Girlfight: When Female Rappers Beef

Female MCs who just can't get along.

No Flex Zone - Hip hop has always been about competition and there's no gender bias when it comes to battling –– just ask Roxanne Shanté. As of late, however, it seems like the ladies are focused on calling each other out. The main point of contention: identity theft. But that's not the only reason female rappers beef on and off wax. From Nicky Minaj and Lil Kim to Azealia Banks and Iggy Azalea, read on for a look at some of rap's biggest female rivalries over the years. No, no, no shade. — Alex Gale, Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Michael Buckner/Getty Images for LOGO, Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images)

1 / 14

No Flex Zone - Hip hop has always been about competition and there's no gender bias when it comes to battling –– just ask Roxanne Shanté. As of late, however, it seems like the ladies are focused on calling each other out. The main point of contention: identity theft. But that's not the only reason female rappers beef on and off wax. From Nicky Minaj and Lil Kim to Azealia Banks and Iggy Azalea, read on for a look at some of rap's biggest female rivalries over the years. No, no, no shade. — Alex Gale, Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Michael Buckner/Getty Images for LOGO, Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2014/09/Music-09-01-09-15/090314-news-lil-debbie-Iggy-Azalea.jpg

2 / 14

Lil Debbie vs. Iggy Azalea - Iggy Azalea is starting to feel the wrath as she ascends up the hip hop ladder. Recently, former White Girl Mob rapper Lil Debbie took shots. "I would like to see from Iggy, as another female white artist, if that’s what we’re going to say that we are, I want to see you put out one hit song that has no has nobody at all on it, not any other artist. None. Not Rita Ora. Not Charli [XCX]. Nobody. Not T.I. Not DJ Mustard..." Yowza. Not even Mustard on the beat, though?(Photos from left: John Sciulli/Getty Images for PacSun, Jason Merritt/Getty Images for MTV)

Nicki Minaj vs. Iggy Azalea - There's no question that Nicki Minaj has dominated in the female rap arena for the past few years, and at the 2014 BET Awards, she held tight to her reign as she took home Best Female Hip Hop Artist for the fifth straight year. During her acceptance speech, the Queens MC made comments that had everyone buzzing that she was coming for T.I.'s protégé Iggy Azalea, who had to defend her pen-game in the recent past. "I thank God that I've been placed in a position to do something and represent women in a culture that is so male-driven," Nicki said. "And I want you to know this ... when you hear Nicki Minaj spit, Nicki Minaj wrote it."(Photos from left: John Parra/Getty Images, Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

3 / 14

Nicki Minaj vs. Iggy Azalea - There's no question that Nicki Minaj has dominated in the female rap arena for the past few years, and at the 2014 BET Awards, she held tight to her reign as she took home Best Female Hip Hop Artist for the fifth straight year. During her acceptance speech, the Queens MC made comments that had everyone buzzing that she was coming for T.I.'s protégé Iggy Azalea, who had to defend her pen-game in the recent past. "I thank God that I've been placed in a position to do something and represent women in a culture that is so male-driven," Nicki said. "And I want you to know this ... when you hear Nicki Minaj spit, Nicki Minaj wrote it."(Photos from left: John Parra/Getty Images, Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

Azealia Banks vs. Angel Haze -  Azealia Banks and Angel Haze went at it in 2013. After the former friends had a spat on Twitter over a perceived slight, Angel released a diss track, "On the Edge." Azealia fired back with "No Problems," which Haze matched with "Shut the F-- Up." The peace flag was never waved, although both seem to have moved on.   (Photos from left: Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images, John Ricard / BET)

4 / 14

Azealia Banks vs. Angel Haze -  Azealia Banks and Angel Haze went at it in 2013. After the former friends had a spat on Twitter over a perceived slight, Angel released a diss track, "On the Edge." Azealia fired back with "No Problems," which Haze matched with "Shut the F-- Up." The peace flag was never waved, although both seem to have moved on.  (Photos from left: Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images, John Ricard / BET)

Passing the Torch Lil Kim to Nicki Minaj - While it's hard to say whether the Queen Bee passed the torch to Minaj or whether the pink-haired pop star just snatched it, it's clear the torch has been passed. While we'll always have a place in our heart, and on our playlist, for Lil' Kim, Nicki is clearly the reigning queen of the female rap scene.  (Photos from left: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

5 / 14

Lil Kim vs. Nicki Minaj - After some of Nicki Minaj's early press shots showed an uncanny resemblance to Lil Kim's, the two soon began exchanging thinly veiled subliminal shots on the mic. That quickly devolved into straight-up name-calling in the press and on wax, with Kim releasing the diss track "Black Friday" and Nicki responding with "Tragedy." Kim still frequently disses Minaj on the mic and in the press. Her latest, a not so thinly veiled song, "Identity Theft." (Photos from left: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

ADVERTISEMENT
Remy Ma vs. Lady Luck - This beef was a good old-fashioned rap battle. These two street-oriented rappers went bar for bar twice as part of the legendary Fight Klub battle series back in 2006. (Photos from left: Rob Loud/Getty Images for IMG, Lady Luck/Twitter)

6 / 14

Remy Ma vs. Lady Luck - This beef was a good old-fashioned rap battle. These two street-oriented rappers went bar for bar twice as part of the legendary Fight Klub battle series back in 2006. (Photos from left: Rob Loud/Getty Images for IMG, Lady Luck/Twitter)

Photo By Photos from left: Rob Loud/Getty Images for IMG

Roxanne Shanté vs. Everybody - Pioneering Queensbridge MC Roxanne Shanté, already battle-tested from the so-called "Roxanne Wars" sparked by the UTFO single that bore her name, lashed out at Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo, MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa and more on the 1992 diss track "Big Mama."  (Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage)

7 / 14

Roxanne Shanté vs. Everybody - Pioneering Queensbridge MC Roxanne Shanté, already battle-tested from the so-called "Roxanne Wars" sparked by the UTFO single that bore her name, lashed out at Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo, MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa and more on the 1992 diss track "Big Mama." (Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage)

MC Lyte vs. Antoinette - After MC Antoinette jacked the beat from Audio Two's "Top Billin" for her single, "I Got An Attitude," MC Lyte, the younger sis of Audio Two's Giz and Milk, shot back with the 1988 classic "10% Diss," which featured the lines, "You're a beat biter/A dope style taker/I'll tell you to your face you ain't nothin' but a faker." Antoinette responded with "Lights Out, Party Over," which called Lyte a "scallywag," but Lyte wasn’t having that, striking back with "Shut the Eff Up! (H--)."(Photos from left: Derick E. Hingle/PictureGroup, Next Plateau Entertainment)

8 / 14

MC Lyte vs. Antoinette - After MC Antoinette jacked the beat from Audio Two's "Top Billin" for her single, "I Got An Attitude," MC Lyte, the younger sis of Audio Two's Giz and Milk, shot back with the 1988 classic "10% Diss," which featured the lines, "You're a beat biter/A dope style taker/I'll tell you to your face you ain't nothin' but a faker." Antoinette responded with "Lights Out, Party Over," which called Lyte a "scallywag," but Lyte wasn’t having that, striking back with "Shut the Eff Up! (H--)."(Photos from left: Derick E. Hingle/PictureGroup, Next Plateau Entertainment)

Jackie-O vs. Foxy Brown - In the years before Twitter, beef sometimes had real-life consequences. Rapper Jackie-O and Foxy Brown threw actual, physical jabs at each other, brawling at a Miami studio in 2005. Jackie claims that Foxy’s bad attitude sparked the brawl; Foxy says the fight never even happened at all. Jackie later dissed Brown with the track "TKO."(Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Scott Gries/Getty Images)

9 / 14

Jackie-O vs. Foxy Brown - In the years before Twitter, beef sometimes had real-life consequences. Rapper Jackie-O and Foxy Brown threw actual, physical jabs at each other, brawling at a Miami studio in 2005. Jackie claims that Foxy’s bad attitude sparked the brawl; Foxy says the fight never even happened at all. Jackie later dissed Brown with the track "TKO."(Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Scott Gries/Getty Images)

Trina vs. Khia - Is there room for two Florida femcees whose raps revolve almost strictly around sex? Apparently not — Khia and Trina have been going back and forth onstage, online and in interviews for years now. Khia dissed her foe with "Hit ‘Em Up" in 2009, and attacked again when nude pics of Trina hit the Internet a year later.  (Photos from left: Ben Rose/PictureGroup, Big Cat Records)

10 / 14

Trina vs. Khia - Is there room for two Florida femcees whose raps revolve almost strictly around sex? Apparently not — Khia and Trina have been going back and forth onstage, online and in interviews for years now. Khia dissed her foe with "Hit ‘Em Up" in 2009, and attacked again when nude pics of Trina hit the Internet a year later. (Photos from left: Ben Rose/PictureGroup, Big Cat Records)

ADVERTISEMENT
Khia vs. Diamond - Khia and Diamond had a brief Twitter war back in 2012. "You have 32 diseases, and 32 dollars in your bank account," Khia wrote. Diamond tweeted back that her rival looked "like a pit bull in da face." Classy.(Photos from left: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For BET, Big Cat Records)

11 / 14

Khia vs. Diamond - Khia and Diamond had a brief Twitter war back in 2012. "You have 32 diseases, and 32 dollars in your bank account," Khia wrote. Diamond tweeted back that her rival looked "like a pit bull in da face." Classy.(Photos from left: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For BET, Big Cat Records)

Azealia Banks vs. Iggy Azalea - Similar names made conflict seem inevitable with these two. They've been squabbling ever since Azealia Banks called out Iggy Azalea for a potentially offensive slavery-related lyric in 2011. Iggy’s mentor T.I. even got caught in the crossfire, trading jabs with Banks in the press and on Twitter.(Photos from left: C.Smith/ WENN.com, Will Alexander/WENN.com)

12 / 14

Azealia Banks vs. Iggy Azalea - Similar names made conflict seem inevitable with these two. They've been squabbling ever since Azealia Banks called out Iggy Azalea for a potentially offensive slavery-related lyric in 2011. Iggy’s mentor T.I. even got caught in the crossfire, trading jabs with Banks in the press and on Twitter.(Photos from left: C.Smith/ WENN.com, Will Alexander/WENN.com)

Azealia Banks vs. Kreayshawn - In a case of itchy Twitter-finger, Azealia Banks blasted Kreayshawn online after the latter accidentally retweeted a link that seemed to praise Banks but actually linked to a porn site. The two reconciled months later.  (Photos from left: by Karl Walter/Getty Images for Coachella, Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

13 / 14

Azealia Banks vs. Kreayshawn - In a case of itchy Twitter-finger, Azealia Banks blasted Kreayshawn online after the latter accidentally retweeted a link that seemed to praise Banks but actually linked to a porn site. The two reconciled months later. (Photos from left: by Karl Walter/Getty Images for Coachella, Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2013/01/Music-01-01-01-15/010413-music-girlfight-lil-kim-foxy-brown.jpg

14 / 14

Lil Kim vs. Foxy Brown - The mother of all femcee rap beefs. Rumors of tension between the two stars finally came out in the open with Lil Kim's 2000 track "The Notorious K.I.M." Foxy Brown replied with a ferocious guest verse on Capone-N-Noreaga's "Bang Bang," which led to a real-life confrontation — complete with gunshots leaving one man injured — between Capone and Kim's entourages outside of Hot 97 in 2001. In 2005 Kim spent a year in prison after lying to the Feds about her crew's role in the incident. The beef between Brown and the Queen B has stayed simmering near the surface since then. In 2011, Foxy reignited things with the diss track "Massacre."(Photos from left: Larry Busacca/Getty Images, John Ricard/BET)