Two-time Grammy award winning rapper Pusha T says he helped pen the iconic “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle for McDonald’s in 2003, but never got the payout he could have.
Nearly two decades later, the musician known for his damning diss tracks is back in the fast food jingle world with an Arby’s-sponsored criticism of McDonald’s classic Filet-O-Fish sandwich in favor of the former’s new Spicy Fish Sandwich.
The ad, titled “Spicy Fish Diss,” features crushing lines like “Filet-O-Fish is sh*t/And you should be disgusted,” and “How dare you sell a square fish/Asking us to trust it?” After insulting the McDonald’s sandwich, King Push delivers high praise for Arby’s new fish sandwich: “Arby’s crispy fish is simply it/With lines ‘round the corner, we might need a guest list.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Pusha T said he was paid “peanuts” for his role in writing the “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle for McDonalds nearly two decades ago, which is the longest-running marketing campaign in McDonald’s history.
“I did it at a very young age at a very young time in my career where I wasn’t asking for as much money and ownership,” Pusha T toldRolling Stone. “It’s something that’s always dug at me later in life like, ‘Dammit, I was a part of this and I should have more stake.’”
But things are different this time around. While it’s unclear how much ownership Pusha T has in his deal with Arby’s, he told Rolling Stone it was a crucial part of why he accepted the offer to write a song for the fast food chain.
“Doing those types of songs, I usually require a high percentage of ownership,” he said. “And regardless of what part they take of the song—whether it’s my voice or not—I own what I own.”
This isn’t the first time Pusha has teamed up with Arby’s. He said he owns 40% of the track used by the fast food company in their 2018 “We Have the Meats” ad campaign, which he said he still gets paid for whenever the ad is played.
Pusha T’s tongue-in-cheek addition to the competition between Arby’s and McDonald’s marks the first time the rapper has come out definitively in favor of one fast-food chain over another.
“Arby’s paid me but I would say this anyway” Pusha wrote in a tweet promoting the track.
“I’m the first-ever fish sandwich diss[er] ever, and I should go down in history for that,” Pusha told Rolling Stone.
Arby’s and McDonald’s did not immediately reply to Coins2Day’s request for comment.