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JAY-Z vs. Kanye West Feud Will Amount to Nothing

JAY-Z and Kanye West used to have the perfect relationship. Jay was the legendary rapper, ready to pass the torch to the young prospect with something to prove. West had nothing but admiration for the veteran and was ready to ascend to legendary status himself.

West helped Jay-Z craft The Blueprint, one of Jay’s best albums. Jay pushed Roc-A-Fella to sign West and helped transform him from a producer to a rapper. The two had rumored disputes, but it was more brothers fighting than anything major. Jay-Z jumped on the “Diamonds (Remix)” to put to bed any rumors of a fallout. Kanye made “Big Brother,” an entire song dedicated to his relationship with Jay.

They dropped Watch The Throne, a monster collaboration album that only two stars as big as Kanye and Jay could pull off.

Sometime after Watch The Throne, things changed. Whether it was Jay-Z becoming a father, Kanye West marrying Kim Kardashian, a combination of the two, or something else, we may never know. But we do know that this November rant by Kanye is what brought the issues between the two to light.

He first accuses Beyonce of being a diva and saying she wouldn’t perform unless she won an award that Kanye was also up for. He then asks Jay-Z to call him and to not send killers at his head.

This was the first sign of a fallout between the two. West would go to UCLA Medical Center the next day for mental health concerns.

The situation died down as both men tried to get their lives together. People just assumed that Kanye was crazy and that when he returned to good health, things would be fine between the two.

Jay-Z put that theory to rest with the release of “4:44.” On the track “Kill Jay-Z,” Jigga raps:

But you got hurt because you did cool by ‘Ye
You gave him 20 million without blinkin’
He gave you 20 minutes on stage, f**k was he thinkin’?
“F**k wrong with everybody?” is what you sayin’
But if everybody’s crazy, you’re the one that’s insane

The 20 million in question is apparently a standard fee that artists on the level of Kanye receive prior to a tour. That must be nice.

Following the release of the song, Kanye announced that he would be leaving Tidal, Jay’s music streaming service, because the company owed him money.

A Kanye West vs. Jay-Z feud should be a huge deal. We’re talking about two of the biggest rap star of all-time. Former best friends who pushed each other to great heights during the course of their careers.

Ten to fifteen years ago, we would have gotten music on the level of “Ether” or “Hit Em Up.” But in 2017, don’t expect that.

Jay-Z is a father of three. Kanye is a father of two. Both have wives whose fame may eclipse their husbands. Jay-Z is 47. Kanye is 40. The last year hasn’t been easy for either man. Jay went through public cheating allegations. Kanye had mental health issues and had to deal with Kim being robbed at gunpoint.

Those looking for the next Jay-Z vs. Nas, 2Pac vs. Biggie, and Eminem vs. Everyone will have to look elsewhere.

What we’re going to get in this feud is a lot of interviews and tweets. Jay-Z will release his statements exclusively through Tidal. Kanye will give his thoughts six months later on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. And nothing will come out of it. We won’t a classic diss track or anything like that. We’ll just get two old guys talking about each other while holding their daughters.

Hopefully, the real story will come out. Maybe the two will take jabs unsuspecting and biting jabs at each other. But we’re not going to get good music, which should be the goal of a rap feud. The winner of the feud is the one who produces the best track. In this case, the winner of the feud will be the one who stays up past 10.

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