“I want to raise a million dollars [for] each icon that started hip hop, [DJ] Kool Herc and on down,” he began. “The fact that we’re not paying taxes to who started hip hop shows that we don't really love hip hop.”

The super producer went on to state that the likes of Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash, Sugarhill Gang deserve at least a minimum of one million dollars each for their contributions to the culture. 

“The fact that we don’t pay taxes as artists to those icons that paved the way [and] took the lower cut for the music that allow us to feed our family….we need to be paying taxes to the creatives of hip-hop that gave us the freedom of speech to move forward,” Swizz continued.

Joe agreed, saying, “Every new deal that gets signed, one percent or half a percent should go towards rapper reparations.”

The topic came up while Swizz was talking to Joe about some of the matches he and Timbaland are trying to set up under their “Verzuz” banner. Swizz shared that he wants to set up a match between New York rap icons Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. He also hinted at LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes possibly participating in their popular celebration of Black music

Elsewhere in the livestream, he confirmed that the “piano duel” between his wife, Alicia Keys, and John Legend was in the works.

Check out the rest of the conversation below: