Did Mike Tyson rob Wu-Tang’s U-God?: “It’s bad stuff”
Boxers and hip-hop artists have strangely intertwined for decades. There has always been mutual respect from Floyd Mayweather’s strange feud with 50 Cent to Muhammad Ali’s friendship with Snoop Dogg. However, one rumour reported over the years is that, in the 1980s, legendary boxer Mike Tyson robbed U-God of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Tyson grew up in the Brownsville neighbourhood of Brooklyn, which, akin to the South Bronx, was known as a deprived and dangerous area of New York City in the 1970s. As a child, the boxer witnessed some of the most heinous crimes, and he has never been shy about the experiences he had growing up in poverty.
Tyson has consistently been honest about his life and has never denied that as a youngster, he committed crimes himself and was a party to several robberies and beatdowns. That said, as a struggling child who engaged in petty crime for years, it has been reported that Tyson once robbed U-God’s mother out of desperation.
During an interview with DJ Vlad for Vlad TV, the retired boxer opened up about his life and didn’t deny the event when he was asked about it. Speaking about what he had witnessed in Brownsville, Tyson recalled, “It’s bad stuff, it’s really bad stuff.”
He continued, “People tying people up and doing bad things to ‘em over drugs and stuff. To their family members, just real bad stuff that you don’t even want to mention. Anything you can think of someone did to abuse a human being. They did it there.”
Tyson explained that his upbringing made him tough, adding, “I’m a product of fear! I’m a scary guy because I grew up there. I don’t care about being Mike Tyson, the toughest guy. That’s bullshit. If I wasn’t able to see what I saw in Brownsville, there’s no way I could have been able to be the person I am today. I know this is what happens. Once we’re born, our process of dying starts right there.”
U-God of the Wu-Tang Clan is an emcee who is often overlooked. However, he was adamant that his mother was robbed by Tyson, telling DJ Vlad, “Yeah, that’s what my mother said, but you know, it is what it is, man. He knows what time it is, man. I can’t really talk about it. If I see him, he’s gonna be laughing.”
According to U-God, Mike Tyson snuck up on his mother and took her earrings out of her ears. Recalling the period, U-God explained that it happened when the two of them were just little kids, still living in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
When Tyson was asked about the incident in a later interview, Tyson told DJ Vlad, “Well, his name is U-God? Well, you tell U-God I got the money to pay him back now, so when he sees me, tell him to ask for the money, and I’ll give it to him. If I snatch your mother’s earrings, that means you have more money than me.”