More Beef, Please!: Dissecting the Hip-Hop Beef Culture

On the 4th of July, while Americans were busy celebrating their independence, 17-time Grammy award winner, Kendrick Lamar, added extra sauce to the already-cooked beef between him and Toronto rapper, Drake by dropping the official music video for his Drake diss single, “NOT LIKE US.” Fans and rap analysts believe this release date was intentional, as Kendrick describes Drake as a “Colonizer” in the track.

Having followed Kendrick since I was a teenager, listening to the 2009 E.P., “Kendrick Lamar and his debut album released in 2011,  “Section.80”, long before he became the worldwide sensation he is today, I feel qualified to judge his decisions.

Kendrick Lamar is one of the most vicious and petty rappers to ever grace the hip-hop scene, and he definitely meant to make a point by releasing that video on Independence Day. The thought of such a calculated move sends chills down my spine.

Look, I’m a peace-loving person, but when it comes to beefs between rappers, I’m all for it! I’m sat with my popcorn and magnifying glasses because, of course, we have to analyze every single line for Easter eggs and double, or even triple, entendres.

Why, you ask?

Because beef is to hip-hop culture what a workout is to a pro-athlete. It keeps the scene healthy, the engines churning, and everyone on top of their game. If we’re being honest, beef is good for a rapper’s street cred. To get an honorary badge as a rapper, one should have gone head-to-head with other rappers and annihilated them to the point that their careers are at risk.  

Take, for instance, the M.I Abaga vs. Kelly Handsome beef that gave us the legendary line: “Kpomo, e no chop, fish e no chop, goat, e no chop, he say he won beef me.” Nigerian music enthusiasts speculate that after that beef with M.I., Kelly Handsome fell off.

Another moment rap fans usually say ended a rapper’s career was when Eminem joined the 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule beef after Ja Rule mentioned Eminem’s most prized possession, his daughter Hailie, in his diss track “Loose Change.” Eminem responded with diss tracks such as “Bump Heads” and “Hailie’s Revenge.”

The 50 Cent/Eminem/Aftermath vs. Ja Rule beef has been one of the longest-standing in rap history. It has lasted over 20 years, with 50 Cent throwing shades at Ja Rule in his 2020 book, “Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter.”

This was also one of the pettiest beefs in hip-hop history, citing an incident where 50 Cent bought out 200 front-row tickets to a Ja Rule concert just to make the venue seem empty. So, Kendrick wouldn’t be the first rapper to do something half as petty as releasing this diss music video where he cages an owl, indicative of Drake’s OVO brand, on Independence Day.

Rap beefs happen for many different reasons: when one artist leaves a crew or record label (Ice Cube vs. N.W.A, The Game vs. 50 Cent & G-Unit, Dr Dre & Eazy E/Ruthless Records), business gone bad (Gucci Maine vs. Young Jeezy), inherited beef (Drake vs. Pusha T), publicity (50 Cent vs. Kanye and perhaps, M.I vs. Vector), or a battle for who’s top dawg (Nas vs. Jay Z, Nicki Minaj vs. Cardi B, Kendrick vs. Drake).

Diss tracks and beef culture have strong roots in rap battles. Usually, as a new, hungry, and ambitious rapper, you’d find yourself in a rap battle, and that is your chance to show your lyrical prowess, style, delivery, and, of course, your beef muscle. However, established rappers do their own thing and sometimes forget what it was like to be that young, hungry, and ambitious rapper who would, in 8 bars or less, take down another rapper—not with guns, not with blows, but with words. That, to me, is pure poetry—the reason we love rap music.

Rap beef is a healthy way for rappers to battle, as it is a channel by which one can pour out their anger. I would rather have New York rappers Jay Z and Nas go head-to-head with each other for years with witty and hard-hitting lyrically successful songs such as “The Message,” “Super Ugly,” “Dead Presidents II,” and “Ether,” than have them shoot at each other or end up in a physical fight.

Here’s the thing: rappers are preachers. They are usually more vocal than the average person on the street and they actually have an audience. They are usually society’s conscience, infusing truth into their art. They talk about moral codes and injustices, and say the things an average citizen would like to say to the government, but can’t. In Nigeria, today, FalzTheBadGuy is a great example of the rapper-preacher trope.

So, it is only natural that rappers address controversy when they notice one. Take, for instance, the Mode 9 vs. Ruggedman beef. Mode 9 had been taking shots at Ruggedman, and Ruggedman, being a true preacher and spokesperson, just couldn’t look away. He had to clap back with his song, “To Whom It May Concern.”

An honourable mention of the beef culture is one of the greatest beefs of all time between rapper friends turned enemies: Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. It was so significant that it was said to be the beef that fueled the East Coast vs. West Coast feud of the ‘90s that remains today.

Other honourable mentions include Murder Inc. vs Benzino, Eminem vs Benzino, 50 Cent vs Fat Joe, Blaqbonez vs Other rappers (Payper Corleone, Tentik, Meiji), and M.I Abaga vs Vector Tha Viper.

As a rap lover, I would confess that I don’t pay attention to every single rap feud out there. But when the only rapper to ever win a Pulitzer Prize decided to go on months-long beef against a rapper with 13 number-one hits on the Billboard top 100, I, the hip-hop community, and the entertainment space as a whole had to stand still and watch that space.

And watch that space, we did. This particular beef has a very clear winner: Kendrick Lamar and his “Not Like Us” track. The BillBoard-topping track has become a pop culture entity, with its own dance, spurring memes, GIFs, many covers, news reports, trending on TikTok and Instagram for over a month, its own concert, and finally, a music video that feels very much like a funeral.

My take is this: if we skip the violence associated with beef, like Tupac’s instance with the multiple shootings that may or may not have resulted from his feud with Biggie, beef and rapper feuds are important to the hip-hop world. With beef, everyone wins (well, except Drake).

Yes, beef is red meat—risky and dangerous for the heart—but it shouldn’t be deadly.

During these heated feuds and beefs, rappers get to sharpen their wits and creative drive. The fans get to feast and find something to believe in again. And boy! The unity that a good and long beef can bring to the rap community is iconic. Look at us all bopping to “Not Like Us.”

The Nigerian rap scene has always been fascinating, though it isn’t as prominent as we might hope. We’ve had amazing and talented rappers grace the scene – Both Indigenous and otherwise – The likes of M.I (The Guy), Jesse Jags, Ice Prince, representing the CHOC BOYS crew, Olamide, Eldee, Illbliss, Phyno, Mode9, NaetoC, Vector, Ruggedman, Eva Alordia, DaGrin, Loose Kaynon, Falz, Erigga, Reminisce, LadiPoe, Sasha P, Ycee, Dremo, A-Q, Niggaraw, Payper Corleone, Blaqboonez, Dandizzy, Sknny, and more rappers taking the centre stage as the years go by.

For years, they have given us great music. But I can’t help but wonder… Maybe, if the rap scene had more well-crafted rivalries and sizzling healthy beefs, it could potentially be as big as Afrobeat. Perhaps I’m reaching, but it’s worth considering.

So, as I sit at this table with a spread of amazing protein options before me, I have just one order:

More Beef, Please!

With extra gravy!

Tell me in the comments which rap beef was your fave. Also, did I miss any legendary ones?