Five of the Most Epic Music Feuds in Recent Memory
Regardless of genre, musicians seem to have one thing in common: they love to feud. Whether it’s a small comment made in an interview or a carefully targeted tweet, it seems like it doesn’t take much to get beef going between some of the music world’s biggest stars.
Taylor Swift versus Kanye West and Kim Kardashian
It all started when Yeezy interrupted Taylor during her VMA acceptance speech. “I’m really happy for you, and I’m gonna let you finish…” will live on infamy as a result. But the drama didn’t end there. Kanye later name-checked Taylor in his song “Famous.” Taylor stated that she was upset by the line and specifically told Kanye to cut it. But then Kim Kardashian then stepped in via Snapchat and produced video proof that maybe Taylor wasn’t telling the whole story. Battle lines were drawn.
Taylor Swift versus Katy Perry
Taylor has had her fair share of drama lately. She and Katy Perry have a long-standing feud that allegedly began over backup dancers for an arena tour. As a response to the dancer stealing, Swift wrote “Bad Blood.” The two continued to exchange jabs at each other in a series of interviews and tweets. Perry also released the song “Swish Swish” as a response to “Bad Blood.” It looks like this one may be winding down though. Katy recently expressed her desire to bury the hatchet during a Carpool Karaoke session with James Corden, and then reiterated the sentiment during a conversation with Arianna Huffington.
Drake versus Meek Mill
This feud kicked off because Meek Mill accused Drake of using a ghostwriter. He was also upset about Drake’s lack of support for his new album. Things escalated quickly from there, and rappers like Rick Ross, Roscoe Dash, and others began choosing sides. The beef yielded several amazing diss tracks, including “Back to Back.” We’re all better because of it.
Mariah Carey versus Jennifer Lopez
When you add two of music’s biggest divas into the mix, it’s no surprise that drama happens. Mariah kicked it off when she said, “I don’t know her” when asked about Jennifer Lopez. Then, J. Lo was spotted texting during Mimi’s Billboard Music Awards performance. When J. Lo tried to joke that Mariah is “forgetful” hence why she said she didn’t know her, Mariah clarified that she still, in fact, doesn’t know Jennifer Lopez. She then echoed this once more during an interview with Andy Cohen. Ouch. Message received.
Nicki Minaj versus Lil Kim
Meek Mill’s ex-girlfriend Nicki Minaj has engaged in some beef of her own. In an interview, Lil Kim explains that she believes Nicki Minaj stole both her sound AND her look. As a retaliation, Minaj went on to diss Lil Kim on her Pink Friday album. Lil Kim fired back with diss tracks of her own on a mixtape with the snarky title Black Friday. The flames had begun to die, until Lil Kim reignited them when she recorded a response to Minaj’s appearance on Beyonce’s “Flawless” remix.
Lauren Levine is a freelance writer who has contributed to publications and websites including The Charlotte Observer, U.S. News & World Report, American Way magazine, The Huffington Post, Hellolil Giggles, Bustle, Thrillist, Thought Catalog, The Charlotte Observer, U.S. News & World Report, and others.
