Amidst the ongoing clash between Drake and Kendrick Lamar dominating the realm of popular music, the discourse around diss tracks has intensified.
Questlove, the renowned drummer of The Roots, recently shared his thoughts on Tupac Shakur’s 1996 diss track “Hit Em Up,” targeting The Notorious B.I.G. and other East Coast rappers. According to Questlove, the track falls short.
Questlove says he would respect 2Pac's diss song "Hit 'Em Up" if the music tracking were better, and calls "Hit 'Em Up" the weakest musical smack.
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“In my view, 2Pac’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ lacks the musical finesse,” he remarked. “It’s not about the misogyny; it’s about the mismatch between the rhymes and the backing track. It feels like rhyming over smooth jazz dinner music. Luther Vandross could’ve crooned over this.”
“While many hailed it as groundbreaking, I saw it differently,” Questlove continued. “It felt more like Dennis Edwards being given a smooth jazz makeover. For me, it’s the weakest musical jab. ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ just doesn’t resonate.”
How do you interpret Questlove’s evaluation of “Hit ‘Em Up?” Despite its acclaim as one of the greatest diss tracks, his critique challenges its status.