Diss tracks have always been an inherent nature of the hip-hop industry. In the early ’90s, the beginnings of the East Coast vs. West Coast rap beef took place. Death Row Records was at odds with Bad Boy, playing an integral role in the growing animosity at the time. With many MCs making it out of difficult childhood circumstances, the battle to make it to the top of rap is a cut-throat one. Several of the greatest rappers aren’t afraid to tone down their words, which has resulted in plenty of iconic diss tracks throughout the years. Today, we’re looking at the best diss tracks of all time, in no particular order.
9. “Ether” – Nas (2001)
Who’s the greatest MC out of New York? It’s a question that spans multiple decades, with Nas and Jay-Z consistently at the top of lists. The two had been close friends in the mid-1990s. However, they would begin to beef about who was the greatest and who deserved more respect in the industry. By 2001, this tension had reached its boiling point. While Jay-Z released “Takeover,” Nas responded with “Ether,” widely regarded as one of the greatest diss tracks ever. On the track, Nas aimed Jay-Z’s appearance, career, and personal life. He stated, “Well, life is harsh, hug me, don’t reject me or make records to disrespect me, blatant or indirectly.”
8. “Takeover” – Jay-Z (2001)
Jay-Z took direct shots at New York heavy hitters Nas and Mobb Deep on “Takeover.” The Kanye West-produced track was featured on The Blueprint, a record that changed hip-hop landscape for good. Jay-Z accused Nas of dropping a slew of mediocre albums after the critically acclaimed Illmatic. He stated, “One was nah, other was Illmatic / That’s one hot album every ten-year average.” In fact, Jay-Z went as far as to call Nas “straight garbage.” In addition to being a lyrically masterful song, “Takeover” was a commercial and critical success, solidifying Jay as one of the biggest MCs. While the two ended their beef in 2005, their nearly decade-long riff remains an iconic era in hip-hop history.
7. “Hit Em Up” – 2Pac (1996)
With hip-hop now an aspect of worldwide culture, the East Coast vs. West Coast beef that took over the scene no longer exists. However, this wasn’t the case when Tupac released “Hit Em Up.” You had the likes of Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Tupac against Jay-Z, Nas, and Biggie. With two distinctive sounds, the competitiveness between the regions sprouted an iconic era in the genre. “Hit Em Up” was a heavy attack on Notorious B.I.G and Bad Boy Records, as 2Pac insults their image and romanticization of violence.
6. “No Vaseline” – Ice Cube (1991)
Widely hailed as the greatest diss track of all time, “No Vaseline” set the standard. The diss was directed at NWA, Ice Cube’s former rap group. As documented, Cube didn’t believe he was being adequately compensated, leading to him leaving NWA. Eazy-E and Cube would be at odds, often taking their grievances to the studio.
“No Vaseline” helped to solidify Ice Cube’s legacy as an iconic MC. Taking aim at the likes of Dr. Dre and Eazy-E, he claims that the group betrayed him and held him back. Despite the aggressive bars, Cube and Eazy were said to have mended fences just prior to the latter’s death. In an interview with Howard Stern in 2016, he stated, “We just went forward. We’re always gonna be like that. I don’t care if we don’t talk to each other for 10 years. When we see each other, it’s gonna be like yesterday.”
5. “The Story of Adidon” – Pusha T (2018)
The beef between Drake and Pusha T indirectly began before Drake’s career took off. Back in 2006, Pusha T took shots at Lil Wayne after he was seen sporting BAPE, Clipse’s signature look, in a magazine. With Drake and Lil Wayne later becoming consistent collaborators, it’s argued that the Toronto-born MC was influenced by Wayne’s opinion of Pusha.
After a series of subtle disses over a decade, the beef culminated with Pusha T’s “The Story of Adidon.” The ex-Clipse act spent no time numbing his words, exposing the existence of Drake’s kid while once again accusing him of having ghostwriters. Drake addressed the diss on Lebron James’ HBO Show, The Shop, stating, “I knew something was gonna come up about my kid. They had to add the deadbeat dad thing to make it more appealing.” Re-using the instrumental from Jay-Z’s “The Story of O.J.,” “The Story of Adidon” is the defining diss track of the Gen-Z generation.
4. “Back Down” – 50 Cent (2003)
While 50 Cent has had his fair share of feuds, there’s none more iconic than his decade-long beef with Ja Rule. The two Queens-born artists began beefing in the late ’90s when Ja was reportedly robbed at gunpoint by a group of men affiliated with 50 Cent. Believing that 50 was behind the robbery, he began to dish out insults in a slew of diss tracks. Over the next five years, the two would exchange jabs at each other.
However, “Back Down” by 50 Cent is arguably the defining diss between the two. His debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, featured the iconic song. The Dr. Dre-produced track saw him question Ja’s street credibility and authenticity throughout. “Back Down” would become one of the most popular tracks off of the No. 1 project. Over the years, the beef has only grown as Ja and Fif continue to take jabs at one another.
3. “Killshot” by Eminem (2018)
While Eminem’s career has been up and down over the past decade, “Killshot” is undeniably an iconic moment from the 8 Mile MC. Released in September 2018, the track features his trademark menacing and rapid flow directed at Machine Gun Kelly. MGK’s previous diss track, “Rap Devil,” was confusing because he was complimenting and dissing the legendary artist. Eminem addresses this in “Killshot,” stating, “Wait, you just dissed me? I’m perplexed / Insult me in a line, compliment me on the next.”
The bad blood between the two started back in 2012. MGK made a comment directed at Eminem’s daughter. He would continue taking shots at Eminem over the next five years until Em finally responded. On “Killshot,” Eminem directly insults MGK’s appearance and lack of commercial success in the hip-hop lane. This beef had a clear winner, as MGK later admitted that his loss in the rap battle directed him away from hip-hop for good.
2. “Pest Control” – The Game (2016)
In 2016, The Game and Meek Mill were in a public beef that primarily took place on social media. What initially seemed like a money grab quickly turned into a genuine argument between the two, as The Game accused him of snitching about a robbery at a nightclub. Amid a series of diss tracks between each other, Game would release “Pest Control.” On the track, he once again accused Meek of snitching while also attempting to prove that Mill has ghostwriters. Soon after, Meek would go to prison for violating the probation of a crime he committed at 21. By the time he got out, the beef between them had essentially run its course.
1. “Back to Back” – Drake (2015)
Meek Mill has been the burden of plenty of disses throughout his career. In 2015, Drake responded to Meek Mill’s accusations that he had ghostwriters with the critically acclaimed “Back to Back.” However, Meek’s accusations cut even more profound, considering that he claimed Drake hired ghostwriters for his verse on “R.I.C.O,” a highly successful song off of Meek’s Dreams Worth More than Money. “Back to Back” would reach No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Drake accuses Meek of being all talk, stating, “Trigger fingers turn to Twitter fingers.” The menacing production and smooth bars make it one of the better disses of the last ten years.