Okay, this is interesting. A lot of Rap beefs start indirectly. It was a Source Awards speech in the case of Death Row vs. Bad Boy. It was an association in the case of 50 Cent vs. Jadakiss and Fat Joe. In the case of Ras Kass vs. Alchemist, it was a beat.

However, one of the biggest beefs (maybe better stated as a battle) of Hip-Hop’s last 15 years was Jay Z vs. Nas. Heads can talk openly about it now, as the Brooklyn and Queens giants of their genre are now on good terms, having made songs, done business, and performed together since. But in 2001 through 2003, things weren’t so calm.

So where did it really stem from? According to Jay’s longtime musical and performing right-hand, Memphis Bleek, he had a major, often underplayed role in instigating the rift. Basically, some misinformation about some Nas lyrics on a DJ Clue tape led M.Dot to penning some jabs into his single (also surfacing from a Clue tape) “Mind Right.” Nas did not go quietly, and the rest is history.

How many false assumptions led to Rap beef in the modern era?

Related: Who’s Better, Jay Z or Nas? Here’s What Schoolboy Q Had to Say About It (Video)