A Guide to 2024's Rap Beef (Part I)
The quick facts on Drake vs. Kendrick vs. Kanye & Chris Brown vs. Quavo
We are in the midst of a rap beef renaissance, notably 30 years after the beginning of the consummation of the infamous east coast-west coast rivalry. Everyone is squabbling, and they’re pulling out all the stops, from diss remixes to AI-generated verses from beyond the grave. Here is a guide to the beef our favorite rappers are currently embroiled with.
Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar
This one all began last October when Drake and J. Cole released their song “First Person Shooter",” referring to themselves and Kendrick Lamar as the “big three” of rap.
Last month, Kendrick Lamar responded dissing Drake and J. Cole on his verse on “Like That” with Metro Boomin and Future.
It's up. Lost too many soldiers not to play it safe
If he walk around with that stick, it ain't Andre 3K
Think I won't drop the location? I still got PTSD
Motherf**** the big three, n****. It's just big me
J. Cole released then quickly retracted a diss track, ultimately saying responding that way “didn’t sit right with [his] spirit.”
Drake, however, released “Push Ups” on which he dissed Kendrick Lamar, Metro Boomin, Future, The Weeknd, Rick Ross and - kind of - J. Cole.
He took shots at Kendrick’s height and shoe size.
“Pipsqueak, pipe down
You ain’t in no big three, SZA got you wiped down
Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down
Like your label, boy, you Interscope right now.”
The Degrassi alum went hard at Rick Ross, rapping, “Spend that lil’ check you got and stay up out my business/Worry ’bout whatever goin’ on with you and….” obviously nodding to the investigations into Diddy, who Rick Ross has been tight with in the past.
Rick Ross then entered the chat with “Champagne Moments,” which he posted about recording mere hours after “Push Ups” was first leaked. He takes shots at Drake calling him a “white boy,” reigniting the accusation of using ghostwriters and getting procedures like a BBL and a nose job to look more white.
“You ain't never want to be a n**** anyway, n****
That's why you had an operation to make your nose smaller than your father nose, n****”
Kanye vs. Everybody
Now, Kanye is inserting himself into the picture. “Ye” recently teased a snippet of his remix to “Like That” on his Instagram in which he raps,
“Y’all so out of sight, out of mind
I can’t even think of a Drake line. Play J. Cole, get the p***y dry
Play this sh*t back 130 times”
Jeff Ihaza of Rolling Stone notes that this is perhaps due to Kanye’s longstanding hostility toward Kendrick, “arguably the nucleus of this entire attack.”
Quavo vs. Chris Brown
Quavo and Chris Brown have been ops for a few years now, primarily due to their mutual interest in Karrueche Tran. In February 2017, Karrueche obtained a restraining order against Chris Brown, alleging past violence and death threats. Speculation arose that this move coincided with her alleged relationship with Quavo. Since then, CB and Quavo have been feuding, which has been reignited by their recent diss tracks.
The track, titled “Weakest Link,” first alleges that Chris hooked up with Quavo’s ex, Saweetie.
“You f–ked my ex-ho, that’s cool, I don’t give no f***, lil’ n**** (Still a bitch)
‘Cause I f–ked your ex when you were still with her, bitch, I’m up, lil’ n–a (I’m up)
They say revenge is sweet (Revenge is sweet), now think about that s***
Don’t let that line go over your head, I might just sing about that s***
Then, he took it to literal hell, referencing Quavo’s late bandmate, Takeoff’s death. Even 50 Cent weighed in, saying it was “a wrap” if Quavo didn’t respond.
“R.I.P. Takeoff, he the only real one that got true respect
Crazy how when he died, everybody really wished it was you instead.”
Quavo's diss track “Over Hoes & B*tches” featured the late Takeoff’s voice included daggers claiming that Chris Brown’s career has been stalled since the notorious 2009 assault on his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, in addition to labeling him the “Crackhead Michael Jackson.”
Pussy n****, pull up, crash out about your bae (Boy, you pussy)
Lil' bitch, come dance battle with my drac' (Brrt)
You been f***ed your bag up when you punched Ri' in the face
Talking about fashion week, you sparing who?
There’s been plenty of discourse regarding whether beef makes the rap game more interesting and competitive or boring. Simply put: As a lover of gossip, I am pro rap-beef. As a fan of the music, I find it annoying.
Stay tuned for part two, in which I will deep dive into the Nicki Minaj vs. Everybody war and its trickle-down effect on the new generation of rap divas.