jordan into the lab for the first time, “In 1988, I started the label [Short Stop Records]. I put out a record with Scarface; we had a song [with] ‘I started small time dope game / Cocaine / Pushin’ rocks / On the block / I’m never broke, mayne.‘ He was 16 years old. He was staying with me and my moms. I put out a record out on him; I put him in the studio and told him to make a record about my life. ‘Tell everybody what you see me doin’ around here.’ And he did, and the rest is history with ‘Face.” T The label head says he considers Scarface “one of the greatest lyricists, ever.” Those lines and that verse would be re-packaged, and enhanced with DJ Reddy Red’s intro production for “Scarface” on Geto Boys’ sophomore album, 1989’s Grip It! On That Other Level.

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In Houston however, people were drawn to the Short Stop version. “The cover was sellin’ the record before people was ever hearin’ [the music].” At the time, seeking just a return on his studio time and pressing costs, Troy says he happily agreed when Rap-A-Lot Records founder J. Prince approached him about adding Scarface (then known as “DJ Akshen” to the group consisting of Prince Johnny C., Sire Jukebox, Bushwick Bill, Raheem, Sir Rap-A-Lot, and Reddy Red. “I was making so much money in the streets, I wasn’t really worried about getting paid.” Troy simply says, “The Rap game was so new to everybody, the business of it.”

The hosts, Prez and Mac Jay ask Troy about the recent rekindling of the relationship between he and Shortstop’s star pupil. Shortly after the success of his late ’90s hit, the veteran went to prison on an 18-month stay for a drug conviction. Upon his 2001 exit, his relationship with Scarface appeared greatly compromised from where it was.

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“‘Face, that’s my people, man. It was really more [listening] to the people around him made him beef with me,” admits Troy. “It wasn’t so much that ‘Face didn’t like me. But when…it was another entity, and when they can’t control me, the best that they can come at me is through [making Scarface] talk about me.” Getting specific, Troy places blame on the man who took Scarface away from Short Stop Records (albeit willingly and amicably). “J. [Prince] could never control me at all. He had no grip on me; he never had his hands in my pocket. He never got no money off me in no kind of way. Everybody knows that J. wanna have some kind of control over you money-wise, or whatever. I never let that happen.” Scarface released nine solo albums at Rap-A-Lot between 1991 and 2008. Additionally, there were a multitude of compilations, Geto Boys and Facemob work, as well as side ventures. Around 2000’s Last of a Dying Breed, Scarface began speaking against his onetime mentor. “They came up with this thing that I’m a snitch; ‘let’s talk about Troy.’ The way you bring a person down is to try to kill his character.” Songs like the single (as Geto Boys) “G Code” and numerous ‘Face attacks were aimed, bluntly, in Lil Troy’s direction. “They tried. It didn’t work.”

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Over three years ago, Scarface expounded on his beef with Lil Troy while as a guest on The Combat Jack show. ‘Face pointed to sealed documents as a burden of proof that Troy cooperated to reduce his own charges. In 2016 however, the two are close once more.”We talk every week. We talk once or twice every week, or every other week. He’s independent now. He’s so happy now,” says Troy, who just released a collectors item 45RPM 7″ record of their 1988 single. “The money is splendid by doing independent.” Troy adds, “We talkin’ about collaborating, him and my son.”

Scarface left Rap-A-Lot Records several years ago. Upon his exit, the longtime artist criticized his former employer and manager J. Prince for releasing music of his without permission. Shortly after, those remarks were clarified. Last year, ‘Face released Deeply Rooted. In addition to Nas, Rick Ross, and CeeLo Green, that album features fellow former Rap-A-Lot artist Z-Ro.

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#BonusBeat: Lil Troy’s 1999 hit (which has more than 34 million YouTube views):