Ice Cube may or may not be biased, but his vote for best diss song in the history of Hip Hop goes to his very own “No Vaseline.”
The legendary rapper made the declaration to the crowd at a recent show, as talk of diss tracks are high among the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef.
“‘No Vaseline’ is the best diss song in the history of hip-hop, and I’ll tell you why,” Cube said of the infamous N.W.A diss. “One MC, myself, I took out four muthafuckas and their manager. You can’t beat that. You can’t beat that.
“But we did that over 30 years ago, so as it stands today, I got nothing but love for N.W.A, okay? Nothing but love for Dr. Dre, nothing but love for MC Ren, DJ Yella, Eazy-E rest in peace.”
Ice Cube calls “No Vaseline” the best diss song in the history of hip hop and says 2Pac, Nas, and Kendrick Lamar’s diss songs are not better than “No Vaseline.” pic.twitter.com/RFFz8MNLfc
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) May 28, 2024
This isn’t a new sentiment for the West Coast native.
Last year during a conversation with DJ Whoo Kid, Ice Cube scoffed at a ranking of the “Most Unforgettable Diss Tracks in Hip Hop History,” by The Root, in which “No Vaseline” was listed in third place while 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” sat in the number one spot.
“How’s 2Pac number one when he needed help on that record?” questioned Cube, referring to the fact that The Outlawz rap on the song as well. “Me, ‘No Vaseline,’ one MC. I love Nas but it’s not,” he quickly segued as the host interjected to inform him of who occupied second place: Nas with “Ether.”
“Took out four n-ggas and the manager. I mean, damn! Got to give me credit for that,” he continued. “[The] group was over. I don’t know if they made another record after that. So, nah man. Sorry!”
Ice Cube’s comments received backup from his peers on social media as people began to chime in after a clip from his interview resurfaced via The Art of Dialogue on Twitter.
Fellow Cali rapper Glasses Malone showed a united front with the Straight Outta Compton MC, saying: “agreed top 3 diss records of all time 1. no vaseline 2. ether 3. hit me up.”
Snoop Dogg agreed with Cube too.
“Hands down, he does. Nothing comes close,” Tha Doggfather said on Instagram in response to a similar comment Cube made earlier in the year. DJ Tony Neal, the founder of the Core DJs collective, also agreed with the assessment. “Nothing close except for ‘Hit ‘Em Up,’” he said.
Released in October 1991, “No Vaseline” appeared on Ice Cube’s second solo album Death Certificate. Dr. Dre left N.W.A shortly after its release, leading to the dissolution of the group.
