The spirit of competition has always fueled the beast that is Hip-Hop. Not just anyone could set up a sound system, hook up a lantern and DJ for the block party.
The streets had to be with you (otherwise, you risked robbery or bodily harm). The same goes for the rappers who will soon come to the fore. Sure, you might have been friends with the DJ, but the crowd would be quick to tell if this alley-oop was either expertly curated or “you might want to get off the mic before you get really booed or jumped.” This hierarchy, along with the human tendency to misplace dislike or “hate,” meant that “beef” has long been inherent in Hip-Hop's DNA. Whether it's to get your own time in the spotlight or just to let listeners know why you're the best choice, the fine line between a friendly rivalry and cold hostility has always been there.
At their worst, fierce rivalries led to bloodshed and even homicide (rest in peace Tupac and Biggie). But at best, which is more common, he rejected innovation and timeless records. Beef has permeated Hip-Hop throughout its 50 years and ongoing life, as reported By The Numbers: How Rap Beef Influences Culture and has moved culture, as noted in It's What's For Hip-Hop: 9 Rap Beefs That Changed Hip-Hop Culture. Also, the tour de force that is Kendrick Lamar's “Not Like Us,” makes it clear that Hip-Hop will always have an appetite for well-crafted and no holds barred races.
Back in the early 1990s, before the internet, artist André LeRoy “AL Dre” Davis cooked up an artistic depiction of one of Hip-Hop's most infamous if now forgotten beefs — KRS-One vs. PM Dawn. The story goes that Teacha went to PM Dawn's Prince B at a now-shuttered NYC venue called the Sound Factory and it ended badly for the “Set Adrift” rapper. There were no cell phone cameras in the building 30-odd years ago, so Dre artfully recreated what allegedly collapsed for The Source magazine, and the rest is history.
So we thought it would be dope to use AL Dre's artwork, with his permission of course, to pay tribute to Hip-Hop for Hip-Hop Wired's first digital cover. The mission was understood and executed to perfection.