Straight Outta Rap Beefs

Greetings and Salutations,

I've been out for a while...a lot of irons in the fire...but I'm back after being inspired by newly release movie, Straight Out of Compton.  Although I haven't had a chance to see the cinematic story of the rise and fall of one of the impact rap ...er...music groups of all time, (I've been traveling but definitely will be seeing it soon) I've nothing but great reviews.  And the 60.2 million in ticket sales (from CNN Money) is nothing to shake a stick at either.

Tiffany Walker
Owner and Designer of Pink Lucy
www.shoppinklucy.com

But the very presence of this movie did get me to thinking not only about NWA's collective catalog of music but the music that came as a result of their break-up which was just as important for the group's legacy.  The former members of legendary assembly didn't create "rap beefs" but they did bring it to another level.  When looking at disputes between Hip Hop artists today, I can barely call them misunderstandings let alone beefs.  Drake and Meek's elementary school like disagreement (which its origin reminds me of a 5th grade dispute I had with one of my friends over a girl...what up Tiffany Walker!) is laughable when I think about beefs that Hip Hop heads talk about to this day.  










So it got me to thinking...what are the best diss songs inspired by beef?  So I thought I would rank my top 5.  But first...let me set the criteria I'm judging.   

• Significance of the beef in Hip Hop history.

• Does the song transcend time and is it still listened to today?

• Song is only performed by 1 artist (no help from friends)

•  Is the content in the song "rewindable", meaning you hear something so mean...so clever...you have to go back and listen to it again...IMMEDIATELY.  

So without any further ado...my top five Rap Beef inspired Diss Songs...

5) Dollaz and Sense -- DJ Quik

Not the most historic rivalry in Hip Hop history but this song definitely had an impact.  DJ Quik took almost 6 minutes to address his issues with MC Eiht.  The 3rd verse alone would have been enough to kill rap beefs in today's standards.  I won't quote exactly what he said here (hey my mom reads this for Pete's sake lol) but YouTube can allow you to hear that Quik didn't exactly believe the "G" was in MC Eiht's name or character. 

4) No Vaseline -- Ice Cube

Keeping with the movie that inspired this newsletter, I would be hard pressed if I didn't give credit to Cube's diss to the remaining members of the N.W.A.  Listening to this song to this day and you feel the frustration he was releasing addressing each of his former group members.

3) Bitch in Yoo -- Common

Before the Oscar winning Selma track and being rumored to play Green Lantern in an upcoming DC comic movie, Lonnie Lynn, Jr. was a major player in the world of Hip Hop.  Strangely enough the song that he is most known for (I Used to Love H.E.R.),  fueled his beef with fellow artist on this countdown Ice Cube.  In this rebuttal, Common showed that although he's known as a conscious rapper...it can take it there if needed. 

2) Take Over -- Jay-Z

You can say many things about the rapper known as Hov (some good some bad), but most can agree he truly knows how to maximize his opportunities.  It was the 2001 Hot 97 Summer Jam where Jay debuted this song.  Not only did he take shots at Mobb Deep's Prodigy (alone with the picture of him in a tutu) but he came after Nas galvanizing one of Hip Hop's most notorious rivalries.  Jay-Z owned that summer with those destructive lyrics over a young Kanye West's classic beat.  

1) Ether -- Nas

Full disclosure...I'm a huge Jay-Z fan.  Takeover's production was better.  The words that Jay-Z mentioned on Nas were factual. But the public reaction from over 4 minutes of focused and calculating energy on one opponent, and the fact that biggest Jay-Z fan I know can quote this song (and still places it) makes this undisputed number one.  

Drake, Meek, and anyone else in the game today...take note.  The songs above convey rap beefs.  Twitter warriors need not apply.

But those are just my thoughts...right or wrong...just what I was feeling at the time.