Feuds in Hollywood are always entertaining. Watching two stars go head-to-head may be trashy, but it’s always exciting to watch. But of all the juicy squabbles in Hollywood, rap feuds are definitely the craziest. There are no limits in a rap feud. It’s a lawless wasteland of diss tracks and legitimate threats of violence for all the world to see. Some get taken too far, and some don’t get taken far enough, but they’re always fun to behold.
Over the years rap feuds have gone through a weird metamorphosis from gunfights over turfs to lame verses about one another. And it always seems to be the same couple people riling everyone up and starting major beef (*ahem* Drake, we SEE YOU). But no matter what, we love watching the drama go down. Here are some of the craziest rap feuds of all time!
16. Nicki Minaj vs. Azealia Banks
Azealia Banks is no stranger to controversy. She’s always saying something outrageous and taking shots at pretty much everyone. But her most notable feud is with Minaj, whom she legit can’t stop dissing. She’s taken aim at her music, calling it basic; she’s taken aim at her figure, saying she should lose a few pounds; and she’s taken aim at her fans, talking down to them all on Twitter. The ladies of rap are said to have started their feud when they were in high school together — that’s how deep this one runs. Nicki’s taken shots in her app, mocking Banks’s album cover for Fantasea, and in some of her songs. The two made up after Banks swallowed her pride and texted her rival, but with these two you never know how long the peace will last!
15. Jadakiss vs. Beanie Sigel
Early ’00s feuds are the best kind of feuds. At the time, Sigel was signed to Jay Z‘s label and was witness to the feuds Jay was partaking in — including taking some shots at Jadakiss. The two fought for a bit in verses until Beanie decided to step up and show his loyalty to HOV. His lyrical prowess was able to decimate Jada, whose equally magical way with words swung right back. They traded jabs for the entirety of 2001, even duking it out on-stage with an impromptu diss from Jada prompted Beanie to show up unannounced to a show to take him down. The two eventually worked it out, even collaborating together in the years since. But we’ll always have those brutal lyrics passed between the two skilled rappers.
14. Eminem vs. Ray Benzino/The Source Magazine
When you’re at the peak of your career, you’re going to have people trying to take you down a notch. Benzino, a rapper and magazine owner, fired the first shots by dissing Em on a freestyle track. Eminem surprisingly responded with two diss tracks of his own and the beef was born. The two kept taking shots, with Benzino taking aim at Em’s label Interscope and bashing him for attempting to steal rap from black artists. He even published several issues of The Source slamming Em. When Benzino dug up a lost track with Eminem using the “n-word” and other racist language, The Source was there to drag him through the mud — all while quoting some of the biggest rappers in the game who were not on Em’s side. The scandal invariably hurt his rep and Benzino came out on top in their brutal feud.
13. Lil Kim vs. Foxy Brown
These two rap songstresses came up at the same time in the mid-’90s, and their tandem rise to fame definitely contributed to their feud. While the exact source has never been pinpointed, most believe that the comparisons between the two led to bitter competition. The two started duking it out via rap lyrics, and then shots were fired. And we mean actual, literal shots at Brown. The incident outside a radio station left no one injured, but it did lead to a year in prison for Lil’ Kim who perjured herself to protect her friends who were at the shootout. The feud fizzled after that, though the long-attempted collab between the two has never materialized.
12. Kanye West vs. 50 Cent
This is one of the more playful feuds on this list. The year was 2007 and hip-hop was coming back into mainstream consciousness thanks to two rap heavyweights: 50 Cent and Kanye West. Both had albums set to be released in September — 50’s on the 11th and Kanye’s on the 18th. Well, a little bit of competition between the two led Kanye to expedite his release date by a week so the two could go head-to-head in album sales. The feud ended in victory for West, whose album proved new and different as opposed to 50 resting on his laurels, tbh. Plus, West got the most album sales!
11. Jay Z vs. 50 Cent
Fiddy is no stranger to rap feuds, and one of his longest-standing feuds is with his perpetual frenemy Jay Z. The two have been off-and-on friends for years, more often ‘off’ than ‘on.’ They’ve taken shots at each other numerous times through their music and in interviews. The two were both on top of the rap game at the same time, so naturally, a rivalry arose. 50 even said Jay’s 4:44 was boring! When Kanye and 50 started duking it out over album sales, Jay was there to back up his then-friend, thus exacerbating his beef with 50. At this point, the lazy feud has been left to interview tidbits and occasional song lyrics. But you never really know if the two are on, or if they’re off.
10. The Game vs. 50 Cent
We were not kidding when we said 50 Cent is familiar with a good rap feud! This is one of his nastiest yet. 50 and The Game both belonged to the hip-hop group G-Unit in the early aughts, and that’s where the bad blood began. When 50’s sophomore album release was pushed back to accommodate The Game’s debut, tensions began to rise. This led to 50 publicly dismissing The Game from G-Unit live during a radio interview, which led to a literal shootout at the radio station. But then they made up! Okay, only for a hot second because then the diss tracks began. Throughout their feud, the two have put out over 100 songs dissing the other. While the two haven’t reconciled publicly, The Game has expressed his desire to end the bad blood numerous times over the years.
9. Ja Rule vs. 50 Cent
Okay last 50 beef, we promise! He’s just been in too many good feuds! This feud goes all the way back to the late ’90s when 50 was still an up-and-comer. He rapped on a track dissing Ja’s signature “It’s murda!” and it led to a physical altercation in a hotel lobby between the two. Another physical fight took place with 50 encountering Ja’s Murder Inc. crew in a parking lot outside Hit Factory in New York. The two continued to trade insults via songs during this time. But when Murder Inc. went under and Ja went on to face legal issues himself, the feud fizzled out, with the two pretty much giving up. They still don’t miss opportunities to take shots at each other, though, and 50 didn’t ignore Ja’s involvement in the legendary disaster that was Fyre Festival!
8. Nicki Minaj vs. Remy Ma
These two have been feuding for over a decade now and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. The feud began in 2007 when Minaj released a track taking shots at someone, but never explicitly named Remy. Remy took the shot personally, though, assuming that it was a diss on her. The feud picked up steam when tabloids alleged the two had been former lovers. Although the feud seemed to end around 2008 when Remy was sent to jail for six years and Minaj’s career took off. that was not quite the case. Time did not heal all wounds and when Remy was back from behind bars, the feud reignited. From vicious diss tracks throughout 2017 to Remy taking home a BET award that had been won for seven years straight by Nicki, it doesn’t seem like either is sweeping this under the bridge any time soon. After Remi completed obliterated Barbie with “ShETHER,” Nicki got her boys from YMCMB, Lil Wayne and Drake to collab with her for her brutal takedown track, “No Frauds.”
7. Gucci Mane vs. Young Jeezy
These two started out as friends and collaborators, but it was their first collaboration that actually pulled them apart. The song, “Icy” was recorded by the two together with Jeezy under the impression he would be putting it on his album when Gucci swooped in and put it on his own instead. Oh, and Jeezy claims he was never paid for his work on the song, either. Then the diss tracks rolled in, as they always do. But this time it didn’t just stop at a few hurtful words on a song, it ended up straight-up murder. Gucci Mane was charged with the murder of rapper Pookie Loc, Jeezy’s best friend, when Pookie and three other men broke into a home to assault Mane. He was eventually acquitted of the crime since the act was in self-defense, but it only propelled the feud further. Dozens of diss tracks and brutal interviews followed and the two are likely never going to be homies again.
6. Lil Wayne vs. Birdman
These two were once so close they called each other father and son. So what went so wrong? When Wayne’s album Tha Carter V kept getting delayed by his label, run by Birdman, he called out Cash Money Records, saying he wanted off the label ASAP for their mishandling of his music. He eventually filed a $51 million lawsuit against Cash Money, saying Birdman violated the terms of his contract by withholding the album. Their friendship effectively ended as Lil Wayne continued to diss his former mentor and record label on several songs. Shots were eventually fired at Lil Wayne’s bus, with an indictment claiming Birdman conspired to have Wayne killed. The two almost reconciled… until legal issues, again, tore them apart. As of early 2018, the two seem to be working things out and have been seen together publicly on more than a few occasions.
5. Jay Z vs. Nas
After Nas skipped a studio sesh with Jay Z, the claws came out. The two dissed each other here and there for years with the tracks becoming more and more lethal over time. They got to a point where things got so personal that Jay’s mom made him apologize to Nas for referencing his child’s mother on a song. (Yes, really.) The two ended up reconciling and playing some of their diss tracks together. Nas even ended up signing with Jay’s Def Jam label when his contract elsewhere was up! If only all rap feuds could end this well!
4. Drake vs. Meek Mill
This feud started back in 2015 when Meek accused Drake of using ghostwriters for his music, a claim that’s haunted Drake for most of his career. This led to Drake firing back at Meek with a series of diss tracks — one of which earned him a Grammy nom for Best Rap Performance! “Back to Back,” you may have heard of it? Meek hit back with a track of his own, but it was pretty widely panned. When he finally got around to releasing quality diss tracks, it was too little too late and Drake had taken the crown. The two have never reconciled, but Drake’s got bigger beef on his hands these days. The worst part is that Nicki, who was engaged to Meek at the time but good friends with Drake, was caught in the middle of it.
3. Drake vs. Pusha T
This is one of the most personal feuds to come out of hip-hop in years. Pusha’s 2018 album Daytona has a track drudging up the old rumor that Drake has used a ghostwriter for most of his songs, and it’s reignited feud the two had for a few years. Drake didn’t take too kindly to Pusha T’s song, and within 24 hours, he released “Duppy Freestyle.” Along with the track came an invoice sent to Pusha’s label for “career reviving,” thanks to the attention the feud was getting him. Pusha came back with a vengeance, dropping “The Story of Adidon,” a song that has lots of savage lines in it. But the craziest part was the allegation that Drake may have a secret love child with a porn star – named Adion. What?! He also used an old photo of Drake in blackface for the single’s album artwork. Whether or not the rumor is true remains to be seen, but apparently, Drake has a “career-ending” track in his back pocket for whenever he may need it.
2. N.W.A. vs Ice Cube
Ice Cube was an original member of the iconic rap group N.W.A, but when he left the group in 1989 due to issues with royalties, there was definitely some bad blood. After he left the group, they released a diss track against Ice Cube. He retaliated in full force with the song “No Vaseline” which eviscerated his former friends and collaborators. The group ended up dissolving shortly after due to compensation issues which lead to the realization that the rift in the group was the cause of one person: Jerry Heller, the group’s former manager. The man is accused of ripping off all N.W.A members and causing major issues in the group. The only thing bigger than a feud between two parties is when both those parties are feuding with a mutual enemy! The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all.
1. Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G
The biggest rap feud of all time is of course Tupac and Biggie. It’s also one of the most violent in the history of rap feuds. The two began as friends until Tupac was shot five times and robbed and word got out that Biggie had inside knowledge of the attack. Thus began the East Coast-West Coast rap war that would persist through the ’90s. The two never resolved their issues before they were both, in separate events, gunned down and killed only months apart. Both murders remain unsolved thought the suspicion is that their feud contributed to the events that led to their deaths. Two promising rap superstars were taken out in their prime due to petty rivalry and machismo, showing how horrible feuds can really be.