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In recent days, social media has been abuzz with a rap beef between two rappers from two popular 2020 reality rap shows: ICD – the winner of King of Rap – and Tage – a member of Rap Viet. For those familiar with the genre, it's easy to understand what's happening and what it means. But for those who listen less to rap, are new to it, or are simply curious about what young people are discussing so enthusiastically, it's a different story.rap beefIt might be a new concept. This article will help you understand more about this indispensable "battle" in the rap music scene.
What is rap beef?
Rap beef emerged in English in the mid-1990s. As a slang term, "beef" means "to complain," so rap beef can be understood as rap songs written to criticize or attack the flaws of another person (usually a rapper).
UTFO - The first band to be dissed by rap.
Of course, this genre of rap has been around since the 1980s, with the first recorded rap beef stemming from UTFO – an American rap group – being publicly criticized in a rap song by a DJ, a music producer, a rapper, and a 14-year-old boy, all because the group refused to appear at a show the trio were promoting. Going even further back, musical beefs have existed since 1962, with the song "You Keep Her," written and performed by Joe Tex, "dedicated" to James Brown, who later married his ex-wife.
Today, most audiences refer to rap beef as rap battles or rap diss, because this unique form of rap now mostly only exists in rap competitions, where rappers compete against each other to find a winner through rhyming and flow.
How does a rap beef work?
The story usually begins when a rapper feels someone is attacking or criticizing them through their music or statements. A diss track will then be created in response to this provocation. If the instigator is a rapper, they can (and almost certainly will) release a counter-track. And so, the two sides clash back and forth until the beef ends.
Unless it's a competition, there are usually no rules set for a rap beef, except for unspoken conventions agreed upon by the rap community, depending on cultural context, geography, or other relevant factors.
RichChoi
B-Ray
The 2018 rap beef between RichChoi and B-Ray is a prime example. After six diss tracks, RichChoi and B-Ray had a highly publicized reconciliation meeting that garnered significant attention from the rap community. It seemed like things would end there, but RichChoi continued to take jabs at B-Ray in a seventh rap song, and B-Ray has remained silent ever since, focusing instead on his personal projects.
Generally, a rap beef can end at any time when one side declares they are no longer participating. This doesn't necessarily mean that side will be declared "loser," because the course of the beef and the overall rap performances are the factors that listeners in general, seasoned rappers in particular, and those involved in the conflict will judge.
What's the point of making diss music?
Rap beefs have become an integral part of rap music in particular and hip-hop in general, as they help rappers improve their skills. Having to rap while frustrated, sometimes even angry, can cause inexperienced rappers to lose their composure and fall short of the general standards of rap music.
ICD releases diss track to go head-to-head with Tage.
Therefore, to create a great diss track, the necessary skills must be ensured, while the rap content must be focused and convincing to the opponent. If the timing is right, that rap track could even be added to the list of iconic rap songs, launching someone's career (or, potentially ending another's).
In some cases, rap beef can help two rappers understand each other better, turning enemies into friends, but of course, this is not common. As rap music is being exploited, commercialized, and integrated into the Vietnamese music market, many rappers have joined forces and put aside their previous rivalries to share a common ideal and produce quality products for rap music lovers.
Tage (left) and Gừng (right) in their showdown at Rap Viet.
Rap and hip-hop have always been niche genres that haven't been officially recognized for many years. Rap beef is even harder to listen to and understand, incorporating personal details of rappers into their songs, and sometimes using crude and vulgar language. However, modern rap music has begun to gain a more established and civilized foothold as rappers compete through music with measured lyrics that aren't offensive, leading the rap community and audiences unfamiliar with rap beef to have a more positive view of this indispensable characteristic of the genre.
