When it comes to debating the best diss tracks in hip-hop history, there are a few titles that regularly come out on top, though none more frequently than Ice Cube’s 1991 assassination of his former N.W.A. members on “No Vaseline.”
The song comes in at five minutes and 13-seconds and finds the Los Angeles native relentlessly addressing Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, MC Ren, as well as the group’s manager, Jerry Heller, for his shady business contracts.
Ice Cube in 1991 — Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
“Lookin’ like straight Bozos / I saw it comin’ that’s why I went solo,” are among Cube’s first few bars that help set the scene of his departure from the famed group. “And kept on stompin’ / When y’all motherf*ckers moved straight outta Compton.”
More specific disses for his past collaborators include, “Yella Boy’s on your team, so you’re losin’ / Ay yo Dre, stick to producin’ / Callin’ me Arnold, but you been-a-d*ck / Eazy-E saw your ass and went in it quick,” and “Half-pint bitch, f*ckin’ your homeboys / You little maggot, Eazy-E turned f*ggot.”
As per usual, when XXL Magazine‘s Twitter account asked users to debate the best hip-hop diss track of all time, Cube’s release began trending on Twitter as people shared why they think “No Vaseline” simply can’t be topped.
“‘No Vaseline’ is the only right answer,” one person wrote. “He went for all the blood and basically destroyed what was left of N.W.A.” Speaking on 2Pac’s often suggested song, “Hit ‘Em Up,” the same user said, “[it] was cheeks.”
Another hip-hop head explained their take, writing, “‘No Vaseline’ and it’s not even close. Not trying to take anything away from tracks like ‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ ‘Ether,’ ‘Story of Adidon,’ or ‘Killshot,’ but – ‘No Vaseline’ is one dude coming for four dudes, and he annihilated them.”
Check out more Twitter reactions below, and let us know who you think has the best diss track of all time in the comments.