“I am not a soccer ref u limey fuck. Do your research.”

Mike Dean is one of hip-hop’s most sought-after beatmakers, having worked closely with Kanye West, notably producing his recent album The Life of Pablo. Michael or ‘Mike’ Dean is an English professional football referee who works primarily in the Premier League and lives in the Wirral.

It’s doubtful that their paths have ever crossed – until this week, when ‘The Real Mike Dean’ (aka the producer) completely lost it online after one too many cases of mistaken identity. The final straw came when the referee’s controversial red card decision against West Ham’s Sofiane Feghouli saw the producer becoming the accidental target of football fans’ online anger.

On Tuesday, producer Mike Dean hit back on Twitter with an angry – ALL CAPS – tweet and proceeded to throw his toys out of the pram.

I AM MOT A SOCCER REFF U LIMEY FUCK. DO YOUR RESEARCH. https://t.co/P2lSYXKBLU — MIKE DEAN! #MWA (@therealmikedean) January 3, 2017

Undeterred by Dean’s insult, Twitter erupted in laughing tears emojis as football fans responded with some good old English sarcasm.

https://twitter.com/TheRivermanRuns/status/816098974641881088

@therealmikedean thanks for sending feghouli off, do us another favour at old trafford next, you're a good referee despite what they say — Nikhil Amin (@Amin_Nikhil) January 6, 2017

https://twitter.com/rajatsatwalia/status/817028420148359168

@therealmikedean why are you pretending to be him then? Weird fucker — stevelfc (@jurgenclock) January 3, 2017

@therealmikedean you will be in a lot of trouble with the fa using that language. You are a disgrace and a shit ref — chris cumner-price (@chriscumner) January 5, 2017

@therealmikedean @ItsGandy_ there's only one Mike dean and he's a bald cunt. Change your name mate. And it's football not soccer u mug — Topline Gooner (@ToplineGooner) January 6, 2017

The Real Mike Dean seems to have seen the funny side, though – he has since changed his Twitter bio to “not a soccer Reff.”