2Pac Released The Most Excellent Diss Song In Hip-Hop History, “Hit ‘Em Up,” On This Day In 1996.
“This song is going to be playing in every club, all over. Deejays are calling from everywhere, wanting to get a piece of this.” — Tupac Shakur.
On June 4, 1996, a diss track was released by rap icon 2Pac featuring the Outlaw Immortalz called “Hit ’Em Up,” widely regarded as the most excellent diss song of all time. The track was recorded at Can Am Studios in May of the same year and produced by a long-time collaborator Johnny “J”. The track’s bassline samples “Don’t Look Any Further,” a classic R&B song by soul singer Dennis Edwards. The song’s explicit lyrics and violent intent toward several other artists, including The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, Junior Mafia, and Mobb Deep, caused controversy in the hip-hop community. Despite this, it quickly became an underground classic, gaining immense popularity across New York City. 2Pac undoubtedly left a lasting impact on the East Coast with “Hit ’Em Up.”
Back in May 1996, during my final year in junior high school, I was introduced to the track “Hit ‘Em Up” by my friend Johnathan. He had it on a mixtape and couldn’t wait to share it. I recall vividly how he mentioned that 2Pac was going hard at Biggie in this song. I listened to it on his Walkman, and it was indeed a powerful and memorable track. Even though it was my first time hearing it, it left an indelible impression on me.:
“I ain’t got no motherfucking friends
That’s why I fucked your bitch, you fat motherfucker
Take Money
West Side, Bad Boy killers
Take Money
You know who the realest is
We bring it too
Take money, take money
First off, fuck your bitch and the clique you claim
Westside, when we ride, come equipped with game
You claim to be a player, but I fucked your wife
We bust on Bad Boys; niggas fucked for life….”
I was taken aback by what I was hearing. 2Pac’s aggression and anger on the record were unprecedented, and his lyrics were spiteful. What’s more, he used the same beat that Notorious B.I.G. had rapped on for “Don’t Look Any Further” on the song “Gettin’ Money (The Get Money Remix).” The repeated line “Take Money” in “Hit ‘Em Up” was a clear nod to Junior Mafia’s “Get Money.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and continued to listen to the diss track in disbelief. Even the chorus was memorable, Grab your Glocks when you see 2Pac/ Call the cops when you see 2Pac, oh, who shot me, but your punks didn’t finish/ Now you about to feel the wrath of a menace/Nigga, I hit ’em up… Now, I knew that this song was a retaliation for Notorious B.I.G.’s 1995 street banger, “Who Shot Ya?”.
After the song ended, I immediately exclaimed, “Biggie is going to kill 2Pac over that song. It’s on!” The rivalry between 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. had reached a dangerous level, and it was the first time I had ever felt that a rap song could potentially lead to someone’s demise. The so-called “rap battle” had become a cause for genuine concern as it seemed spiraling out of control. If the two artists ever came face-to-face, there was a real fear that 2Pac could be in grave danger because of the infamous diss track “Hit ‘Em Up.” All I could think about was the potentially dire consequences of this situation.
In May 1996, the music video for “Hit ’Em Up” was filmed in a warehouse near Fox Hills Mall in Los Angeles. The video featured 2Pac rapping in various rooms, including a white room with The Outlawz, a purple-caged room, and a black room with bullet holes in the background. T.V. monitors in the background showed clips from the music video “Made Niggaz.” The video also featured actors recalled from their prior roles in the music video for “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” to impersonate those attacked in “Hit ’Em Up.” Notably, a Biggie stand-in appeared wearing a Kangol and jacket, similar to that Notorious B.I.G. would wear, and crouched near the camera while 2Pac shouted obscene language in his face. Puff Daddy was also impersonated, appearing with a high-top fade and lowering and raising his Versace sunglasses toward the camera.
The U.S. hip-hop community recognizes “Hit ’Em Up” as one of the most significant diss tracks ever made.
