hit em up

Today In Hip Hop History: 2Pac’s Epic Diss Track “Hit ‘Em Up” Dropped 28 Years Ago

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Tupac Shakur

On this date in 1996, 2Pac released the first single from his Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory album “Hit ‘Em Up”, aimed at his New York nemesis the Notorious B.I.G., his crew, Junior Mafia and the rest of NYC’s top tier emcees of the era.

Alongside his up and coming crew The Outlawz from New Jersey, Pac went full throttle at the Rotten Apple’s best of the best including Biggie, Lil’ Kim, Mobb Deep and the entire Bad Boy “as a staff, a record label and as a motherfuckin’ crew..” Pac took specific aim at the King Of NY when he boasted, “You claim to be a player, but I fucked your wife…”, which stemmed from the rumor mill which placed Biggie’s wife Faith Evans in a compromising circumstance with her husband’s opps.

Considered one of the best diss tracks of all time, no one from New York responded to Hit ‘Em Up except Mobb Deep, who responded with “Drop A Gem On ‘Em” just months before Tupac Shakur was tragically killed in Las Vegas.

Salue to ‘Pac(RIP), The Outlawz(RIP Khadafi and Fatal Hussein) for making such a pivotal piece of Hip Hop history!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: 2Pac’s Epic Diss Track “Hit ‘Em Up” Dropped 28 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: 2Pac’s Epic Diss Track “Hit ‘Em Up” Dropped 28 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

DJ Envy Explains Why He Was First NY DJ To Play 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up”

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DJ Envy goes back to the golden age of hip-hop. He was mentored by DJ Clue, and made a name for himself on the mixtape circuit before becoming one of the hosts of The Breakfast Club. DJ Envy is best known for his radio commentary these days, but he was spinning records during the peak of the 2Pac and Biggie feud in the mid-1990s. He’s a New York native, which made his recent revelation about the feud, and the role he played in it, so surprising. Envy claims to be the first DJ to throw on ‘Pac’s diss on NY radio.

DJ Envy dropped this bombshell during a recent interview with AllHipHop. He was on the side of Biggie and New York, but he told the outlet that he made a point of spinning 2Pac’s scathing diss “Hit ‘Em Up” whenever he could. His reasoning? It was a way to stand out in a crowded field. “I got that record first, and it was like I know a lot of DJs weren’t going to play it,” he reasoned. He cited names like Kid Capri, Craig G, and even his mentor, Clue, as people who were firmly against the concept of giving ‘Pac air time. “At the time,” he admitted. “I was behind everybody… And I was like, ‘I need to get my foot in the door.’”

Read More: DJ Envy Denies Blackballing Nicki Minaj

DJ Envy Leveraged The Song To Boost His Profile

The gambit worked. DJ Envy threw “Hit ‘Em Up” on his mixtapes, and the attention that the song got, both good and bad, worked to his benefit. “I was like ‘I’m gonna play this record’ and then we’ll go from there,” he recalled. “We’ll see what happens. So, they gave me the record and I said, ‘This is going to be one of the biggest mixtapes ever.’” DJ Envy did acknowledge the danger that came with giving air time to the West Coast. He also noted that 2Pac and Biggie were irritated by the decision. Still, a way in is a way in. “It went crazy,” Envy recalled. “At the time, I know Big and Puff was mad. But I was getting my foot in the door and it was music. And that’s where it started.”

DJ Envy’s promotion of the 2Pac and Biggie feud is fascinating when placed in contrast to his opinion on the recent Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle. While Breakfast Club co-host Charlamagne tha God labeled it the greatest battle of all time, Envy was underwhelmed. The DJ took issue with the spreading of what seemed to be false information. “Is there any proof of the rap? No,” he asserted. “I think both sides are corny with it. It’s very dangerous… I just wanted to see a rap battle.”

Read More: Charlamagne And DJ Envy Question “The Breakfast Club” Hosting Situation

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Ice Cube Reaffirms That “No Vaseline” Is Superior To “Ether”, “Not Like Us”, & More: “I Took Out Four Motherf***ers”

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There is a laundry list of memorable diss tracks throughout rap’s 50 plus year history. However, there are only a handful that sit the highest in hip-hop lore. Most avid listeners will tell you that either “Hit ‘Em Up” by Tupac or something like an “Ether” from Nas reigns over all of them. However, there is still an MC who is a staunch advocate for his own body of work. That would be nonother than Ice Cube. The West Coast rapper was put in an awkward position during the peak of his career when he was with N.W.A. Unfortunately, things did not pan out and he ultimately departed. However, that difference between the group and Ice Cube spawned “No Vaseline”, which he believes remains the greatest diss song ever even over songs like “Ether”.

Of course, there has been some new competition thrown into the fray over the last month or so. Kendrick Lamar and Drake were firing off diss records left and right, sometimes even multiple times a day. The one that fans and rappers see as the best out of the bunch is “Not Like Us”. It has grown extremely rapidly since its release at the beginning of May. Still though, Ice Cube is still keeping the crown on “No Vaseline”, and here is why.

Read More: Drake Has Fans Questioning His Legacy As Vory’s “Mob Ties” Reference Track Goes Viral

Ice Cube Makes His Case For “No Vaseline” Over “Ether” & Others

In a recent stage performance, the Los Angeles artist showed love to those diss records we alluded to. But in case the people in the back could not hear, Cube reiterated his argument one more time for you. “One MC… I took out four motherf***ers and the manager. You can’t beat that.” In addition, he did take the time to clarify that him and N.W.A. are still tight, especially with that happening 30 plus years ago.

What are your thoughts on Ice Cube naming his diss track, “No Vaseline,” the greatest of all time? Do you agree with him that it trumps songs like “Ether”, “Not Like Us”, and “Hit ‘Em Up”? Did he make a valid case for it, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Ice Cube. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

Read More: Drake Blesses 21 Savage With The Ultimate Toronto Compliment

The post Ice Cube Reaffirms That “No Vaseline” Is Superior To “Ether”, “Not Like Us”, & More: “I Took Out Four Motherf***ers” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Questlove Argues 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” Is The “Weakest” Diss Track

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Questlove doesn’t think 2Pac’s legendary diss track, “Hit ‘Em Up,” deserves the iconic reputation it has due to how he feels about production. The Roots drummer discussed the song during a recent appearance on the One Song podcast. ‘Pac famously targets The Notorious B.I.G., Junior M.A.F.I.A., Mobb Deep, and other East Coast artists in the lyrics.

“I would respect 2Pac’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ if his music tracking was better,” he said. “‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ to me, is disqualified, not because of the misogyny — forget all that. It’s like, ‘Dude, you’re rhyming over smooth jazz dinner music.’ Luther Vandross could sing over this! People who are born in the later part of the decade that I was born in — alright, I was born in the ’70s — their relationship with 2Pac is different to my relationship [with 2Pac]. So when this came out, everybody was like, ‘This is hard as sh*t! Yo, he killin’ it!’ And I was like, ‘Dog, he’s smooth jazzed up Dennis Edwards. It doesn’t count’ […] That song, to me, is the weakest musical smack. I can’t get with ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ because the music, to me, is just…”

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Response To Drake Is Allegedly Like 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up,” Says Joe Budden Podcast Co-Host

Questlove Wins Academy Award For Documentary Feature

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson, winner of the Documentary (Feature) award for ‘Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),’ attends the Governors Ball during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Questlove previously made headlines this month for speaking on Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s ongoing feud, remarking that no one won the battle. Instead, he said on Instagram that it only showed “Hip Hop truly is dead.” The two artists have been releasing several diss tracks aimed at one another in recent months.

Questlove Speaks On Legacy Of 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up”

Check out Questlove’s full comments on “Hit ‘Em Up” above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Questlove on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Questlove Says “Hip-Hop Is Truly Dead” Amid Kendrick Lamar & Drake’s Feud

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Questlove Issued Another Hot Take About A Classic Diss Track After Deriding The Drake And Kendrick Beef

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Despite already being in hot water with rap fans over his take on the Drake/Kendrick Lamar beef, Questlove derided a different diss track in a new interview. This time, his beef (heh) is with a classic of the genre: Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up,” which is widely regarded as one of the best — or at least, the most disrespectful — diss tracks in rap.

Appearing on SiriumXM’s One Song Podcast to discuss Public Enemy’s “Cold Lampin’ With Flavor,” Quest was inevitably baited into commenting on the evolution of diss tracks. While pointing out how the lyrics on them are usually just “okay,” he brought up his issue with “Hit ‘Em Up” — which is so very specific, and so very, very Questlove.

“I would actually respect Tupac’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ if his music tracking was better,” he announced. “‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ to me, is disqualified not because of the misogynist… forget all that. Dude, you’re rhyming over smooth jazz dinner music! Luther Vandross could sing over this!”

He’s referring here to “Don’t Look Any Further” by Dennis Edwards, the song sampled by “Hit ‘Em Up” producer Johnny “J.” (For a laugh, check out the original music video, which is unintentionally hilarious in its 1980s-ness.)

Once a clip of the interview — out of context, of course — made its way to Twitter, Questlove became the target of fans already incensed that he had declared “hip-hop is dead” over the Drake/Kendrick battle. Some fans pointed out that The Roots’ video for “What They Do” could be interpreted as a satirical diss of The Notorious B.I.G. (and, in fact, was seen that way by Biggie, but as Quest has repeatedly pointed out, that was all a misunderstanding — read the liner notes sometime, people).

It seems unlikely that Quest is going to change his opinion. After all, he’s seen hip-hop through a great many iterations and has maintained more or less the same level of forward-thinking, left-of-center outlook on it the entire time. The people fronting on him now probably aren’t the people who actually had Illadelph Halflife on vinyl, so some friction between their viewpoints is probably not only to be expected, but practically inevitable (anyone who was on rap forums in the late 90s or early 2000s can attest to this).

Kendrick Lamar Response To Drake Is Allegedly Like 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up,” Says Joe Budden Podcast Co-Host

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Kendrick Lamar is currently in the midst of a feud with Drake, and we all know that it has been a brutal one, to say the least. Overall, it started with the song “Like That,” where Kendrick proclaimed there is no big three. Subsequently, Drake dropped off “Push Ups.” The diss song was officially released today, and now, fans are waiting to hear from Lamar. There is this sense that he needs to drop a response, sooner rather than later. Otherwise, Drake will be able to claim victory, and that will be the end of that.

One podcast that has speaking at length about the situation is the Joe Budden Podcast. It’s been a huge topic of conversation, and there have been some theories about Kendrick and his song. According to co-host Ish, Kendrick does have something coming. In fact, the song is reportedly going to be a lot like 2Pac’s diss track towards Biggie, “Hit ‘Em Up.” Admittedly, Ish has not heard the track, but this is what he has been told by people close to the situation.

Read More: Which Rappers Have Apologized To Kendrick Lamar?

Kendrick Lamar Theories All-Around

“Some people that have heard the Kendrick track, I heard that his energy is just something that’s going to be hard for Drake to match. They said he’s coming on some Pac ‘Hit Em Up’ energy,” Ish explained. If this is true, then the hip-hop world is for quite the wild ride. However, there is a chance the song just does not exist. We will just have to wait and see what Kendrick decides to do. As we know, he isn’t with the social media games like Drizzy is.

Let us know what you think about this situation, in the comments section down below. Now that Drake has officially dropped off his response, do you think Lamar is on the clock? If he does drop, do you think he will ultimately come out the winner? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Scores This Milestone For Feature On “Like That”

The post Kendrick Lamar Response To Drake Is Allegedly Like 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up,” Says Joe Budden Podcast Co-Host appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Tony Yayo Likens Katt Williams Interview To Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up”

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Tony Yayo feels like Katt Williams unloaded a clip on the comedic world during his Club Shay Shay interview, similar to how Tupac targetted his foes on “Hit Em Up.” During a recent interview with Vlad TV, Tony Yayo chimed in on Katt Williams’ salacious conversation with Shannon Sharpe. The G-Unit rapper claimed that Katt Williams is almost like 50 Cent of the comedy world, especially when it comes to providing his unfiltered thoughts on current affairs. 

Katt Williams general approach to comedy is undoubtedly why it resonates with people across the board. Yayo explained that the Friday After Next actor “says what he wants to say,” though his respect for Williams increased after witnessing the comedian get into the zone at 50 Cent’s show in Atlanta. He explained that Williams has the ability to turn his negative situations into a positive, such as when he got beat up by a 14-year-old and later, cracked jokes about the incident during a Brooklyn show.

Read More: Katt Williams’ 7 Most Hilarious Movies

Katt Williams Delivered The “Hit Em Up” Of Comedy

Although Tony Yayo says that he appreciates all of the other comedians that Williams dissed during the interview, he said that Katt remains unapologetically himself. While comparing the interview to Tupac’s “Hit Em Up,” he added that he relates to Williams. “He’s gon’ say what he wants to say,” Yayo said. “I’m like that. I say what I want to say, some people are just like that. What does he got to lose? He’s already a millionaire. He’s rich already.”

Katt Williams interview on Club Shay Shay has racked up 37 million views since its release last week. Throughout the interview, Williams slams a number of comedians, such as Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, and others for their comedic chops. Although his feud with Hart garnered the most amount of attention, Williams recently revealed that he was going to go on tour with Kevin’s ex-wife, Torrei. We’ll see how that plays out. For now, check out Tony Yayo’s interview with Vlad above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments below. 

Read More: Kevin Hart Issues New Response To Katt Williams

The post Tony Yayo Likens Katt Williams Interview To Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Biggie Smalls Allegedly Cried When He Heard Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” Diss

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Decades after their unfortunate and deadly feud, more people than ever ant to know what went down between Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. Moreover, tales emerged from all over: family members, close friends, industry connections… you name it. However, this most recent bit of alleged information may surprise some out there, though it may just be a clout chase. Moreover, DJ Vlad recently sat down with Lance “Un” Rivera, who doubled down on an earlier claim from 2017 that Biggie cried when he heard the legendary “Hit ‘Em Up” diss.

“When Tupac finally did get out of jail and whatever happened with Suge and Interscope- he came home, and at that moment in time, Big was the biggest rapper on the planet,” Un stated. “He was huge. I’m talking about he was on fire. He had sold two million albums probably at that time. The Mafia was pushing a million.” Un worked closely with Biggie Smalls, financing his music career early on and becoming an executive for Undeas Recordings. That was the partnership between The Notorious B.I.G. and Atlantic Records that housed Junior M.A.F.I.A.

Read More: Styles P Says Biggie Wanted To Squash Beef Between Diddy & The LOX Before He Died

Lance “Un” Rivera Claims Biggie Smalls Took “Hit ‘Em Up” Pretty Hard

“So we had this hit record called ‘Get Money’ and we had a remix to it and all of a sudden, Pac comes home and we’re at a video shoot and somebody plays ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ for us and we all looked at each other like, ‘What the f**k just happened?’” he continued. “Because like I said, that record was hot. It was big. ‘Cause me personally like I said, I’m ready to go to war. I wanted to shoot a video the next day, make a song the next day and make one of those videos targeting Suge and Death Row. And Big was like, ‘Nah we’re not gonna do anything. We’re not gonna even respond.’” Then, DJ Vlad referenced the earlier interview where he made the claim about Biggie Smalls crying when he heard the diss. Un stood by his statement.

“I was in the room when he heard Faith and 2Pac,” he said of his reaction back in 2017. “He cried like a baby!” In his talk with Vlad six years later, Un gave his theory as to why Tupac dropped the diss. “The real reason was the fact that Biggie was huge. He was huge and he needed… Like I said, Nas, Biggie, and Pac- those were the top. Pac went to jail, he did whatever he did so now Biggie has staked claim to the King of Hip Hop. ‘I’m the target now, I’m the king.’ So now everybody else is like, ‘Okay, I got to get back.’” Drop what you thought of this claim in the comments and return to HNHH for more on Biggie Smalls.

Read More: Biggie Disses Himself & Bad Boy On AI “Hit Em Up” Cover

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Biggie Disses Himself & Bad Boy On AI “Hit Em Up” Cover

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The world of AI has shook up the rap world as we hear Drake cover Kanye songs and now, Biggie cover Tupac records. Last week, Yedits, a Reddit group dedicated to “mixing and editing of a wide variety of artists’ music,” shared a minute-long snippet of an AI cover of Tupac’s “Hit’ Em Up” with The Notorious B.I.G’s vocals. The astounding preview landed online last week but over the past few days, it’s gained significant traction on social media and YouTube. 

The AI cover is something you wouldn’t expect to hear, especially when considering that Biggie is dissing himself and Bad Boy as a whole. The technology used created an uncanny resemblance to Biggie Smalls’ actual voice. However, it makes us wonder how this could impact further posthumous releases from his estate. Meta already hosted a Notorious B.I.G. VR concert including a “true-to-life, hyperrealistic” avatar of the late rapper as he performed his hit records. Perhaps, as AI technology evolves, there might be some sort of way to recreate his voice to produce new records.

AI Biggie Strikes, Again

The cover of “Hit Em Up” came right before Timbaland debuted his own collab with the late Biggie Smalls via AI. Earlier this week, the Virginia legend debuted a new song that utilized AI to recreate Biggie’s vocals. On the song, Biggie references Young Dolph, Nipsey Hussle, and Pop Smoke over Timbo’s futuristic production. However, Timbaland did acknowledge some of the issues surrounding AI technology, promising that he’s “got a solution” that he’s working on. “It’s gon’ be beneficial to everybody,” Tim said.

Artificial intelligence has undoubtedly spurred concerns already, especially as the “Godfather of AI” apologized and expressed regrets over these advancements. Prior to this, Universal Music Group called for streaming platforms like Spotify to take action against uploading AI covers as it takes away money from the artist and the label. We’ll ultimately have to see how this pans out in the future. Check out Biggie’s AI Cover of “Hit ‘Em Up” above and sound off in the comments with your thoughts on the future of artificial intelligence. 

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Snoop Dogg Reveals He Wasn’t A Fan Of “Hit ‘Em Up”

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Snoop Dogg recently shared his thoughts on one of the 90’s most famous diss tracks. Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” was released in 1996 and featured disses of several prominent East Coast rappers. Most notably, Pac took aim at friend turned rival Notorious B.I.G.. Pac’s bombastic takedown of all things East Coast earned many fans and detractors alike. Moreover, the song has gone down as one of the most indelible tracks of both the decade and hip history. Indeed, It speaks to the track’s longevity that it still gets play to this day. However, Snoop now admits that he wasn’t a fan of the track.

Snoop recently sat down with Big Boy TV to discuss his relationship with Tupac. During the conversation, Snoop recalled being shot at while visiting New York. Despite this, he would later express an interest in working in New York artists after the incident. Snoop revealed that this angered Pac. “I went and did an interview and was asked how did I feel about Puffy and Biggie. I was like, ‘I like them n-ggas, I wanna do some music with ’em,’” he said. “And that just rubbed cuz the wrong way, like, ‘N-gga, fuck them n-ggas, them n-ggas tried to kill me. N-ggas shot at you, and you talking about you wanna do a song with them n-ggas?”

Snoop Dogg Angered Tupac By Wanting To Work With New York Artists

Furthermore, tension had already been growing between the East Coast and West Coast at the time. “Hit ‘Em Up” only made that tension worse. Subsequently, Snoop voiced his disapproval of the track. “Even when he played the video for me to ‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ even when he played ‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ the song, I didn’t like the song,” he said. “Like, you buying more problems, cuh. You buying problems. Gangstas is everywhere. They make ’em everywhere.”

Meanwhile, Snoop also spoke on his relationship with Pac in the weeks leading up to Pac’s death. Snoop revealed that the relationship with his Death Row Label mate was unpredictable and could change quickly.  “I’d say a week before he died, we was best of friends,” he said. “Two days before he died, I don’t think he liked me,” Tupac was killed in Las Vegas in September of 1996. Additionally, Notorious B.I.G. was murdered the following March. Subsequently, many have speculated that increasing hostility in hip-hop may have played a role in the two legends’ untimely deaths.

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