It seems like it has been a hot minute since we have had a good hip-hop feud. As the beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake takes the mainstream by storm, it is difficult to not remember feuds of days gone by, ones that defined the entire generation of hip hop that they occurred in.
While the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar picks up steam, we take a look back at three iconic feuds in hip hop through its history, the sort that is still remembered for their stinging bars and witty writing, or even the story of what started them, and how the artists used their talents to flyte their opponents into obscurity (or tried to).
50 Cent v. Ja Rule
The feud that lasted almost twenty years, the beef between 50 Cents and Ja Rule defined one of the most iconic eras in hip-hop music. While the origins of the feud have been more or less shrouded in myth, something that added to the appeal of the contention.
Being the nexus of the hip-hop scene during the mid-2000s, the two artists were hopelessly bound up in each other’s legacies, with a lot of their work based on the opponent’s style of rapping. 50 Cents’ Wanksta had a lot of Ja’s DNA in it,v while Ja Rule’s song Lose Change earned him a lot of points in the streets, something the artist had failed at previously. The feud is one that has a nostalgic factor to it, harkening back to the turn of the century, as rap music was evolving with the medium.
Eminem v. Machine Gun Kelly
A more recent of the feuds on the list, this beef between Rap God Eminem and his opponent Machine Gun Kelly took over social media, not for its quality of raps, but for the absolute curb stomp that this feud was.
Despite Machine Gun Kelly’s daring-do, it was decided from day one that the artist had bitten off more than he could chew, deciding to start a feud with one of the greatest rappers the industry had to offer. Eminem allegedly started the feud when he dissed Kelly in the song Not Alike, but sources point to the beginning of the feud.
Kelly immediately responded with Rap Devil, a play on Eminem’s own Rap God. However, while the feud’s result was ambiguous, Young Thug decided to give the hit to Machine Gun Kelly, convinced that the young artist had outperformed Eminem. However, it must be noted that Eminem is not the one who switched music genres in the wake of the battle.
Tupac Shakur v. The Notorious B.I.G
Perhaps THE most iconic rap feud in the history of mainstream hip-hop, the conflict was the yardstick against which all future hip-hop feuds would measured, bar none. The two artists were friends, performing together at Madison Square Garden in New York. The feud began when Tupac Shakur was shot on his way to recording with Biggie, whom he accused of being involved in the shooting.
With the release of Who Shot Ya? by Biggie, while Pac was in prison, the feud took off in 1994. The feud would tragically remain unresolved as both artists were shot 6 months apart, at the prime of their careers. Tupac was fatally shot in Las Vegas, which left Biggie Smalls visibly distraught, as reported by Biggie’s wife Faith Evans. Biggie Smalls would be shot down 6 months later in LA, where Tupac was headquartered.
