Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” is arguably one of the best diss tracks in recent memory. However, when it comes to the all-time debate, Ice Cube — and likely many older Hip Hop fans — have their own favorites.
In concert footage that surfaced online today (May 28), the AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted creator said he put out a better record. “[People say] Tupac [Shakur’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’], but it’s not,” he told the crowd. “‘Nah, Cube, hold on, it’s Nas with ‘Ether.’’ I love Nas, but it’s not. Maybe it’s Kendrick Lamar now. Maybe it’s him. I love those songs, but ‘No Vaseline’ is the best diss song in the history of Hip Hop.”
Cube later explained why the 1991 release tops the aforementioned tracks: “One emcee, myself, I took out four motherf**kers and the manager. You can’t beat that. We did that over 30 years ago. So, as it stands today, I got nothing but love for N.W.A.”
“No Vaseline” arrived on Cube’s Death Certificate in response to N.W.A’s alleged jabs on “Message To B.A.” and “Real N**gaz.” The BIG3 founder notably left the West Coast group due to financial issues, which he believed Jerry Heller was the root of.
“Half pint b**ch, f**king your homeboys, you little maggot/ Eazy-E turned f**got/ With your manager, fella/ F**king MC Ren, Dr. Dre, and Yella/ But if they were smart as me/ Eazy-E would be hanging from a tree,” the South Central native spat.
Lamar’s “Not Like Us” contained several lyrics that similarly left a stain on his rival. The Compton rapper notoriously accused Drake of being a pedophile and referenced OVO Sound signee Baka Not Nice’s trafficking case. Additionally, the single’s cover art featured an image of the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker’s Toronto mansion with several red markers that resemble the ones seen on sexual predator locator apps.