Hip Hop beef has been evident since it’s beginning though most famously remembered from the Tupac and Biggie Smalls beef that wound up taking both of their lives with still very little evidence of who is responsible. Most rap beef do not wind up with anyone losing there lives in fact, for the most part, it creates great music and is a sense of competition. Great examples of this would be the beef between Jay-z and Nas in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. With two of the greatest of all time throwing subliminal messages and finally some very direct messages at each other over who was the true king of New York and the better M.C.
Though recently hip hop beef has become less evidently interested in making good music and showing who is superior, for recognition and to sell music. There is no better example then the ridiculous beef between Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly aka MGK. Some claim that this beef started when MGK tweeted that Eminem’s daughter was hot while she was only 16. MGK later apologized and on the hip-hop talk show the Breakfast Club he claims he was not aware of her age at the time. There is no way of knowing whether or not this is true, but either way, you don’t talk about Eminem’s daughter that way that’s hip hop 101. Everyone knows she’s off limits. This was way back in 2012. It should have ended there.
Eminem would finally respond to MGK and a lot of other people that dissed him after his very poorly received Revival album a year prior. He insults Tyler the Creator for no real good reason, insulted Joe Budden for reviewing his album poorly which everyone in there mother was removing poorly. He’ll probably dis me for writing this. Eminem has grown to become bitter with age, which he acknowledges on the album.
Even though this is the case he’s still a massively popular musician, and shouldn’t even acknowledge someone who isn’t on the same level as he even though MGK is 28 he still isn’t selling anywhere near as well. MGK was probably thrilled that someone as big as him dissed him so he could get more spotlight then he has ever had. He released a dis track almost immediately which was met with initial praise then Eminem released Killshot, and MGK did not respond though he did mention on the Breakfast Club that he had a song but didn’t respond after hearing Killshot because he thought he won? From what I presume he doesn’t have anything else to say because he has no material, because why wouldn’t he want a reason for people to continue to talk about him? Then interestingly he released an EP called Binge which did poorly in sales even for MGK numbers.
From what I got out of this beef is that Eminem was holding a grudge over what MGK said this and it took him 6 years to respond. MGK engaged in the beef because it gave him attention especially around the time he dropped an EP. They would continue to make themselves look foolish by MGK lying to an audience about why they were putting there middle fingers up who aren’t even really their to listen to his music because he is an opener for Fall Out Boy. Eminem and MGK made a mockery of what can always be a fun time for the culture with good releases, but what we got were two people lying, making false claims, and just being childish. I just hope that the next hip hop feud won’t be as boring as this one.
http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2018/09/timeline-eminem-machine-gun-kelly-beef/