Ez Elpee on His 'Tha Carter V' Production Snub: 'They Stole My Sh*t'

The hitmaker claims he was not aware that the album sampled his 2001 hit "Special Delivery" until after it dropped.

October 24, 2018

Swizz Beatz — Image via Getty/Jun Sato/WireImage
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Atlanta-based producer Ez Elpee has crafted some of the most recognizable beats in hip-hop history. Some of those hits include Nas’ “Oochie Wally,” Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Get Money,” and G. Dep’s “Special Delivery.” The latter track, which dropped in 2001, received a second wind last month when it was sampled on Lil Wayne’s “Uproar” record on Tha Carter V album. Of course, it was a nice throwback for the older generation hip-hop heads; however, Elpee claims that “Uproar’s” producers—Swizz Beatz and Avenue—used his instrumentals without his knowledge.

“They stole my s**t. Seventeen years and now we’re having extra plays on the record,” he told HipHopDX. “[…] That was a hit record. It stood the test of time.”

Elpee insisted he was not angry about the sample but failed to understand why he wasn’t credited. He also claimed that Swizz attempted to minimize the omission online.

“I went into the comments or whatever, and [Swizz] is trying to downplay it,” he said. “It’s just like if I took 'Ruff Ryders Anthem' and did it over and didn’t give him a credit for it... I know you need a record. I understand that. I know you’re trying to reinvent yourself. That’s dope. There’s nothing wrong with that. But like damn my n***a, like you trying to act like you never heard ‘Special Delivery’?"

“We’ve all made a lot of money...life goes on,” he added, before referencing Wayne’s 2012 “Green Ranger” track, which also sampled “Special Delivery.” “I just find it unusual that Wayne said that he hated the beat—on the beat—and now it’s on his album.”

You can read Elpee’s full interview at HipHopDX. The hitmaker also speaks about pushing boundaries, the record that changed his life, and managing Bronx-bred producer 30 Roc.