“Hit ‘Em Up” is a diss song by rap artist 2Pac (Tupac Shakur), featuring his group the Outlawz. It is the B-side to the single “How Do U Want It”, released on June 4, 1996, from the album All Eyez on Me. The song’s lyrics contain vicious insults to several East Coast rappers, chiefly among them, Shakur’s former friend and rival, The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls. The song was produced by long-time collaborator Johnny “J” and samples the bassline from “Don’t Look Any Further” by Dennis Edwards. The video, itself described as infamous, includes impersonations of Biggie, Puffy and Lil’ Kim.
“Hit ‘Em Up” is said to have played a part 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 only a few months after its release.
“Hit ‘Em Up” was written, as well as recorded in Can Am Studios in Los Angeles, California in May 1996. Shakur recruited three members from the former group Dramacydal whom he had worked with previously, and was eager to work with again. Together with the three New Jersey rappers and other associates, they formed the original lineup of the Outlawz. The first and third verses are performed by Shakur, who during the takes was accompanied in the recording booth by a woman named Tiffany, who grew close to him during that time. The ferocity of Shakur’s raging vocals, as said by long time collaborator and producer of “Hit ‘Em Up” Johnny “J”, was entirely authentic. He stated that he had never seen Shakur so angry and that the words he rapped were in no way an act. He explained that Shakur was initially fueled by his anger against Biggie and used this adrenaline, which he described as “superhuman”, to attack the other East Coast rappers. The second verse is performed by Hussein Fatal, the fourth by Yaki Kadafi and the fifth by E.D.I. Mean.
Shakur’s anger stemmed from the belief that Biggie, as well as other members of Bad Boy Records, had a role in the November 30, 1994 shooting. He claims that Biggie and his crew knew of his shooting and wanted him dead. He also felt that Biggie carelessly released the song “Who Shot Ya?” only months after the shooting incident, and although it did not mention Shakur’s name, he felt it was mockingly directed towards him.Shakur admittedly released “Hit ‘Em Up” as a response to “Who Shot Ya?”, almost two months after the shooting incident. Lyrically, “Hit ‘Em Up” was aimed primarily at The Notorious B.I.G. and Sean “Puffy” Combs. Shakur viciously insults Biggie throughout, the first line by Shakur is “that’s why I fucked your bitch you fat motherfucker”, and threatens retaliation in “Hit ‘Em Up”, saying “Now you’re about to feel the wrath of a menace.” He also used the song as a platform to express his belief that Biggie was guilty of stealing his style of rapping, and was merely imitating his lifestyle. This notion is addressed in the verse in “Now it’s all about Versace, you copied my style.” He also touches topically on their early friendship with the line “Biggie, remember when I used to let you sleep on the couch?” and their subsequent fallout.
Faith Evans, who at the time was Biggie’s estranged wife,was reportedly seen with Shakur after a public breakup with Biggie.According to Shakur she had given him gifts of clothing, which he offered as proof of a relationship in an interview. Using this against Biggie in “Hit ‘Em Up”, Shakur continued to fuel the rumors of a sexual relationship with Evans in the line “You claim to be a player, but I fucked your wife.” Claims of an affair with Evans appear three times in the song. By extension, Shakur also attacked many other people associated with Bad Boy Records and with Biggie,such as Lil’ Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A., and most notably Lil’ Cease. He exclaimed that their lifestyle and what they rapped about were fraudulent, and that they were not from the streets. He believed that they were only perpetuating the drama and did not understand the situation they had gotten themselves into. Chino XL was also insulted, as well as Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy, who was mocked for suffering sickle-cell disease with the line “Don’t one of you niggas got sickle-cell or something?” In “Hit ‘Em Up”, the word “fuck” and “motherfucker” were used explicitly over thirty-five times.
Johnny “J” stated that the recording of “Hit ‘Em Up” was the most “hard-core he had ever done.” Although he was very happy with the work he had put into it and the resulting song, he went on to say that he had no desire to work on anything of that magnitude again.
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