Sick beats, sick burns: How to write a dope diss track

Sit this one out, Drake. Diss tracks, or songs released to intentionally dismiss, disrespect or mock another musician, have been around since at least the 1980s. The most famous exchange, which music historians call The Roxanne Wars, was started by rapper Roxanne Shanté, and directed at hip hop group U.T.F.O.’s 1984 release Roxanne, Roxanne (not to be confused with the earlier Police masterpiece Roxanne). By the end, it encompassed 50 releases by 35 different artists. Kendrick Lamar’s comebacks, in comparison, seem like playground potshots.