10 Memorable R&B Beefs and Rivalries
Dating back to the days of Motown and beyond, the world of R&B has long been thought to be full of lovers, not fighters, with acts from the '60s, '70s and '80s preferring to profess their love for woman over posturing as a tough guy and living on the edge.
Not to say that there's never been any friction among R&B and soul acts in the past, but these disputes occurred largely behind the scenes and were kept off wax, leaving most music fans in the dark until years after the beefs had been settled.
During the late '80s and the early '90s, as competitive fires began to burn bright, there was a gradual rise in R&B acts taking on more aggressive and street-wise persons. At times, that energy would manifest itself in disagreements or rivalries between various acts, and often spill over for all in the public eye to see.
But it was the rise of social media and the nonstop tabloid machine that kicked things into overdrive, as the media and fans began to document each beef, with R&B stars warring it out over tweets, in songs, and sometimes even taking it to the streets.
The Boombox looks back at some of the more memorable beefs and rivalries between R&B artists throughout the years that still get talked about today.