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Kendrick Lamar on the 2025 Grammy Awards

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Hip Hop has all the time been constructed on competitors, and nothing captures that spirit higher than a superb diss monitor. For a long time, rappers have handled the sales space like a boxing ring, buying and selling punches by way of essentially the most unforgiving bars.

We all noticed Kendrick Lamar mainly embarrass Drake with “Not Like Us,” possibly even the primary diss document to make its target lawyer up. However, lengthy earlier than that, we had classics like Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline,” geared toward N.W.A., and 2Pac’s “Hit ’Em Up,” arguably essentially the most controversial diss monitor of all time.

In Part 1 of our record, we’re revisiting 12 of essentially the most iconic diss tracks in Hip Hop historical past. They’re proof that, when executed proper, beef can result in brilliance. Take a glance beneath and keep tuned for the follow-up.

1. Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar

By the time Lamar dropped “Not Like Us,” he’d already despatched some pictures Drake’s approach — first on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” then doubling down on “meet the grahams” and “euphoria.” However, the Mustard-produced monitor left little room for a comeback. Lamar takes jabs at OVO, calls Drake a flat-out tradition vulture and goes so far as accusing him of being a predator. And actually, after one thing like that, the Toronto artist’s “THE HEART PART 6” didn’t stand an opportunity.

There’s by no means actually been one other diss like “Not Like Us.” It took residence not only one, however 5 Grammy Awards, had Serena Williams Crip Walking on the Super Bowl LIX, drove Drake to sue his personal label, and fairly actually stopped everybody of their tracks when it dropped. It’s in a category all by itself.

2. No Vaseline by Ice Cube

“No Vaseline” is the “best diss song in the history of Hip Hop,” at the least in case you ask Ice Cube, who ranked it above 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” and Nas’ “Ether.” On the monitor, the West Coast legend takes intention at his former N.W.A. groupmates, dragging their contracts, their egos and every thing in between. At the time, the group was nonetheless attempting to save lots of face after his departure, however the Death Certificate monitor mainly burned that bridge with a flamethrower. It’s protected to say Ruthless Records by no means totally recovered from the fallout.

3. Hit ‘Em Up by 2Pac

There should not too many individuals who haven’t heard 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up,” his diss record aimed at The Notorious B.I.G. Its blistering opening line — “That’s why I f**ked yo’ b**ch, you fat motherf**ker” — is permanently etched into rap history. Judging by how many artists have borrowed Johnny J’s beat within the a long time since, the instrumental is true up there with it, too. 2Pac had smoke for Bad Boy Records, Junior M.A.F.I.A. — which included Lil’ Kim, Lil’ Cease and others — and anybody else who even considered stepping to the West aspect. It’s a legendary diss, no query.

4. Ether by Nas

The gloves got here off when Nas recorded “Ether” in response to JAY-Z’s “Takeover,” which many assumed had sealed their beef. On the document, the Illmatic emcee slowly however absolutely unloads the clip on Hov and “Cock-A-Fella Records,” line by line. Some of the bars are wild, and phrase is, there was reportedly an Aaliyah line so disrespectful, it didn’t even make the lower.

5. Back To Back by Drake

In hindsight, Meek Mill by no means stood an opportunity. Drake’s “Back To Back” just about ended their beef on the spot. Between traces like “is that a world tour or your girl’s tour,” the entire “Twitter fingers” factor turning into cultural shorthand, and dragging Mill’s rivals into it, it was simply an excessive amount of to come back again from. Plus, the “God’s Plan” hitmaker went the additional mile of dropping the monitor with cowl artwork of the Toronto Blue Jays’ 1993 World Series win in opposition to Meek’s hometown Philadelphia Phillies.

6. The Story of Adidon by Pusha T

Every winner has to take an L occasionally, and Pusha T handed Drake one in all his largest with “The Story of Adidon.” Rapping over JAY-Z’s “The Story of O.J.,” the Virginia rapper reveals that Drake secretly fathered a toddler, Adonis, whereas additionally delivering some deeply private digs at his divorced mother and father and his producer’s Noah “40” Shebib’s battle with a number of sclerosis. Combine all that with the duvet artwork of the Canadian rapper in blackface, and you have a near-reputation-shattering diss damaging sufficient to earn its spot right here.

7. Takeover by JAY-Z

JAY-Z was standing on enterprise on “Takeover.” Mobb Deep positively felt the warmth in verse two, however Nas undoubtedly caught the worst of it. Responding on to the latter’s earlier “Stillmatic Freestyle” jabs, Hov primarily boils down Nas’ whole career to one singular album — Illmatic — with not a lot price mentioning since (“Four albums in 10 years, n**ga? I could divide / That’s one every, let’s say two, two of them s**ts was doo”). Of course, the Queens-raised artist ultimately hit again with “Ether,” however for a short second, “Takeover” felt like the ultimate verdict of their beef.

8. Killshot by Eminem

Eminem went for the jugular on “Killshot,” wherein he dismantles Machine Gun Kelly into little greater than a determined fanboy who’d gone somewhat too far. The traces vary from cruel (“How you gonna name yourself after a damn gun and have a man bun?”) to downright deadly, with the Detroit legend metaphorically digging the Cleveland native’s grave subsequent to previous victims Ja Rule and Benzino. mgk would ultimately pivot to pop-punk, and whereas we will’t blame “Killshot” alone, it certain didn’t make rap a welcoming area for him anymore.

9. Push Ups by Drake

“Push Ups” was Drake’s reply to Lamar’s “Like That,” and regardless of leaking per week early, it’s nonetheless well worth the pay attention, primarily as a result of the Views creator had plenty of names to get off his chest. He took intention on the Compton emcee’s measurement and ties to Top Dawg Entertainment, then widened the goal to incorporate Rick Ross, The Weeknd and Metro Boomin. It goes with out saying that having a number of additional names to punch down on whereas going after what may simply be the perfect rapper alive made for one of many extra compelling diss tracks of the 2020s.

10. ShETHER by Remy Ma

“ShETHER,” because the title hints, borrows from Nas’ iconic “Ether” and may’ve unknowingly laid the blueprint for each subliminal Nicki Minaj confronted in a while. In the music, Remy Ma accuses the Queen artist of sleeping round with a few of music’s largest names and, possibly most memorably, “spendin’ money to support a pedophile.” Meanwhile, the duvet artwork’s dismembered Barbie doll virtually sums up all of the cosmetic surgery jabs scattered all through the music. Even in case you don’t assume “ShETHER” was essentially the most technical diss, all of the name-dropping alone — Drake, Meek Mill, Safaree and Ebro Darden, to say a number of — made it a troublesome one for Minaj to easily brush apart.

11. Truth by Gucci Mane

“Go dig your partner up, n**ga, bet he can’t say s**t / And if you looking for the kid, I’ll be in Zone 6.” Gucci Mane’s phrases in “Truth” have been completely brutal after they dropped, and so they stung simply as a lot practically a decade later at his Verzuz with Jeezy. Though Guwap famously insisted it was “not a diss record,” he referenced Jeezy’s late affiliate Pookie Loc and Keyshia Cole, whom The Snowman had been engaged to some years prior. “This the same s**t that got Big and 2Pac killed,” he spat, and by chance that wasn’t the case.

12. Play Wit Yo B**ch by Young Dolph

Young Dolph and Yo Gotti’s beef actually did a quantity on Memphis, and one of many first and arguably greatest data to stem from their points taking up the web was “Play Wit Yo B**ch.” The Paper Route Empire founder refused to signal to Gotti’s Collective Music Group, or “Cocaine Musik F**gots” as he mockingly known as them on the monitor. After holding again for practically 5 years, Dolph lastly let free, airing out each final element over Zaytoven’s beat. It’s a bittersweet second to revisit, contemplating the “100 Shots” rapper left us far too soon.