THE STATE OF RAP BEEF IN THE MUSIC BIZ

After a year full of hip-hop rivalries, are they the key to marketing music, or do they run the risk of ruining the culture?

- JANEÉ BOLDEN

Rap beef has always walked a fine line between competition and chaos, but in 2025, that line was blurrier than ever. Many observers have been left asking: is beef a sport, a marketing tool, or something more dangerous?

“Social media has made everything more amplified,” says Trent Clark, head of TMZ Hip Hop. “Even a casual fan can have a weighty opinion with very minimal knowledge.”

Rob Markman, Genius’ VP of music and content, agrees that the dynamic has shifted. “Now, the whole world is watching, listening, and egging it on,” he says. “Are you even invested in this culture? Or [just] the destruction that comes with it?”

Drake vs. Kendrick: Round Two

By the time Kendrick Lamar and Drake finished trading disses in the spring of 2024, their dispute had become the most profitable beef in rap history. Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ dominated the charts and won five Grammys, including Record and Song of the Year, at the awards show in February 2025. “By the numbers, it’s the biggest beef of all time,” Clark says.