| "Hit 'Em Up" | |
|---|---|
 1996 bootleg release | |
| Song by 2Pac featuring the Outlawz | |
| from the album Death Row Greatest Hits | |
| A-side | "How Do U Want It" |
| Released | June 4, 1996 |
| Recorded | October 31, 1995 & April 19, 1996 |
| Studio | Can-Am Studios (Tarzana, Los Angeles) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 5:13 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Johnny "J" |
| Music video | |
| "Hit 'Em Up" on YouTube | |
| Audio sample | |
"Hit 'Em Up" is a diss track by American rapper 2Pac, featuring the Outlawz. It is the B-side to the single "How Do U Want It", released on June 4, 1996. The song's lyrics contain vicious insults to several East Coast rappers, chiefly Shakur's former friend turned rival, The Notorious B.I.G. (also referred to colloquially as Biggie Smalls). The song was recorded at Can Am Studios on April 19, 1996. A previous version of the song was recorded on October 31, 1995.
Reporter Chuck Philips, who interviewed Shakur at Can Am, described the song as "a caustic anti–East Coast jihad in which the rapper threatens to eliminate Biggie, Puff, and a slew of Bad Boy artists and other New York acts."[1] The song was produced by long-time collaborator Johnny "J". The video, itself described as infamous, includes impersonations of Biggie, Puffy and Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Kim.
"Hit 'Em Up" had a large role in exacerbating the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry. Following its release, the East Coast rappers insulted in the song responded through tracks of their own. The controversy surrounding the song is due in part to Shakur's murder in a drive-by-shooting only three months after its release. The song is widely regarded as among the greatest diss tracks ever recorded.[2][3]
- ^ Philips, Chuck (September 13, 2012). "Tupac Interview 1995". Chuck Philips Post. Archived from the original on August 28, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "The Greatest Diss Tracks of All Time, Ranked". The Ringer. May 7, 2024. Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "The 15 Most Scathing Hip-Hop Diss Songs of All Time". Billboard. May 23, 2024. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.