Maino Says YouTubers Are Monetizing Lies About His Street Past

Maino has heard the stories about his past, and at this point, the Brooklyn rapper believes some people are simply making money by keeping them alive. He was a street heavy (and kinda still is), yet that was a long, long time ago.

During an exclusive interview with AllHipHop, Maino addressed what he described as false stories and unproven allegations that continue to circulate online, particularly through YouTube and social media content.

Rather than chasing every claim with a response, the “Hi Hater” rapper said he has learned to view much of the chatter as part of the online content economy.

“All that s### is just content-driven for n##### to monetize their pages and to do what they do,” Maino told AllHipHop. “It is what it is, man. Go ahead and eat. Earn your money the way you want to earn it.”

The comments came as Slops asked Maino about “Rumors,” a song that directly confronts stories that have followed the Brooklyn veteran.

Maino credited Hustle Hard Gotti with suggesting that he turn the allegations themselves into material.

“He gave me the idea,” Maino explained. “He said, ‘Yo, you really kill these n#####. Talk about the s### that they say about you. Talk about all the lies and all the made-up s###. You say it.’”

Maino said the suggestion immediately clicked because repeating the claims himself could potentially rob them of their shock value.

“I thought it was an ingenious idea,” he said.

The rapper was careful to characterize the stories as allegations he says have never been substantiated.

“You can’t hurt me with some s###,” Maino said. “First of all, if you say a lie about me that has never been proven, it’s never been found to be true, and another n#### is repeating it, that’s just noise.”

Maino then explained the strategy behind confronting the chatter himself.

“Once I take it and say, ‘N####, this is what you n##### are saying about me,’ it takes the power away from it,” he said.

Maino has carried an unusually complicated public mythology throughout his career. Long before his 2008 breakthrough “Hi Hater” and his 2009 debut album If Tomorrow Comes…, his personal history and reputation in Brooklyn were already part of his story as an artist.

That history has also made him a frequent subject of online commentary, where decades-old street stories can be repackaged for new audiences.

Maino suggested there is little value in spending the next chapter of his life fighting every narrative.

“I don’t want to spend time addressing that because it don’t need to be addressed,” he said. “I don’t have to correct things all my life.”

Instead, Maino pointed toward his current momentum. Also, longevity has changed how he processes criticism.

“Anybody know me, understand me,” Maino said. “I don’t have to try to portray nothing. I’ve been the exact same person from the day that I stepped in here. I’ve always been respected. I was respected 30 years ago. This didn’t start with music.”

Maino then offered perhaps the interview’s most memorable description of himself.

“I’m a survivor of eras,” he declared. “I’m a national treasure.”