The first rule of hip-hop beef should be simple: Don’t punch downward. That’s why the Jay Z-MC Hammer “feud” of 2010 never took off; it’s no fun to watch a heavyweight champion beat up someone not in his or her weight class.
This is a problem for Kanye West. Currently on his “Yeezus” tour with opening act Kendrick Lamar, West is one of a very few emcees who garners headlines and attention everywhere he goes. His moves are constantly debated, his home life is a source for tabloids and his rants are fodder for armchair psychologists everywhere.
But if West is nearly out of emcees to battle, what will he do with his aggression? His recent spat with Jimmy Kimmel was fun, but who else exists for him to battle?
amNewYork has some ideas:
Kanye West versus Jay Z: Sure, “Watch the Throne” was a hit. But there’s no one else in Yeezus’ league right now in terms of rap notoriety. If Randy Savage could turn on Hulk Hogan …
Kanye West versus
President Barack Obama: This beef has already been simmering; the president has called West a “jackass,” while West told Ryan Seacrest in late October that he and Kim are more influential than POTUS.
Kanye West versus France: Kayne raps, “Hurry up with my damn croissants!” France responds, “Do NOT rush croissants. Ever.” Also, West and his wealth may not care for the country’s high tax rate on the über-rich.
Kanye West versus the English language: According to Thesaurus.com, there are less than 50 synonyms each for “great” as in “skillful,” and “great” as in “important.” After a decade of albums, Yeezy’s running out of words to use to talk about himself.
