Generation Gap: When Old and New Rappers Beef

Ghostface comes for Action Bronson's neck.

Respect the O.G.s - Melle Mel sent a message to the haters criticizing Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's new video and song "Downtown," which features Mel as well as fellow hip hop pioneers Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz.   The O.G. told XXL, "I know for a fact that J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar or Rick Ross or Jay Z or any of these cats, they would not have done it, ever. It took him to do it. And all those other so-called 'real cats,' they should hang their heads because somebody should have done it by now. They could have reached back to any of us. If you’re making records and you say you’re hip hop, you’re supposed to have a connection to what hip hop really is. And nobody made that connection until Macklemore made the connection."While Melle Mel checks his sons for not reaching back to the elders that paved the way...

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Respect the O.G.s - Melle Mel sent a message to the haters criticizing Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's new video and song "Downtown," which features Mel as well as fellow hip hop pioneers Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz.   The O.G. told XXL, "I know for a fact that J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar or Rick Ross or Jay Z or any of these cats, they would not have done it, ever. It took him to do it. And all those other so-called 'real cats,' they should hang their heads because somebody should have done it by now. They could have reached back to any of us. If you’re making records and you say you’re hip hop, you’re supposed to have a connection to what hip hop really is. And nobody made that connection until Macklemore made the connection."While Melle Mel checks his sons for not reaching back to the elders that paved the way...

Ghostface vs. Action Bronson - Fed up with the constant questions about comparisons to Ghostface, Action Bronson let his true feelings come out on SportsNation when he stated, "...He's not rapping like this no more. I'm just being honest."Not letting this go unanswered, Ghost fired back this week with a video threatening to literally light flames to the young MC and told him to keep his Twitter apology.  (Photos from Left: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella) )

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Ghostface vs. Action Bronson - Fed up with the constant questions about comparisons to Ghostface, Action Bronson let his true feelings come out on SportsNation when he stated, "...He's not rapping like this no more. I'm just being honest."Not letting this go unanswered, Ghost fired back this week with a video threatening to literally light flames to the young MC and told him to keep his Twitter apology.  (Photos from Left: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella) )

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Jay Z vs. Drake - Jay Z once credited Drake as one of the best artists on the rise and was featured on both Thank Me Later and Nothing Was the Same, but lately, he's been steady taking shots at the OVO head on record — while Drake gives him the side-eye via the media.It all began back in February, when Drake told Rolling Stone, "It's like Hov can't drop bars these days without at least four art references!" The comments prompted Jay to fire back on Jay Electronica's remix of "We Made It." And then Drake said something at a Nets/Raptors game about Hov being somewhere "eating fondue." Now, Hov has only these words, via a feature on DJ Khaled's new song, "They Don't Love You No More": "Haters wanna ball, let me tighten up my drawstring/Wrong sport, boy, you know you're soft as a lacrosse team."&...

Lord Jamar vs. Yelawolf - Hip Hop vet Lord Jamar bashed Yelawolf for wearing the Confederate flag. In addition to questioning if white rappers and whether or not enough dues have been paid for agenda-pushing in the hip hop culture like Macklemore has been doing with his song, "Same Love."(Photos from left:  Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for G-Shock)

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Lord Jamar vs. Yelawolf - Hip Hop vet Lord Jamar bashed Yelawolf for wearing the Confederate flag. In addition to questioning if white rappers and whether or not enough dues have been paid for agenda-pushing in the hip hop culture like Macklemore has been doing with his song, "Same Love."(Photos from left:  Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for G-Shock)

Tyler, the Creator vs. will.i.am - Tyler, the Creator accused will.i.am of 1. not believing in him, 2. making "butt s--t [music] to make bread," and 3. being a sucka for suing Pharrell. will.i.am has yet to publicly respond, but his silence may be volley enough.(Photos from left: Andrew Benge/Redferns via Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Tyler, the Creator vs. will.i.am - Tyler, the Creator accused will.i.am of 1. not believing in him, 2. making "butt s--t [music] to make bread," and 3. being a sucka for suing Pharrell. will.i.am has yet to publicly respond, but his silence may be volley enough.(Photos from left: Andrew Benge/Redferns via Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Gillie Da Kid vs. Meek Mill - The quest for the "King of Philly" crown put MMG lieutenant Meek Mill and Religion Records head honcho Gillie Da Kid at odds. The two have taken to Twitter and Instagram to throw shade each other's way. Gillie has upped the ante by releasing the song and video for his diss track "King Me" in July.(Photos from left: Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images, Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

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Gillie Da Kid vs. Meek Mill - The quest for the "King of Philly" crown put MMG lieutenant Meek Mill and Religion Records head honcho Gillie Da Kid at odds. The two have taken to Twitter and Instagram to throw shade each other's way. Gillie has upped the ante by releasing the song and video for his diss track "King Me" in July.(Photos from left: Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images, Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Photo By Photos from left: Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images

Ying Yang Twins vs. French Montana - Veteran ATL rappers D-Roc and Kaine took aim at French Montana and Kanye West for stealing their signature word "HANH" with "Sayin My Word," a diss track attempt to reclaim the ad-lib. French's only fire-back so far: "Haannnn lol RT @ComplexMusic: They @YingYangTwins are back to reclaim 'HANH' from Kanye West and French Montana."(Photos from left: SGranitz/WireImage.com, John Ricard / BET)

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Ying Yang Twins vs. French Montana - Veteran ATL rappers D-Roc and Kaine took aim at French Montana and Kanye West for stealing their signature word "HANH" with "Sayin My Word," a diss track attempt to reclaim the ad-lib. French's only fire-back so far: "Haannnn lol RT @ComplexMusic: They @YingYangTwins are back to reclaim 'HANH' from Kanye West and French Montana."(Photos from left: SGranitz/WireImage.com, John Ricard / BET)

Shyne Trashes Kendrick Lamar's Album - Shyne has kept his name in media headlines all year by taking aim at some of hip hop's biggest stars. When Kendrick Lamar released his acclaimed first studio album, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, Shyne repeatedly tweeted that the album was trash. Lamar decided to take the high road and did not respond, but fellow Compton MC Game took up K-Dot's fight. (Photos from left: UPI/Debbie Hill /Landov, John Ricard / BET)

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Shyne vs. Kendrick Lamar - Shyne dissed the almost universally acclaimed major-label debut from Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d. city. "Kendrick Lamar is talented with a lot of potential but his album is traaaaash!" Shyne tweeted last year. "Beats is trash," he later explained in an interview on Hot 97. "And once your beats are trash, you're finished." Although the thirtysomething artist said he "didn't attack [Kendrick] as an individual," still, those are some strong words about another artist's work. (Photos from left:  UPI/Debbie Hill /Landov, John Ricard / BET)

Vamp Wars - The Harlem rappers had a spat when Azealia Banks was sharing her definition of a "vamp" with her fans. Jim Jones responded that he started using the word first, and that clearly it was "contagious." Clearly annoyed, the 1991 MC told the Dipset star to "shut up" and mind his business. She later released a diss track aimed at Jones. (Photos from left: by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Bragman Nyman Cafarelli)

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Azealia Banks vs. Jim Jones - Two generations of Harlem spitters, Azealia Banks and Jim Jones, got into a Twitter spat in August 2012. It all started with Banks explaining to fans on the social networking site her use of the word "vamp." One follower responded that Jones dropped a mixtape last year called Vampire Life, and the two rappers subsequently went at it, culminating with Jones calling Banks a "two-bit slore." (Photos from left: by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Bragman Nyman Cafarelli)

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Mac Miller vs. Lord Finesse - The generation gap persisted when Lord Finesse sued Mac Miller. Mac used the instrumental for Lord's 1995 single "Hip 2 Da Game" on his 2010 "Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza," and Finesse claimed he never recived compensation. The suit is still pending.(photos from left to right: John Ricard / BET, Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

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Common vs. Drake - Com initiated a battle with Drake when he seemed to take shots at the Canadian rapper on his single "Sweet." Drake responded with subliminal threats on his hit with Rick Ross and French Montana, "Stay Schemin'." Common replied by leaking a remix of the song with a verse tacked on. "You ain't wettin' nobody, you Canada Dry," Common spit in retaliation. Ouch. The two later reconciled at the NBA All-Star Game.(Photos from left: Paul Abell/PictureGroup,  Fame Pictures)

Photo By Photos from left: Paul Abell/PictureGroup

Ice-T vs. Soulja Boy - In one of the most random rap beefs of all time, Ice-T lit into Soulja Boy back in 2008, saying that he "killed hip hop" and telling him to "eat a d---." Their war of words reignited this year, highlighted by Soulja tweeting, "I'm done with this n---a. Someone get this guy a hairline ASAP." (Photos from left to right: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images, Jeff Daly/PictureGroup)

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Ice-T vs. Soulja Boy - In one of the most random rap beefs of all time, Ice-T lit into Soulja Boy back in 2008, saying that he "killed hip hop" and telling him to "eat a d---." Their war of words reignited this year, highlighted by Soulja tweeting, "I'm done with this n---a. Someone get this guy a hairline ASAP." (Photos from left to right: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images, Jeff Daly/PictureGroup)

KRS-One vs. Nelly - The Blastmaster put Nelly on, well, blast after he took offense to some rather innocent lines in 2002's "#1." Kris called for a boycott of the album, released a diss track and told MTV, "Nelly challenged a sovereign power. The MC part of it, I can slap him around for days."(Photos from left to right: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

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KRS-One vs. Nelly - The Blastmaster put Nelly on, well, blast after he took offense to some rather innocent lines in 2002's "#1." Kris called for a boycott of the album, released a diss track and told MTV, "Nelly challenged a sovereign power. The MC part of it, I can slap him around for days."(Photos from left to right: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Rick Ross vs. Kreayshawn - Honestly, we think Ross took a bit of an L by even bothering to respond to Youtube sensation Kreayshawn's potshots earlier this year. But needless to say, this was a mismatch. Rawse one of the best rappers in the game, while Kreayshawn may already be a footnote and/or punchline. Not to mention the fact that the Bawse could all-too-literally eat little Kreay-Kreay for lunch (as an appetizer).(Photos: WCEPIX/EP/PictureGroup; Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

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Rick Ross vs. Kreayshawn - This is one of those beefs where no one wins. Kreay taunted Ross on YouTube, then apologized, then didn't; Ross, meanwhile, inexplicably beefed with a so-far one-hit wonder looking for a come up.(Photos from left to right: WCEPIX/EP/PICTUREGROUP, Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

Jay Z vs. Lil Wayne - The beef between these two has been longstanding and marinated in subliminal shots. It hit its peak in 2011 when Jay rapped on Kanye's "HAM," "I'm like, 'Really: half a billi n---a, really?' You got baby money/Keep it real with n---as, n---as ain't got my lady's money." Weezy shot back on Carter  IV , "I got your baby money / Kidnap your b---h, get that how-much-you-love-your-lady? money."(Photos from left: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup, (fafotos/picturegroup) 

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Lil Wayne vs. Jay Z - This on-again/off-again beef started way before Jay's "Baby money" line on "H.A.M." Check out our breakdown of Hov and Weezy's love-hate relationship here.(Photos from left to right: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup, fafotos/picturegroup)

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Ludacris vs. Big Sean and Drake - Luda took aim at Big Sean and Drake on "Badaboom" when the pair suggested in interviews that the ATL MC had lifted Sean's so-called "hashtag" flow. Shots fired — cannonball.(Photos from Left to Right: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup, John Ricard / BET, Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

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Ludacris vs. Big Sean and Drake - Luda took aim at Big Sean and Drake on "Badaboom" when the pair suggested in interviews that the ATL MC had lifted Sean's so-called "hashtag" flow. Shots fired — cannonball.(Photos from Left to Right: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup, John Ricard / BET, Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Photo By Photos from Left to Right: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup

Eminem vs. Everlast - Eminem dissed most of his white-rapper forebearers on his debut promo single "I Just Don't Give a F---," but his squabble with Everlast, formerly from House of Pain, lasted for years. It got particularly drastic on "I Remember," on which Em made fun of Everlast for having a heart attack, rapping, "I was right there laughin' when I heard the news / I just wish the cardiac would'a murdered you." Cold-blooded.(Photos from left to right: Chris Connor / WENN, Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)

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Eminem vs. Everlast - Eminem dissed most of his white-rapper forebearers on his debut promo single "I Just Don't Give a F---," but his squabble with Everlast, formerly from House of Pain, lasted for years. It got particularly drastic on "I Remember," on which Em made fun of Everlast for having a heart attack, rapping, "I was right there laughin' when I heard the news / I just wish the cardiac would'a murdered you." Cold-blooded.(Photos from left to right: Chris Connor / WENN, Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)