Classic Black Celebrity Feuds

The year of 2024 is all about beef. Not just in hip-hop, but the entire entertainment industry.

Maybe Katt Williams kicked it off with his now-infamous interview at the top of the year, but people have no problem openly discussing the hate for their foes in recent months.

With that in mind, we’re going to run down some of the most notable feuds between notable figures in the entertainment industry. The variety of vocations here is just as wide as the disputes: singers, actors, producers, directors, athletes, and rappers all show up here, with some of these feuds going back as far as ten years.

Monique and Lee Daniels were feuding for more than 13 years before they reconciled in 2022. Reportedly, the feud between the two began because Monique wasn’t going to be paid during the promotional tour for the 2009 film Precious, which was directed and co-produced by Daniels.

Although they were known as one of the most dominant duos in sports history, they also had a nasty break up. The two were complete opposites in their approach to the game. Kobe was all about relentlessly working as hard as possible to be the best. Shaq, on the other hand, was more lax in his approach, relying more on his physical gifts. They won three championships in a row, but after losing in the 2004 Finals, Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat.

The tension between these two rap legends began after Pac accused Biggie of having him shot while the former was headed to record with him in Brooklyn. This led to an all-out feud between the rappers’ respective West and East Coasts. While Big never took his issues with 2Pac beyond subliminals, Pac bombed on the entire East Coast with “Hit ‘Em Up.” Even Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound got involved when they released “New York, New York.”

The feud between New Edition and Bobby Brown is well-documented. While he was with the group in the early 1980s, Brown always felt like he was meant to be a solo star. As a result, he left the band and released his solo debut King of Stage in 1986. His breakout album was 1988’s Don’t Be Cruel.

The two broke into the music industry together. Jay-Z was the rap star and Dame Dash was the hotshot business executive, building the dynastic Roc-A-Fella Records label. But their partnership ended in 2004 when Roc-A-Fella was sold to Def Jam and Hov became the president, essentially leaving Dame out of the deal. Both have addressed the fallout in interviews and, in Jay’s case, music.

The relationship between these two R&B stars is tricky. They were both teenage stars in the 1990s, but were often compared to each other due to being around the same age. They put their rivalry aside in to release the 1998 single “The Boy is Mine.” But it was later rekindled during the 1998 VMAs, when Monica, according to Dallas Austin, punched Brandy before they were set to perform their hit song.

50 Cent has been a feud with damn near every celebrity in existence. But his beef with Floyd Mayweather is one of his most infamous. The two were originally business partners, forming the company TMT (The Money Team) in 2012. Everything was good between the two until 50 Cent claimed that Floyd owed him some money that he was never paid. This led to a long-running feud, which peaked when the rapper constantly made fun of Mayweather’s perceived illiteracy.

Aretha Franklin has openly admitted that she and Dionne Warwick have never gotten along. She even stated when they ran into each other during a screening for “Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives,” Warwick offered to hug her and Franklin said, “Oh hell no.”

Tyra Banks felt that Naomi Campbell did not make her feel welcome in the modeling industry and claimed that she was “intimidated” by her. Campbell later came on Banks’ talk show in 2005 to discuss their feud and clear the air.

In 1993, Will Smith openly criticized Janet Hubert during a radio interview and essentially stated she was jealous that he got his own show at such a young age. Hubert was on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for three seasons and left after being offered a contract she was dissatisfied with. She even promised that she would never do a reunion episode with the cast. But in 2021 she did just that, squashing her beef with Smith for good and appearing on the reunion that aired on Max.

Everything seemed cordial between these two artists until Hilson released the remix to her 2009 song “Turnin Me On,” where she took shots at Queen Bey. “Your vision cloudy if you think that you da best,” she rapped. “You can dance, she can sing, but need to move it to the left.”

These two were always compared to each other due to their styles and personas as child stars being so similar. This led to an all-out beef, with both artists eventually releasing diss tracks. Lil Romeo released “U Can’t Shine Like Me,” while Bow Wow dropped “Fresh Az I’m Iz.”

The feud between these two began in 2012, when Ne-Yo made an appearance on The Breakfast Club and critiqued Trey Songz’ music. Song was frustrated with the criticism and stated that Ne-Yo could’ve shared his opinion privately instead in public for the whole world to hear. Ne-Yo has since apologized.

The two biggest trolls in hip-hop. There wasn’t really any bad blood between these two artists, it was more of a promotional rivalry that was exaggerated to boost album sales. In 2007, their albums were set to release on the same date, with Kanye releasing Graduation and 50 Cent coming out with Curtis. The two faced off to see who would have the biggest first-week album sales. West was the clear winner, selling more than 957,000 units compared to 50’s 691,000 units.

Due to them both being the biggest women in rap during the mid-1990s, a feud was naturally born. They often lobbed disses each other’s way on wax, which eventually led to a physical altercation in 2001 when their entourages clashed at a radio station.

These two reality TV stars did not get along from the moment they both appeared on the 2011 season of Celebrity Apprentice. Reportedly, Star once pointed her finger in Leakes’ face, and Nene responded by slapping away her hand and rushing at her.