Hip-hop feuds and rivalries, often referred to as "beefs", have existed since the 1970s. Originally, at block parties, DJs would play records and isolate the percussion breaks for the dancing masses, which was copied from Jamaican reggae music. Soon, MCs began speaking over the beats, at first simply exhorting the audience to continue dancing, but eventually expanded their time on stage to introducing themselves, shouting out friends in the audience, boasting about their own skills, and criticizing their rivals, all in good humor. The deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. have alerted rappers to the possibility of a simple feud becoming violent. Observers have claimed that the media feeds on such rivalries for headlines and blows situations out of proportion, particularly in the infamous East Coast-West Coast rivalry of the 1990s. A contrasting example was the 1980s hit "Roxanne, Roxanne" by U.T.F.O., which sparked several hundred "answer records" in response, some of which were quite vituperative (see the Roxanne Wars). At the time, hip hop was not as high-profile, and the media ignored the record, so the beef never made it onto the streets. The 2001 high-profile beef between Nas and Jay-Z however, was carried out without ever threatening to become violent.

“Eminem and 50[Cent] have been in Hip Hop Weekly,” he said. “I’ve learned to separate my personal issues to an extent. I understand who I am and what I say. I’m never gonna be PC, I’m always gonna speak my mind. They’re still monsters in the game. I’m sure you’ll see them getting coverage in there [...]

My Boiiiiiii......Msanii...The one and only AY .Talk about African hip hop and if you dont put my boi on that list then we beefing The Track is called "Usijaribu" this is a certified banger so y'all need to show some luv!!!

After publicly expressing their distaste for one another, Remy Ma and Lil' Kim are upping the ante and going even harder, continuing to take shots in each other's direction.As previously reported by SOHH, the two traded jabs a little while back. But hip-hop fans haven't heard the end of anything yet. Remy recently raised the bar,

Although he has taken heat for both his mainstream success and the way some women are portrayed in his music videos, Nelly has the support of two of Hip-Hop's biggest legends for his new album Brass Knuckles. While addressing their former beef, KRS-One had nothing but praise for the St. Louis rapper's crossover potential.

What does Havoc & Prodigy have to say about their altercation with Saigon? How about that "eat a dick" statement directed at Kanye? Check out HipHopDX.com's news section to read about more!