One of the most infamous of these beefs was the rivalry between East Coast rapper Tupac Shakur and West Coast rapper Notorious B.I.G. The two had a longstanding feud that escalated in the mid-1990s, with each rapper taking shots at the other in their lyrics. The tension came to a head in 1996 when Tupac was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Many have speculated that Notorious B.I.G. was involved in the murder, though the case remains unsolved to this day.
Another high-profile beef of the 1990s was the rivalry between East Coast rapper Jay-Z and Nas. The two had a longstanding feud that was fueled by a series of diss tracks, with each rapper taking shots at the other in their lyrics. While the beef never escalated to the level of violence seen in the Tupac-Notorious B.I.G. rivalry, it was still a major talking point in the rap industry at the time.
Other notable rap beefs of the 1990s included the rivalry between East Coast rapper Raekwon and West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg, as well as the feud between East Coast group Wu-Tang Clan and West Coast rapper Dr. Dre.
These beefs not only brought attention to the rap industry but also increased the sales and popularity of the artists involved. More importantly, it showcased the power of mass media and how it could be used to fuel conflicts and create a narrative that perhaps were never true.
(The NWA fued is not mentioned as I wanted to dedicate a seperate article to that topic).