Biggie v. Tupac
The beef between Tupac and Biggie Smalls was more than an infamous note in the history of Hip-Hop, their beef signaled a rift within the structure of hip-hop itself. The beef brought to light ideas greater that an East-Coast-Vs-West-Coast mentality, it personified the duality of style within hip hop with concepts such as: indirect vs direct aggression, and the difference between an individual’s image and claims of authenticity. In 1994 Biggie Smalls released “Who Shot Ya”, the song blurred the lines between creative storytelling and the real world scenario of Tupac’s robbery; the song played with the hypothetical aspect of the attack on Tupac highlighting the indirectness that could later be seen in Jay-Z songs. 1996 witnessed Tupac’s retaliation with his song “Hit Em Up”, in his song Tupac directly responded to Biggie Smalls with direct attacks and name-calling while enforcing his position with other known artists; these tropes would later be used by Nas in his feud with Jay-Z further stressing the influence of the Tupac and Biggie beef. What began as a beef transformed the nature of hip-hop into a resemblance of political parties, a sort of “hood politics” that molded the structure of an artist as to whether or not they would take an indirect “East Coast” approach, or a more direct “West Coast assault.”
Jay Z v. Nas
The feud between Jay Z and Nas elevated hip-hop beefs to a whole new level of public attention. These two artists are some of the most prominent icons in the music industry, and when they went after each other through their songs “Takeover” and “Ether,” the fans faithfully tuned in. The significance of this historical beef is how they were able to persuade their fans into aligning themselves with their favorite artist. In his song “Takeover,” Jay Z took shots at Nas by indirectly insulting him. Nas, on the other hand, directly called Jay Z out by name in his song “Ether,” which was a direct response to “Takeover.” While it appears that both Jay Z and Nas were battling to be King of New York, the ultimate goal of both men was to be respected as an artist. By using different methods of dissing, Jay Z and Nas started a lyrical war that would equate to record breaking album sales for both artists.
Martin Luther King Jr. v. Malcolm X
The Civil Rights Movement introduced Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X as agents of change within the African American community; while both of these men aspired for equality for the African American community, their ideas conflicted in how they would achieve their shared goal. In Malcolm X’s 1963 speech, “Message to the Grassroots”, he promoted a school of thought that stressed the idea of a revolution through violence; this concept was a direct contradiction to Dr. King’s method. Dr. King’s method for protest was outlined in his 1964 paper, “Why We Can’t Wait”; in his paper King outlines the notion that bloodshed should be avoided through the act of peaceful protest. The conflict in their philosophies represented the notion of a growing ideological rift within the African American community; Malcolm X’s assertion of “no such thing as a nonviolent revolution,” and King’s call for a nonviolent resistance. The two figures were major influences on the overall culture for the African American community, and the remnants of their discussion is still seen in today’s modern world.
Lil’ Kim v. Nicki Minaj
Hip-hop has traditionally been a patriarchal driven culture, however, the introduction of the Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj beef signify the beginning of a changing landscape within hip-hop. The indication of changing norms within hip-hop is revealed in an old-school vs. new-school school of thought, brought to the forefront by Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim; specifically, Lil Kim being referred to as belonging to the “classical period” of hip-hop. The idea was presented by Nicki Minaj in a not-so-subtle-hint, in which she implied that Lil Kim had not been producing any recent music, suggesting that Kim suffered of fall-from-grace of some sorts. As the spotlight began to shift toward Nicki, Lil Kim responded with demands of respect, claiming that she was responsible for Nicki Minaj’s looks and style; Nicki Minaj claimed that she had paid respect and homage to Lil Kim, but concept of shifting ideologies is still present. While Minaj paid respect to Kim a new generation of fans has propelled Nicki Minaj and the artists of her generation into the spotlight, leaving Kim and those who have yet to adapt in the past.