The Origins of Diss Tracks and Beef Between Kendrick Lamar and Drake: A Potential Downfall of EDM

1. Introduction

Moreover, both hip-hop and EDM are about escaping - whether into the music or into the rhythm - in order to best succeed in your personal and physical goals. There is a very minimal and bipolar relationship with such negativity in music, and if such a flame reigns in the same fate as hip-hop, these quarrels and potentially violent attitudes between two groups of people in the festival atmosphere may not be so trivial and non-violently treated, but can indeed be severely more damaging in the long run. This paper is also an analysis of resources and personal interviews - obtained by the author and peers - and is an explanation of the beef artists created between themselves in hip-hop music that addresses the potential downfall of how EDM music can end with a similar reaction and physical fights.

Originally, musical and genre beefs arose in the hip-hop community of the late 1980s/early 1990s, in which widely popular artists took to "diss tracks" to flaunt their verbal skills and express their social and moral dissatisfaction. These diss tracks often consisted of making fun of each other, badmouthing one another, and often threatening one another in order to gain a competitive edge and keep the fans and interested parties talking. However, typically, when someone crosses a line or the label of "disrespect" is given or received, there are often physical fights, or the result is that someone really gets hurt. The question remains, can EDM fall to such a fate? Or will the issues be resolved as swiftly as they arise?

1.1. Background and Significance

First, I will look to examine and flesh out the historical musical discourse of James Brown through the eyes of its diss track origins. Secondly, I want to take a step back and discuss how this hip-hop beef or dissing mindset has made its way into the musical debate climate of today's Electronic Dance Music (EDM) community. Then, we will hopefully examine when and how exactly this discordant level of hip-hop discourse eroded into the otherwise 'fun-loving and peace-promoting rave culture' of today. Can there be a comparison drawn where 21st rap beefs mirror the sentiments of a disenchanted 1990s arena and rules-based East Coast hip-hop sub-genre, such as the case between Drake, a South African-born Canadian, and Kendrick Lamar, a Los Angeles-established gangsta? Can this vendetta be seen as a direct challenge aimed at subverting the classic underpinning raver ethics of good nature, love, unity, and respect?

2. Historical Context of Diss Tracks

A successful artist's calling card can be found in an early shouldering of criticism, and time and again even celebrated the advancement of one's career by going out on a high-profile opponent, most likely another well-known rapper and big icon of show business. Conflict with other musicians could either be used for emcees who showed actual resentment, a celebrity's attempt at respectability, and symbolic rebalancing when the domain of hip-hop no longer seems to be legitimately tied to the urban environment. The battle lengthened the time period and the power games in the world of hip-hop, but in so doing, battle raps crumbled.

Now that a good understanding of the two artists' perspectives has been given, let's dive into an overview of the historical context of a "diss track." The practice of diss track-making originated with rappers verbally on par with one another in freestyling wars in the 1980s and 1990s. These diss tracks served several functions. Since rap is a highly mediated phenomenon, cultural groups would rehearse the arguments of their people, as expressed in the lyrics of songs played by DJs within their communities. Diss tracks paved a brief way to rapid advancement on the part of the artist, as controversy will attract attention, particularly if the outspoken artist continues to provoke responses.

2.1. Origins and Evolution

Taking a macro-sociological perspective on the development of popular music, Muller associates popular contemporary music, which he refers to as 'new' genres, with masses of young people who occupy the lower layers of society. He suggests that music labels attempt to produce a set number of new genre-specific acts to target relevant audiences (to successfully penetrate their markets) taking the music to the pinnacle of its popularity. If a new genre can be replicated across a large number of artists and receive support in the form of (mainly independent) radio play, top 40 chart must be applied; the music then achieves the status of popular, increasingly accepted across the layers of society up to the upper classes.

In this section, I aim to cast some light on the origins of the diss track, the evolution of beef (enemy making), and the background of Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Drawing on interviews with several groups of older men who talk passionately about periods either filled with beef between them or between their peers, I offer some personal insight to sketch out the dynamics of beef, providing some grounding for the later analysis. I will employ this initial sketch of beef between us and some of our peers as an analytical foundation to deconstruct the beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake – through the sink – and a beef that remains largely under-examined in academia.

3. Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake: The Feud Begins

"I was gonna dress in all pink and a furry pair of Uggs with barrettes in my hair, but I didn't have time." According to Ebro Darden from Hot 97, this is the excuse given by Drake for not answering "The Heart Part 4" from his #1 fan himself. However, shortly after the release of The Heart Part 4, a copy of the song was sent directly to Drake, according to an unknown source to DJ Ebro Darden who discussed the situation on his morning show on Hot 97. After a few days of speculation and nothing from the 6 God, J. Lo's ex-boyfriend begins the attack on the year's most anticipated rap beef. What is known to be the song that put his career as a multi-talented performer on the map, "Summer Sixteen" continued one of the most influential attacks on Kendrick to date. The wave of the year's earliest beef continues, and the hype surrounding the two most dominant rappers in the game continues to grow.

As mentioned earlier, Kendrick has consistently been stabbed in the back by his hip hop peers. "No shots," Kendrick says in an interview with Rolling Stone. "But people don't realize. I treated people with respect. I never stepped on toes." Clearly, the quality of work from other artists continues to rise to a level of which they feel they have nothing to worry about from Kendrick. However, with the release of "The Heart Part 4," we see the return of the rap god who wants his fans to know he has not disappeared. Coming with a vicious flow on the opening bars with lyrics like "No a lot of people to count on/ These crabs I eat and they cramping my style/ What in the fuck is you talking about?/ Don't I got the trophy for album of the year/Watch game, watch how I tailor this shit." Clearly, Kendrick believes himself to be the king of rap music, and his belief begs argument.

3.1. Key Events and Tracks

Kendrick used an old age strategy to gain attention in the rap game. He called out a number of prominent rappers in his track "Control". In it, he basically let them know that he was the king of rap and the throne is literally up for grabs. It was said that Kendrick Lamar was trying to start a feud between them that would bring light to the talented rappers in the music industry. At the same time, he really did not want to make any enemies but wanted to make it an even playing field for all equally. He hinted at the fact that his peers were not putting forth the same effort as he was and the success was continuing to roll in triumphantly. A subtle message was embedded in the economy and immediate RCAs of his frustration with the lackluster flow that consumed him. The Compton-originated rapper used the feature on Big Sean's album to create public riot, much like that of what was partially ignited by the recent outbreak of Rodney King's death by law enforcement. The LAPD scattered the wrath of citizens in both directions, only for people on all canvases to reach out in an attempt to gain more understanding. After the media requests, you would be ignorant of anyone who did not know about Kendrick Lamar or just where he was coming from.

As it is actually intended to be against the popular belief, the music beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake actually originated in the track "The Language" that was produced by 40 and Boi-1da, along with a couple of additional producers. "The Language" is actually the song that fueled the fire between both Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Drake took Kendrick's lines as a direct attack and addressed them directly in the same track. The "hood" initially believed that it was a diss towards Kendrick, but it also left them with a question of just who Kendrick Lamar was referring to that was biting him. Drake addressed Lamar on "The Language" with the line "you won't hear a word, not even a letter for improvement purposes". Drake did not feel that Kendrick won the points of the worth to respond to Kendrick on a lyrical or public level and eventually let it slide, except for a few indirect subliminal shots here and there that further fueled the device of record sales.

4. Impact on Hip-Hop Culture

In 2013, that very same Beast Bay came a-calling for the modern day equivalent of Nas. In the film Straight Outta Compton, they painted the problem as Tang made his way atop the mountain held by the real-life New York's NAS "Jr Writer". Here was an emaciated Villager, a far superior lyricist who bragged his way through life over the course of eight mixtapes. Even with the stripped down beat of the Chris Brown Randy, forty-rounds and lived up to the line, tender moments can only last so long. They reflected on the never-ending beef falling underneath the storm that swept through New York City. Yet in the year 2013, the Beast Bay peaked about something content to be. Kendrick Lamar had released the role-swapping verse on Big Sean's Control.ocado 250 artists responded. Destination Unknown was labelled as pure firepower rivals when Libya became purloined downfall. The target with no fear was the king of pop, the affable Aubrey Graffen. The two rarely traded shots in public until the 2013 ESPY awards. In joining him on stage to accepting the "Best Moment" award, Drake chose his words carefully and fired verbal daggers at the source of heat.

Three weeks earlier, at the peak of beef between Jay-Z and multi-platinum hero Nas (the resolution of which spawned the last true golden era of traditional hip hop), folk hero Summerstage was opened for Jigga-Man, who was supported by Lil Wayne. Word had got around. Nas was across town performing entirely for free. Uninsulted, unimpressed, and a half and a half hour late, Wayne began his set. Nas was performing close to the venue, and immediately word got to the local Brooklynite. What happened next would go down in history of hip-hop. Nas arrived at the stage in minutes, the fire in his stomach driving him to where he needed to be. He then proceeded to drunkenly berate Wayne. His explanation for his late arrival is succinct and perfect, blaming the time on the lives being told in-between songs. "I told your watered down appearance," said Nas to Wayne "and your fractured flow, that you didn't even know shit about music." A week later, Nas released a song named Ether, which is composed of a series of accusations against Jay Z, which cynically learned word play. This being taught in more than one English class to demonstrate the mastery of allusion to the tragedy of the King Oedipus. He explained that Jay was holding Nas's lost sperm and said that staying over Catherine Downe. It was beautiful and epic. Nas used the backdrop of Nas to eventually end and unnerve one of Jay-Z's greatest achievements - the pre-bed freestyle. Jay-Z killed Jay and a night ago. Nas was everywhere. Nas's waiting after the show alleged somuthones was that he had received an award, purloined through the grime of mainstream shares and swarms. The weekend this was declared mhdvh Sherwin-Williams.

Hip-hop has been successful in capturing the hearts and minds of every young person because of how much it has evolved to mirror hip-hop culture. So when an unanswered question has sprouted between the two biggest names in the game right now, every beat listener's beliefs were properly piqued. Generally speaking, when two artists get into it, it's a competition born out of respect. It's always been that way. To dismiss it as anything more than artistry would be impossible. It transcends the roots of hip-hop music. It can be seen everywhere. Think of Francis Bacon and Michelangelo tope. Amazing both in their own right, but they both strive to one-up the rest, to ensure they keep their property for all time. This is true artistry. A conversation between artists with no words. This is hip-hop at its most powerful. However when the animosity subsides and no acknowledgment is given, culture directs it to become the bidiest, ugliest beast it has to offer. This was the case on the September 3rd, 2001 Brooklyn Hip-Hop festival.

4.1. Influence on Artists and Fans

However, in recent years, the levels of fame that Krewella reached became the desired image for aspiring artists. In a YouTube clip called "The Bling Ring", we could see and discuss kids who, rather than advancing in musical talent, decide to go visit clubs, buy concert tickets and merchandise, and then say they were there and rub it in people's faces to make themselves appear cool. When the electronic artist known as deadmau5 made an appropriation of DJ Chucky's "The Partysquad" and then tweeted "EDM is a hotbed of talent", his popularity ladder showed below the video of the appropriation that DJs take offense to those who choose to view electronic dance music as a genre filled with no talent who should not be respected. This was later taken by message boards when a music fan named Gwen Stacy asked deadmau5 if attending Ultra festival during one of the headliners' sets will show that she was or had no taste. After responding in a deprecating, condescending manner, other YouTube users decided to comment on his social behavior leading to further discussions and variations.

Particularly after the release of "Born This Way", Lady Gaga promoted evoking an "EDM lifestyle", once even changing careers temporarily to embark on her first tour with a DJ as an opening act. Though these were just temporary moments, it signified the impact EDM was already making on the mainstream music industry. Furthermore, one producer decided to mix tracks from "The Fame" with tracks from "The Fame Monster" with instrumental tracks from Trance artist Space Cowboy to release "The Fame Monster 3D". Immediately after, Lady Gaga uploaded the songs to her VEVO account, which later became the official VEVO account for her label. After Adele's album "21" debuted, two Swedish House Mafia members remixed the first single and received support from radio stations and online websites, even though initially it was being played exclusively by DJs for months. Upon its release, the song made her one of the biggest artists playing on the radio on the weekend following its release in its remixed form. This was the first time House Mafia had ever reached a higher chart position in the United States or even charted at all, and completely flips the second single from "Until Now", effectively making this song "Approval Myself" a dance hit by Adele.

As discussed in section 3, genre labels were constructed based on fan perception of an overall sound, while specific sub-genres were differentiated based on a more specific sound, most notably beat and bass. A producer may take influence from multiple other producers and therefore create music containing elements from multiple sub-genres, and may choose to come up with a producer name that is a combination of other producer names. Some artists incorporate other elements of popular culture and have formed sub-genres that are influenced by styles of other influential entertainment figures seemingly unrelated to EDM. A perfect example would be pop stars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, who became famous upon sharing critical acclaim in pop music. As these two artists gained notoriety, Lady Gaga began working with DJs and incorporating a more electronic sound to her pop to produce EDM, while Katy Perry received remixes of her singles created by some of the biggest DJs, at the same time gaining a more dance-friendly sound to her singles.

5. Diss Tracks in Electronic Dance Music (EDM)

The interesting question to ask is why diss tracks are seldom heard and not attributed to electronic music artists, especially when these artists are very well-respected, culture influencers whose fan base isn't as indifferent to schemes designed under icy and chained Sambas and Mambo Sambas? First, we already know that the music industry is tough and that its participants are not exempt from the relationship and uniting conflicts and competition present in any business or scene. Secondly, and for the more important, stand-out reason for the minimal number of EDM diss tracks: sneak dissing isn't the focus of dance and electronic music, and is something typically reserved for raw, doomed, and bling-and-gold-digging genres such as rap and hip-hop, and to an even lesser extent, rock and punk.

Suffice it to say, beef and diss tracks are undoubtedly an established norm in the music industry and are not seasonal. More importantly, with the development and transformation of music derived from the marriage of technology and the creation of electronic beats, it should shock no one that diss tracks have emerged from the electronic dance music (EDM) genre. What might be shocking, of course, is learning that diss tracks aren't all the rage in clubs and venues while dance fanatics from all corners of the world twist moves and rhythms into their original dances. Sure, there are a handful of lyrical feuds right before our very eyes, including alleged and suspected relationships between Deadmau5 and both Skrillex and Kaskade, a beef with Afrojack and Deadmau5, and even a reported scuffle between Skrillex and Deadmau5 during the 2012 Grammys after party.

5.1. Emergence of Beef in EDM

Readers may question how this beef sparked in dance music. There are already numerous house "producers" that have made their mark by publicly trashing acts that incorporated pre-recorded sets into performances, a practice they see as the antithesis of DJing. This is seen as a betrayal of fundamental traditions of electronic music culture; many argue that DJs were the original rockstars, and should possess the ability to DJ themselves. The dice rolled once again with Paul van Dyk – one of the most respected Trance and Dance music DJs and producers of this era – voicing his opinion about the ghost producer phenomenon. Said van Dyk: "I don't go out to a restaurant and watch someone else eat my meal; I don't think a DJ should play another DJ's set." However, this pales considerably in comparison to what has bubbled to the surface with Aoki, Axwell, Ingrosso, Zedd, Guetta, and DJ Mag Top 100 #1 Hardwell all beefing in public.

Beef and subsequent diss tracks have had a long and tumultuous history in hip-hop since the 1970s. The modern iteration of diss tracks did not break until the early 1980s when Kurtis Blow released "8 Million Stories," which targets a rival DJ that had felt slighted by his previous songs. In response to the growing fear of gun violence that was expected to result from the beef, numerous anti-violent tracks cropped up around the same time. This beef led to a substantial decline in popularity within the genre and a rise in alternative hip-hop, which has since become one of the most defining archetypes of the genre as a whole. Since then, beef between artists has slowly increased again in hip-hop, but still remains relatively controversial. However, something happened in late 2012 – electronic dance music (EDM) producers turned on each other. Is this a sign that the genre is already past it, that it can look forward to a niche market in the future that hip-hop currently holds?

6. Crossover Between Hip-Hop and EDM

Way before Drake, there was a battle in soul music of the 60's, which turned into rap. Then, at the end of the first straight era of hip-hop (I amalgamate the underground rap into the straight era of around 2000), music crossed over with pop. But more significantly, it crossed over with industrial and electronic beats, resulting in the beginnings and birth of a new type of pop and related music: electronic dance music. Hip-hop reverted back to fun-party from social consciousness, dropping the "op" from hip-hop and adding the flavor inside the more commercialized "rap for money" flash in all senses of the word. Almost as if hip-hop was done with electronic music, EDM made progress and started to crossover with hip-hop, often in the form of dubstep and Moombahton. "N" is close to "m" on the keyboard (the 7th and 5th letters of the alphabet). "M" and "n" are pronounced slightly differently. Pretty much everyone can see how crafty younger folks are while still having fun in creating soon-to-be hits that end up being the default style of every pop superstar.

Hip-hop is the newest type of dominant popular music now, taking over from rock. Eminem is the top performer, selling and attracting the most fans worldwide in 2002, 2003, and 2004. What is interesting is that during that time, there was not a single other hip-hop artist on the top 5 sales list any of those years. And what is an Eminem song without a diss track? Similarly, in 2015 and 2018, Drake was second only to Adele on the top seller for all music. Just like Eminem, Drake is another hip-hop artist who goes out of his way to let other artists know that they do not even come close to him.

Now, to come full circle and finally talk about the potential harms of such a crossover between the gentlest and most relaxed form of electronic music and arguably one of the most violent types of music, let's start with a detour through history.

6.1. Collaborations and Conflicts

Information barriers or problems in musical communication began to be resolved on the Internet. But there is a category of musical messages that races today in a completely unchanged form. The depth and significance of this musical monument is a peculiarity of a thoroughly musical whim and it appeared in R&B culture long before the Internet in the form of a diss track. A diss track is a message about unpleasant lyrical experiences of a musician associated with another musician. The racial culture of America, like many other cultures, was connected by appreciable information barriers and youth were often solved problems through such musical messages. In a world where there were no contracts with the label, no mass music distribution, not even social networks, only a black vinyl record that could communicate what you wanted and make it accessible to a teenager is not easy.

Before we go on to the art and person of Kendrick Lamar, let's make a small digression about direct communication in the music underground throughout its existence. Until the early 21st century, subcultures of listeners and even the creators of completely different music did not represent a large audience in the mass sense of the word. But, with the transition of musical subcultures from the depths of art into the consciousness of the average listener and the blurring boundaries between professional music and music completely made by ordinary amateurs on the knee, the problems that were previously resolved either through special adapters in the form of music labels or music zines reversed.

7. Potential Downfall of EDM

Today's broadcast networks whose ethical roots began as coin operated tail chasers, chasing self defined requirements that the rub of the fabric is really compliant copper, still deem their missions as serving the public interest. It is the compelling contradiction of selling evolved creativity with little capital cost to make it. Put simply, pop is like viewing an eclipse, it looks amazing but until the clouds roll back revealing myopic sins, the many transformations needed between the big game and the day after are rendered socially useless, achieved through imitation's inspiration.

The diss track has evolved into its own subgenre. While positive reinforcement doesn't get much ink, making a snide comment about someone's sexuality or tabulating their phobias may create trending. Where mean girls and bad boys coexist, diss tracks are sought as ultimatums, where commercial trends ensure that edgy will one-up puerile. But what really determines authenticity and where does a beat end and a riff begin? Too much of what we interpret as our personal experiences are either informed by or originated from wholly manufactured propagandist aims. This even extends to philosophical debates on those who both wrestle and embrace being poster children of public misconception that they’re truly “acting” in accordance with a pre-defined role.

7.1. Commercialization and Authenticity

If current dance clubs are gradually playing better beats for twerk dances, there should have been a prior step that made an enormous amount of economic sense.

The next section, from an analysis performed over polemical music of the year 1992, serves as a reminder of what polemic lyrics have in common with the aforementioned. The verses of this rap song state, "Lords of the Underground - Here Come the Lords, 1993 - We are not the good guys. We don't have the white hats; we don't have silver caps. I'm not Christopher Lumberdhey. We have black jeans and baseball caps; we will ruin your neighborhood merchant. Some mothers may not like me. Their daughter wants to have a date with me."

The discussion later contextualizes the rise of notorious rappers and refers to a chapter's text that deals with the DMX years and his album which addressed drug consumers' fears. The album brought sales that helped to lift his record label's shares and work as a model for the specific message chosen by the rapper in order to raise money for him and for his beloved bloods.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, rave parties focused on music, illegal drugs, and alternative escape from consumption-led social structures. The evolution of this movement since the creation of aggressive dancing-oriented subgenre around 2006 and the present abandonment of underground origins for a more festival-style oriented version will serve as a case study.

Recent controversies that have arisen within the EDM world bring rise to questions concerning health and commercialization of the scene. Does health mix with music, and do drugs and endless party nights hurt the young acts in the scene? Do EDM followers and popular hit makers already soulless dance rebellious fans into boring resignation? Are formulaic sounds and repetitive structures growing the industry's wealth by inducing dopamine into listeners' neurons? Is there something that leads fans to prefer outspoken identities that, despite bringing similar sounds, explore other genres that hold underground traits?

8. Conclusion

In summary, the rap and hip-hop artists are still within the boundaries that see them as "vicious but ain't nobody talking about dissing metal, rock, or blues." These statements offer us myth, through the negative way of affirming the young genre. Similarly to tasty appeal to the wide public, the archaic adversary keeps the audience connected to the artist, who is often tempted to cross the "ethical line" to increase popularity. The risky slide to the "territory" in which narrating a friendship is too placid, and creating dissonance too complacent, is close at hand. This is the point from which EDM is suffering, and finding it difficult to grow, risking it will undermine the "business of pleasure" in the future.

In conclusion, the hype surrounding each of the recent stories interweaves at different levels: between hip-hop and rap artists - starting from Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.; between innumerable pop artists - not just in 2015; and on EDM - combining the "world of aggressive music" and a world made of festival-life. Each time, targeting a person or another artist seems to be the best way to emerge. Music saves when the rivalry comes from passion and inspiration; music, as well as the music life, loses when the best word remains "diss." This is a situation in which ethics and morals are shifting into the shadows, evolving into nearly criminal acts: premeditated violence, unbearable insults, blackmail, exhumation, and the spinning of a psychology essay's text back into our lives.

8.1. Summary and Future Outlook

Additionally, as was evident in the Hot95Hiphop study, tracking propensity for intra-industry beef between a pair of specific headline DJ producers - of whom Deadmu5 has had beef with in the past - tracked perfectly with less frequent albeit still periodic falling out, this time with fellow headlining producers. Building out a time series of a different kind, namely, worldwide DJ pay levels from independent, open source reports, on their own as well as normalized for per capita income growth rates in the respective countries, could also be conducted. Lastly, these data in conjunction with DJ genre and popularity date patterns, as probed for above, could further the social scientists' understanding of the level to which basic economics confirm or infirm Merton's 80th anniversary sociology question that "the higher you go in any stratification system, the more of the functions of your position become sham and ritual".

Given the massive popularity of the grime- and dubstep-heavy EDM festival sound and its origins in New York's underground warehouse and bass movements, we are potentially entering an era of trend following as the two brothers in our introductory story did. This could explain the increasing public disdain and collapsed internal earl infractions of Skripman and Deadmu5, as well as our results' confidence in the presence of same-day causation, and the almost two-year break for the other two. A future growth area for this line of research could be overlaying different dates and regions of EDM festival sound popularity around the world with instances of negative press events using local news sources or conducting analysis related to specific acts performing in those areas.