(Rodin Eckenroth via Getty Images)
Quarrels amongst our queens in hip-hop is nothing new.
The Roxanne Wars of the 80s had New York’s rap scene in a frenzy. It was Roxanne Shanté versus everyone. Salt-N-Pepa, MC Lyte, and Queen Latifah are some just to name a few.
Around 100 songs had been recorded throughout the feud.
The 90s rap feud was Foxy Brown versus Lil’ Kim. The two rappers coexisted for a while. They both released their debut albums in 1996. Comparisons had brewed around 1999, as it was being alleged that Foxy Brown had been ‘taking note’ of Kim’s style. Diss features between the two parties added fuel to the fire.
Coming into the early 2000s was Nicki Minaj versus Lil’ Kim. Minaj’s mixtape “Playtime Is Over” (2007) had a cover that sparked comparisons to Kim’s “Hardcore” (1996) cover art.
Fingers began to point, “She’s a copycat” and “Give me my style back.”
This was the catalyst for a clashing between two of hip-hop’s biggest influences. Though this gave us some iconic diss tracks, problems between the two artists are still unresolved.
Leading us into the present day is Cardi B versus Nicki Minaj. The 2018 conflict is at the epicenter of the salty camaraderie of female rap currently. It’s a never-ending game of picking sides when working with either Nicki or Cardi B.
In September, Nicki Minaj dropped “Super Freaky Girl (Queens Mix)” featuring JT, BIA, Katie Got Bandz, Akbar V and Maliibu Miitch. After this the rap industry pitched a fit. For the past two months, Hip-Hop has been Nicki’s War, on Twitter at least.We’ve seen Nicki Minaj versus Cardi B and Nicki versus Latto. Nicki even got tangled up in a Twitter spat between Cardi B and JT playing tit-for-tat. Cardi B and JT were once friendly, even collaborating together. Things seemed to end abruptly, as if none of it mattered. When JT took to social media to congratulate Glorilla on her success of “Tomorrow 2” featuring Cardi B. After not feeling the love, Cardi B and JT got into an all-out dog brawl on Twitter.
Dear women of hip-hop, why is there so much beef? It’s spots at the table for everyone to eat.
When all you do is feud, it gives music a bad mood. This is different from the 80s, where’s the diss track ladies? Quit throwing shots in a post. Hop in the booth and go blow-for-blow.
For what many talented ladies have contributed to the culture, why not keep it kosher? You all deserve to boast. Let’s give you all a toast. Elevating each other is what matters the most.
No more beefs!