alive + well: rap's competitive nature
hip hop's new daily operation | 7.7.20
TheMotto No. 62 finds me surprised by the gift T.I. presented to 50 Cent on his 45th birthday. Tip challenged Curtis to a Verzuz battle. Out of nowhere, T.I. cut an aggressive promo antagonizing 50 Cent. As, Tip says below, “Guess who ain’t scared of your muthafuckin’ ass, 50?” ⬇️
Fif was quick to dismiss The King’s challenge ⬇️
Guys calling each other out must be in the air this week: last night, Young Thug made it clear he wanted no parts of being featured on a unreleased posthumous Pop Smoke song in which Pusha T disses Drake
then King Push addressed Thugger’s assertions ⬇️ his five-part reply went viral, took over social, and Pusha was the trending topic all day
What do I make of all this bickering beef?
top billin’:
mood ⬇️
Hip hop was built off competition. The breakdancers, the graf writers, the DJs, the MCs — they all battled. It’s no accident that since the quarantines began, the most popular and consistent content series, the one that has truly captured our attention is Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s Verzuz. Though many try to dull the edge of the brand name (“the culture wins!”), “versus” means “against” and articulates a contest. A contest is a struggle for victory.
Tip callin’ 50 out is a Southern champion challenging an East Coast champion. It’s Andre 3000 reminding everyone that the South got somethin’ to say. Since the Verzuz launch, Ludacris is the only ATL rapper to be involved. He won his battle against Nelly. So it’s not surprising that Tip is itching to get in the ring. This is a thing that makes rap what it is. Think PM Dawn and KRS-One. Think Canibus and LL Cool J. And see below ⤵️
As far as Pusha vs Drake: Drake made it clear in December’s Rap Radar podcast that there’s only two individuals he’s not interested in being on good terms with: “I have no desire to ever mend anything with that person (Pusha). And um, yeah, that situation just went, you know like, it just went, it just went where it went, and there is no… turning back. It’s not like those other situations…It wasn’t even about battle rap or any of that. The information was too shocking. It was, like I said, his was a genius chess move.”
Hip hop has always been about who’s the best MC. Is that what the culture should look like now? Who’s the biggest? Who’s the realest? Can a hip hop artist be both? Drake and Pusha are damn near polar opposites, and I enjoy both their catalogues. Some grudges do last forever, though. As long as it all stays on wax, we’ll be fine.
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Danyel Smith + Elliott Wilson