"I ain’t got no motherfuckin’ friends. That’s why I fucked your bitch, you fat motherfucker."
“First off…”
30 years ago, Tupac Shakur and his group, the Outlawz, dropped a track that ignited a coastal rap war between California and New York.
Pac, after being assaulted, shot and robbed at the NYC-area Quad Studios in November 1994, and in response to perceived slights on the promotional single "Who Shot Ya" regarding the incident, took out his frustrations through song. The result was "Hit 'Em Up", a posse cut between Pac, Hussein Fatal, Yaki Kadafi, and E.D.I. Mean of the Outlawz; The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, Lil' Kim, Lil Cease, Faith Evans, Chino XL, and The Diddler were all dissed on the track, with the music video doubling down on Pac’s anger.
The track marked the beginning of a tense period that pitted label against label, Death Row against Bad Boy, with both Pac and Biggie being murdered less than a year after the track was dropped and both labels diminishing in influence in the years following their deaths.
30 years later, "Hit 'Em Up" is still widely considered among the greatest diss tracks in rap history.
Thoughts to Consider:
1.) Where does "Hit 'Em Up" rank among the Top 5 diss tracks ever made, in your opinion? Does it still merit placement among the Top 5?
2.) After 30 years, and especially considering the recent coastal beefs (e.g. Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake, Joey Bada$$ vs. Daylyt, REASON & Ray Vaughn) does "Hit 'Em Up" still live up to its reputation?
3.) How has "Hit 'Em Up" inspired how other rappers have approached beefs and diss tracks?
4.) What was your favorite verse on the track?
5.) What was your favorite bar on the track?
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/hiphopheads/comments/1twf447/discussion_2pac_outlawz_hit_em_up_30_years_later/
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