Beef is a helluva lot more fun than no beef. Then again, beef frequently obstructs potentially potent creative partnerships at the service of ego (and entertainment).
In the past 24 hours, Drake and Tory Lanez and Jeremih and PartyNextDoor have squashed their respective beefs. While the tension between these artists made for high drama, these ceasefires lead to greater possibilities.
While we must admit that the beef economy (BIG BEEF) can be beneficial to this site's traffic, we picked five beefs that we hope reach a peaceful resolution sooner rather than later. Click through the gallery to read on.
Lil Wayne & Birdman
A $50 million lawsuit and the freedom of Tha Carter V stands between a Birdman-Weezy armistice. Don't bet on it.
Lil Uzi Vert & Waka Flocka
Though Waka Flocka once fashioned himself as a progressive presidential candidate, he espoused a traditionalist view of hip hop earlier this week when he declared that Lil Uzi Vert is "rock not hip hop." By invoking Logic, J. Cole, Meek Mill, and Kendrick Lamar, he implied that Lil Uzi's dramatic stage dives and punk-influenced sartorial choices can only exist outside a decidedly narrow interpretation of what hip hop can be.
This isn't a full-blown beef, but it is indicative of a generation gap (Flocka is eight years Uzi's elder) that is preventing these two turn-up maestros from coming together in the name of the love of RAGE.
Also: Flocka and Guwop need to squash the beef.
Southside & Lex Luger
Back in March, 808 Mafia founders Southside and Lex Luger have been trading jabs in regard to a potential beat battle. Luger submitted the initial $50,000 wager, than Southside laughed that he wouldn't do it for less than $100,000, implying that Luger is a broke boy. Luger then issued the rejoinder that he "made" Southside and cancelled the beat battle negotiations.
The two ultimately resumed plans to stage the beat battle, with the help of Swizz Beatz as a mediating third party. No date has been set, but one hopes that the beat battle results in a tie, they put their differences aside, pool their talents, and get to work collaborating on the most titanic southern trap beats the world has ever seen.
21 Savage & 22 Savage
22 Savage now goes by Young 22, but for all intents and purposes the world knows him as the tragiccomic foil to the nihilistic, violent 21 Savage.
"I just felt like jacking him," 22 Savage said in a 2016 interview with SOHH. "I’m really a savage out here. I’m really in the slums. What people don’t understand is that underneath this funny, it’s really real. We’re in the streets. I’m a street nigga trying to make it out anyway I can."
Of the beefs spotlighted in this article, this is by far the least likely to be resolved due to 21's low tolerance for bullshit and 22's relentless trolling. In an ideal world, they would make-up and invite 23 Savage to form the ubertrio 66(6) Savage.
Lil Yachty & Joe Budden
Lil Yachty, 19, didn't take kindly to Joe Budden, 36, calling him a "troll" and "not hip hop" in April—nor did his fans. Their ensuing encounter on Complex's Everyday Struggle didn't resolve much, but it did result in some top-notch memes.
The gulf between "mumble rap" and "real hip hop" is wider than ever. As two prominent representatives of their respective fields, Yachty and Budden need to sign a non-aggression pact to prove that hip hop's teenage and mid-30's demographics can, in fact, coexist.
Joe Budden: Yachty spell "Method Man"
Yachty: M-E-T-H-O-D M
Joe Budden: WRONG!
Joe budden: it's M-E-T-H-O-D MAN! You ain't Hip Hop! pic.twitter.com/qvyoAWEiL5