“I keep saying these little internet games are gonna get one of you n—– killed,” said Joe Budden to his phone camera as he sped after another car. Just moments before, Drake fans somehow managed to locate his residence and ambushed him with a barrage of verbal attacks. Perhaps they didn’t take too kindly to Budden’s recent comments on the Canadian rapper’s album “Views.” When he approached the teens to put an end to the incessant trolling, they retreated to their car and raced away. However, he wasn’t going to let them off easy. The boys also filmed their encounter with Budden and cackled as he pursued them in his vehicle. But their excited screams would quickly turn to merciful pleas and insincere apologies when their car would reach an area it could not escape.
Budden finally caught up to them. Like a scene from a horror film, he struck the car’s windows and peered through the glass as the boys yelled in a chorus of confusion. “Come to this block again and I’ma hurt one of you n—–,” he asserted firmly as he gave the window another hit. “This is not the internet. I will kill one of you.”
Despite the threats, the boys left unscathed and one even shamelessly asked Budden to follow him on Twitter. This experience was one they would never forget. Of course, neither would the internet. The video went viral online and reinvigorated the disdain people felt toward Drake stans. It also served as a prime example of how fans can take things too far, something we’ve seen happen time and time again.
When a rapper has beef with another rapper, their fanbases also make a declaration of war. On social media, comment sections, direct messages and posts transform into digital battlefields where fans and haters rally their troops and launch their assaults. Expect to see comments like “L,” “U fell off” and “Mid,” among other insults of humorous or explicit nature. Warring fandoms are quite common online and neither side will put the issue to rest — and perhaps one of the most vicious feuds online is none other than that between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B fans, the Barbz and Bardi Gang respectively.
The back-and-forth between the two warring fandoms is just as messy as the public feud between the two female rappers. The two fanbases have been at each other’s throats for some time now. And neither seems to want to put an end to it, even though it seemed like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B’s public feud was a thing of the past.
But what makes their situation different is the huge role the fans are playing in instigating it. Just a month prior, an Instagram page claiming to be Minaj’s ex-assistant revealed the female rapper’s supposed dirty secrets. They accused Minaj of making fun of Cardi B’s toddler son among other tabloid-worthy details. However, it was proven that the Instagram account was a fake page, and the culprit behind the account was never revealed. However, the Barbz were quick to point a finger at Bardi Gang members, and the dispute would only get worse.
A few weeks ago, some fans of Minaj accused female rapper Lil’ Kim of referring to Minaj’s son in a song with Megan Thee Stallion, “Plan B Remix.” “Lil Kim blatantly dissed Nicki Minaj and mentioned children,” one user tweeted. “And Kim’s fans are playin In our faces and say we ain’t hear what we heard. Rappers are hearing the same thing and calling it out, when it’s Nicki’s turn I don’t wanna hear sh*t.” Regarding the tweet, the rapper in question was none other than 50 Cent, hip-hop’s biggest rap troll.
In an Instagram post, 50 Cent claimed that Lil’ Kim disrespected Minaj’s family, prodding her to wreak vengeance and also make fun of Lil’ Kim’s daughter. However, in the “Plan B Remix,” there is no mention of anyone’s children, and Lil’ Kim herself released a statement to clear things up: “I never said a word about anyone’s child,” she wrote on Instagram “…[P]lease feel free to listen to the song where we were clearly talking about an EX. To try and twist my words to have an excuse to take digs at my child is disgusting…what you will not do is come for MY CHILD.”
It’s clear these situations are purely entertainment to some people. 50 Cent spewing lies to see Nicki and Kim tussle and instigate beef is something fans do far too often. But it becomes especially dangerous when fanbases encourage rappers to do the unthinkable, like commit murder.
Chicago rapper Lil Durk’s friend, King Von, unfortunately lost his life during a fatal shooting in 2020. When Von passed, Lil Durk’s fans spammed his comments, nudging him to get revenge on his friend’s killers and avenge his fallen brother, or in other words, “Slide for Von.” Soon, not only were his own fans spamming “Slide for Von,” but trolls as well. Granted, Lil Durk raps about grisly street life and name-drops opposition who have been killed, so some fans may expect Durk to live like he raps. But asking him to commit murder simply to entertain his fans shows people’s disconnect with real life.
The shocking part is a lot of these fans are children or teens. To them, this is purely entertainment, and they don’t care about the consequences since they’re disconnected from the reality of the situation. They just want to see something go down, which speaks volumes about how dangerous it is for fans to involve themselves in other rappers’ beef, whether it be a feud like Cardi B and Minaj or Lil Durk and his opposition. Fans are so quick to sing songs about dissing “dead opps” without realizing that these are real people, not make-believe or fictional characters.
Fans need to stop getting involved in these rap beefs because it doesn’t concern them. Relaying misinformation, spreading rumors and accusations or telling your favorite rapper he needs to avenge the fallen should not be considered entertainment. It’s unfortunate that it’s gotten to this point.
The digital era has brought fans closer to their favorite rappers but has also led to the invasion of privacy. With what seems like unlimited access to their idols, rappers are just a direct message or comment away. Whether or not they read comments or DMs is another story, but seeing these situations as entertainment can be very dangerous to the people involved. Hopefully, these young impressionable fans can learn what’s reality and what’s not.
