2Pac‘s “Hit ‘Em Up” may be widely considered as one of, if not the, greatest diss song of all time, but Questlove doesn’t belong in that camp.
During an appearance on the One Song podcast, The Roots drummer boldly argued that the 1996 track, which famously targeted Biggie, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Mobb Deep and other New York rappers, isn’t deserving of the crown due to its production.
“I would respect 2Pac’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ if his music tracking was better,” he said. “‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ to me, is disqualified, not because of the misogyny — forget all that. It’s like, ‘Dude, you’re rhyming over smooth jazz dinner music.’ Luther Vandross could sing over this!”
He added: “People who are born in the later part of the decade that I was born in — alright, I was born in the ’70s — their relationship with 2Pac is different to my relationship [with 2Pac]. So when this came out, everybody was like, ‘This is hard as shit! Yo, he killin’ it!’
“And I was like, ‘Dog, he’s smooth jazzed up Dennis Edwards. It doesn’t count’ […] That song, to me, is the weakest musical smack. I can’t get with ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ because the music, to me, is just…”
Watch the clip below.
Questlove says he would respect 2Pac's diss song "Hit 'Em Up" if the music tracking were better, and calls "Hit 'Em Up" the weakest musical smack.
(đ„ One Song Podcast/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/0fIlxIqNaK
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) May 14, 2024
Questlove’s hot take ruffled feathers on social media, with one fan writing: “Questlove bugging out wit this one [facepalm emoji] I donât know what this n-gga was doing around the time Hit âem Up came out. But damn near every urban community in America was a BadBoy Killer.”
Another chimed in: “This is the worst hip hop opinion Iâve ever heard from a hip hop legend (I think).”
Someone else referenced Drake’s recent jab at Metro Boomin and joked: âQuestlove shut yo ass up and play some drums n-gga.â
A fourth user astutely reminded the Philadelphia native that the “Hit ‘Em Up” beat was intentionally based on Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Get Money” remix — itself a sample of Dennis Edwards’ “Don’t Look Any Further” — as a further taunt against the crew.
“lol. Wasnât hit em up ..using the junior mafia get money remix beat on purpose?” they said.
Questlove also recently caused a stir by slamming the high-profile feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
Questâs issues appeared to lie with how both rappers dragged each otherâs family members into the battle and made scandalous yet unsubstantiated allegations on their respective diss songs.
âNobody won the war,â he wrote on Instagram. âThis wasnât about skill. This was a wrestling match level mudslinging and takedown by any means necessary â women & children (& actual facts) be damned.
âSame audience wanting blood will soon put up âripâ posts like they werenât part of the problem. Hip Hop truly is dead.â
Challenging both Kendrick and Drake to step their game up, morally speaking, Questlove added in the caption: âHere We Are NowâŠEntertain us?â
This is a really bad take. I think ?uest is overlooking Pac’s voice as an instrument, which is disappointing coming from a musically inclined person such as himself. Any real music head knows the contrast of talking shit over a smooth jazz beat always works. Plus in this case, its Pac rhyming over a flip of BIG/Mafia’s Get Money. I’m a way bigger Biggie fan over Pac, but Hit Em Up was iconic. I love The Roots, but ?uest is condescending nerd and a pure bozo on social media. Shit like this always gave backpackers a bad rep as haters.
QuestLove is only good for background and instrumental
This is one where I disagree with Questlove. Your point about reflipping the Get Money track is correct and emphasized reformatting of the same track to diss Biggie, which creates a bigger impact.
It also isn’t a jazz beat. He knows that. It was a Dennis Edwards record that Junior Mafia flipped and then Pac in turn flipped. So if he has an issue with the music, he has an issue with that song.
As much as I’d like to disagree out of my respect for ?uestlove and The Roots, this is spot on.
2words…Haul ass
Dude is supposed to know his music but ends up sounding like a retard. It was Luther Vandross that they sampled for “Hit Em Up”, it was “Don’t Look Any Further” by Dennis Edwards. Get your samples right if you’re going to attempt to bash the song.
Read the article dawg. âAnd I was like, âDog, heâs smooth jazzed up Dennis Edwards. It doesnât countâ [âŠ] That song, to me, is the weakest musical smack. I canât get with âHit âEm Upâ because the music, to me, is justâŠâ. Did you use ChatRTRD instead ChatGPT to summarize the story. Stop trying to save 20 seconds of reading and focus on making intelligent statements.
Must be why 99% of people have it as the GOAT.
This guy always been a lowkey hater. Even if you don’t have hit em up as the best diss ever. It’s easily top 5.
Tell this bitch to shut up and loose the child bearing hips. Pac would’ve s.oke you on those alone! Nobody give a fuck about you “woke take” on shit. Your influence in very minimal woth no chage effect. SEXY RED ASS NINJA.
Tell this bitch to shut up and loose the child bearing hips. Pac would’ve smoked you on those alone! Nobody gives a fuck about your “woke take” on shit. Your influence in very minimal with no chage effect. SEXY RED ASS NINJA.
This guy always been a lowkey hater. Even if you don’t have hit em up as the best diss ever. It’s easily top 5.
Questlove is losing his mind right infront of the hiphop world. Thats two dumb takes on a row. Black Thought need to talk to him. That hit em up beat is perfect.
This guy just inadvertently gave Vlad another decade worth of content.
Most likely Pac probably dissed some of his favorite rappers and his feelings are still hurt. I never liked Pac personally I always thought he was a jerk, but still his talent in rap and movies is undeniable and Hit Em Up is one of the greatest diss songs ever if not the greatest. Questlove has become the ultimate cornball
Most likely Pac probably dissed some of his favorite rappers and his feelings are still hurt. I never liked Pac personally I always thought he was a jerk, but still his talent in rap and movies is undeniable and Hit Em Up is one of the greatest diss songs ever if not the greatest. Questlove has become the ultimate cornball
Im in South Africa and we know Pac, this ninja wouldn’t even fill a bedroom for a concert,
Coward, dissing a dead man who would have smoked him in every way. Pac has haters still, after 28 years. SMH
I respect Questlove. But heâs got some goofball opinions.