In the wake of the ongoing feud between Pusha T and Drake, one fact has become painfully evident - the fans are reveling in the carnage, like beer soaked wrestling spectators. In truth, the ruthless ferocity of the exchange has many reminiscing on the glory days, where beef occured on wax, rather than through a computer screen. Lines were crossed, and when they weren't, it was taken as a sign of weakness. Therefore, rappers truly had to go to some dark places in order to administer the appropriate fatalities.
In a truly heated feud, nothing was off the table. Reputation. Family. Dead homies. Love and war rules in full effect. Therefore, in honor of Pusha T's ruthless retaliation to Drake's "Duppy," relive some of the most merciless bars in hip-hop history.
Jay-Z - "Super Ugly"
Aimed at: Nas
Hip-hop historians tend to look back on the Jay-Z vs Nas beef with a certain fondness, dubbing it one of the genre’s iconic feuds. While “Takeover” and “Ether” are often held aloft in diss track history, “Supa Ugly” may very well have been the most scathing. Check the following lines, where Jay-Z graphically describes his affair with Carmen Bryan, mother of Nas’ daughter Destiny.
“Me and the boy A.I. got more in common than just balling and rhyming
Get it? More in Carmen
I came in your Bentley backseat, skeeted in your Jeep
Left condoms on your baby seat
Here n***a, the gloves is off, the love is done
It's whatever, whenever, however n***a - one
And since you infatuated with saying that gay shit
Yes you was kissing my dick when you was kissing that bitch”
Eminem - "Nail In The Coffin"
Aimed at: Benzino
Eminem’s reputation as a formidable force may have since dulled, but his early millennium run was fearsome to behold. Though Slim found himself embroiled in beefs with Benzino, Murda Inc, and even Royce Da 5’9”, he still managed to come through with some of his most heated lyrical warfare to date. The sheer venom with which he delivers his closing statement no doubt left Benzino shivering beneath his Source Office desk.
“Slap my mom! Slap the fuck out of her!
She can't sue you, she wouldn't get a buck out of ya
Cause you're broke as fuck, you suck, you're a fuckin' joke
If you was really sellin' coke, well, then what the fuck
You stop for, dummy? If you slew some crack
You'd make a lot more money than you do from rap
You'll never have no security, you'll never be famous
You'll never know what it's like to be rich; life's a bitch, ain't it?”
Ja Rule - "Loose Change"
Aimed at: Eminem
While the narrative generally looks back at Murda Inc as a fallen empire, trampled beneath the ubiquity of the Shady/Aftermath/G-Unit machine, it must be acknowledged that Ja Rule went out swinging. To be fair, Eminem never quite unleashed the same vitriol he deserved for Benzino. Perhaps “Loose Change” was the reason why. Taking to Nas’ “Made You Look,” Ja proved himself a worthy opponent, delivering several pointed lines in Em and 50’s direction. The closing message is particularly ruthless; not only did Ja bring Em’s mother and baby mama Kim into the fray, but the rapper even had some choice words for Hailey.
“And Em, what's the doo-rag for?
You never gonna have waves, you'll never know black pain
But you could become the first white rapper slain”
&
“Em, you claim your mother's a crackhead
And Kim is a known slut
So what's Hailie gonna be when she grows up?”
Gucci Mane - "Truth"
Aimed at: Young Jeezy
Gucci Mane has long been associated with his signature catchphrase “Burr.” It’s no wonder he has taken on such a mantra, given his affinity for cold-hearted bars. In the devastating “Truth,” Guwop holds nothing back, even poking fun at Jeezy’s dead homie Pookie Loc. What makes the line so brutal is the historical context; in 2005, Loc attempted snatching Gucci Mane’s chain, only to be shot dead by Mr. Davis himself.
“A ten thousand dollar bounty put on my neck
I hope you didn't pay them cause they didn't have no success
You seen my interview n***a and you got upset
I seen your interview too, you looked oh so stressed
I think the n***a just mad cause I fucked his ex
And I'm a big dog, he got the lil' boy complex
Go dig your partner up n***a, bet he can't say shit
And if you looking for the kid I'll be in Zone 6”
Nas - "Ether"
Aimed at: Jay-Z
Nas’ “Ether” was so powerful a response it quickly became synonymous with destroying somebody on wax. Seeing as the entire song is full of quotables, it was difficult to land on the most brutal. Yet there’s something powerful about the simplicity of “Eminem murdered you on your own shit,” directly after rattling down a checklist of former Jigga associates. Plus, Nas made reference to Jay’s infamous stabbing of Lance “Un” Rivera, casting aspersions on Hov’s street credibility.
"Foxy got you hot ‘cause you kept your face in her puss
What you think, you gettin' girls now ‘cause of your looks?
Negro, please! You no-mustache-havin'
With whiskers like a rat, compared to Beans you whack
And your man stabbed Un and made you take the blame
You ass, went from Jaz to hangin' with Kane
To Irv, to B.I.G. – and Eminem murdered you on your own shit"
Royce Da 5'9" - "Shit On U"
Aimed at: Bizarre
While Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" are currently one of hip-hop's most iconic friendships, the duo previously underwent some turn-of-the-century turmoil. After a misunderstanding escalated into a full fledged beef, Royce wasted little time in airing out Em's crew D12, with Bizarre emerging as the chief recipient; while Royce's "Malcolm X" featured a more well-rounded assault, "Shit On U" stands out for its comedic and ruthless tear-down of what many felt to be an easy target. Either way, Royce wastes little time in poking fun at Bizarre's speech impediment
"Crawl 'fore you walk, don't get caught without your gat
Somebody shoulda taught you how to talk before you rap
I know about how you gotta get walked though your verse
N***s tryna teach you how you talk all through your verse
The streets, magazines still knockin your verse
On your verse, n***as just look at they watch and reverse
I'm about realism - as far as a fat n***a
That raps and rapes kids, I don't see the vision"
DJ Quik - "Dollaz & Sense"
Aimed at: MC Eiht
This one was deeper than rap. Aside from the brilliant simplicity of the classic "G ain't in you" line, Quik's "Dollaz & Sense" keeps foot firmly on throat with the following hood narrative.
"E-I-H-T, now should I continue?
Yeah, you left out the G 'cause the G ain't in you
Remember that time you was rollin' on the Westside
And a little brown bucket pulled up on your side
Caught at that light in your Camry in the midst of a real killer
Tell me, did you feel a little nervous? (hell yeah)
You was in the shadow of death
With two trey-five-sevens pointed at your chest
Hmm, whatchu gon' do? Where was your n***s that kill at
You ain't got no killers, so kill dat!
Holdin' up your hands and beggin for a pass
You lucky they didn't just to get to dumpin' on yo' ass"
Freddie Gibbs - "Real"
Aimed at: Jeezy
On his acclaimed album Pinata, Gibbs took aim at his former label boss Jeezy, dedicating an entire track to airing out his transgressions. Under the acronym "Remember Everybody Ain't Loyal," Gibbs paints a vivid picture of Jeezy's reputation, poking holes in the narrative where he sees fit.
"Just a whole lot of rapping, but no motherfucking action
Seen Gucci by himself while we was 30 deep at Magic
And you didn't bust a grape, was shook from the gate
It make it seem to me the gangsta shit you kick be fake
Cause all my enemies, I put them suckers in their place
So take them shades up off your eyes, and look me in my fucking face"
Ice Cube - "No Vaseline"
Aimed at: NWA
Ice Cube's "No Vaseline" goes down as one of hip-hop's classic diss tracks, and for good reason. The animosity between Cube and his former group ran deep, and Dre, Eazy, Ren and Yella quickly leaned the perils of provoking the wrath of Ice Cube. Luckily, this one was eventually squashed; Dre and Cube's Straight Outta Compton even featured an excellent scene depicting NWA's initial reaction to the madness.
"First you was down with the AK
And now I see you on a video with Michel'le
Looking like straight Bozos
I saw it coming, that's why I went solo
And kept on stompin'
While y'all mothafuckers moved straight outta Compton
Living with the whites
One big house and not another n***a in sight"
&
"The bigger the cap, the bigger the peeling
Who gives a fuck about a punk-ass villain?
You're getting fucked real quick
And Eazy's dick is smelling like MC Ren's shit"
Jadakiss - "Checkmate"
Aimed at: 50 Cent
As 50 himself might say, "get the strap." During the height of their feud, Jadakiss unleashed "Checkmate" onto the G-Unit captain, in retaliation for 50's shade on "Piggy Bank." Unfortunately for Fif, he ultimately underestimated Kiss, who came back with this fan-favorite. In fact, some even argue that 50 was never the same afterward.
"Block is just fine, homie, the D's straight
Most likely your new CD is a weed plate
Bunch of love song
100% pure garbage, just somethin' to break up buds on
You should just sell clothes and sneakers
‘Cause outta your whole camp your flow's the weakest
I'm in the town where the young boys is clappin'
You runnin' around with the lieutenant and captain
It'll take a lifetime to see 'Kiss
You had to get shot 9 times to be rich"
Remy Ma - "ShETHER"
Aimed at: Nicki Minaj
Love it or hate it, Remy Ma's "ShETHER" shocked fans, unaccustomed to such a brutal diss track post 2010. Hitting Nicki Minaj with a no-holds-barred assassination of character, Remy spared no angle. Throughout the six minute assault, Remy attempted to break down Nicki mentally, physically, and spiritually. Yet perhaps the most brutal moment ensures when Remy targets Nicki's brother, Jelani Maraj, over his child rape charges.
"And I got a few words for the moms of the young Barbz
Guess who supports a child molester? Nicki Minaj
You paid for your brother’s wedding? That’s hella foul
How you spendin' money to support a pedophile?
He a walkin' dead man, sendin' threats to him
I guess that’s why they call you Barbie, you was next to Ken
Talkin’ about your money long and your foreign sick
Why you ain’t help your bro hide his cum from forensics?"
Pusha T - "The Story Of Adidon"
Aimed at: Drake, 40
You know we had to do it. Last night, Pusha T came through with some of the most disrespectful lines in recent memory. While "The Story Of Adidon" painted Drake as a "deadbeat dad" grappling with anxiety over his racial identity, close collaborator 40 probably got it the worst. In fact, even Pusha relished in the notion that the bars about 40's Multiple Sclerosis might send him to hell.
"How dare you put Ye in my verses?
I'm selfish, I want all of the curses
I'm pre-bookin' the churches
Me versus three hearses
If we all go to Hell it'll be worth it
Already aligned with the greats, and on that same note
The only ones I chase are two ghosts
Still givin' you classics, that's the only thing that dates me
OVO 40, hunched over like he 80, tick, tick, tick
How much time he got? That man is sick, sick, sick"