By Madison Rosenfield
Kendrick and Drake’s recent beef is merely one in a fabled line of feuds that have shaped the history of hip-hop as we know it. Whether revolutionary, zeitgeist-defining or just plain silly, rap beef has been central to the culture. (And, if a diss track sweeping all five of its Grammy nominations isn’t a testament to the true power of the rap beef, I don’t know what is.)
Taking a brief look back at the genre, hip-hop was born from the competitive spirit of MCs going bar-for-bar at block parties, rap battles, and ciphers. From there, the diss track emerged as a way for rappers to air grievances, flex their lyrical skills, and fight for cultural dominance on a larger scale. In recent years, social media has magnified these feuds’ scope and staying power—fueling instantaneous responses, even bigger audiences, widespread circulation, and many viral memes and moments in the process.
Whether one-on-one or one-on-one (as 50 Cent often reminds us), rivalries such as the ones below have undoubtedly come to define hip-hop as a genre.
Eazy-E vs. Dr. Dre
One of the first big rap beef was between Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, two West Coast heavy hitters and gangsta rap pioneers. Both founding members of rap group N.W.A. had a falling out over business disagreements following the success of their 1988 album Straight Outta Compton. Their brutal and public feud generated several iconic diss tracks and, tangentially, a critically acclaimed biopic about N.W.A.’s short-lived existence.
Tupac vs. Biggie
Unfortunately, feuds can turn very dark very quickly. Take Tupac and Biggie, for example, who found themselves on either side of what has been immortalized as one of the most infamous rap rivalries ever. Growing bigger than the rappers themselves, their feud escalated tensions between the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes (to say the least), culminating in tragedy: these legends of the game were killed in drive-by shootings within six months of each other.
Jay-Z vs. Nas
With Biggie’s untimely death, a sort of power vacuum emerged in the New York rap scene. Who could accede to the King of New York’s throne? Jay-Z and Nas were two top contenders and, in the late ’90s and early 2000s, went toe-to-toe as part of another massive rap feud that rocked the world and shaped hip-hop for years to come.
Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake
Two of the biggest names of their generation, Kendrick and Drake, have taken the world by storm as the biggest rap beef of the present. Drake is no stranger to feuds, sparring with Meek Mill, Kanye West, and Pusha T (among others) over the years, too much virality. He seems to want the smoke, though and never shies away from capitalizing on the moment via social media.
For what it’s worth, Kendrick is clearly on top, as his Grammy wins would confirm. (Plus, ‘Tryna strike a chord and it’s prolly a minor” is one of the best bars in recent rap history…)
MF DOOM vs. rap beef as a concept, naturally
Ever the social commentator, MF DOOM sought to poke fun at the concept of rap beef on 2003’s ‘Beef Rapp.’ In a series of food-related double entendres, as we see on the rest of Mm..Food, the track offers DOOM’s take on the beef that defined hip-hop at its
release. While not about DOOM’s actual beef with a fellow MC, a track like ‘Beef Rapp’ is a further testament to the perennial prominence of rivalry in the rap game.
From rap battles in the streets to all-out social media wars, rap beefs have taken on various forms over the years. While some have gotten more airtime than others, the rivalries mentioned above (and so many more) have maintained a significant presence in the culture. We can only wonder who the next biggest beef will be between…