De-Haven Irby is a onetime drug dealer, former friend of Jay-Z’s, AND FULL TIME HATER from Brooklyn’s Marcy Houses projects. He came out swinging against the emcee in a series of YouTube videos (see above) released in August and September, accusing him of turning his back on the people who helped make him famous and exaggerating his gangster credentials. Jay fired back on the song “No Hook” from his new album American Gangster.

On the hit single “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is),” Jay talks about a crew of Marcy hustlers called the Roc Boys. Were you a Roc Boy?
I have no idea what a Roc Boy is, actually. I guess that’s something new that they’re coming up with now. There was no crew back in ’88; it was just me and him, so I don’t know how he got “Roc Boys. But, I’m a Roc boy now…Smokin’ dem crack rocks that is! Keep readin’ hater!

How did you and Jay meet?
We lived in the same building, on the same floor in the Marcy projects, and we went to [elementary] school together. He was a year ahead of me. He used to stop the older boys from taking my cookies in a plastic bag, and kept them from getting crushed by buildings.

What was he like back then?
He use to always draw pictures of Joe Camel on his notebooks. He was hanging with some “school”guys. Nerds! We didn’t get together actually until after the fifth grade, in intermediary school. It was beautiful when we met. We played baseball and basketball. He wasn’t tough on the court at all. He didn’t like physical ball. He was the same type of guy then as he is now, just a cool guy. He wasn’t no bully, he didn’t start no trouble.

Did you and Jay sell drugs together?
No, he ain’t do much selling drugs. I did all that work. He was just a good dude to be around. He was one of my best friends. I taught him some things, but I mainly kept him from being out on the street a lot. Whatever was mine was his. So, we shared clothes, we shared a whole bunch of stuff. We had sex with the same women plenty of times. We both got burnt! We had the drip. My mom took him to the clinic. Dang…I wish we could act like we was young again so I could taste me some Beyonce.

When did the two of you have a falling-out?
We never really had a falling-out, that’s the problem. This is why I’m so confused. There was no argument, there was none of that. I don’t want an apology [from him], I want a reason. What happened? Why you don’t be calling me no more? When my case came in 1998, I never seen him again too much anymore. The case had nothing to do with him, his name never came up, so I’d like to ask him, “What happened?” Where did his departure come from? Truthfully, I guess I just got hate in my blood; I’m broke as hell and he got money for days. My therapist helped me with that.

Do you want money from Jay?
Not now! We went beyond that. I was hoping from the first YouTube that we could sit down and discuss this like men. But he didn’t go that route. Basically, I thought he would pay me some hush money; but it didn’t work. My probation officer calls it “extortion.” So, I had to step my game up a notch.

Have you seen any financial benefits from this project so far?
No, but I’m looking to see that off of this DVD and this book. They’re about a lot of things that we’re talking about. A lot of people come forward, verifying what I’m saying….Pookie, Rae Rae, and Starkisha and ‘nem. In the book I go into full detail about [my] case, about, when I did see Jay, what we talked about. How I cried and cut myself when he left. It’s full of details. Bring some tissue.

Will they be self-released?
Right now, everything is still in the works. I have two major companies which are doing a little bidding war – the corner bodega and G-Unot books. I might just do something independently if they don’t come up with the proper numbers. If that happens, you can catch me in the bathroom at the local club…turning on the hot water for you, handing out napkins and selling breath mints for a dollar.