90s Rap Rivalries: The Battles That Defined a Generation

Since the early days of hip-hop, the culture has been defined by the calling out of rivals and the assertion of artistic dominance, from cipher battles to the evolution of diss tracks. One of the most recent and high-profile examples of this is the rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, a feud that has significantly influenced the cultural conversation. With Kendrick emerging as the clear victor, it’s worth revisiting some of the most iconic beefs of the 1990s. 

Lil’ Kim Versus Foxy Brown: These two iconic female hip-hop artists would become renowned as the best female rappers of their era. But back in the day, the young women were actually former classmates in Brooklyn. They both released their debut albums in the same year, 1996. Lil’ Kim was taken under the wing of The Notorious B.I.G. and his crew, Junior M.A.F.I.A., and Brown aligned herself with Jay-Z and Nas, leading N.Y. hip-hop stars alongside Biggie at the time. Despite the apparent competition and comparisons, the two were initially still on friendly terms.

However, a rift began to form between these two former friends just a year later. Lil’ Kim initiated the public beef by accusing Foxy Brown of copying her style. In response, Brown launched her own verbal attack. The feud escalated to a physical altercation outside the popular radio station Hot 97, involving both women and their entourage, which led to a shooting. Lil’ Kim was later found guilty of lying to a federal grand jury about the incident, resulting in her conviction on counts of perjury and conspiracy in 2005. She served a year at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, followed by three years of probation. Despite expectations that the beef would subside upon Kim’s release, Brown continued to fuel the feud, and the diss tracks and heated exchanges persisted.

Even in 2012, the beef was still evident when (again) at Hot 97’s Summer Jam concert series, artist Nicki Minaj (who also had beef with Kim) reportedly planned a Lil’ Kim service with a Kim look-alike. Since Brown was one of Minaj’s guest acts, many speculated the event would involve both rappers. However, both artists pulled out of the event at the last minute and later stated the ‘service’ was just a rumor. 

Jay-Z Versus Nas: Many will remember that New York City had a stronghold on the rap and hip-hop scene of the 1990s. Two powerhouses of the time, Jay-Z and Nas, had a rivalry that is often considered one of the most epic beefs in hip-hop history. This beef, with its deep roots and far-reaching impact, is a testament to the enduring influence of hip-hop culture.

In 1996, Nas was supposed to be featured on Jay’Z’s track “Bring It On” from his debut record, Reasonable Doubt. However, he failed to attend the recording session, and no one knew what happened. But when Nas’ second album was released later that month, the opening track featured a thinly veiled diss to Jay-Z, with Nas later confirming. The rivalry was still somewhat friendly at the time, and in 1997 Jay-Z sampled Nas on a track but included a diss within the lyrics.

When the world mourned for the passing (and murder) of Biggie Smalls later that year, Jay-Z boasted that “The City is Mine.” The two artists would release tracks and music videos going after one another in the following years. The beef would last for years, with talk shows and die-hard fans flaming the enmity, but thankfully, the beef stayed trapped in songs and might have made its way into some business deals but never came to physical altercations. 

Ice Cube Versus Dr. Dre Versus Eazy-E: In the late 1980s, a messy affair unfolded when the legendary West Coast rap group N.W.A began splitting up. Ice Cube left the group in 1989, with public complaints against the group’s manager and financial mismanagement occurring. Instead of keeping these grievances close the chest, in 1991, Ice Cube sparked a war of words that soon pulled in Eazy-E and Dr. Dre. Both artists responded with diss tracks. Eazy-E possibly released one of the best diss tracks ever in 1993 with ‘Real Muthaphuckkin G’s,’ taking on Dre himself.

Unfortunately, on March 26, 1995, at only 31 years of age and at the height of his solo career, Eazy-E passed away from HIV/AIDS. As many fans attempted to grapple with the loss of the ‘Godfather of Gangster Rap,’ many couldn’t help but question how quickly Eazy-E’s condition deteriorated, leading to conspiracies about his passing.

Over the years, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube patched up their relationship after years of beef. In an interview with Howard Stern, Ice Cube revealed that when he first reunited with Dre all those years later, it was like they had never fallen out at all, “… we hugged, and it’s like, we never even talked about the past. We just went forward.” This reconciliation serves as a beacon of hope, showing that even the most intense beefs can be overcome.

The Notorious B.I.G. Versus Tupac Shakur: Possibly one of the most well-known and deeply tragic rap beefs of all time between two of the most celebrated artists of their time. Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace and Tupac “2Pac” Shakur were friends before a West Coast vs. East Coast rivalry engulfed the rap and hip-hop world. The beef pitted the region’s iconic industry powerhouses, Suge Knights Death Row (West Coast) and Bad Boy Records (East Coast), with Biggie and Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs.

Most place the two artists meeting in person in 1993 on the ‘Poetic Justice’ set where Tupac, already a huge artist, played Biggie’s first single. The two became close friends: Biggie stayed at Pac’s home in L.A. when visiting from N.Y.C. Pac acted as a mentor for the up-and-coming artist. The two also performed together, freestyling on stage, including at Madison Square Garden. Biggie, at one point, even asked Tupac to become his manager, but Tupac politely declined but told him he would become a star with Shakur.

The relationship reportedly started to fray at the edges with Biggie not liking who Tupac shared company with while in N.Y.C. An extreme turn of events occurred in November of 1994 when Tupac was shot outside the Quad Recording Studio in N.Y.C.; he was also beaten and robbed. Bigge and Puff were in the building simultaneously, leading many to believe that they had been involved, and the once-endearing friendship ended abruptly. During a stint in prison, Biggie released a suspect diss track ‘Who Shot Ya.’ However, he would later say the song was not aimed at Tupac, trying to quell the growing public discourse growing by a fever pitch between the two feuding coasts.

On the other hand, Pac went full in, claiming Biggie was behind the shooting and even bragging that he had been with Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans. Many of us remember the horrific day on September 7, 1996, when Tupac was fatally shot during a drive-by shooting in Vegas. The murder has been shrouded in mystery, conspiracy theories, rumors, and controversy ever since. 

Faith Evans later claimed that Biggie was deeply impacted by the death of his rival and former friend; “I remember Big calling me and crying. I know for a fact he was in Jersey. He called me crying because he was in shock. I think it’s fair to say he was probably afraid, given everything that was going on at that time and all the hype that was put on this so-called beef that he didn’t really have in his heart against anyone.”

On March 9, 1997, the world lost another legend when Biggie was also fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in L.A. Incredibly similar to the murder of Tupac, the public commentary, outrage, and conspiracies would endure for years and years. Many view this rap beef as one of the most legendary and a cautionary tale that hopefully informs future ones to keep the beef to the diss tracks.