10 Wildest Hip-Hop Beefs Of 2023

Aside from music, something that almost always manages to grab fans’ attention is, of course, drama, especially hip-hop beefs. When artists clash, their supporters typically follow suit, only causing things to heat up. With the rise of social media, fans often get a front-row seat to their favorite performers’ beef, resulting in rumors, speculation, and more.

2023 has been no exception, with countless hip-hop figures putting their drama on full display. The year’s been jam-packed with sneak disses, messy social media posts, shady bars, and more. Check out a list of some of the most notable hip-hop beefs of 2023 below.

Drake Vs. Joe Budden

When Drake dropped his eagerly-anticipated LP For All The Dogs this year, Joe Budden was less than impressed. He weighed in on his podcast, advising Drake to stop hanging around people so much younger than him. He further claimed to have missed when Drake “was rapping for the rappers.” Budden did note that Drake is something of a “golden child” in the hip-hop world, and will continue to see success no matter what. Drake fired back hard regardless.

He responded to Budden with a lengthy Instagram roast, claiming that he’s just jealous of his career. Essentially, Drake accused him of only criticizing his work because his own path as a rapper didn’t pan out. This got pretty ugly with subliminal social media shade, friends jumping in the mix, and more. It’s also speculated that Budden’s critique is what inspired Drake to drop Scary Hours 3. It looks like this beef, at least, had a silver lining.

Chrisean Rock and Blueface welcomed their first child together, Chrisean Jr., in September. The two of them went their separate ways in the months leading up to his birth, with Blueface deciding to instead focus his attention on the mother of his first two children, Jaidyn Alexis. Blueface had a lot to say about Chrisean’s parenting skills when their son arrived, however, taking aim at the new mother on social media.

He and Jaidyn have since gotten engaged, and Blueface takes every opportunity to remind his followers that she’s a “star.” Chrisean, on the other hand, insists that their romance is nothing but an act to make her jealous. This is a notably messy beef, which includes allegations of cheating, child neglect, and even pedophilia. Fans have held out hope throughout the year that the duo would find a way to work out their famously tumultuous relationship for the sake of their son, but have yet to see them return to civility.

DJ Akademiks Vs. Saucy Santana

This year, DJ Akademiks accused City Girls’ Yung Miami of perpetuating homophobia by calling him a gay slur amid their feud. He claimed that her use of the term was disrespectful to her gay friends, name-dropping none other than Saucy Santana. Saucy Santana made it clear that he was on Yung Miami’s side, slamming the personality for dragging him into things. From there, the two of them traded some jabs on social media. Saucy Santana eventually threatened to “beat” and sexually assault DJ Akademiks.

Ak responded with an emotional, and viral, livestream. He claimed that he couldn’t fully unleash on Saucy Santana the way he wanted to out of fear of getting canceled. This prompted a lot of chatter online, with some social media users highlighting noting how Ak’s never been afraid to take aim at Black women. Saucy Santana’s since dropped a diss track about DJ Akademiks, “Meet Me In Da Skreets,” which boasts a similar sentiment.

Gunna Vs. Everyone

Gunna was released from prison in December of last year, following a major RICO indictment. It saw the arrest of over 25 alleged YSL members, including Young Thug. He took a plea deal on the day of his release, prompting countless peers and fans to speculate that he betrayed his co-defendants by providing information to authorities. Gunna has vehemently denied this, but regardless, the rumors remain. Fans continue to call for Young Thug’s release, as he sits behind bars awaiting trial.

Gunna seemingly addressed the snitching allegations on his album A Gift & A Curse, which he dropped in June. Once again, he denied having turned his back on his co-defendants. “Know you hearin’ the lies that your lil’ brother might fold (Gunna Wunna) / Yeah, I had copped out, but don’t let ’em say I told,” he rhymes on “I Was Just Thinking.” The project was fairly well-received and managed to quiet at least some of the speculation. Nonetheless, in a genre where loyalty means everything, the debacle has left a considerable and lasting mark on Gunna’s reputation.

Coi Leray Vs. Latto

Latto’s hit track “Put It On Da Floor” quickly became one of the songs of the summer, gaining even more attention when Cardi B hopped on a remix. One of her fellow female MCs, however, took issue with a few of the song’s lyrics. “Smokin’ on that gas, blunt big as Coi Leray /
B*tches like to run they mouth, but I’m the type to run a fade,” Latto rhymes in the second verse. Coi made it clear that she took the bar as a dig at her body. In response, she fired off a series of Tweets, calling Latto out. Latto later told her crowd at Coachella that she has nothing but “love” for Coi’s body. Unfortunately, the “Players” performer wasn’t buying it.

Coi Leray seemingly responded on her Blue Moon EP’s lead single, “Isabel Marant.” “Yeah I’m on they a** (Yeah) / Hop up out that couch and roll up Latto out the bag,” she spits on the track. Latto was later featured on a remix of Young Nudy’s “Peaches & Eggplants” with Sexyy Red, and appeared to throw shade at Coi’s dad, Benzino. After the remix dropped, Coi posted some screenshots of a chat she had with her father, Benzino. The Source icon told her that Latto simply “admired” her, advising her not to worry about it. Latto defended the bar in a subsequent livestream, but didn’t say if it was intended as shade to Coi. Social media users, of course, have their suspicions.

Nicki Minaj Vs. Cardi B

Nicki Minaj and Cardi B’s years-long feud hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. In fact, even their husbands got involved this year. Back in September, Offset and Kenneth Petty traded some jabs on social media. Eventually, Petty landed himself on house arrest for threatening the former Migos member. Nicki later took to social media to shed light on her swatting experience, insinuating that Cardi B was responsible. She further appeared to claim that Cardi was throwing shade her way because “Bongos” was a “flop.” Countless subliminal social media posts followed.

While it’s possible that Nicki and Cardi’s beef could only be a tactic to promote their new projects, many still believe that their animosity is very real. In October, Tasha K even claimed that she previously advised Nicki to squash the beef, telling her the two of them are more similar than they’d like to believe. Tasha K currently owes Cardi upwards of $3.4 million in their defamation case, so it says a lot that even she thinks it’s time that they throw in the towel.

Drake Vs. Bobbi Althoff

Back in June, Bobbi Althoff of The Really Good Podcast dropped her interview with Funny Marco. The video gained some traction online, even capturing the attention of Drake. According to her, she then decided to slide into Drake’s DMs to ask him for an interview. To her own surprise, he was in. The video that followed went viral, creating opportunities for Althoff to interview Tyga, Lil Yachty, Offset, and more. The video in question, however, was later mysteriously deleted. Internet sleuths also quickly discovered that the two of them had unfollowed each other on Instagram. This prompted speculation that Drake and Althoff had some beef going on behind the scenes.

Neither of them has clarified why the interview was deleted. Althoff did, however, inadvertently clear up some rumors that they were romantically involved. She told Dave Portnoy “off the record” that the rumors were false. He then discussed it on his podcast, going against her wishes. Teasers for the podcast episode were also cut in a way that insinuated there may have been a romance between Althoff and Drake. This prompted her to share screenshots of the actual conversation on social media. While Althoff’s become somewhat of a controversial figure herself, her interview and rumored “beef” with the Toronto hitmaker continue to be what most people associate her with.

Keke Palmer Fans Vs. Darius Jackson

Back in July, Keke Palmer attended an Usher concert, and appeared to have the time of her life. The father of her son Leodis, however, quickly made it clear that he wasn’t a fan of her outfit choice. He sounded off on Twitter, seemingly shaming her for it. This resulted in quite a bit of backlash for the fitness trainer, with countless Keke Palmer fans going after him. Instead of apologizing, he doubled down, insisting that he was within his rights to criticize her attire. Neither of them directly addressed their relationship status in the months following, but it was speculated that they had gone their separate ways after Palmer appeared in Usher’s “Boyfriend” music video.

Things took a serious turn in November of this year, when Palmer filed for a restraining order against Jackson. She additionally filed for sole physical and legal custody of Leodis. Her filing came with a long list of abuse allegations against the 30-year-old. This, understandably, prompted even more outrage from Palmer’s fanbase. Nowadays, Palmer appears to be back to living her best life while navigating the difficult circumstances.

Boosie Badazz Vs. Yung Bleu

This year, Boosie Badazz took aim at Yung Bleu over a dispute surrounding the young rapper’s Empire Records contract. According to the Louisiana-born MC, Yung Bleu signed the contract without his permission, alleging that his own brother forged his signature. The dispute has been around for a few years now, however, Boosie took things to a whole new level this year, making it clear that he wants the money that he feels he’s owed, and won’t back down.

Yung Bleu’s made quite a few headlines over the year for domestic violence allegations, a cheating scandal, and more. Boosie’s taken every opportunity to weigh in, reminding the Alabama native of his alleged debt. He’s also thrown some jabs at Empire Records CEO Ghazi Shami, accusing him of being a “snake” for going through with the deal. Yung Bleu doesn’t seem keen on paying Boosie back, but he did challenge the 41-year-old to a boxing match back in September.

Sexyy Red & Sukihana Vs. Khia

In October, Khia went on a rant about being compared to current artists like Sexyy Red and Sukihana, claiming that they’re nothing alike. Known for her hit “My Neck, My Back,” Khia said that those drawing comparisons have got it all wrong, insisting that her music sends an entirely different message to that of the aforementioned MC’s. While still notably raunchy, Khia claimed that her songs work to empower women, whereas Sexyy Red and Sukihana’s work is demeaning.

Sexyy Red was quick to fire back, however, calling Khia a “hater” and accusing her of being “washed up.” Sukihana followed suit, threatening to “knock Khia tf out.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like fans will see any resolution to this beef, though countless commenters and peers have come to the “Hood Rats” performers’ defense. In general, many think there’s been enough Sexyy Red slander online since she rose to fame with “Pound Town,” and just felt as though Khia’s argument was tired.

Which of these hip-hop beefs hit you the hardest? Let us know, in the comments section below.