We’re only halfway through, but it’s already safe to say that 2024 has been the year of rap beef. The war of words between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has obviously been the headliner. But there have been several different scuffles that have broken out over the months.
Seriously, it’s been a lot. There have been beefs between Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj; Cardi B and Bia; Chris Brown and Quavo; and even Eminem and Benzino, for some reason. With all of these little firefights happening right by the one, monumental battle, we thought we would make a running list of all the winners and losers we’ve seen in this year of beef. There’s some obvious choices (Kendrick and Drake, duh) and some not so obvious ones (BBLS and ozempic.)
Check out the definitive winners and losers below.
Winner: Kendrick Lamar
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K Dot started the most monumental rap war of the year, and also won it in a definitive way. So, of course, the Compton rapper is the biggest winner of the year. He made what might go down as the most successful diss track of all time with “Not Like Us,” united rival gang sets, and is still probably keeping up with his prison workout regiment.
Loser: Drake
Winner: Los Angeles
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Kendrick and “Not Like Us” have done more to unify the city of Los Angeles than the Lakers have done in a decade—”bubble ring” included. Mustard and Dot made the track so uniquely West Coast that their win in the rap also felt like a win for the city, and the rapper’s Pop Out: Ken & Friends show was the perfect victory lap to cap it all off.
Winner: Metro Boomin
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Metro Boomin definitely owes Drake a “thank you.” It turns out that when Metro does, in fact, “shut up” and “make some drums” he’s able to create magic. “BBL Drizzy” has been one of the breakout hits of the summer, a song that led to a movement so potent Drake couldn’t ignore it. I should also note that it’s hilarious that one of Drake’s most powerful nemesis isn’t even a rapper.
Loser: Ye
Winner: BBLs
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I’d bet good money that Dr. Miami’s calendar has been filled for the last few months. BBLs were somehow involved in several disses this year. Megan Thee Stallion kicked off the BBL battles when she accused Drake of having one on “Hiss,” and then it just snowballed from there. What followed was the BBL diss-trumenal of the decade and all of the unique iterations that came after. BBLs peaked when Drake rapped to the beat on Sexyy Red’s “U My Everything” in an effort to reclaim the narrative. Instead of Drake going under the knife he claims he’s helping women get their dream bodies.
Loser: AI diss tracks
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Drake’s first mistake was thinking that his “Taylor Made” AI diss track was a genius chess move and not a weird, indirect co-sign of Artificial Intelligence. The introduction of AI to the rap war just muddied its waters and added more confusion than anything. “BBL Drizzy” also utilized AI tech in the instrumental, but it’s done in a more tasteful manner. There was something really nasty about Drake using Tupac’s voice without permission. (Pac’s estate stepped in and forced the rapper to take the track down.)
Winner: Ozempic
Winner: J. Cole
Winner: Podcasters/streamers
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The rap podcasters and streamers cashed that rap beef stimulus check. DJ Akademiks was the big winner. Not only were his reaction shots constantly going viral but both Drake and Kendrick evoked his name on their respective disses. Big AK was also in the mix during Quavo and Chris Brown’s dust up, premiering Quavo’s "Over Hoes & Bitches” diss. He wasn’t the only one, however. Joe Budden stoked the flames of war on his podcast; while his ex-co stars Rory and Mal were going viral for having inside OVO information. There were also the Twitch streamers claiming that they were making “life changing” money partially thanks to the attention the beef was garnering.
Winner: Local restaurants (New Ho King/Lucalis)
Loser: Women
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The most unfortunate and unnecessary casualty to come from all of the different battles that have taken place in the various rap battles is the way women have been used as props for punchlines. The diss tracks between Quavo and Chris Brown basically revolved around ownership over different women. While Drake’s “nuclear weapon” against Kendrick Lamar centered on his Fiancée, Whitney Alford, who was an innocent bystander. Kendrick also had some questionable lines about not considering the people Drake is intimate with as “real women.” Like in most rap beefs, women and children are often the biggest losers.
