“Rolling 200 Deep,” Kay Slay’s 200-rapper song.

On November 3rd, 2023 Papoose assembled a group of hip-hop legends at the Tunecore Building Brooklyn for the posthumous release of DJ Kay Slay’s “Rolling 200 Deep.” This is a song featuring 200 artists curated by the legendary Kay Slay. Upon Slay’s death bed he urged Papoose to complete the song. 

The more than one-hour long track features legends like Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, Melle Mell, Bun B, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah – the full list of artists can be found at the bottom of this article. “Rolling 200 Deep” has to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for “Most Rappers on a Track.”

HOT 97 reporter Jason N. Peters got the chance to interview Papoose about finishing this project and here is what Pap said:

JASON: During the introduction, you talked about how getting this song done was one of Kay Slay’s last wishes. Could you speak on what it means to be at the premiere of this?

PAP: To be here is a privilege. And it means so much to me because I know what it meant to him and I know how hard he worked on this shit. I spoke to him every day, every time a new artist sent him a verse, he celebrated. He said, ‘yo, Pap, you don’t believe who I got.’

I’m like ‘who, who?’ he’s like “Rev Run.”

I’m like, ‘oh shit,’ cause I’m a fiend of hip hop but he is a real fiend. So this shit meant a lot to him like this is not a game for us. We lived this shit for real. So it means a lot to him. And I know even in his absence, he’s celebrating right now.

JASON: What went into getting the last pushes to get this song done posthumously? How much work had to go in it on your end and on your team’s end and on TuneCore’s end? 

PAP: It was very difficult for me. Because I knew how much this meant to Slay. And it reminded me so much of him that it, it brought back my pain of losing him. But I knew it was something I had to do because it was one of his final requests.

JASON: So what went into?

PAP: It was blood sweat and effort. Shout to Richie 4K. We worked hard and I knew Slay struggled with this. So I’m like, damn, Slay struggled with this shit. I can’t handle it but we did it, man. Teamwork made the dream work.

JASON: How long has this been cooking? I knew this had to be happening while Slay was still alive? When did the 200 happen? I know 100 exists. When did the 200 project start?

PAP: It started so long ago I said, ‘Slay, you can’t do 200.’ He’s like ‘watch me.’ I’m like ‘Slay 200? You had a headache with 100 artists and you’re gonna get 200 artists.’ And he’s like, ‘yo, Pap watch me do it.’ And every time I spoke to that crazy, I was like, yo, son, you gonna do.

It’s hard to get three artists on the record.

And he’s like, ‘Yo, Pap, I’m, I’m a, yo, I’m at 95.’ I’m like, ‘What?’ He’s like ‘yo, guess what? What?’ ‘I’m at 140.’ 

‘I’m like, yo, it’s like you’re crazy!’ but he kept going and it’s unfortunate that, you know, his untimely demise. He passed before he could actually finish it. And ironically, it fell in my lap to finish it, but he started my career. So I had no choice now that I’m in a position at TuneCore and I got an executive position as head of hip hop. I felt it was only right that I released it here. We got a billboard going up in Times square at 12 midnight. We didn’t come here to play. You see this quality of this event, all of the execs are here. All of the artists came out to show love and it speaks values for who we are and what we mean to hip hop.

JASON: How do you imagine its lifespan? What do you think this song is gonna mean 10 years from now?

PAP: I think it’s Guinness Book of World Records. I think it’s Guinness Book of World Records.

I think it’s groundbreaking and it makes history for the most quality artist on one record at one time. You got Kurtis Blow on his fucking record! Reverend Run!

JASON: You got Nems and, and Kurtis Blow on the same song.

PAP: Do you understand? There’s nobody else who can put a rep together a record like that besides Kay Slay?

JASON: Is there anything else you think people should know about Kay Slay or this record?

PAP: I’ll let you know that he helped you get a, he helped you gain a career and when you gained a career, he said, ‘hey, Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, hey, good morning. What up?

It’s Slay, yo. Send me a verse.’ 

I say ‘What are you doing?’ He says ‘I’m putting you on the record with a new artist who’s where you were, when you were trying to get on it, you was hungry.’

That’s who he is. And you’re gonna send a verse. It’s not up to you because he made sure when you made it, you reached back and pulled the next up and coming artist up. So that’s how the cycle of hip hop kept going through Slay. It’s not a game. Hip hop took a major loss. I’ll say it again when you got on and you became established and you built the name. He made sure you worked with new artists and pulled them up. Whether you liked it or not, you can’t tell slay, no.

“Rolling 200 Deep” is out now on all streaming platforms. Guinness Book of World Records needs to immortalize this track, because Kay Slay is the only person who could accomplish this feat.

The full list of artists on Kay Slay’s “Rolling 200 Deep” are:

2 Chainz, 3d Na’tee, 88 Lo, Al Skratch, Aobie, Arsonal, AVE, Axel Leon, AZB REAL, Benny The Butcher, Big Daddy Kane, Big Dubez, Big Gipp, Big Noyd, Big T, Billboard Baby, Billy Danze, Bishop Lamont, Bizarre, BK, Breaker Breaker, Brillo, Bumpy Knuckles, Bun B, Bynoe, Capital, Cassidy, CeeLo Green, Cheri, Chi-Ali, China Mac, Chip Fu, Chris Rivers, Chucky Smash, Coke La Rock, Conway, Corporal Ak, D V Alias Kryst, Daddy-O, Dave East, Diceman, Dirti Diana, DJ DooWoop, DJ Kay Slay, DJ Paul, DMC, DNA, Don Q, Double X Posse, Drag-On, Dub City, E Ness, E-40, E-A-SKI, E-Class Hoodies, E.D.I. Mean, El Da Sensei, Fatman Scoop, Fred the Godson, Fredro Starr, Freeway, Gangsta Boo, General Steele, Ghostface Killah, Gillie Da Kid, Grand Puba, Grandmaster Caz, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Greg Nice, Haddy Racks, Head Ice, Hocus 45th, ICE-T, Iman Shupert, Iron Sheikh, Jadakiss, Jade Diamonds, Jae Millz, Jakk Frost, Jim Jones, Joell Ortiz, Johnny Wa, Jon Connor, JR Writer, Kaflow, Khujo, Kid Capri, Killer Mike, King Bliss, King Card, King Kirk, King Malachi, King Sun, Knick Gunz, Kool Keith, KRS-One, KXNG Crooked, Large Professor, Layzie Bone, Lil Fame, Lil’ Flip, Littles, Lloyd Banks, Locksmith, Maino, Majesty, Masta Killa, Master Rob, MC Serch, McGruff, Merkules, Mic Geronimo, Mickey Factz, Mike Cee, Mike Knox, Mikey D, Millyz, Mistah F.A.B., Molecules Legion, MS HUSTLE, Murphy Lee, Mysonne, Neek Da Skittz, Neek The Exotic, Ness, Nino Man, Nutso, Nytro, O C, Omar Epps, OT The Real, Oun P, Page Kennedy, Papoose, Paul Wall, Pesh mayweather, Peter Gunz, Positive K, Prayah, PT Capone, Raekwon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Ransom, Ras Kass, Rayvon, Redman, Rev Run, RJ Payne, Rockness, Ron Artest, Sadat X, Saigon, Sauce Money, Scorpio, Sha Rock, Shaqueen, Sheek Louch, Shoota 93, Shyheim, SickFlo, Skyzoo, Slim Dyme, Smooth B, Smooth Da Hustler, Snoop Dogg, Sonja Blade, Sparky D, Spindarella, Stan Spit, Sticky Fingaz, Styles P, Super Lover Cee, Sweet T, T-MO, T.I., Talkit Trigga, Tame One, Tek, Termanology, The Game, Tone Moxberg, Tone Trump, Tony Yayo, Torae, Tracey Lee, Trae Tha Truth, Tragedy Khadafi, Treach, Trick Trick, Trigga the Gambler, Troy Ave, Twin, Uncle Murda, Vado, Vita, Wais P, Waterbed Kev, Xzibit, Young Buck, Young Noble, Young Poppa Hoodies, ZipWitDaDrip.