9 Famous Songs That Are Actually Responses To Other Famous Songs

9. Katy Perry - California Gurls

What is it a response to? Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind

Hip hop feuds are a common occurrence, stretching back to the infamous East Coast/West Coast beef of the '90s. In fact, until recently, Nas and Jay-Z were at each other's throats with verses about how the gloves are off and "the love is done".

But while the two rap superstars were verbally assaulting each other's street cred and slinging homophobic puns, Jay-Z probably didn't suspect he was about to become entrenched in a bitter turf war with a pop songstress who had a strong beef against the Brooklyn boy.

Katy Perry, known for her busty Barbie Doll persona and bubblegum ditties about fireworks and Friday nights, took umbrage with all of the attention being paid to her "colleagues" in the East and wrote California Gurls as her version of a diss track. Though Perry never mentions New York or any East Coast personality by name, she does say some pretty swell things about California (for instance, there are palm trees and sometimes you get sand in your shoes) and even calls on Snoop Dogg to invoke some of that classic West Coast vibe.

Since the song is less than overt, you'd be forgiven for overlooking the fact that California Gurls was apparently a response to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' massively praised Empire State of Mind. Perry said she was "jealous of all the love that was given to the East Coast" after the song hit big, going so far as to say that "Tupac was rolling in his grave" and even Beach Boys songwriter (and the man behind the original California Girls) was "totally upset".

And nobody totally upsets Brian Wilson. Nobody.