Questlove Argues 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” Is The “Weakest” Diss Track

Questlove Argues 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” Is The “Weakest” Diss Track

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91st Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 24: Questlove attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Questlove isn't a fan of 2Pac's iconic diss track.

Questlove doesn’t think 2Pac’s legendary diss track, “Hit ‘Em Up,” deserves the iconic reputation it has due to how he feels about production. The Roots drummer discussed the song during a recent appearance on the One Song podcast. ‘Pac famously targets The Notorious B.I.G., Junior M.A.F.I.A., Mobb Deep, and other East Coast artists in the lyrics.

“I would respect 2Pac’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ if his music tracking was better,” he said. “‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ to me, is disqualified, not because of the misogyny — forget all that. It’s like, ‘Dude, you’re rhyming over smooth jazz dinner music.’ Luther Vandross could sing over this! People who are born in the later part of the decade that I was born in — alright, I was born in the ’70s — their relationship with 2Pac is different to my relationship [with 2Pac]. So when this came out, everybody was like, ‘This is hard as sh*t! Yo, he killin’ it!’ And I was like, ‘Dog, he’s smooth jazzed up Dennis Edwards. It doesn’t count’ […] That song, to me, is the weakest musical smack. I can’t get with ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ because the music, to me, is just…”

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Response To Drake Is Allegedly Like 2Pac's "Hit 'Em Up," Says Joe Budden Podcast Co-Host

Questlove Wins Academy Award For Documentary Feature

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson, winner of the Documentary (Feature) award for ‘Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),’ attends the Governors Ball during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Questlove previously made headlines this month for speaking on Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s ongoing feud, remarking that no one won the battle. Instead, he said on Instagram that it only showed “Hip Hop truly is dead.” The two artists have been releasing several diss tracks aimed at one another in recent months.

Questlove Speaks On Legacy Of 2Pac's "Hit 'Em Up"

Check out Questlove's full comments on "Hit 'Em Up" above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Questlove on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Questlove Says "Hip-Hop Is Truly Dead" Amid Kendrick Lamar & Drake's Feud

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About The Author
Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.