It's not really the "moment" for TRUE beef within Hip Hop right now. Even Kendrick's tidal-wave earlier this year was all about competition, not beef. People get it mixed up but healthy competition is ALWAYS good for the genre while beef always has the stench of negativity attached. Nas and Jay-Z is truly a unique situation that I don't see ever happening again. Two of the genre's VERY best from the same city that birthed this Hip Hop shyt, who knew each other for years but weren't friends but had a grudging respect for one another clashing at a specific point in time where all eyes were on them. Not to mention all the drama surrounding Jay's affair with Carmen, Nas dissing Memphis Bleek, The subliminals leading up to Summer Jam. Jay's showmanship at Summer Jam, Nas's calculated rebuttals with Stillmatic Freestyle and dropping Ether on December 4th. The arrival of Kanye West via Takeover, IZZO and The Blueprint. Nas hooking back up with Large Professor, AZ, and DJ Premier for Stillmatic. All of these are legendary moments within themselves, but placed within the fabric of the battle it is a timeless and unforgettable time capsule of what it means to compete for the title of Number 1. No two MC's will EVER be able to imitate or recreate such epic levels of musical Godhood
The Kanye/50 sales battle was marketing genius the likes of which I doubt we'll see for awhile. 50 Cent the bad boy personification of modern day Gangsta rap vs Kanye West, the art-house, passionate, "creative genius" looking to usher Hip Hop in a new direction. It was the perfect moment of actually witnessing the tides change within the genre. Kanye's ascension and critical and commercial triumph with Graduation directly gave birth to the generation of MC's we know today. Those who hate being labeled as "simply rappers" while utilizing the genre as a canvas to paint their own conceptual tapestries. Artists such as Kid Cudi, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Childish Gambino were born from the smoky pillars of Graduation's lift off.