5 legendary hip-hop rivalries from Jay-Z to 2Pac

The clash, a codified tradition in rap

In the heated arena of rap, a clash is more than a petty quarrel, it’s an art form, a codified tradition where words are wielded like weapons. Through sharp punchlines, artists battle to defend their honor and symbolic turf. While some see these feuds as ego-driven theatrics, true connoisseurs understand they fuel the very essence of hip-hop: competition.

Recently, Kendrick Lamar clashed with Drake through diss tracks like Not Like Us, often violent songs meant to discredit the opponent. And anything goes, even digging up confidential information. When rivalries spill beyond music and social media, they can turn into brawls or full-blown street fights, as shown by the violent scuffle between French rappers Booba and Kaaris in an Orly airport terminal in August 2018. Here are five legendary or lesser-known international rap beefs.

Nicki Minaj vs. Remy Ma: the battle between the queens of rap

Arguably the most iconic feud in female rap history, the clash between Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma had long simmered before erupting in 2017 when Remy Ma, newly released from prison, dropped shETHER. In seven ferocious minutes, she attacked Minaj’s credibility, accusing her of using ghostwriters, undergoing multiple plastic surgeries, and hiding her insecurities behind commercial success. Brutal and unfiltered, the track channeled the rawest spirit of lyrical battles.

Nicki Minaj was slow to respond, a calculated move reflecting her strategic stance at the time. When she finally fired back with No Frauds (2017), alongside Drake and Lil Wayne, her approach was colder and more mocking than aggressive. This stance pleased her fans but left purists underwhelmed. Backed by pop superstardom, Minaj sidestepped a head-on battle where Remy Ma had sought a traditional showdown.

The clash revealed broader tensions: the difficulty female rappers face in coexisting within an industry that constantly pits them against each other, the blurred line between commercial acclaim and street legitimacy, and how fame reshapes the very way “rap wars” are fought. Though Nicki’s career remained intact, many believed Remy Ma won the battle.

Tupac Shakur vs. The Notorious B.I.G.: the most famous and violent rap feud

The feud between Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. remains hip-hop’s original tragedy. What began as a friendship devolved after Tupac was shot in New York in 1994, an incident he blamed on Biggie and Puff Daddy’s inner circle. Public provocations escalated soon after.

Tupac struck first with Hit ‘Em Up, a shockingly aggressive diss track attacking Biggie on personal and family fronts, breaking every unspoken MC code. Biggie, more restrained but no less strategic, countered with the cryptic Who Shot Ya?, widely seen as a veiled jab.

This beef fueled tensions between East Coast (New York) and West Coast (L.A.) rap scenes, spiraling into media-amplified hostility and industry manipulation. The climax was fatal: Tupac was murdered in Las Vegas in 1996, and Biggie was killed months later. Hip-hop went global but at the cost of its brightest stars.

Jay-Z vs. Nas: an elegant New York affair

Jay-Z and Nas’s feud is perhaps the most refined and calculated rap clash in New York’s history. By the late ’90s, Nas, once hailed as East Coast rap’s savior with Illmatic, was seen as fading, while Jay-Z was climbing with sharp business sense and storytelling prowess.

The real battle began in 2001 with Jay-Z’s Takeover, a track that critiqued Nas’s artistic inconsistencies. Nas’s reply, Ether, was savage, flipping public perception and restoring his street cred.

Ether became the blueprint for a perfect diss track. It forced Jay-Z to concede, subtly, his rival’s dominance. Their fiery but mostly verbal duel enriched New York’s rap mythos, and years later, the two reconciled in a historic truce.

The Assassination of Kevin Fret and the violence of Puerto Rican rap

The 2019 murder of Kevin Fret, Puerto Rico’s first openly gay rapper, remains a chilling episode in Latin rap history. More than an artist, Fret was a beacon for LGBTQ+ visibility in a scene riddled with machismo and heteronormativity. Outspoken and polarizing, he used his platform to criticize the urban music industry’s hypocrisy, drawing ire from established artists.

Though no official diss tracks exist, there were clear tensions between Fret and several prominent figures in reggaeton and Latin trap. Some media even hinted at the indirect involvement of major stars’ entourages, though no charges followed. Fret was gunned down in San Juan, and his death came to symbolize a deep-seated cultural rejection rather than just a score-settling hit.

50 Cent vs. Ja Rule: a feud that began on the streets

Few rap feuds have been as career-ending as 50 Cent’s war with Ja Rule. It started on the streets long before either became famous but blew up in 2002 when 50 Cent mocked Ja Rule’s “gangsta” image in Wanksta, accusing him of selling out with melodious, commercial rap.

Ja Rule clapped back weakly with Loose Change. 50 Cent, backed by Eminem and Dr. Dre, retaliated relentlessly with Back Down and numerous public jabs. The beef became a case study in strategic image destruction: 50 Cent’s marketing might led to Ja Rule’s rapid commercial decline. It redefined the value of street credibility in rap, showing how losing it can sink even the biggest stars.