from Elliott to Combat Jack with love
hip hop's new daily operation | 7.8.20
This one goes out to Combat Jack. TheMotto No. 63 is dedicated to Reginald Joseph Ossé. First generation Haitian-American, Reggie was born July 8, 1964 in Brooklyn. He died December 20, 2017 in Manhattan. Reggie and I both started out in the music business in the ‘90s, but I don’t remember us actually crossing paths. I was a neophyte journalist and Reg was already big-time — a lawyer who went from legal affairs at Def Jam to repping young hip hop heavyweights like Dame Dash and Roc-A-Fella Records ⤵️
First time I met him though he told me, he knew my ego trip partner, Sacha Jenkins through Sacha’s sister and had even written a column for us at Beat Down back in the days. Reg hit my radar in a strong way when he started doing PNC radio with Dallas Penn in 2010. I heard one of the early episodes, and I reached out to tell him how much I enjoyed it, and that there was something special there. Soon I popped us as a guest and we had two-hour conversation that I wish I had the audio of. That’s when we truly got to know each other.
A few short years later, the Combat Jack Show was a phenomenon. They were an all-star team of avengers including Premium Pete, A-King, DJ Benhamean, the great Just Blaze, and many more. I listened every week, and was thirsty to get back on as a guest. In 2012 I was honored to appear along with Fabolous on the 100th episode. I was promoting my new The Truth series on Jay-Z’s Life and Times. I probably popped a lot of shit so I’m only sharing Part 1. Ha!
I was blessed to be on the show a few more times, but my favorite appearance was when my wife Danyel Smith and B.Dot joined me for the Eff Your Holiday episode in December 2013.
It was a fun and lively convo full of Christmas cheer. And when we wrapped, we were all shocked that Beyoncé had dropped a full surprise album —Beyoncé — with videos for each song. The next night the wife and I were in the Cayman Islands for the holiday, and it was like the world stopped. Drunk in love, for real.
⤴️ photo: danamo
My favorite Combat Jack episode is above ⤴️. In January of 2015, fresh off the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive (Roc Nation), J. Cole gave one of his most candid and inspiring talks. I was sick with envy. I’d just interviewed Combat and Premium Pete at a special Apple store event a few weeks prior, and had no idea such fireworks were forthcoming.
Later that year, B. Dot started doing the Rap Radar Podcast by himself. In late 2014, we had done a one-off podcast for a Shady Records anniversary release (shoutout to DJ Whoo Kid, Rob “Reef” Tewlow, and the legend Paul Rosenberg) ⬇️
CBS Radio heard it, though, and thought Brian and I should make a go of it as a duo. I was hesitant at first. I wasn’t sure if it would work, and I had so much respect for Reg that I worried about how he would view me jumping into the podcast game. It all worked out. The Rap Radar Podcast emerged quickly as a force, and the Combat Jack Show continued to evolve. Reggie grew as a sharp, intuitive and passionate interviewer. His growth inspired me. Steel sharpens steel. Even through blurry photos ⤵️
Sadly, I can’t say I was close to Reg in his final days. I didn’t know of the full severity of his condition, so his passing really socked me in the chest. It’s still hard to believe he isn’t here. I would kill to enjoy another a drink with him, and to be talkin’ shit about the crazy state of the world we’re living in now. 2020 is nuts, Internets.
I applaud Reg’s legacy. And I want you all to know, it continues to inspire me. When he died, I was so hesitant to tweet out my condolences. I thought long and hard about what words I should choose, what should I say? How to put his work in the proper context? When a king is gone? Inshallah.
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a danyelliott production
Danyel Smith + Elliott Wilson