8 Most Famous Beefs In Hip Hop Music History
These hip-hop feuds left fans divided.
Despite being a relatively young genre, musical rivalries, or 'beefs' between hip-hop artists date back to near the inception of the style, becoming a fundamental component of rap culture.
From the split of NWA, to the famous east coast versus west coast rivalry, to more modern examples such as Eminem's feud with Machine Gun Kelly, conflicts between artists have long received extensive coverage in the press, and have often led to real-world implications outside of the music.
One of the primary ways artists have signalled their disdain for their contemporaries is through the diss track, with rappers often using it as a way to publicly air their grievances in a musical manner.
The phenomenon of artists using their music isn't confined to, hip-hop either. Even some of the most famous artists in the history of popular music couldn't help themselves when it came to taking shots at each other through their music. Following the tumultuous breakup of the Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney engaged in a public rivalry and each took aim at their former songwriting partner in songs such as "How Do You Sleep" and "Too Many People" cited as some of the earliest examples of diss tracks.
None were as vicious as rap's beefiest moments, though...
8. Azealia Banks Vs. Everyone
Azealia Banks enjoyed significant success with her 2011 single "212," that made the top 20 in charts across Europe and propelled the American rapper into the mainstream aged just 20.
In the years since, she has continued her career, releasing an album Broke with Expensive Taste in 2014, but has failed to live up to the hype around her following her initial releases.
So what makes Banks so worthy of a spot on this list, you ask?
Well, it's because unlike the other artists featured here who have feuds emanating from personal conflicts or former friendships, Banks seemingly just takes aim and engages in a verbal tirade towards the first person that comes into her head that day.
The American artist Wikipedia lists more than 50 celebrities by name that Banks has managed to get into public spats with including Zayn Malik, Lady Gaga, Eminem, and even Elon Musk.
When there's more to say about your controversies than your actual career as a recording artist its never a good sign.