Top Tracks: Tory Lanez & Joyner Lucas Prove That Beef Is Surest Path To #1

BYPatrick Lyons9.3K Views
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Tory Lanez at Sirius
Thanks to their freestyle challenge, Tory Lanez and Joyner Lucas account for half of the top ten, including all of the top four.

Machine Gun Kelly, someone who usually averages around 20,000 views per song on HNHH these days, released two Eminem diss tracks in September. Both currently have over 500,000 views. Since then, no other track so much as reached 100,000, at least until last week when another beef flared up. Tory Lanez kicked things off by claiming that he was a better rapper than Joyner Lucas, to which Joyner responded with a challenge. Four targeted freestyles later, we've got two tracks with over 100,000 in a week for the first time since September. The message is clear: beef sells. 

Tory Lanez, who also appears at the bottom of this list via a totally unrelated song, leads everyone with three appearances inside of the top ten this week. Joyner's tied with Meek Mill in second with two apiece. New tracks barely missing out on spots include Kelly Rowland's "Kelly" (#11), The Diplomats and Belly's "On God" (#12), Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Tyrese's "Grateful" (#13), and Earl Sweatshirt and Navy Blue's "The Mint" (#15). 

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10: The Diplomats Feat. Tory Lanez - No Sleep

Long-slumbering giants The Diplomats returned with their first album in years, Diplomatic Ties, last week. Its features include one by Tory Lanez on the song "No Sleep," which is how he ends up in the top ten for a non-beef-related track. It debuts at #10. 

9. Ace Hood Feat. Lil Wayne - 2 Mollys

The only repeat from last week's list is this recently-leaked Ace Hood/Lil Wayne collab that was removed soon after appearing online two weeks ago. In its second week out, "2 Mollys" is down seven spots from #2 to #9.  

8. Trey Songz - JILL (SUMN REAL)

In a Fabolous-esque move of opportunistic meme-referencing, Trey Songz emerged last week with a track dedicated to Jill Scott, or more specifically, a much-shared video of her pantomiming fellatio with a microphone. The result, "JILL (SUMN REAL)" debuts at #8. 

7. A$AP Rocky - Sundress

Leaked in an incomplete form a few months back, A$AP Rocky's "Sundress" finally arrived in full last week. The track, which samples Tame Impala's "Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind," debuts at #7. 

6. Meek Mill Feat. Fabolous & Anuel AA - Uptown Vibes

By the sound of it, Meek Mill's coming in hot to fuck up everybody's year-end lists. With Championships less than a week away, we now have two more tracks from it, one of which is the Fabolous and Anuel AA-assisted "Uptown Vibes." It debuts at #6. 

5. Meek Mill - Oodles O' Noodles Babies

To contrast with the triumphant, celebratory "Uptown Vibes," the other Championships song that Meek shared last week was a bit heavier. The soulful "Oodles O' Noodles Babies" debuts at #5. 

4. Joyner Lucas - ZEZE Freestyle

The fourth and (to date, at least) final shot issued between Joyner and Tory, this freestyle by the former comes in over the tropical beat to Kodak Black, Travis Scott, and Offset's radio hit "ZEZE," the song that actually came the closest to the 100,000 views mark in the time that elapsed between the Eminem/MGK and Lucas/Lanez beefs. Lucas' "ZEZE" freestyle debuts at #4. 

3. Tory Lanez - Litty Again

All of the shots between Lanez and Lucas appear in reverse chronological order on the chart this week, so that means "ZEZE Freestyle" was a direct response to this one: "Litty Again." Lanez's second salvo in the beef debuts at #3. 

2. Joyner Lucas - Litty Freestyle

For Joyner first entry into his own challenge, he tackles one of Lanez's own beats ("Litty") to share some disses of both the Toronto singer/rapper and Trippie Redd, with whom Lucas has had an ongoing beef. His "Litty" freestyle debuts at #2. 

1. Tory Lanez - Lucky You Freestyle

The song that started it all. Arriving very quickly after Lucas first issued his challenge, Lanez's first freestyle comes in over the track on Eminem's Kamikaze that Lucas guested on, "Lucky You." Receiving a whopping 132,000 views in its first week out, Lanez's "Lucky You" freestyle easily debuts at #1. 


About The Author
<b>Feature Writer</b> Ever since he borrowed a copy of "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" from his local library, Patrick's love affair with hip-hop has been on an extended honeymoon phase. He now contributes features to HNHH, hoping to share his knowledge and passion with this site's broad audience. <strong>Favorite Hip Hop Artists:</strong> André 3000, Danny Brown, Kanye, Weezy, Gucci Mane, Action Bronson, MF DOOM, Ghostface Killah <strong>Favorite Producers:</strong> Lex Luger, Kanye (again), RZA, Young Chop, Madlib, J Dilla, Hudson Mohawke
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