As MC Eiht matures and evolves, fans aren’t going to hear the same subject matter that he rapped about early on in his career. The legendary emcee once had a longstanding beef with fellow Compton rapper DJ Quik as the two traded vicious bars on wax. The feud didn’t dissipate until fellow West Coast artists like and stepped in to mend fences. Afterward, Quik dropped songs that talked about making peace, but persona.

During his talk with People’s Party with , MC Eiht shared that he receives that criticism from some longtime fans as well. “I’m like, dude, it’s 2020,” Eiht said. “You want me to rap about drive-by killings and jumping in a six tre with my pistol and hittin’ corners? I’m like, dude, I’m beyond that.” The seasoned rapper said artists try to please their fans, “but there comes a time when you as an artist and a mature artist, you feel like, let me try to transition into some different music that’s not about” the gangster lifestyle.

“I am no longer thinking like I did when I was 18-years-old, still hanging on the block making rap records,” MC Eiht added. “Now, I’m about peace, I’m about trying to stack money, invest, and still have a good time. So, let me try to figure that out for my fans to enjoy. For people like Quik, myself, and in that arena that we came from, it’s like a tightrope you’re walking.”

The rapper also said that fans not only want for him and other veteran gangster rappers to continue on with their street life message because it’s familiar, but because there was an authenticity attached to it. The lifestyle wasn’t something manufactured that they created and rapped about; it was something that they actually lived, without truly going through that struggle. Check out Mc Eiht’s clip from People’s Party with Talib Kweli below.