When artists have beef with each other, the easiest way to let the other person know what’s up is to put it in a song. Many of the rappers and singers who made this list have been known to cause controversy and have no problem speaking their mind. Let’s take a look at some of the most memorable and funny beefs in hip hop.

Source: Getty Images

From TMZ

Something awesome happened to TMZ on a random street corner in Hollywood last night … and no, it didn’t involve crack or hookers … but rather hip hop legend KRS-One.

The rap pioneer was coolin’ off outside of AV club, where he had just performed a set … when he decided to bless the TMZ camera with a FREESTYLE session … right on the street!!!

It’s pretty cool — check out the clip.

Watch the video at TMZ

Source: biglonpromo.com

Before female rappers were on stage and in music videos spitting every rhyme about sex and rocking little to no clothing, there were femmeC’s like Ms. Melodie. She might not immediately come to mind when you think of female lyricists, but she was an integral member of the Boogie Down Production Crew, and was once married to legendary MC KRS-One, one of the founding members of the BDP crew (they divorced in 1992). Like her ex-husband, Ms. Melodie, born Ramona Scott, was from Brooklyn (Flatbush to be specific) and was the older sister of fellow BDP crew member Harmony. She released her debut and only album, Diva, in 1989 and made a name for herself with her memorable appearances on songs like “Self Destruction,” and with songs like “Live on Stage,” “Hype According to Ms. Melodie,” “What Do You Do,” and “Wake Up, Wake Up.”

The cause of her death is unknown at the moment, and her age isn’t clear either (though we think she was around 42 or 43) but according to reports, she is leaving behind two sons and a wealth of fans, including hip-hop heads and legends like Russell Simmons (“RIP Ms. Melodie. a dope MC”) and R&B singers like Monifah (“RIP Miss Melody. Please keep her children, family & loved ones in ur prayers. #HipHopRoyalty), who Tweeted about her passing. If you weren’t too familiar with Ms. Melodie’s music, or you just want to take a walk down memory lane, here are a few classics you might enjoy below. RIP Ms. Melodie:

And here’s the classic, “Self Destruction.” Check her in her fur! Her verse is at the 3:19 mark:

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The record labels that brought you Outkast, Alicia Keys, R. Kelly, and KRS-One, are shutting down. Parent company RCA has announced they are dissolving Arista, Jive and J and forming a whole new music company that will possibly focus on rock music. Read more here…

Do you think this is a sign of what’s next for the other record labels?

By Brittany Hutson

The connection between hip-hop and politics has gotten significant media attention as a result of the election of President Obama, but the two have always been linked. With Wyclef who tried to put his bid in for the Haitian presidency and Rhymefest running for City Counsel in Chicago, TAP wanted to play around with the question: “if hip-hoppers ran the country, who would they be?”  For fun, TAP, along with hip-hop journalist and professor Davey D and  Lester Spence, an assistant professor and author of the upcoming book, Stare in the Darkness: The Limits of Hip-hop and Black Politics, came up with a list of artists who we believe to have particular qualities that would complement an executive position. Would these candidates get your vote?