Certain famous feuds in the music industry have spawned some of the most iconic diss tracks in hip-hop and pop music history, creating a lasting impression on music fans and existing even years after those feuds have long ended.
For many years, these scathing songs have been a mainstay of the music business, giving musicians a platform to air their complaints and take aim at their nemesis. From Taylor Swift to Jay Z, every musician has used the power of music to clap back at their arch enemies. Here are five times when diss tracks completely hit the nail on the head and emerged as some of the greatest hits of all time.
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‘Ether’ By Nas, Aimed At Jay Z
Nas and Jay Z‘s feud was one of the biggest feuds of the rap world, with the former writing one of the most fiery diss tracks of all time that certainly must have gotten Jay Z to his knees.
The track, called ‘Ether‘ has Nas singing, “I got this, locked since Nine-One (1991), I am the truest/ Name a rapper that I ain’t influenced.” He then raps about Jay Z being inspired by him in his music, rapping, “In ’88, you was gettin’ chased to your buildin’/ Callin’ my crib, and I ain’t even give you my numbers/ All I did was give you a style for you to run with.”
He also accused Jay of selling out, “Y’all n*ggas deal with emotions like bitches/ What’s sad is I love you cause you’re my brother, you traded your soul for riches.” In addition to calling Jay-Z ugly and misogynistic, he also used a number of derogatory homophobic slurs against him and made references to a past relationship with Foxy Brown. He also added that Eminem performed better than him on his own song, ‘Renegade.’
‘Shorts Fired’ By Megan Thee Stallion, Aimed At Tory Lanez
‘Shots Fired‘ is a recount of Megan Thee Stallion‘s 2020 case of getting shot by her ex-husband Tory Lanez at a party. She claimed there was a fight in the car after leaving a house party in the Hollywood Hills with him. The argument escalated and she said she was shot by him on her foot. She also claimed that Lanez offered her money to keep the incident a secret and apologized after the incident, but she declined to stay quiet.
Megan raps and recounts the entire incident in the song, aiming jabs at Lanez as she raps, “Imagine n***** lyin’ ’bout shootin’ a real b*tch (huh?)/ Just to save face for rapper n***** you chill with/ Imagine me givin’ a f*ck it was your f*ckin’ birthday/ You in your feelings, I just thought it was another Thursday“
In another part she goes, “You shot a 5’10” b*tch with a .22/ Talkin’ ’bout bones and tendons like them bullets wasn’t pellets/ A p*ssy n**** with a p*ssy gun in his feelings (ah)/ Okay, he in the backseat and he keep callin’ me a b*tch/ We all know the shit I could’ve came back with“
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‘Obsessed’ By Mariah Carey, Aimed At Eminem
Mariah Carey proved that diss tracks don’t always have to be fiery and scathing. This smash hit by her has her singing about someone who wouldn’t leave her alone and is obsessed with her. Styles in catchy lyrics and a catchy tune, the song was a response to Eminem’s constant statements about him and Carey apparently having a fling, which Mariah consistently denied.
After much of Eminem’s blast, Mariah released this track and a music video with it, to set the record straight and get back at the rapper. The song starts with the iconic line, “And I was like, “Why you so obsessed with me?”
She then goes on to sing, “All up in the blogs, say we met at the bar/ When I don’t even know who you are/ Say we up in your house, sayin’ I’m up in your car/ But you in LA and I’m out at Jermaine’s/ I’m up in the A, you’re so, so lame/ And no one here even mentions your name”
In another part she disses him and says, “Finally found a girl that you couldn’t impress/ Last man on the earth, still couldn’t get this/ You’re delusional, you’re delusional/ Boy, you’re losing your mind”
‘Bad Blood’ By Taylor Swift, Aimed At Katy Perry
No one does diss tracks better than Taylor Swift and ‘Bad Blood‘ is one of the most iconic examples of it. After a feud with Katy Perry, the singer went on to put her on full blast in a song about their “bad blood” and how their friendship was now over. She also released a music video that showed a war between two girl gangs, one of who betrayed Taylor and backstabbed her.
In the song she sings, “Did you think we’d be fine?/ Still got scars on my back from your knife/ So don’t think it’s in the past/ These kind of wounds they last and they last/ Now did you think it all through?/ All these things will catch up to you/ And time can heal, but this won’t/ So if you come in my way, just don’t”
The bridge of the song goes, “Band-Aids don’t fix bullet holes/ You say sorry just for show/ If you live like that, you live with ghosts/ You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go”
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‘Not Like Us’ By Kendrick Lamar, Aimed At Drake
Kendrick and Drake were going back and forth with their diss tracks since years, making subtle jabs at each other through their music and releasing a string of diss tracks. The biggest, and the one that went most viral was, undoubtedly, Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’.
The song went viral everywhere, especially Kendrick’s accusations at Drake for being a pedophile. He also accused Drake of sleeping with other people’s girlfriends and being a predator. In another lyric, Lamar mentions Drake’s album ‘Certified Lover Boy’ and raps, “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles“
In one of the verses he namedrops Drake and raps, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young/ You better not ever go to cell block one/ To any bitch that talk to him and they in love/ Just make sure you hide your lil’ sister from him“
However, the part that went most viral from the song was a clever take at words by Kendrick where he raps, “Why you trollin’ like a bitch? Ain’t you tired?/ Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-Minor”
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