Five For the Funk: Funk Butcher (Top Hip Hop Diss Records)

Image: Nas

Hip hop fans love it when rappers go at one another. History is littered with moments where emcees have disembowelled other rappers careers, Canibus going head to head with LL Cool J, KRS One taking down a whole borough of New York and, in more recent times Nicki Minaj destroying the remnants of Lil Kim's career.

The most recent high profile rapper expected to get engulfed in the vitriol is Drake, who for much of last year looked likely to end up in a toe to toe with Kendrick Lamar for the king of hip hop stakes. 

That never materialised, instead the Canadian heartthrob incurring the wrath of lesser lights Tyga and Meek Mill. The beef with the latter has been underwhelmingly one sided, a view we share with one of our favourite DJs on Twitter, Funk Butcher.

The kid cant do no wrong in their eyes. They on Wikipedia editing Rakim's profile and calling Drake the GOD MC.

— Funk Butcher (@FunkButcher) July 29, 2015

When we witnessed him being particularly dismissive towards the battle, we wanted to know what his favourite moments were in beef history, and boy did he deliver.  Citing the Drake Meek fiasco as "lack-lustre at best", here's the his five favourite diss records of all time. 

Nas 'Ether'

I would take body-blows normally reserved for a prize-fighter on ALL social network platforms if this was omitted from the list. There are two divided camps to this day on this epic clash of the titans.

One favours Queens finest ultimately damaging the reputation of Jay with this record. The other finds Jigga's more subtle and calculated "Takeover" diss as a clear winner. I sit in the camp of the former.

Nas was direct, focused and engaged in a targeted onslaught of Jay's character and physical being. Too many quotables came from this one record in my opinion whilst Jay opted to target a few parties namely Nas AND Prodigy. 

Jadakiss 'Checkmate'

Jada has always professed to include himself within the 'Top Five Dead or Alive' category, and this diss record was more then ample proof of his abilities as a formidable battle MC.

The roots of this feud occurred when Jada joined his NY native Fat Joe who at the time was in a war of words with 50 Cent on the track 'New York'. Oh and the Skeletor to Fiddy's He-Man, Ja-Rule, was also present on the cut. Jada was therefore roped into a beef which was effectively based on him featuring alongside 50's nemeses and nothing else.

Never one to shirk his MC responsibilities, he picks 50 apart surgically with lines like "Never the King of New York, you live in Connecticut", after 50 acquired the old Tyson property in the area, and "picture Kiss not come out swingin'... thats like seein' 50 at a show and he don't come out singin'" - a jab at 50's penchant for doing his own hooks.

Camron 'Curtis'

It could be argued quite confidently and with sufficient proof that 50, in all his mischievousness and baiting, brought out the best in many MCs over the past decade. This record further underlines that point.

Cam'ron was no stranger to lyrical warfare himself, having gone at Jay-Z numerous times throughout his career, and provided not only a great diss record worthy as a club track but also gave the Hip-Hop fan some specifically dedicated visuals to accompany it.

Cam'ron laces the track with humour which for me is essential in the breaking down of an MC, with lines like "You look like a gorilla... with rabbit teeth" particularly memorable.

Eazy E 'Real Muthafuckin G's'

The diminutive stature of Eric Lynn Wright, better known as Eazy E, was in no way a reflection of his boldness on wax and reputation in the streets of his native Compton. This was probably what enabled him to humiliate his former friend Dr Dre, and his new associates at Death Row Records.

The swagger and poise displayed by Eazy was evident throughout the song, even when choosing to perform the diss record on the popular Arsenio Hall show in the nineties wearing a dressing robe and no shoes! Lyrically this track is not a Rembrandt, but it does have character by the bucket-load and was a reminder of why West coast rap was and still remains so important.

Flirta D 'Kano Diss'

The grime community has always had strong foundations in the art of lyrical warfare or 'clashing'. There was a time for a moment where it seemed that a majority of the records being cut and subsequently played on the pirate radio stations were diss records for one another.

In this special time one record stood out for me as it marked the unpredictable nature of the genre and that on any given day an MC was beatable! Kano is without a doubt a lyrical genius yet Flirta D with a completely different MCing style, was able to construct a powerful attack on the East London spitter.

Flirta used his style meshing his library of sound-effects with bars aimed at poking fun at the ex-Nasty Crew member. This record didn't question his validity as a top class MC but it did make us laugh at Kane.

Funk Butcher appears at the Pioneer Plays event at Qube Project on Saturday 15th August - tickets via the box below.

Tickets are no longer available for this event