Are Rap Beefs Good for Hip-Hop?

1. Are Rap Beefs Good for Hip-Hop? At long last the Drake versus Pusha T feud seems to have ended – for now, at least. Who knows when it will flare up again. For now, however, peace does reign. Everyone was holding their breath for the supposed “career ending” response from Drake to Pusha’s The Story of Adidon dis track. Kanye West and J Prince, however, managed to subdue the battle before the world could hear it and give Pusha T yet another chance to respond. Many believe this is for the best, and while keeping the peace is the best idea in most scenarios, some don’t think it’s the best when it comes to the world of hip-hop. One such person is A$AP Ferg, who revealed during a recent interview that he loves feuds – and he thinks they are highly beneficial to rapper’s careers for several reasons. First and foremost, of course, is the attention it brings to the two or more individuals locked in a heated rap beef. Second, he thinks it is part of the quintessential rap genre everybody first fell in love with. Now? He thinks rappers have gone too soft, and that they are no longer able to spit disses the way they once were. While we may not agree with that statement entirely, he does make a few good points. Modern rap artists don’t use the complex lyrics they once did. Instead, they’ve opted for catchy hooks and witty punch lines. Yet when these artists begin to feud, all of that changes. They revert back to the lyricism that made rap so popular to begin with. The reason behind this return to tradition is simple: no rapper wants to have a diss track that leaves fans wishing for more. Yes, lines do get crossed. Nothing is held back when a feud really gets going, but that is just par for the course. For example, in Drake’s “Duppy Freestyle,” he dissed Pusha T’s fiancée. When Pusha T threw back, he took a cheap shot at 40’s disease (Multiple sclerosis) and revealed Drake has a kid. But that is just what happens. In fact, despite resorting to pretty low blows, A$AP Ferg said these two most recent feud participants were doing things the right way, touting they sounded classy, sharp, and as though they actually had an IQ or had read a book before. Many people have lost interest in rap because they say it isn’t really a genre, but just a giant game of beef. Just as many people, however, have been sucked into the genre for that very same reason. Sometimes a feud can end in tragedy, such as Biggie Smalls versus Tupac. Most of the time, however, it works as a catalyst to sell a LOT of records. Two good examples outside of Drake v Pusha include Jay Z v Nas and Nicki Minaj v Remy Ma. All of these artists had their record sales instantly boosted just because they were involved in a highly-publicized rap war. For more hip hop news visit http://www.republicanent.com.