Top 20 Best Rap Diss Tracks

Company Flow The title of this diss track is very telling. That’s because the real Linda Tripp recorded her phone conversations with Monica Lewinsky while they were working at the Pentagon. Company Flow MC El-P did the same thing, recording his phone conversation with Anticon founder Sole on his group’s diss track. “Linda Tripp” is an absolutely ruthless response to Sole’s “Dear Elpee” shot from 1999. The track doesn’t only feature a solid beat and a strong sense of melody, but also verbal razors that slice up Sole with surgical precision.

DJ Quik “Dollaz + Sense” feels like a transitional song, but in the best possible way. It combines melodic elements from both old school hip-hop and the West Coast G funk era to create a smooth backdrop for a savage diss. DJ Quik takes square aim at his enemy MC Eiht in this track, using clever wordplay and outstanding flow that manage to be both confrontational and, somehow, “fun?” It’s a delicate balancing act, but “Dollaz + Sense” is more than down for the challenge, bringing both party vibes and two fists, ready to fight.

#18: “Drop a Gem on ‘Em” (1996)

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Mobb Deep The East vs. West Coast rivalry that dominated the hip-hop conversation of the ‘90s didn’t only center around 2Pac and Biggie. The former actually beefed with NYC duo Mobb Deep, as well, although the latter’s “Drop a Gem on ‘Em” is a clear stand-out from their war of words. The track is a bold attack on Shakur, although its release after 2Pac’s death was seen as controversial at the time. Still, the beats and lyrics to “Drop a Gem on ‘Em” were allegedly recorded prior to the rapper’s passing. They also mince no words as to what Mobb Deep thought about 2Pac, Death Row and the West Coast.

#17: “Rap Devil” (2018)

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Machine Gun Kelly Rap beefs never die, they just fade away… waiting to rear their heads in the public eye once more. The war of words between Machine Gun Kelly and Eminem was one of the more interesting news items from hip-hop in 2018. Both performers took aim, Eminem with “Killshot,” and MGK with his track, “Rap Devil.” The diss track was a response to Em’s “Not Alike,” and attempts to paint Machine Gun Kelly as a new breed, with Eminem as a fading old guard. There’s some very personal attacks here, balanced out with some backwards compliments that makes “Rap Devil” feel like the nemesis to Eminem’s own “Rap God” from 2013.

#16: “Lost Ones” (1998)

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Lauryn Hill The world of hip-hop diss tracks isn’t limited solely to braggadocious male MCs. Instead, “Lost Ones'' is a more contemplative and methodical analysis of the dissolution of a relationship. It’s not outright stated, but Lauryn Hill is largely seen as referencing Wyclef Jean with this song. She utilizes “Lost Ones” as a cathartic means of describing her situations with both Jean and her former group, The Fugees. The loop here is sick, the melody on high alert, and Hill’s flow is solid gold, right to the very end. “Lost Ones” is simply outstanding.

Eminem Eminem is no stranger to public feuds within the music industry. His track “The Warning” brought to light issues the singer had with Mariah Carey. Meanwhile, “Nail in the Coffin” is one of two tracks that Em brought to the ring against Raymond “Benzino” Scott of The Source Magazine. In the song’s own words, Eminem eats Benzino alive like a bowl of beans and rice. He attacks The Source’s former co-owner with ruthless aggression, calling into question everything from the latter’s finances and manhood to Benzino’s status in the hip-hop world. And all the while, “Nail in the Coffin” bounces along with a simple, but relentlessly catchy beat. This one rules.

#14: “Have a Nice Day” (1987)

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Roxanne Shante It’s time for the old school to step up. Roxanne Shante was a hip-hop pioneer back in the 1980s. She was also a member of NYC’s Juice Crew and part of one of the genre’s earliest beefs. Shante targeted KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions in “Have a Nice Day,” a response to the former’s comments about her in their hit, “The Bridge Is Over.” Don’t let the bright production and danceable rhythms fool you, because Shante came to play. She let BDP have it with charisma and energy to spare, allowing the arrangements of “Have a Nice Day” to breathe. Meanwhile, Shante also proved that she’ll gladly respond to any other MCs who have something to say.

#13: “Jack the Ripper” (1987)

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LL Cool J LL Cool J is certainly a hip-hop OG, but he’s also no stranger to diss tracks. “The Ripper Strikes Back” from 1998 is an impressive diss against Canibus, but J’s original “Jack the Ripper” from 1987 is even better. The track was a response to Kool Moe Dee, who had previously assaulted LL on the former’s album, “How Ya Like Me Now.” J perceived that Moe Dee was attempting to stay afloat creatively by biting on his style, and he let him know this, in no uncertain terms. “Jack the Ripper” is proof that LL Cool J isn’t just able to sing about partying or girls, but able to stand toe-to-toe in the rap ring with just about anyone.

#12: “Real Compton City G’s” (1993)

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Eazy-E feat. Dresta & B.G. Knocc Out So, did Eazy-E write his own verses for his Grammy-nominated diss response to Dr. Dre? Well, according to many sources, no: they were ghostwritten by Eazy’s collaborator on the track, Gangsta Dresta. However, this didn’t stop “Real Compton City G’s” (YouTube-friendly radio edit title) from being a scathing response to Dre’s “Dre Day.” Eazy’s charisma more than makes up for his lack of writing credit, while the musical backbone is smooth as butter. This allows for the lyrical fire to go down easy, as “Real Compton City G’s” minces no words about how Eazy and crew feel about Dre, Snoop and Death Row.

Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg Speaking of “Dre Day,” it’s only fitting that we also shine a light on the Doctor and Snoop’s opening salvo against Eazy-E. The track has arguably endured longer than E’s response, thanks largely to Dre’s hugely influential production style. “Dre Day” bounces and rolls through town, icing Eazy-E with insults, all to Dre’s keen engineering and huge beats. Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg serves as the song’s secret weapon, proving early on that this was a star in the making with keen confidence. “Dre Day (and Everybody’s Celebratin’)” turns the diss track into an art form.

#10: “Back Down” (2003)

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50 Cent Was the hip-hop beef between Ja Rule and 50 Cent ever, really, a contest? Not if you’re analyzing “Back Down,” the diss track that seemed to end this rivalry once and for all. Ja could never fully recover after Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson laid down the law with this verbal assault from 2003. 50 sounds in charge on “Back Down.” He’s confident and without peer as he bobs, weaves and knocks out Ja Rule with pugilistic precision. This track is a head bobber with a sense of humor, but also hard enough to make its presence known, thanks to a sinister musical undercurrent.

#9: “The Story of Adidon” (2018)

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Pusha T The funny thing about rap diss tracks is that they’ll probably never go away. At least, not while the public is still receiving songs like “The Story of Adidon” from Pusha T. Actually, the word song may not exactly fit, because “The Story of Adidon” feels like nothing less than a public execution of its subject matter: Drake. Pusha T lays it all out on the table, including an old photo of Drake in blackface on the cover art.. Pusha even accuses his enemy of hiding a child, while simultaneously alleging that Drake was waiting until an Adidas shoe drop to reveal said child to the public. It’s cold-blooded to a ridiculous degree.

Common Ya gotta respect a diss track that comes from an unexpected source. Common’s music isn’t necessarily known for its aggressive confrontation, but “The Bitch in Yoo” is something of an exciting outlier. Common takes square aim at Ice Cube, after a back-and-forth where Cube called out Common during a verse on Mack 10’s “Westside Slaughterhouse.” Common proves that he has the goods, though, spitting venom like it’s his job. He dances around the song’s melodic loops and hooks like a boxer, lashing with jabs before delivering a knockout blow for a finale. Common definitely came to play with this track.

The Notorious B.I.G. The Notorious B.I.G. didn’t need to call out names specifically on “Kick in the Door” in order to get the rap world talking. In fact, fans still love to surmise about the subjects of this classic Biggie diss track. Nas, Jeru the Damaja and members of the Wu-Tang Clan have all come up in the conversation as diss subjects in this song. Biggie intentionally keeps it vague, however, and lets the music do the talking. It’s honestly a refreshing approach, and lends “Kick in the Door” a cinematic vibe. It’s like a well-crafted movie scene, where the themes are up for interpretation. You know, only this time it’s hardcore rap disses. Same thing, right?

Remy Ma There’s no denying the intentional titling of this next diss track. Remy Ma specifically referenced Nas’ iconic track “Ether” for this 2017 jam, a song that takes square aim at Nicki Minaj. “Shether” shouts out, loud and proud, that a female MC can come to the table with a truly vitriolic diss. The track spares no expense at Minaj’s reputation, either, including the latter’s romantic life. However, “Shether” takes things to a whole new level when it brings up the troubling charges against Minaj’s brother, Jelani. If the first cut is the deepest, then “Shether” is gonna be at the head of the line, every time.

Boogie Down Productions We referenced earlier the beef between Boogie Down Productions and the Juice Crew. The latter’s MC Shan attacked BDP with the track, “Kill That Noise,” in ‘87 after Boogie Down released the iconic “South Bronx” a year earlier. “The Bridge Is Over,” however, might’ve served as the proverbial nail in the coffin for the entire affair. The song has a MASSIVE hook, while KRS-One delivers a career-defining performance on the mic. There’s a dancehall element to “The Bridge Is Over,” that belies the hot fire spit against MC Shan, Marley Marl and the entire Juice Crew. The song even references Billy Joel’s “It's Still Rock and Roll to Me,” if you can believe it or not! Yet, throughout it all, it somehow works.

#4: “Takeover” (2001)

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Jay-Z We’re entering big gun territory now; some of the most iconic and savage rap disses to ever hit the airwaves. Jay-Z is obviously a titan of the industry, with “Takeover” perhaps being one of Hova’s best-known songs. The track is just one strike from the beef Jay had with fellow rapper Nas, the latter of which released a genre highlight with his “Illmatic” album. However, Jay juxtaposes that bit of history against Nas’s overall discography, which Hov labels as weak. Elsewhere, “Takeover” boasts a layered sound that emphasizes not only Jay’s vocals, but all of the song’s swirling hooks and rhythms.

Ice Cube Does anyone remember N.W.A.’s “Message to B.A.” diss against Ice Cube? Maybe, but far more probably recall Cube’s red-hot response, “No Vaseline.” The song’s upbeat tempo and bright-sounding samples belie a song that spares no expense at offending everyone in equal measure. There’s a lot to unpack today with the song’s unapologetically homophobic rhetoric, but the intent is nevertheless successful: to absolutely eviscerate N.W.A. Cube rhymes his butt off, and the song cooks with an almost infectious sense of glee. It’s clear Cube has a lot to get off his chest, and “No Vaseline” leaves it all there on the table.

Nas Now, who came out on top when it came to the professional rivalry of Nas and Jay-Z? Well, if you’re talking about diss tracks, “Ether” is tough to beat. Ultimately, the winners here are fans, since both Nas and Jay are among the best to diss. But, hot damn if “Ether” isn’t practically volcanic with its raw spite and aggression. There’s a desire for revenge that feels evident in Nas’s voice, as “Ether” revels in calling out Jay-Z from the very first sample. Does “Ether” take the high, poetic road in its songwriting? No, not really. This is about a fight for dominance, and all’s fair in love and war. “Ether” is mean, and proud of it, robbing Hova of all that “Takeover” goodwill.

2Pac feat. Outlawz This one’s no surprise, right? “Hit ‘Em Up” is the ultimate diss track, the sort of verbal annihilation that could hang in the Louvre. The East and West Coast war is placed front-and-center, with 2Pac and Biggie as its Holy Roman Emperors. Ultimately, we need to listen to “Hit ‘Em Up” in a vacuum, primarily due to the real-life tragedies that played out at the end of this war. Ultimately, however, it’s just a great song, a catchy rap classic that possesses great wordplay, production… and one FIERY ending. 2Pac goes for the throat, assassinating everything in his path with threats and promises that feel very, very real.