Dating back to the time Big Bank Hank of the Sugar Hill Gang borrowed Grandmaster Caz's rhyme book and used his lyrics without credit on "Rapper's Delight," MCs have been feuding on and off wax.
Hip-hop is a culture built around machismo and bravado, so backing down or losing a battle is detrimental to an artist's career. One slip-up and you could find yourself with a one-way ticket to obscurity. Certain MCs have built entire careers around beefing with other artists, while others have had their careers destroyed with just a couple lines. But what once began as two rappers simply battling over skill has turned into big business—with parody music videos, elaborate stage shows, and entire albums dedicated to the coveted battle.
The ante is constantly being upped to keep the fans entertained, so lines will be crossed while artists strive to find unique and creative ways to slander their opponents. Mothers, women, and children have all been involved. And in the YouTube era, a rapper just might show up to your house with a camera crew looking for a brawl. So with beef always in season, Complex has compiled the 50 best hip-hop diss songs for your consumption. Vegetarians beware.
50. Young Jeezy "Stay Strapped" (2005)
49. Compton's Most Wanted "Who's Fucking Who" (1992)
48. Noreaga "Halfway Thugs Pt. 2" (1998)
47. Three 6 Mafia "Live by Yo Rep (Bone Dis)" (1995)
46. Snoop Dogg "Pimp Slapp'd" (2002)
45. Luke f/ Poison Clan and Bustdown "P*ssy A** Kid and Hoe A** Play" (1992)
44. 50 Cent "Piggy Bank" (2005)
43. U.N.L.V. "Drag Em 'N the River" (1996)
42. Pusha T f/ The-Dream "Exodus 23:1" (2012)
41. MC Eiht "Def Wish" (1991-1996)
40. Jadakiss "Checkmate" (2005)
39. Eazy-E f/ Gangsta Dresta and B.G. Knoccout "Real Muthaphuckkin' G's" (1993)
38. Mobb Deep f/ Ty Nitty "In the Long Run" (1996)
37. Royce da 5'9" "Malcolm X" (2003)
36. Roxanne Shante "Have a Nice Day" (1987)
35. T.I. "99 Problems (Lil Flip Ain't One)" (2004)
34. Eminem "Girls" (2001)
33. Cam'ron f/ Jim Jones "Hate Me Now" (2002)
32. Mobb Deep "Drop a Gem on Em" (1996)
31. Company Flow "Linda Tripp" (1999)
30. Jay Z "Super Ugly" (2001)
29. Rick Ross f/ Drake and French Montana “Stay Schemin” (2012)
28. Lauryn Hill "Lost Ones" (1998)
27. Nas "Destroy and Rebuild" (2001)
26. MC Lyte "10% Dis" (1988)
25. 2Pac f/ E.D.I. Mean and Young Noble "Bomb First" (1996)
24. MC Shan "Kill That Noise" (1987)
23. Eminem f/ D12 "Quitter/Hit 'Em Up Freestyle" (2001)
22. Remy Ma "ShETHER"
21. Drake "Duppy Freestyle" (2018)
20. LL Cool J "Jack the Ripper" (1987)
19. Tim Dog "F*ck Compton" (1991)
18. DJ Quik "Dollaz + Sense" (1994)
17. Gucci Mane “Truth” (2012)
16. Cam'ron "Dear Stan" (2000)
15. Boogie Down Productions "South Bronx" (1986)
14. 2Pac "Against All Odds" (1996)
13. Eminem "The Sauce/Nail in the Coffin" (2002)
Target: Dave Mays, The Source, Benzino
Producer: Eminem
Album: N/A
Label: N/A
Best Line: "What you know about being bullied over half your life/Oh that's right/You should know what that's like/You're half white"
No stranger to beef with hip-hop magazines, Eminem began feuding with former Source co-owner Raymond "Benzino" Scott when Benzino publicly attacked Eminem's whiteness, claiming he had an unfair advantage over rappers of color and was bad for the culture. After threats of an Eminem boycott from The Source, and a slew of diss songs from Benzino, Em unleashed the ether-filled "The Sauce" and "Nail in the Coffin" on a Shady mixtape.
Equally venomous, both tracks picked apart Benzino's failed rap career, age, and the exploiting of Zino's son for his own financial gain. The Source and Benzino would never be the same, despite spending many years and dollars attempting to kill Marshall's career.