Drake’s Memeing of Meek Mill: How Hip-Hop Beefs Kill Careers
R.I.P.
08.07.155:15 AM ET
Drake’s Memeing of Meek Mill: How Hip-Hop Beefs Kill Careers
Meek Mill is on the ropes in his war of words with Drake, with many speculating that it could be the end of his career. He wouldn’t be the first to have his career killed by a rap feud.
The Drake vs. Meek Mill feud has risen to operatic heights over the past two weeks. Meek started all of this bad blood by dissing Drake via Twitter, accusing the typically mild-mannered Canadian of using a ghostwriter, and Drizzy’s initial even-toned Instagram response was just a precursor to the superstar responding with “Charged Up,” and then exploding with “Back To Back Freestyle,” where it was crystal clear that he was not taking any prisoners. Meek fired back (eventually) with the relatively (ahem) meek track “Wanna Know,” only for the Web to collectively yawn before clowning the song altogether. Even Whataburger took shots. Sensing blood, Drake followed things up with a chance to dance on Mill’s proverbial grave at this year’s OVO Fest in Toronto, performing his two diss tracks in front of a screen with shots of this week’s many Meek Mill-spoofing memes scrolling behind him.
Meek Mill take it from us- if you gonna serve beef serve it high quality
— Whataburger® (@Whataburger) July 31, 2015
The beef between KRS-One and MC Shan is often credited as the first major feud in hip-hop. There had been others in earlier years, but this occurred in that mid-‘80s period when hip-hop was becoming cemented as a burgeoning force in music. And in New York City, Boogie Down Productions vs. The Juice Crew was a big deal. For those uninitiated, Shan dropped a classic Marley Marl-produced single called “The Bridge” which BDP’s KRS-One heard and took as an insult to the Bronx, since it sounded like Shan was claiming his home borough of Queens as hip-hop’s birthplace.
“I finally figured it out, Magic mouth is used for sucking
Roxanne Shante is only good for steady fucking
MC Shan and Marley Marl is really only bluffing
Like Doug E. Fresh said, ‘I tell you now, you ain't nothing’
Compared to Red Alert on KISS and Boogie Down Productions.”
--“The Bridge Is Over” by KRS-One
Beefs in the age of social media take on a whole new level of pop culture resonance, and fans can pile on when it’s clear a rapper is in over his head.
“Get a piece of this gangsta lean straight from Queens
Strong as liquor, to be seen in a limousine
Now you're gettin done without Vaseline
Wouldn't bite because your rhymes are puppy chow
Made another million, so competitors bow
Homeboy, hold on, my rhymes are so strong
Nothing could go wrong, so why do you prolong
Songs that ain't strong, brother, you're dead wrong
And got the nerve to have them Star Trek shades on.”
--“To Da Break of Dawn” by LL Cool J
“I started off with too much cargo,
dropped four niggas now I'm makin' all the dough.
White man just rulin'.
The ‘Niggas With Attitudes’—who ya foolin?’”
--
West side when we ride—come equipped with game
You claim to be a player but I fucked your wife
We bust on Bad Boy, niggaz fucked for life
Plus Puffy tryin ta see me, weak hearts I rip
Biggie Smallz and Junior M.A.F.I.A. some mark ass bitches
We keep on comin' while we runnin for ya jewels
Steady gunnin, keep on bustin at the fools
You know the rules.”
--“Hit ‘Em Up” by 2Pac
“Y'all niggas deal with emotions like bitches
What's sad is I love you 'cause you're my brother
You traded your soul for riches
My child, I've watched you grow up to be famous
And now I smile like a proud dad, watching his only son that made it
You seem to be only concerned with dissing women
Were you abused as a child, scared to smile, they called you ugly?
Well life is hard, hug me, don't reject me
Or make records to disrespect me, blatant or indirectly
In '88 you was getting chased through your building
Calling my crib and I ain't even give you my numbers
All I did was gave you a style for you to run with.”
--“Ether” by Nas
“Now if you say my name in your rhyme, watch what you say--“Your Life’s On the Line” by 50 Cent
You get carried away, you can get shot and carried away
Now here's a list of MC's that can kill you in eight bars:
50, Jay-Z and Nas
I'ma say this shit now and never again
We ain't buddies, we ain't partners and we damn sure ain't friends
The games you playing, you get killed like that
Acting like you all hard, you ain't built like that.”
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