{{short description|Song produced to verbally attack another person}} {{For|a list of diss tracks|List of diss tracks}} A '''diss track''', '''diss record''' or '''diss song''' (an abbreviation of ''disrespect'' or ''disparage'') is a track that verbally attacks someone, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating '''hip-hop feud''' between the two people; for example, the artists involved may be former members of a group, or artists on rival labels. Such feuds are often called "[[wikt:beef|beefs]]".
The diss track as a medium of its own was popularized within the [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] genre, fueled by the hip-hop rivalry phenomenon (especially the [[East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry|East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry]] of the mid-1990s). More recently, entertainers from outside the traditional music landscape have adopted the genre.<ref name=YouTubeMillions>{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=YouTube creators reinvented diss tracks to make millions |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/8/21/17761956/logan-paul-jake-paul-ksi-deji-ricegum-diss-track-youtube |website=Polygon |access-date=5 November 2019 |date=21 August 2018}}</ref>
In the course of constructing their argument, artists often include a wealth of references to past events and transgressions in their diss tracks, which listeners can dive into. Artists who are the subject of a diss track often make one of their own in response to the first. It is this back-and-forth associated with a feud that makes this type of song particularly viral. The term "sneak diss" refers to lyrics in which an artist describes or refers to an individual in a negative or derogatory manner without explicitly naming the target.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deepfreezechillin.com/2019/06/mastering-the-art-of-the-sneak-diss/|title=The Art of the "Sneak Diss"|last=Capitao|first=Brian|date=2019-06-17|website=The Freeze|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-26}}</ref>{{self-published inline|certain=y|date=January 2024}}
==History== ===Origin and early examples=== Though the term "diss track" originated in hip-hop, there are many examples throughout music history of earlier songs written as attacks on specific individuals. Some have also been retroactively described as diss tracks in their own right. [[File:Philip Dawe, The Macaroni. A Real Character at the Late Masquerade (1773).jpg|thumb|In "[[Yankee Doodle]]", a foolish British American [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] falsely believes he qualifies as a "[[Macaroni (fashion)|macaroni]]" elite (''a typical macaroni is pictured'').]] The 18th-century [[British America|British American]] song "[[Yankee Doodle]]" has been labeled a "diss song" and "diss track" by ''[[The New York Times]]'' and [[Cracked (magazine)|''Cracked'']] magazine. The song was written by [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]] colonists against [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] colonists, opposing sides in the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Loyalists (siding with the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British monarchy]]) often sang "Yankee Doodle" directly at Patriots (siding with the [[American Revolution|American revolutionaries]]) who were characterized in the song as a foolish and [[gay]] man named "Yankee Doodle". Notably in the song, Yankee Doodle puts only a "feather in his cap" and believes he thus qualifies as a "[[Macaroni (fashion)|macaroni]]", a type of fashionable and sophisticated male European elite back then. The song was later reclaimed as an unofficial [[national anthem]] of the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yudin |first=Eli |date=2024-07-16 |title=This Is the First Ever Diss Track |url=https://www.cracked.com/article_42829_this-is-the-first-ever-diss-track.html |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=Cracked.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Segal |first=David |date=July 1, 2017 |title=That Diss Song Known as 'Yankee Doodle' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/01/sunday-review/that-diss-song-known-as-yankee-doodle.html |access-date=December 7, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>
Another early example is the 1963 comedy album ''[[I Am the Greatest (Cassius Clay album)|I Am the Greatest]]'' by boxer [[Muhammad Ali]] (then named Cassius Clay), released six months prior to Ali winning the [[Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay|first world heavyweight championship fight]] against [[Sonny Liston]]. The album helped establish Ali's reputation as an eloquently poetic "[[trash-talk|trash talker]]", dissing Liston and any future contenders several times, as demonstrated on the album's fifth track "Round 5: Will The Real Sonny Liston Please Fall Down". At the album's release, Ali's remarks were treated as mere promotional bragging, until Ali won against Liston in their fight on February 25, 1964. ''I Am the Greatest'' is widely considered a precursor of hip-hop music.<ref name="tinsley">{{cite news|last=Tinsley|first=Justin|title=The Grammy-nominated Cassius Clay|url=https://andscape.com/features/muhammad-ali-i-am-the-greatest-album/|work=[[Andscape]]|date=June 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="rollingstone">{{cite magazine|title=Muhammad Ali: Famed Pugilist Was Also Hip-Hop Pioneer|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/muhammad-ali-worlds-greatest-boxer-was-also-hip-hop-pioneer-20160604|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=June 4, 2016|access-date=May 15, 2018|archive-date=May 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515184644/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/muhammad-ali-worlds-greatest-boxer-was-also-hip-hop-pioneer-20160604|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[Reggae]] musician [[Lee "Scratch" Perry]] was known for writing tracks that insulted his former musical collaborators. One prominent example was the 1967 song "[[Run for Cover (Lee Perry song)|Run for Cover]]", directed at producer [[Coxsone Dodd]].<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044910/http://www.upsetter.net/scratch/words/article_gayle.htm "The Upsetter", ''Black Music'' (January 1975).]}} "Perry says the song was his way of expressing how he felt about the way Clement Dodd (Sir Coxsone) had treated him financially while he had been working for Dodd. It spoke of revenge: 'You take people for fool, yeah / And use them as a tool, yeah / But I am the av-en-ger...'."</ref> Another example was "People Funny Boy", a 1968 track which attacked Jamaican reggae producer [[Joe Gibbs (record producer)|Joe Gibbs]]; Gibbs would respond later in the year on the track "People Grudgeful".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rougheryet.com/people-funny-boy/ |title=People Funny Boy |website=rougheryet.com}}</ref> Perry's 1973 track "[[Cow Thief Skank]]" was a diss against fellow record producer [[Niney the Observer]], who was feuding with Perry at the time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lough |first1=Adam Bhala |title=The Upsetter: Adventures With Inspector Gadget |url=https://www.passionweiss.com/2023/02/28/the-upsetter-lee-scratch-perry-documentary-essay/ |website=Passion of the Weiss |access-date=19 January 2024 |date=28 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Katz |first1=David |title=From the secret laboratory: Lee 'Scratch' Perry's 10 best deep cuts |url=https://www.factmag.com/2014/10/05/lee-scratch-perry-10-best-deep-cuts/6/ |website=Fact |access-date=20 January 2024 |page=6 |date=5 October 2014}}</ref>
[[John Lennon]] of [[the Beatles]] wrote "[[Sexy Sadie]]", a song released on the band's 1968 album ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'', as a diss track aimed at [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]], a guru who he felt had been a let-down to them. The original lyrics specifically targeted him, but at the request of [[George Harrison]] the lyrics became more vague.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://societyofrock.com/10-classic-rock-songs-you-didnt-know-were-diss-tracks/|title=10 Classic Rock Songs You Didn't Know Were Diss Tracks|website=Society Of Rock}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://stubru.be/zender/vaneminemtotfoofightersditzijndehardstedisstracksuitdegeschiedenis | title=Van Eminem tot Foo Fighters: Dit zijn de hardste disstracks uit de geschiedenis }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/diss_tracks_in_rock_music-66673|title=Diss Tracks In Rock Music|website=www.ultimate-guitar.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/d6110344-a901-4888-91be-0eb30b855a73|title=The 10 most vicious songs about real people - BBC Music|date=April 28, 2016|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> Lennon continued writing diss tracks after the break-up of the Beatles; his most forceful such song was "[[How Do You Sleep? (John Lennon song)|How Do You Sleep?]]", from his 1971 solo album ''[[Imagine (John Lennon album)|Imagine]]''. Lennon had the impression that the song "[[Too Many People]]" from [[Paul McCartney]]'s ''[[Ram (album)|Ram]]'' (1971) was a dig at him, something McCartney later admitted,<ref name="Playboy1984">{{cite web |url=http://www.beatlesinterviews.org/db1984.pmpb.beatles.html |title=Playboy Interview With Paul and Linda McCartney |publisher=Playboy Press |work=Playboy |year=1984 |access-date=23 August 2008}}</ref> and that other songs on the album, such as "3 Legs", contained similar attacks.<ref name="cadogan">{{cite book |first=Patrick |last=Cadogan |title=The Revolutionary Artist: John Lennon's Radical Years |year=2008 |pages=141 |publisher=Lulu |location=Morrisville, NC |isbn=978-1-4357-1863-0}}</ref> As a result, Lennon wrote "How Do You Sleep?" to indirectly mock McCartney's musicianship. While McCartney is never mentioned in the song, the many references make clear he is the target, particularly in the lyrics "The only thing you done was yesterday/And since you've gone you're just another day", the first lyric being a reference to The Beatles' 1965 song "[[Yesterday (song)|Yesterday]]" and the second line referring to McCartney's 1971 song "[[Another Day (Paul McCartney song)|Another Day]]".{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
The 1974 song "[[Sweet Home Alabama]]" by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] deliberately insults [[Neil Young]] for his criticism of Alabama in the song "[[Southern Man (song)|Southern Man]]". Young admitted later "I didn't like my words when I wrote them. They are accusatory and condescending."<ref>{{cite news |author=Felix Contreras |title=Unfurling 'Sweet Home Alabama,' A Tapestry Of Southern Discomfort |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/12/17/676863591/sweet-home-alabama-lynyrd-skynyrd-southern-discomfort-american-anthem |date=17 December 2018 |newspaper=[[Morning Edition]] ([[NPR]])}}</ref> The 1980 song "[[Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School|Play It All Night Long]]" by [[Warren Zevon]] would in turn mock "Sweet Home Alabama" by depicting it as a favorite song of a dysfunctional, sickly, poverty stricken, and incestuous southern family who would "turn those speakers up full blast/[[Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash|play that dead band's song.]]"<ref>{{cite web |last=Scanlon |first=Kelly |date=3 November 2024 |title=Warren Zevon shut down the feud between Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd: “Play that dead band’s song” |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/why-warren-zevon-criticised-lynyrd-skynyrd/ |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |location= |publisher= |access-date=October 17, 2025}}</ref>
[[The Sex Pistols]] are another group who recorded several diss tracks, including "[[New York (Sex Pistols song)|New York]]", aimed at [[The New York Dolls]], and "[[E.M.I. (song)|E.M.I.]]", aimed at their former record label [[EMI]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://loudwire.com/savage-rock-metal-diss-tracks/|title=The 23 Most Savage Rock + Metal Diss Tracks of All Time|website=Loudwire}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.altrevue.com/post/2018/12/20/the-bloody-classics-the-sex-pistols|title=The Bloody Classics - The Sex Pistols|first=Karis |last=Raeburn |date=December 20, 2018|website=Alt Revue}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/review/1066782/the-sex-pistols-never-mind-the-bollocks-at-35-classic-track-by-track|title=The Sex Pistols' 'Never Mind The Bollocks' at 35: Classic Track-By-Track|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
===Coalescing of the genre: early hip-hop rivalries=== In the 1980s, diss tracks began to feature prominently in the hip-hop genre. The first known hip-hop feud (or "beef") was the [[Roxanne Wars]].<ref name="redbull.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/roxanne-shante-and-the-first-rap-beef|title=Roxanne Shanté and the First Rap Beef|website=[[Red Bull]]|date=10 December 2016 }}</ref> The Roxanne Wars began in 1984 when [[Roxanne Shanté]] and [[Marley Marl]] released the song "[[Roxanne's Revenge]]", a diss track aimed at the trio U.T.F.O. "Roxanne's Revenge" was a quick success, leading [[U.T.F.O.]] to compose a response: they joined forces with Elease Jack and [[Adelaida Martinez]], who adopted the stage name "The Real Roxanne," to release a song under that name in 1985. Roxanne Shanté replied soon afterward, and the feud rapidly expanded from there, with numerous other rappers writing songs that expanded upon the Roxanne mythos.<ref name="redbull.com"/>
Another prominent hip-hop feud from the 1980s was [[The Bridge Wars]], a dispute over the birthplace of hip-hop. [[Marley Marl]] and [[MC Shan]] released the track "The Bridge" in 1985, in which they were perceived as claiming that the genre originated in [[Queensbridge Houses|Queensbridge]]. [[KRS-One]] and [[Boogie Down Productions]] responded with "South Bronx" in 1986, and the feud continued to escalate, culminating with Boogie Down Productions' "[[The Bridge Is Over]]" in 1987.
There also existed smaller-scale rivalries during this period: Craig Werner describes "interminable ego duels between [[LL Cool J]] and [[Kool Moe Dee]]" during the later 1980s.<ref>{{cite book | title=A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race & the Soul of America | publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] | author=Werner, Craig Hansen | year=2006 | page=[https://archive.org/details/changeisgonnacom00wern_0/page/295 295] | isbn=978-0472031474 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/changeisgonnacom00wern_0/page/295 }}</ref>
===East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry=== The [[East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry]] brought about increased popularity for hip-hop diss tracks. This feud began with East Coast rapper [[Tim Dog]]'s 1991 song "[[Fuck Compton]]", which expressed his anger at record companies' preference of West Coast artists over the East Coast. "Fuck Compton" provoked many responses, including [[Dr. Dre]]'s single "[[Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')]]" the following year. In addition to attacking Tim Dog, "Fuck Wit Dre Day" insults [[Eazy-E]], who was one of Dre's fellow [[N.W.A]] members prior to the group's dissolution. Eazy-E responded to the diss with "[[Real Muthaphuckkin G's]]" in 1993. Other notable diss tracks resulting from the N.W.A breakup include [[Ice Cube]]'s 1991 single "[[No Vaseline]]".
Rappers from other regions also became involved in the East Coast–West Coast feud at times; for instance, Chicago rapper [[Common (rapper)|Common]] exchanged diss tracks with Ice Cube after Common was perceived as having insulted the West Coast on his song "[[I Used to Love H.E.R.]]"<ref name="XXL" />
The East Coast–West Coast rivalry came to be exemplified by the feud between [[Tupac Shakur]] and [[the Notorious B.I.G.]], which began after Biggie's song "[[Who Shot Ya?]]" was interpreted by Shakur as a mockery of his 1994 robbery.<ref>{{cite news | date = May 21, 1997 |newspaper = [[New Straits Times]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6vxOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6620%2C4393622 |title=Gangsta rap: East Coast vs West Coast |access-date=December 17, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | date = March 24, 1997 |work = [[Newsweek]] |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/1997/03/23/requiem-for-a-gangsta.html |title=Requiem for a Gangsta |access-date=December 17, 2013}}</ref> Though both the Notorious B.I.G. and [[Puff Daddy]] denied involvement and asserted that "Who Shot Ya?" had been recorded before the robbery,<ref>{{cite news | date = January 31, 2009 <!--|access-date=November 14, 2011--> | work = The Guardian | title = Big Life: The rise and fall of Biggie Smalls}}</ref> Shakur nevertheless retorted on several tracks, most famously "[[Hit 'Em Up]]" in 1996.<ref name="XXL">{{Cite web|url=https://www.xxlmag.com/50-brutal-diss-lines-rap-history/ |title=Here Are 53 of the Most Brutal Diss Lines in Rap History |publisher=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] |date=February 2, 2023 |access-date=May 5, 2023}}</ref>
Another major feud from this era was the feud between [[Jay-Z]] and [[Nas]] in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Jay-Z dissed Nas (as well as [[Prodigy (rapper)|Prodigy]] of [[Mobb Deep]]) on the 2001 track "[[Takeover (Jay-Z song)|Takeover]]", and Nas retorted later that year with "[[Ether (song)|Ether]]". Ether in particular has come to be seen as a "classic" diss track,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://thesource.com/2014/12/11/today-marks-the-anniversary-of-the-rap-beef-between-jay-z-nas/ |title=TODAY MARKS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE RAP BEEF BETWEEN JAY-Z & NAS}}</ref> and caused "ether" to emerge as a slang term meaning to ruthlessly defeat someone in a rap battle.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 25 Greatest Outdated Rap Slang Words|url=http://www.passionweiss.com/2012/09/11/the-25-greatest-outdated-rap-slang-words/|website=Passionweiss|date=11 September 2012|access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref>
=== Contemporary hip-hop rivalries === In the 2010s, rivalries among hip-hop musicians have birthed numerous notable diss tracks.
After years of a reported feud and subtle references, rapper [[Pusha T]] called out [[Lil Wayne]], as well as Wayne's [[Cash Money Records|Cash Money]] and [[Young Money Entertainment|Young Money]] record labels, in a 2012 song titled "Exodus 23:1". Lil Wayne responded with a diss track of his own, "Ghoulish". [[Drake (musician)|Drake]], who at the time was signed to Young Money, subsequently entered the feud with "Tuscan Leather", a song on his 2013 album ''[[Nothing Was the Same]]''. Pusha T and Drake then recorded several further diss tracks against each other. In 2016, Pusha T released the freestyle "H.G.T.V." and Drake responded with "[[Two Birds, One Stone]]". Pusha T then continued the feud with "[[Infrared (Pusha T song)|Infrared]]", the closing track of his 2018 album ''[[Daytona (album)|DAYTONA]]''. This song sparked the response "[[Duppy Freestyle]]" from Drake, to which Pusha T responded with "[[The Story of Adidon]]". The cover of "The Story of Adidon" depicted a young Drake in [[blackface]] and featured lyrics revealing that Drake had a son. Due to Drake's high level of commercial success and popularity, the feud and the diss tracks that followed received significant coverage from hip-hop media and beyond.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Penrose |first1=Nerisha |date=2020-07-07 |title=A Timeline of Drake & Pusha T's Feud |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/drake-pusha-t-beef-timeline-8458323/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Romano |first=Aja |date=2018-05-31 |title=Pusha T vs. Drake: the long history of rap's feud of the moment |url=https://www.vox.com/2018/5/31/17408862/pusha-t-drake-duppy-diss-beef-explained |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=Vox |language=en}}</ref>
In 2015, Drake also engaged in a feud against rapper [[Meek Mill]], who alleged that Drake used [[ghostwriters]] for his music. Drake's second diss track in response to the allegations was "[[Back to Back (Drake song)|Back to Back]]", which went on to become a critical and commercial success.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Ramirez |first1=Erika |date=2015-07-31 |title=Meek Mill vs. Drake: A Full Timeline of the Rap Beef & Who Weighed In |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/meek-mill-drake-timeline-6641784/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2017, Rapper [[Remy Ma]] released a diss track aimed at [[Nicki Minaj]] named "[[Shether]]", a reference to Nas' "Ether", using the same beat.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=A Comprehensive Guide to the Nicki Minaj vs. Remy Ma Feud |url=https://time.com/4684737/nicki-minaj-remy-ma-rap-feud/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |magazine=Time |language=en}}</ref>
In 2018, rapper [[Eminem]], who had a long history of being embroiled in feuds, released "[[Killshot (song)|Killshot]]" in response to [[Machine Gun Kelly (musician)|Machine Gun Kelly]]'s diss "[[Rap Devil]]". Collectively, the official uploads to YouTube alone have raised more than 800 million views as of 2023.<ref>{{Citation |title=KILLSHOT [Official Audio] | date=14 September 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxQTY-W6GIo |language=en |access-date=2023-01-12}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Machine Gun Kelly "Rap Devil" (Eminem Diss) (WSHH Exclusive - Official Music Video) | date=3 September 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp0BScQSSvg |language=en |access-date=2023-01-12}}</ref>
Drake and [[Kendrick Lamar]] became embroiled in [[Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud|a feud in early 2024]]. [[J. Cole]] had claimed on 2023's "[[First Person Shooter (song)|First Person Shooter]]" that he, Drake, and Lamar were the "big three" rappers of their generation; Lamar rebutted that claim on the song "[[Like That (Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar song)|Like That]]", released in March 2024, on which he argued that his skills were superior to either Drake's or Cole's.<ref name="BBC-Drake-Kendrick">{{Cite news |last=Savage |first=Mark |date=April 5, 2024 |title=Kendrick Lamar's beef with Drake and J Cole explained |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68739398 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Drake responded with the tracks "[[Push Ups (song)|Push Ups]]" and "[[Taylor Made Freestyle]]" in April.<ref name="HNHH-Ross-Drake">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/787656-drake-rick-ross-diss-response-hip-hop-news |title=Rick Ross Responds To Drake: Listen To His Diss Track |first=Gabriel Bras |last=Nevares |website=[[HotNewHipHop]] |date=April 13, 2024 |access-date=May 6, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Peters |first=Mitchell |date=April 20, 2024 |title=Drake Takes Aim at Kendrick Lamar With AI Tupac & Snoop Dogg Vocals on 'Taylor Made Freestyle' Diss Track |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/drake-taylor-made-freestyle-kendrick-lamar-diss-track-ai-tupac-snoop-dogg-1235661905/ |access-date=May 6, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=April 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423225528/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/drake-taylor-made-freestyle-kendrick-lamar-diss-track-ai-tupac-snoop-dogg-1235661905/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Drake used AI-generated vocals to imitate [[Tupac Shakur]]'s voice on the latter track; he was subsequently threatened with a lawsuit by Shakur's estate, leading him to remove "Taylor Made Freestyle" from streaming later in April.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=April 26, 2024 |title=Drake Removes 'Taylor Made Freestyle' After Lawsuit Threat Over AI Tupac |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/drake-removes-taylor-made-freestyle-tupac-estate-legal-threat-1235011453/ |access-date=May 6, 2024|magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |archive-date=April 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427030317/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/drake-removes-taylor-made-freestyle-tupac-estate-legal-threat-1235011453/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Lamar responded to Drake on April 30 with the track "[[Euphoria (Kendrick Lamar song)|Euphoria]]", where he expresses hatred for Drake and levels a range of criticisms, and followed up with "[[6:16 in LA]]" on May 3.<ref name="BBC-Drake-Kendrick" /> The feud further escalated on the night of May 3–4, when both rappers released tracks in quick succession: Drake's "[[Family Matters (Drake song)|Family Matters]]" accuses Lamar of physical abuse, and Lamar's "[[Meet the Grahams]]" – released just 20 minutes later – accuses Drake of having a second unacknowledged child and of sheltering sex offenders.<ref name="BBC-Drake-Kendrick" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Charles |date=May 4, 2024 |title=Drake and Kendrick Lamar Is the Last Great Rap Beef. Thank God. |url=https://www.theringer.com/rap/2024/5/4/24149035/drake-kendrick-meet-the-grahams-family-matters-euphoria-diss-beef |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=The Ringer |language=en}}</ref> Lamar continued on May 4 by releasing "[[Not Like Us]]", which accuses Drake of pedophilia;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smyth |first=Tom |date=May 5, 2024 |title=A Complete Track-by-Track Timeline of Drake and Kendrick Lamar's Feud |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/drake-kendrick-lamar-feud-explained.html |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> Drake denied the claim on "[[The Heart Part 6]]" the following day,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Avila |first=Pamela |title=Drake denies Kendrick Lamar's grooming allegations in new diss track 'The Heart Part 6' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/05/05/drake-the-heart-part-6-diss-track-kendrick-lamar/73582222007/ |date=May 5, 2024 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> a track where he also alleges that his allies had provided Lamar with false information.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Aaron |date=May 6, 2024 |title=Drake Drops New Kendrick Lamar Diss, 'The Heart Part 6' |url=https://uproxx.com/music/drake-new-kendrick-lamar-diss-track-the-heart-part-6/ |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=[[Uproxx]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
Other rappers have participated in the Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud as well. J. Cole responded to "Like That" with the song "[[7 Minute Drill]]", though he later removed it from streaming.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holpuch |first=Amanda |date=April 8, 2024 |title=J. Cole Apologizes for Kendrick Lamar Diss Track |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/08/arts/music/jcole-kendrick-lamar-diss-apology.html |access-date=May 6, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424053553/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/08/arts/music/jcole-kendrick-lamar-diss-apology.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Singer [[the Weeknd]], [[ASAP Rocky|A$AP Rocky]], and [[Rick Ross]] would all attack Drake on their respective songs "All to Myself", "Show of Hands", and "Champagne Moments" in April.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Saponara |first=Michael |date=2024-04-12 |title=Here's Why Fans Believe A$AP Rocky & The Weeknd Dissed Drake on Future & Metro Boomin's 'We Still Don't Trust You' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/the-weeknd-asap-rocky-diss-drake-we-still-dont-trust-you-1235654934/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Shawn |date=2024-04-12 |title=The Weeknd Disses Drake: 'I Thank God That I Never Signed My Life Away' |url=https://thesource.com/2024/04/12/the-weeknd-disses-drake-i-thank-god-that-i-never-signed-my-life-away/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="HNHH-Ross-Drake" /> [[Kanye West]] also released a remix of "Like That", featuring his own verse dissing both Drake and J. Cole.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/kanye-west-like-that-remix-drake-j-cole-diss-track-verse-1235662077/ | title=Ye Takes Shots at Drake and J. Cole on Fiery 'Like That' Remix | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] }}</ref> [[Metro Boomin]], a [[Hip hop production|producer]], released "[[BBL Drizzy]]", an [[instrumental]] diss track.
In January 2024, [[Megan Thee Stallion]] released the song "[[Hiss (song)|Hiss]]", which dissed multiple unknown people in the music industry. One lyric in the song; "aye, these hoes ain't mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan's Law", was suspected to refer to fellow rapper [[Nicki Minaj]]. [[Megan's Law]] is a federal law requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. Minaj has been criticized for her relationship with registered sex offender, [[Kenneth Petty]], who was convicted of [[attempted rape]] in 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/nicki-minaj-megan-thee-stallion-feud-timeline-1235890487/ |title=Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion's Rap Beef Explained: From Diss Tracks to 'Big Foot' Single |first=Thania |last=Garcia |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=February 1, 2024 |access-date=May 10, 2024}}</ref> Minaj responded with the song "[[Big Foot (Nicki Minaj song)|Big Foot]]", which was heavily panned by audiences and critics alike.
===Online personalities=== In the late 2010s, personalities from outside the music industry – especially [[YouTuber]]s – began releasing diss tracks. Diss tracks performed especially well on YouTube, often drawing tens or hundreds of millions of views, spawning [[internet meme]]s, and earning millions of dollars in [[Google AdSense|AdSense]] revenue for their creators. Notable YouTubers who have released diss tracks include [[Logan Paul]], [[Jake Paul]], [[RiceGum]], [[KSI]], [[PewDiePie]], and [[IDubbbz|IDubbbzTV]].<ref name=YouTubeMillions /> In 2018, YouTuber Jake Paul was [[RIAA certification|certified platinum]] for his track "[[It's Everyday Bro]]",<ref>{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=Jake Paul|title=It's Everyday Bro|certyear=2018|access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref> and YouTubers RiceGum and Alissa Violet were certified platinum for "[[It's Every Night Sis]]", the diss track they made in response.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lorenz |first1=Taylor |title=The Recording Artist Who Went Platinum for His Diss Tracks on Jake Paul |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-recording-artist-who-went-platinum-for-his-dis-tracks-on-jake-paul |website=Daily Beast |access-date=5 November 2019 |date=14 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=Jake Paul|title=It's Everyday Bro|certyear=2018|access-date=November 4, 2018}}</ref>
In January 2016, rapper [[B.o.B.]] and astrophysicist [[Neil DeGrasse Tyson]] engaged in a public argument on [[Twitter]] after B.o.B. [[Modern flat Earth beliefs|claimed that the Earth was flat]]. The argument culminated with B.o.B. releasing a diss track against Tyson, titled "Flatline"; Tyson subsequently enlisted his nephew, Stephen Tyson, to write and record a rebuttal titled "Flat to Fact".<ref>{{Cite web|first=Laura |last=Wagner |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/26/464474518/neil-degrasse-tyson-gets-into-a-rap-battle-with-b-o-b-over-flat-earth-theory |title=Neil DeGrasse Tyson Gets Into A Rap Battle With B.o.B Over Flat Earth Theory |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=January 26, 2016 |access-date=May 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Ellen |last=Brait |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jan/26/flat-earth-rapper-bob-neil-degrasse-tyson-diss-track |title=Flat earth rapper BoB releases Neil deGrasse Tyson diss track |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=January 26, 2016 |access-date=May 5, 2023}}</ref>
==== Brands ==== In 2022, rapper [[Pusha T]] and restaurant chain [[Arby's]] collaborated to promote Arby's new Spicy Fish Sandwich by releasing a diss track aimed at [[McDonald's]] [[Filet-O-Fish]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Edwards |first=Jonathan |date=March 22, 2022 |title=Pusha T says he didn't get paid enough for writing iconic McDonald's jingle. So he made a diss track with Arby's. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/03/22/pusha-t-arbys-mcdonalds-filet-o-fish-diss-track/ |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> Pusha and Arby's followed the track with a second one, later in the year, which criticized the [[McRib]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Courtney |last=Wynter |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/pusha-t-drops-another-mcdonalds-diss-track-rib-roast-3318762 |title=Pusha T drops another McDonald's diss track 'Rib Roast' |publisher=[[NME]] |date=September 28, 2022 |access-date=May 5, 2023}}</ref>
==See also== *[[Flyting]] *[[Answer song]] *[[Battle rap]] *[[The Dozens]] *[[O du eselhafter Peierl]] *[[Invective]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *"[https://www.theringer.com/rap/2024/5/7/24149814/greatest-rap-diss-tracks-all-time-kendrick-lamar-drake-not-like-us-jay-z-nas The Greatest Diss Tracks of All Time, Ranked]" by ''[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]'', 2024 {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Diss tracks| ]] [[Category:Music controversies]] [[Category:Hip-hop terminology]]