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Diss (music)

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A diss track or diss song is a song intended to disrespect people. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre fueled by the hip hop rivalry phenomenon.

History

The earliest example of music which could be construed as a diss track[1] was Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, which was written in 1880 to commemorate Russia's defense against Napoleonic invasion[2]. The use of a battery of canons in the climax of the piece is considered a mockery of the retreating French forces whose own artillery was used against them. This is the first recorded instance of the use of weapons as an instrument—a motif which extends to the use of firearms as instruments in contemporary hip hop diss tracks.

An early example of a diss track was "You Keep Her" (1962) by Joe Tex. He wrote the song after his wife left him for famous soul singer James Brown, who then broke up with her and wrote Tex a letter saying he could have her back. Tex refused and ridiculed this offer in his song.[3]

Another example of a diss track occurred in Jamaica. After Lee "Scratch" Perry left producer Coxsone Dodd he released a track called "Run for Cover" (1967) poking a joke at him.[4] Perry in particular has a long history of releasing diss tracks directed at former musical collaborators. The musical single "People Funny Boy" (1968) attacked his former boss Joe Gibbs by adding sounds of a crying baby into the mix. In response Gibbs himself released a track called "People Grudgeful" (1968).[5] Perry's "Evil Tongues" (1978) was aimed at The Congos[6] and “Judgement Inna Babylon” (1984) and "Satan Kicked the Bucket" (1988) at Chris Blackwell.[6] Perry also attacked Michael Jackson (with whom he never worked together) on the track "Freaky Michael" (2010).[6]

John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" (1971) from his album Imagine is another prototypical example of a diss track. Lennon had the impression that the song "Too Many People" from Paul McCartney's Ram (1970) was a dig at him, something Paul later admitted.[7] Lennon thought that other songs on the album, such as "3 Legs," contained similar attacks,[8] and the back cover of Ram, showing one stag beetle mounting another, has been described by McCartney as indicative of how he felt treated by the other members of The Beatles. As a result Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" indirectly mocked Paul's musicianship. While Paul is never mentioned in the song, the many references make clear he is the target, particularly in the lyrics "The only thing you done was yesterday/And since you've gone you're just another day", the first lyric being a reference to The Beatles' 1965 song "Yesterday".

Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Small Axe" (1973), from their album Burnin', was a hidden diss at record producers Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid. They owned all the power in the Jamaican music industry and thus were the "big tree" that musicians would have to cooperate to cut down.[9]

In 1980 Wild Man Fischer wrote a song called "Frank", which was aimed at his former record producer Frank Zappa, who enabled him to record his debut album An Evening with Wild Man Fischer (1969) but afterwards broke all contact when the mentally disturbed Fischer threw a bottle at Zappa's infant daughter and missed.[10] Dr. Demento once played "Frank" when Zappa was a guest on his show and to his amazement Zappa turned absolutely livid with anger when he heard it, even threatening the radio host to never ever play this song again on the air.[11]

Among the best-known diss are, "The Bridge is Over" and "Still Huggin A Nut" by Boogie Down Productions, "Hit 'Em Up" by Tupac Shakur, "No Vaseline" by Ice Cube, "King of the Hill" by Westside Connection, "Ice Cube Killa" by Cypress Hill, "2nd Round Knockout" by Canibus, "Dollaz & Sense" by DJ Quik "Ether" by Nas, "The Warning", "Just Don't Give a Fuck", and "Marshall Mathers" by Eminem, "Takeover" by Jay Z, "Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin') and Bitches Ain't Shit and Puffin On Blunts and Drankin Tanqueray" by Dr. Dre, "Where the Hood At" by DMX, "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" by Eazy-E, "Back Down" and "Piggy Bank" by 50 Cent, "99 Problems (Lil Flip Ain't One)" by T.I., "Summer 16" and "Back to Back" by Drake,"What Would You Do and New York, New York"by Tha Dogg Pound,"Calling Out Names"By Kurupt,"My Fofo"By Fat Joe,"Pimp Slapp'd"By Snoop Dogg,"L.A., L.A."By Capone-N-Noreaga, "The Bitch In Yoo" by Common, "To da Break of Dawn"By LL Cool J ,"Fuck Compton"By Tim Dog , and "Shit Hits The Fan" by Obie Trice[12].

See also

References

  1. ^ Richards, Jason. "Bang! The Long, Loud History of Gunshots in Music". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
  2. ^ "War of 1812 - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com". HISTORY.com. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2016-01-29. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "The Upsetter", Black Music (January 1975). "Perry says the song was his was of expressing how he felt about the way Clement Dodd (Sir Coxsone) had treated him financially while he had been working for Dodd. It spoke of revenge: 'You take people for fool, yeah / And use them as a tool, yeah / But I am the av-en-ger...'."
  5. ^ "People Funny Boy". rougheryet.com.
  6. ^ a b c "Red Bull Music Academy Daily". www.redbullmusicacademy.com.
  7. ^ Playboy Magazine (1984). "Playboy Interview With Paul and Linda McCartney". Playboy Press. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  8. ^ Cadogan, Patrick (2008). The Revolutionary Artist: John Lennon's Radical Years. Morrisville, North Carolina: Lulu. p. 141. ISBN 978-1-4357-1863-0.
  9. ^ Song Review by Jo-Ann Greene, AllMusic.com.
  10. ^ http://telegraphco.trendfuture.net/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/8626665/Larry-Wild-Man-Fischer.html[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "FAME Review: Wild Man Fischer - Derailroaded: Inside the Mind of Larry 'Wild Man' Fischer (DVD)". www.acousticmusic.com.
  12. ^ "13 Of The Most Memorable Diss Tracks In Hip Hop History". Capital XTRA. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
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