Omar Gooding has lived many lives in entertainment. To some, he’s the kid from Nickelodeon and Smart Guy. To others, he’s the actor from Baby Boy and seemingly countless roles across TV and film. But what many don’t know is Gooding has been an MC long before Hollywood fame ever called.
Recently, his pen and pride collided with Harlem legend Cam’ron, sparking one of the most unexpected rap dust-ups of the year. What began with a slip of the tongue—Cam calling him “Omar Gooding Jr.”—spiraled into a string of diss records, a viral “prank” that left Gooding furious and a fourth response track that has the rap world taking him very seriously. In an exclusive with AllHipHop, Omar opens up about defending his brother Cuba Gooding Jr. from Nas, why he doesn’t write out of anger, the details behind the prank and why Part Four is the one.
The Q&A has been edited for clarity and flow. For the full, unedited conversation watch the video
AllHipHop: Omar, first off, how you feeling? You’ve had the internet buzzing.
Omar Gooding: I’m good, bro. Glad to talk to you. I know I got people shaking right now, some laughing, some talking, but it’s cool. I’m built for this.
AllHipHop: I’m glad to talk to you, man. First of all, you’re not from New York City, but your brother used to be at all our parties back in the day hanging out.
Omar Gooding: That’s funny too because he was hot at me a couple days ago. He was like, “Stop pandering to ignorance.” And I was like, first of all, what the f##k does pandering mean? Second of all, make me # when you trying to preach to your little brother. Like, knock it the sh## off. I’m doing what I do.
I don’t think I’ve responded or written out of anger in a long time. Ironically, I’ma give you something I wasn’t planning on saying. The only time I ever wrote a rhyme out of anger was when I was trying to defend my big brother when Nas put his name in a song. (Editor’s Note: On “These Are Our Heroes,” Nas condemned Tiger Woods, Taye Diggs and Cuba Gooding Jr.)
AllHipHop: Tell me more.
Omar Gooding: Yeah, the only time I ever rapped out of anger was defending my big brother. When Nas said, “You sell out like Cuba Gooding Jr.,” I lost it. I was in Dr. Dre’s studio with Focus, Chino XL, a bunch of MCs. They threw on a beat, and I went last like I always do. I went straight at Nas. Everybody was like, “What are you doing?” But that’s my brother. I was heated. Focus just shook his head and said, “Nas ain’t gonna respond.” And of course, he didn’t. But that was the one time.
AllHipHop: Recently you found yourself in another situation — the so-called prank with Cam. Walk us through what happened.
Omar Gooding: Man, look. I was booked for one scene, $2,500, flown first class, easy work. The original script had me licking a sneaker. I said, “I’m not licking no f##kin’ shoe.” They revised it to push-ups and jumping jacks. I said, “No jacks, but I’ll do push-ups.” Took my shirt off, had a tank top, did like 100 push-ups in different takes. That’s it. Nothing crazy.
Next thing I know, this footage pops up online with filters and Cam’ron’s clowning. At first, I laughed, but then I was like, “Wait — this dude crossed the line.” What people don’t realize is that wasn’t some random casting. I got called by somebody I knew, who was tied to Cam. He orchestrated it. That’s why I said, you can’t fall for the favors game in Hollywood.
AllHipHop: You made some reference to some possible legalities, but don’t…
Omar Gooding: I don’t want that man’s money. I got my own path, my own legacy. But when you cross lines and play with my name, I’m gonna respond. Period.
AllHipHop: And that response came in the form of the “Fix Your Mouth” series.
Omar Gooding: Right. The first one was light — a warning shot. The second was sharper. I thought it was over. Then Cam mentioned me again on his show, slipped in jokes about me doing barbershops and bowling alleys. I laughed, gave him props because it was funny, but then I had to cook again. That’s when I dropped Part Four.
AllHipHop: Part Four feels like the one that had people really tuning in.
Omar Gooding: Yeah, that was the test. He dropped the prank, people were clowning me, my phone blowing up. I said, “Alright, chest out, stomach in. Time to respond.” We recorded Part Four in real time. No ghostwriters, no waiting two weeks, none of that. Just me and my DJ arranging it, switching beats, making it surgical. When you hear us laughing at the end, that was live in the booth. That’s Hip-Hop to me. Real pen work. Replay value.
AllHipHop: You said New Yorkers weren’t rocking with you, but the people I spoke to from New York told me to tell you keep the pressure up. They said Cam don’t really want smoke.
Omar Gooding: That bothered me. My mom and dad were born in Harlem. My father’s buried there. I did a comedy show in Harlem in the middle of this whole thing. So it ain’t East vs. West. Don’t get it twisted. I love New York.
AllHipHop: Let’s talk MC stuff. Some have questioned if Cam freestyles.
Omar Gooding: Look, freestyle means different things now. To me, it always meant off the top of your head. When I was younger, I’d hit Power 106 with Big Boy, just spitting live, no prep. I remember one time he caught me off guard and I froze. Next time, I showed up freestyling from 5 a.m. till we walked in the studio. That’s me. I come from that era where freestyling meant raw bars right then and there. Cam’s a lyricist, but let’s not act like everything is straight off the dome.
AllHipHop: Beyond this, you’re juggling comedy, acting, and music. What does all this mean for Omar Gooding right now?
Omar Gooding: Honestly, it’s exposure. Phone ringing more, bookings up 30 to 40 percent. People reaching out for all kinds of opportunities. And yeah, some are clowning, but that just means they’re watching. At the end of the day, I’m grateful. I’m doing stand-up, I’m doing music, I’m acting. I’m not boxed in. And I’ll give Cam this: without him, maybe people wouldn’t know just how serious I am with this MC thing. So in a way, I thank him.
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