In hip hop diss songs are still important

Recently, the historic rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has reignited to the extent of transcending the hip-hop enthusiast bubble, garnering much attention and monopolizing the debate, not only within the music realm. In recent weeks, their hostility has escalated into what is commonly referred to as a "beef", a prolonged clash between two rappers based on the release of a series of diss tracks. This is a typical practice in hip-hop since the 1970s when the genre began to spread alongside so-called "battles", where two rappers compete by insulting each other – in turns – in rhyme. In the history of hip-hop, there have been many clashes involving big names: Jay-Z and Nas, Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J and Kool Moe Dee, Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion.

However, today, it is increasingly rare for a series of diss tracks to emerge between very famous artists: it is more common to occur among lesser-known rappers closer to the "street culture". But in this case, it's not just Lamar and Drake's fame that is surprising, but the intensity and duration of the dissing, as well as the debate it has generated. Both have been among the most famous rappers for years, although they have had very different paths: Drake has achieved enormous commercial success and is considered the world's top-selling rapper; Lamar, on the other hand, despite doing "high" and sophisticated hip-hop, has become the most influential rap artist of his generation. The beef between these two hip-hop icons dates back a long way, but the attention it is receiving – also due to the commitment with which it has been pursued by both – is proof that clashes of this kind are not a passé practice: on the contrary, they remain central in defining the genre.

How did we get to the clash between Lamar and Drake

The rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake dates back to around 2013 when – after various collaborations – the two began dissing each other in various songs, more or less subtly, mainly referring to each other's musical production. Last March, however, the beef between the two intensified, after a rhyme that Lamar had written in the track Like That. In April, Drake responded with two songs, Push Ups and Taylor Made Freestyle, where, moreover, a verse sung with 2Pac's voice was included – through a controversial operation – recreated thanks to artificial intelligence. This was interpreted as a low blow against Lamar, who has always considered 2Pac his musical model. Lamar's response then came with the track Euphoria, titled after the famous TV series, of which Drake is one of the executive producers, and then with Not Like Us, currently the most listened-to track in the United States.

From that moment, the rivalry has continued and has further widened, also involving personal spheres, particularly the families and the private lives of the two rappers. «I didn't expect it to go on for so long and for the tones to become so harsh, especially because theoretically neither of them needs to advertise themselves,» commented journalist and music expert Giovanni Ansaldo on Internazionale. The beef between Drake and Lamar continues to make headlines, but according to some, it has become more of a pretext to boost the careers of the two rappers, who are not currently in their best period: «Drake doesn't perform as he used to, and the reception of Lamar's latest album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, hasn't been as triumphant as the author hoped,» Ansaldo claims. This clash, fueled by social networks and the media, has indeed managed to recapture attention on them. The price, however, is a depreciation of the artistic profile of two inherently iconic singers: the authoritative music publication Pitchfork, in this regard, went as far as to define the clash «the most depressing spectacle in rap history.»