Five times diss tracks ended entire careers
Rappers write diss tracks for a pretty straightforward reason: hip-hop thrives on competition. Every now and then, you need that fearless artist to challenge others and fight for the number one position. It’s like a competitive sport and in the world of rap, if you’re not keeping an eye on your rivals and watching your back, you can quickly go from being on top to at the bottom.
Grabbing the hip-hop crown isn’t a walk in the park, especially when your rival is ready for you. More often than not, it turns into a fierce battle. Diss tracks have been a huge part of hip-hop history, and a solid one can catapult you to the top of the game. So, if you’re riding high on fame, get ready for some lyrical punches. Whether it’s Biggie Smalls or 50 Cent, being the best in hip-hop definitely has its price.
Over the years, there have been tons of rivalries and clashes for the number one position. But the funny thing is, the culture doesn’t always agree on who has actually come out on top. Battles can get pretty heated, with hip-hop fans often picking sides. These battles have even split entire nations by region, like the East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry in ’90s hip-hop, which sadly led to two notorious deaths.
Still, sometimes a diss track can lead to an emcee on the receiving end losing their career. On occasion, a track can be so explosive, jaw-dropping and revealing that the target struggles to find a way to repair their image, reputation and place in hip-hop. Once in a while, we hear these kinds of songs, and the fallout is insane. That said, below, we have compiled a list of the five times a diss track ended an artist’s career.
Five times diss tracks ended entire careers:
5. Pusha T – ‘The Story Of Adidon’ (2018)
Pusha T’s diss track ‘The Story Of Adidon’, put a serious stain on Drake’s career. The song revealed the Toronto native had a son named Adonis, who he had been keeping out of the limelight, and its cover was an unedited, real-life picture of Drake in blackface as a minstrel. The cover was a 2007 photograph of Drake in blackface taken by David Leyes and after the song’s release, Drake had to go on damage control, telling the public, it was “to make a point that the struggle for black actors had not changed much.”
However, the revelation that Drake had a son was a body blow for the Scorpion creator as he had not only hidden Adonis for years but also kept his previous relationship with Sophie Brussaux a secret. ‘The Story Of Adidon’ was so destructive for Drake’s career because it also revealed that Brussaux started her career as an adult film star. Although the diss track did not end Drizzy’s career, it slowed it down and tarnished his brand.
4. Eminem – ‘Killshot’ (2018)
Eminem’s ‘Killshot’ diss track for Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) was a savage response to Baker’s song ‘Rap Devil’ on which he attacks Mathers ruthlessly. The beef between Eminem and MGK began when the latter began talking about the ‘Stan’ rapper’s daughter during a press run.
The Detroit native is very sensitive about his daughter and effectively ended MGK’s hip-hop career with ‘Kill Shot’. With lines like, “Ho, chill, actin’ like you put the chrome barrel to my bone marrow / Gunner? Bitch, you ain’t a bow and arrow / Say you’ll run up on me like a phone bill, sprayin’ lead / Playin’ dead, that’s the only time you hold still” and “As big as you’re gonna get, so enjoy it / Had to give you a career to destroy it / Lethal injection, go to sleep six feet deep,” the track was potent. In fact, MGK began recording rock music shortly after due to the embarrassment he was to hip-hop culture.
3. 50 Cent – ‘Officer Ricky’ (2009)
Between 2009 and 2011, Rick Ross and 50 Cent exchanged many tracks as the former began to ascend with his Maybach Music Group Crew. However, the ‘In Da Club’ emcee effectively destroyed Rick Ross’ career when he unveiled that the Miami rhymer used to be a police officer.
As such, he made a diss track entitled ‘Officer Ricky’ to put Ross in his place and let fans know that he believed the MMG founder was a fake gangster. On the track, Jackson raps, “I tell you straight suck a dick / You tryna come with subliminals / Cuz your ass the police / My n*ggas is criminals.” One of the more controversial lines heard Jackson continue, “The cop f*ck wit fox, suck the c*nt on a bimbo / F*ggot must’ve thought he knock me out like Kimbo.”
2. Ice Cube – ‘No Vaseline’ (1991)
Ice Cube is undeniably one of the most notorious LA rappers, so when he decided to leave his crew, NWA, in 1989 over disputes about money, he had more than a little to get off his chest.
In 1991, Cube released ‘No Vaseline’, a diss track aimed at his former bandmates, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, DJ Yella and their manager, Jerry Heller. In the track, he tells Dr. Dre to stop rapping and “stick to producing” and, on multiple occasions, accuses the crew members of sodomy. ‘No Vaseline’ is a ruthless and vicious diss track and effectively ended NWA and the power of Eazy-E in hip-hop.
1. Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’ (2024)
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ was a career-destroying track for Drake. Not only did it cause Drake’s empire and image to implode but it brought a lot of weird things that had previously been in the dark to light. Furthermore, the diss track made the culture as a whole double-guess why Drake had become so big compared to other, more talented individuals.
With lyrics like “And Party at the party playin’ with his nose now / And Baka got a weird case, why is he around? / Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles” and “You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars / No, you not a colleague, you a fuckin’ colonizer” Kendrick Lamar finished the job done by Pusha T by causing Drake to completely crumble. Now the Take Care creator’s brand is in disrepute with no way to come back.