8 Most Famous Beefs In Hip Hop Music History
3. NWA Vs Ice Cube
Following their formation in 1987, NWA became one of the hottest groups not just in the burgeoning hip-hop scene but in American music as a whole, thanks to their hard-hitting beats combined with politically conscious lyricism. Initially consisting of DJ Yella, Dr Dre, Easy E, MC Ren, Arabian Prince, and Ice Cube the group released only two studio albums during their time together but left an indelible mark on hip-hop as a whole.
Their debut album Straight Outta Compton is one of the defining records from the early days of rap and was one of the first hip-hop albums to achieve widespread commercial success, initially reaching 37 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.
Having written nearly 50% of the lyrics on the landmark album, Ice Cube felt that he wasn't being properly compensated for his work in the group and left in 1989 to pursue a solo career.
This prompted a feud between Cube and what was left of N.W.A, with the group releasing "Real N****z," which saw the remaining members take turns insulting their former friend.
Ice Cube would reaffirm his status as the premier lyricist in his retort, "No Vaseline" where he responded to his former bandmates insults and took aim at the group's manager Jerry Heller in iconic fashion.
Less than a year after the release of "No Vaseline," the N.W.A would-be no more, while Ice Cube made a successful transition into acting.