My heart broke for the first time when I realized Santa Claus wasn’t real. The same moment happened again years later when I developed the same realization for professional wrestling. By the time I got older, accepting the fantasies of Saint Nicholas and Stone Cold Steve Austin became contextual moments in entertainment. Growing up a child of the culture, I’ve never viewed rap beef through that same lens. Watching the breakdown of N.W.A. over financial issues felt real outside of classic diss tracks like “Message to B.A.” and “No Vaseline.” When things spilled over into the street, lives and reputations were at risk. The same could be said for Dr. Dre’s verbal sparring with Eazy E. Everything felt extremely personal. Around the early 2000s, Jay Z vs. Nas and Ja Rule vs. 50 Cent delivered some of the best diss records of all time. However, there were real discussable problems. One didn’t have to take a side at the core level, whoever spit the most vicious, rawest attacks won. Everything else felt ancillary.
2015 has proved several semi-amusing beefs on various levels. At the bottom level there’s Vic Mensa and Travi$ Scott. Who really cared about either enough to care? The heavyweight match of the year clearly belongs to Drake and Meek Mill. Besides weak efforts from both, “Back To Back” became a club hit. Of course, that translates nowadays into a clear victory. Hell, I literally heard it around ten times throughout the entire weekend at vastly different locations. That doesn’t even count the amount of times I heard to What A Time To Be Alive on random occasions. And to think, the alleged origins were over Tweets and ghostwriting.
And, here we are today with The Game vs. Young Thug. The root of the problem: Lil Wayne. Who would have thought that two grown men would hurl homophobic insults at each other over another man? Considering Lil Wayne deaded his problem with Thugger months back, the fact that their feud has lasted this long is utterly ridiculous. The social media shots taken at each other are both comical to say the least. However, the fact that both haven’t traded lyrical bars is troubling. Between The Game’s empty shit talking and Young Thug always having fake looking Call Of Duty firearms, social media has yet again softened any disagreement between artist. This ladies and gentlemen is theater. A shame too. Both artists have had a relatively great year so far. The rollout for The Documentary 2 has been nothing short of fantastic. Everything from “100” to “El Chapo” may ensure instant classic status. Meanwhile, Thugger has placed himself as on the forefront of Atlanta’s current dominance not only in commercial Hip Hop with two better than average projects. Seeing both artists become so catty on Instagram is flat out dumb. That lameness will continue until one of them hits the booth. If Drake’s “singing nigga” self can do it for Mill, why can’t The Game or Thug? At least history has proven that Jayceon is battle tested. Whatever Thugger can conjure could very well be a toss up. Or, they could just bury the hatchet and collaborate. Then again, the way the internet works, someone wants a victory as everyone from media outlets to listeners have invested themselves.
So what have we learned about the current state of rap beef? Social media is the nucleus for everything wrong with modernized arguments between two human beings. It’s even worse for emcees. Regardless of how much music artists love to flood the market with, some still refuse to even record diss tracks or take forever to even acknowledge things lyrically. The fact that Drake has been the only artist to readily have diss tracks on deck is disturbing. Matter of fact, half of Drizzy’s battle was won by his diehard legion of fans. Even OVO’s problems with Houston group The Sauce Twinz resulted in Sauce Walka dropping a scathing diss that flew under the radar despite being the most personal this year. The Sauce Twinz’s issue with Drizzy wasn’t over anything petty but, cultural appropriation of H-Town culture. So, here we have it. In 2015, the effectiveness of a diss track is relative to how many followers one has on Twitter and Instagram. That in itself could be a reason why many don’t bother responding through music. It’s better having WWE level banter without the ending match giving any closure.
I totally agree but you guys are the same ones that give rappers with ghost writers a pass. Or rappers that kiss men in the mouth or wear dresses. The gay rapper is upon us. It will happen. Anything and everything is possible in hip-hop.
Hey, I never gave rappers with a ghost writer a pass. Any rapper who uses a ghostwriter won’t find any judgement from me because none of my favorite emcees utilize them. And what a rapper does behind closed doors in their bedroom is honestly none of my business.
I love how Game attacks hip hop innovators while he makes the same biting, boring music throughout his career.
And Drake v. Meek already showed us how lame a rap beef can get and how people already have their mind made up about shit before so the conclusion is predictable and boring.
Good article bruh. Some of the melodramatic titles on the very site you write for is ironic though.
Thanks sir!!!
Ural Garrett,
Thank you thank you thank you! Finally, someone on a hip hop site who isn’t dick riding or holding back punches. What you said is exactly what I have been telling people for the longest. Rap beef is nothing but a populartiy contest determined by how many followers you have on twitter. For example when you mentioned that drakes beef are won mostly by his fans on social media. That is sooo true and yet no one bothers to even acknowledge that fact. But overall rap has become the WWF. It’s almost feels like rappers are trolling us daily with either these fake beefs or by stans who love to troll. You’re probably the one cat on HHDX that isn’t afraid to tell it like it is straight up. Salute.
Appreciate the love and support yo!!! Just trying to be as honest as possible…
Ural you’re a joke. You’re the same dude who questioned the direction Dr. Dre went on his new album Compton because you thought some of the subject matter was too hardcore. You spent a sizable portion of the editorial discussing if sexual explicit and violent lyrics were too much for the album. You came off offended that Dr. Fucking Dre had a skit about some girl getting shot by her bf and made it into some personal shit. NOW you’re saying the rap is soft…after writing one of the softest editorials I have ever read in my life. Don’t try to flip flop now like you’re some hard ass. Is the beef lame? Yes, but let’s be honest Thug is no where near Game’s level of lyrical skill. 300 Bars and Running put the entire G-Unit on their ass. You really thing game is punching the clock with Pro Tools because of the real life Gangstalicious wants to throw a hissy fit. NAH. I would think you’d be enjoying the Game/Thugger beef, no one is rapping about killing each other, it’s safe and so far clean. Sounds like it’s right up your ally.
Yes, violence against women in 2015 is lame and uncool. Even if you make an album that’s good enough to receive a 4.5 from me on the artistic merit alone. That’s called separating the work from themes one doesn’t agree with. Smart people can do that. Sad your reading comprehension isn’t up to snuff to understand that. And yes, using social media for beef instead of taking it On Wax is wack. Have a nice day!!
First. I agree with “TheKid” on almost everything but Game being lyrical. You want to talk about ghostwriters!? Game has a history of using ghostwriters. I put him in the same league as Drake, Lil Wayne, Dre, Diddy, and Kanye. When he does write his own lyrics, he name drops every other bar. Its annoying and very telling. If you listen to lyrics carefully you can tell if someone writes or not. As for Ural and this article. On one hand I agree with you about the violence. I personally didn’t understand it but on the other hand it is an art form just like the movies. So if you can watch action films, you can listen to violence in hiphop. This article is clearly more about you then it is about the culture of hiphop. Smart people notice that and they also notice the 20 pound elephant in the room you always fail to mention. Which is… Why is Drake using reference tracks? Did Drake write “Back To Back”? Everyone knows Drake wrote “Charged Up” . It was really soft and his M.O.. So why aren’t you focusing your attention on posing those question? Are you afraid? Do you get paid from the label? Are you friends with Drake and his camp? Does your website have a working relationship with Drakes publicist? Why do you write outrageous articles co-signing the fuckery that goes on in hiphop then block people from commenting on it? Those are questions we will never know but it does reflect in your articles. Have a nice day!
GAME WILL MURDER YOUNG THUG LYRICALLY AND THROW HIS BITCH ASS OVER 7 FUCKIN CARS!!!!!!!!
Did Ural really just jump on the comments and suggest that only now in 2015 is violence against women uncool?
“Did Ural really just jump on the comments and suggest that only now in 2015 is violence against women uncool?” Yeah, dude is a hack.
I think hes just basically saying save that shit for making diss records instead of tweet fighting like high school bitches. Dont like Young Thug too much but would get some props if he had the balls to diss Game in record. That muthafucka deserves it anyway lol
A lot of young Cats talk shit about benign up the 90s but then shit was Real you could get a whole album of songs ..People were who they said they were and that Dress shit come the fuck on……Game is way ova that thugger shit but the fact that game is on his iphone kisses ass is sad!!!!!! Jus make good music all y’all r Actors …..I’ve jus got to live know there no more 2pac Big Eazy ….there gone !!!!
#90sWasTheLastOfTheReal
#CosstownWhitelyOG
I consider diss records through the 2Pac/Biggie era as the true classics. Everything else felt like marketing ploys to sell records. Particularly anything made by 50 Cent or Game who are to the point now that it is laughable.
GAME NEVER USED NO FUVKIN GHOST WRITERS 50 SANG SOME HOOKS LIKE A BITCH NOW GAME HAS GHOST WRITERS??????? GHOST WRITE THE DOCTORS ADVOCATE LAX AND 300 BARS OF DISRESPECTFUL BODIED THE WHOLE FUCKIN 50 and FRiends CREW! GAME IS A SAVAGE!!!!
Then stop promoting the shit every day.
Pff. But yet the Drake / Meek Mill was so heavily promoted, and with most websites ( including this one) all up on Drakes $@&!
Today’s rap is for wack azz wannabes. I call it crap rap. There are very few real hip hop and rap artists left worth listening to.
old niggas talking like old niggas
in my day blahblahbalahballalab
stfu rap beefs always been stupid and corny
The only rapper that no how to diss is hopsin, best rapper alive, also hopsin raps real stuff.
ha! That was a joke right? lmfao
Is Game still name dropping people every 2 verses?
Who is thugger? Is he a rapper?