Common & Ice Cube Demonstrate How “Real People” Move Past Beef (Audio)

Many artists have gone from fierce beefs to collaborating. Artists like Jay Z and Nas, Jadakiss and Beanie Sigel, and Three 6 Mafia and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have simply just turned the page. The songs these once bitter rivals made after the truce was just music—with the past best unaddressed.

For Ice Cube and Common, the mid-’90s opponents are appearing together in Barbershop: The Next Cut. Rather than just make a talking point soundtrack song, “Real People” fully acknowledges the uncomfortable past. Despite its Pop-driven chorus, O’Shea and Rashid rap about their misgivings, how Minister Louis Farrakhan arranged a meeting, and where they went wrong. Inside the verse, Cube also mentions how much it hurt to watch Tupac Shakur make the mistake of going too far towards being a “thug.” As Cube and Common got really serious in their tiff, they have the benefit of being here 21 years later, seemingly reaching new zeniths in their career.

Real people, real words.

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