| Firstly, I should define what a "beef" is for those of you | | | | pretty good friends. Tupac Shakur was then said to |
| reading this that may not be privy to the hip hop lingo. | | | | have had relations with the Notorious BIG's wife which |
| A beef is a term used in the hip hop culture to | | | | resulted not only in the two ending their relationship but |
| describe a grudge between two individuals. In normal | | | | also in the most historic battle in hip hop. For months |
| society a grudge for the most part may occur without | | | | the two hip hop artists went back and fourth with |
| any real ramifications but in the hip hop industry no | | | | songs against each other until one day Tupac Shakur |
| beef ever goes by without some real fireworks | | | | was shot outside a studio in New York. Tupac Shakur |
| associated with it. | | | | believed that either the Notorious BIG was involved in |
| Beefs in hip hop were created with two purposes in | | | | the shooting or knew of it in some capacity. The fact |
| mind. One being that two artist with legitimate gripes | | | | that the shooting occurred in the east and Tupac was |
| between each other would be able to settle their | | | | a rapper from the west caused an uproar amongst |
| differences while at the same time promoting their | | | | west coast hip hop fans. The two coasts were no |
| respective albums. One of the first highly publicized | | | | longer collaborating together on musical projects and it |
| beefs in the hip hop industry was between a young up | | | | was actually quite dangerous for either artist to even |
| and coming rapper by the name of LL Cool J and a | | | | venture to the other coast. The result of this east |
| previously established veteran by the name of Kool | | | | coast west coast beef was monumental. Both Tupac |
| Mo Dee. Most people don't recall what the main | | | | Shakur and the Notorious BIG were killed 6 months |
| dispute was between the two but the songs they | | | | apart from each other. Those two deaths marked the |
| made in an effort to discredit each other were true | | | | falling of the universally recognized best rappers of all |
| classics at that time. The universally accepted winner | | | | time. |
| of the beef was LL Cool J and his record sales | | | | Although hip hop beefs were created to have an |
| certainly benefited from it. In this instance the hip hop | | | | outlet or forum for two artists to air their grievances |
| beef worked to perfection and the animosity | | | | the cardinal rule of keeping it on record was constantly |
| disappeared and there were no acts of violence | | | | disregarded and many deaths have occurred. It's sad |
| between the two. This would not be the case in of the | | | | to say but 10 years after the deaths of the Notorious |
| most publicized beefs in hip hop history. Tupac Shakur, | | | | BIG and Tupac Shakur, beefs are just as prevalent if |
| who was a prominent hip hop artist from the west | | | | not more so then they were at the time of their |
| coast and the Notorious BIG who was the most | | | | deaths. |
| prominent rapper in the east at that time used to be | | | | |