Sorry to confuse any UK rap fans, but the Parker Lewis I’m referring to isn’t in fact the British MC/producer who provided the beat for the first song on Fishscale (Lewis Parker), but the name of the lead character from that TV show that tried to recreate the whole Ferris Buellers Day Off vibe. In what must have been a slow news month at The Source, Matty C reported that the star of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose shocked the crowd at Ed Lover‘s birthday party with some “impressive” mic skills. All I’ve got to say is that Corky Nemic has to one of the whitest names ever. (more…)

As was revealed in the “Life After Death: Making of A Classic” feature in XXL a while back, Biggie’s line “Yo son, I’m suprised you run with ‘em, I think they got cum in ‘em, ’cause they nothing but dicks” from “Kick In The Door” was directed at the tracks producer, DJ Premier. B.I.G. was referring to Jeru, who had been perceived as hating on the whole Bad Boy crew following the release of “One Day”. (more…)

In the wacky world of diss records, crew-on-crew crime often provides the funniest moments. It’s one thing to talk greasy about some kid you’ve never met, but when you start riffing with someone you used to hang-out and perform with, things can really get ugly. Such was the case with former Juice Crew buddies Craig G and MC Shan. Having weathered numerous attacks from the outside (“Juice Crew Diss”, “The Bridge Is Over”), as well as in-house rivalries (G Rap and Kane) during their reign at the top of the rap game in the late ’80′s, the loss of super-producer Marley Marl was the death-knell for the this legendary collective.
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Considering they named their group the Dismasters, it’s suprising that Raven T & Lord Mike Ski‘s album contained only one diss record. While they claimed a spot in rap history with the timeless "Small Time Hustler", and to a lesser extent with "Black and Proud", their most entertaining moment in the booth was “Act Like You Know”.

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This installment of “Forgotten Beefs” is also somewhat of a mystery to me, in that there is very little information on the basis of it. Freddie Foxxx has experienced many ups and downs in the rap game, but has maintained his position as one of hip-hop’s most enduring tough guys. Originally slated for vocal duties on “Eric B. Is President”, a young upstart named Rakim Allah turned out to be a more than capable replacement. Foxxx dropped his first solo effort three years later, and with Eric B. as executive producer it was no suprise that the album was equal parts classic brag rap (“Freddie Foxxx Is Here”) and sappy ballads (“Forever”). (more…)

Biting the hand that feeds you is never a good idea, but when you’re a foul-mouthed Houston broad struggling to get noticed, it seems like the only option. Such is the story of Choice, the first “lady” of Rap-A-Lot. Willie D gave her a break by generously allowing her to appear on his seminal Controversy album, resulting in I Need Some Pussy, which still stands up today as a classic ignorant duet. Choice informed us that “I got a pussy ’bout the size of Bolivia” (which later provided the hook for Too Much Trouble‘s “Take The Pussy”, but more of that later), which apparently is a something she seemed proud of(!?). I suspect that D ghost-wrote her parts anyway. I’m not sure what happened between then and the time she dropped her album, but since she looked like Billy Dee Williams in drag her only chance of selling a few CD’s was to find a cheap gimmick. Most of the songs on the album dealt with her “sexcapades” (Pipe Dreams, “Minute Man” and “Cat Got Your Tongue”), but for her first single she did what any new rapper desperately seeking free publicity does – she made a diss record.

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Remember back to the days when annoying, gimmicky raps were flavour of the month? A time when groups like the Fu-Schnickens* were actually taken seriously, and you could dance around with a muppet in your video and still get respect (UMC‘s “Blue Cheese”)? In a similar vein, Marley Marl unleashed the Lords of the Underground from his House of Hits, a NJ-based trio who shared The Pharcyde‘s fondness for energetic, high-pitched vocal outbursts. Not only did they ruin some outstanding K-Def and Marley productions with their corny new-jack techniques, but they also managed to piss-off several key DITC legends. (more…)