When hip-hop artists don’t get along, they do not meet for coffee and straighten things out. Instead, they write and release diss tracks. In this genre, diss tracks are verbal attacks against another artist. They often contain insults, abuse, vulgar language, and, most importantly, disrespect. Diss tracks were started in the 1980s as “beef.” It evolved in the 1990s and has remained popular amongst 21st-century artists. Even though most diss tracks fly under the radar, some beef songs have gained worldwide recognition for their high level of disrespect. Here are some all-timers for hip-hop fans.
2Pac begins by alleging how he had sexual relations with Biggie’s wife. From there, nothing but hate comes out of the musician’s mouth. He narrates how he was always there for Biggie Smalls, only for him to switch up. Upon its release, this diss track was received with much enthusiasm, mainly because fans were enthusiastic about the East and West Coast drama. However, some saw that 2Pac was taking things too far.
In an interview with the New York Times, Nas mentioned that he released Ether to burn the soul of Jay-Z, whom he considered an old ghost or spirit. In 2017, Rolling Stone voted Ether to be the best diss track of all time. Actually, this diss track is credited with reviving Nas’s career, which had been slowly fading.
What makes this diss track so dramatic is that it targets Adonis, the son of Drake. Pusha T claims that Drake uses Adonis to commercially gain from the black culture. Billboard ranked it as the second most scathing diss track of all time. However, some critics believe that Pusha T took things too far.
This beef started when Meek Mill took a shot at Drake on Twitter for not promoting his album “Dreams Worth More Than Money.” He also added that Drake used ghostwriters in their song RICO. Drake referenced this diss track to the back-to-back wins of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993 against Meek Mill’s Philadelphia Phillies. He even released the diss track the same day they played against each other.
There are claims that DRE had to intervene in the production of the original Back Down production to minimize the onslaught. As the title suggests, 50 Cent talks about how he will never back down. He also mentions that everyone around him is a gangster, and they are strapped up. In the track, he calls Ja Rule some mean names.
1. Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar
Even though Not Like Us was released in 2024, Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been beefing since 2013, despite having made a song together. Not Like Us declared Kendrick Lamar the victor of this feud because of his explosive allegations. The song exposes Drake as a pedophile, which significantly taints his image. Also, Kendrick Lamar questions Drake’s authenticity with the Atlanta hip-hop culture and the broader West Coast. This was a massive blow because Drake perceives himself as a defender of the hip-hop legacy.2. Hit Em Up by Tupac Shakur
Before Not Like Us was released, the number one slot for the best diss track belonged to Hit Em Up by 2Pac. It’s been over two decades since this track was released, and the bars spit in this song remain savage. 2Pac disses East Coast rappers in this track, with Notorious BIG being the chief target.2Pac begins by alleging how he had sexual relations with Biggie’s wife. From there, nothing but hate comes out of the musician’s mouth. He narrates how he was always there for Biggie Smalls, only for him to switch up. Upon its release, this diss track was received with much enthusiasm, mainly because fans were enthusiastic about the East and West Coast drama. However, some saw that 2Pac was taking things too far.
3. NAS by Ether
Ether by Nas was such a huge hit that the title made its way into the dictionary. As a verb, Ether means insulting or publicly humiliating somebody. Ether was released in 2001 by Nas as a response to “Takeover,” which had earlier been released by Jay-Z.In an interview with the New York Times, Nas mentioned that he released Ether to burn the soul of Jay-Z, whom he considered an old ghost or spirit. In 2017, Rolling Stone voted Ether to be the best diss track of all time. Actually, this diss track is credited with reviving Nas’s career, which had been slowly fading.
4. Real Muthaphuckkin G’s by Eazy E
In this track, Eazy E dissed his former colleagues, Dr DRE, and Jerry Heller, the founder of Ruthless Records. During the 1980s, these three worked together under NWA. After several beefs, including some with Ice Cube, this feud led to Eazy E venturing on his own. DRE thought Eazy E would never be able to make music alone, which led to the composition of Real Muthaphuckkin G’s. Eazy E makes fun of DRE and even talks about the fact that he still gets royalties from him. He goes on to diss all of DRE’s crew, including Snoop Dogg, by calling him a puppy.5. Eff Grandad by Thugnificent and The Lethal Interjection Crew
Though fictional, this diss track gained recognition even from non-fans of the animated TV show The Boondocks. Eff Grandad was a diss to Robert Freeman and Uncle Ruckus for filing a complaint against Thugnificent and the Lethal Interjection crew for having a loud party and packing cars in Freeman’s yard. It was the first diss track against an elderly person, as Thugnificent makes fun of Freeman’s old age. He accuses Freeman of snitching and praises how wealthy he is. This is one of the most humorous diss tracks of all time.6. Story of Adidon by Pusha T
Before Kendrick swung at Drake, Pusha T had written one of the meanest diss tracks against this famous artist. In 2018, Pusha T responded to Drake’s Duppy Freestyle with The Story of Adidon. This track reused the instrumental from Jay-Z’s “The Story of OJ”.What makes this diss track so dramatic is that it targets Adonis, the son of Drake. Pusha T claims that Drake uses Adonis to commercially gain from the black culture. Billboard ranked it as the second most scathing diss track of all time. However, some critics believe that Pusha T took things too far.
7. Back to Back by Drake
It seems that Drake is a common name when it comes to diss tracks. In 2015, Drake dissed Meek Mill in the track Back to Back. It was a sequel to another diss track titled Charged Up. Besides being a diss track, Back to Back reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.This beef started when Meek Mill took a shot at Drake on Twitter for not promoting his album “Dreams Worth More Than Money.” He also added that Drake used ghostwriters in their song RICO. Drake referenced this diss track to the back-to-back wins of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993 against Meek Mill’s Philadelphia Phillies. He even released the diss track the same day they played against each other.
8. Back Down by 50 Cent
The Ja Rule and 50 Cent beef is one of the oldest in the hip-hop industry. It started in 1999 when Ja Rule unknowingly snubbed 50 Cent in a video shoot in New York. On the other hand, 50 Cent claims the beef began when one of his homies robbed Ja Rule’s necklace. Four years later, 50 released a scathing diss track titled Back Down, and he didn’t just target Ja Rule but also implicated Jay Z, Nas, and Cam’ron.There are claims that DRE had to intervene in the production of the original Back Down production to minimize the onslaught. As the title suggests, 50 Cent talks about how he will never back down. He also mentions that everyone around him is a gangster, and they are strapped up. In the track, he calls Ja Rule some mean names.
