Questlove Clarifies Criticism Of Tupac’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ Diss Record: ‘Don’t Take My Ish Outta Context’

Questlove, Tupac Shakur

Questlove Clarifies Criticism Of Tupac’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ Diss Record: ‘Don’t Take My Ish Outta Context’

Update (May 15, 2024): Questlove is setting the record straight after labeling Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” diss record as “the weakest musical smack.”

He wrote via Instagram on Tuesday (May 14),

“So we are clear: I said I never liked the INTERPOLATION (when musicians replay a sample) of ‘Don’t Look Any Further’ on ‘Hit Em Up,’” Quest began. “I said nothing disparaging about Dennis Edwards or Pac—y’all turning this into a weird game of telephone. The INTERPOLATION is what I’m talking about. Don’t take my ish outta context.”

He continued,

“I feel like my words were taken outta context from that interview so I’m making it clear that I was never a fan of that particular musical interpretation of ‘Don’t Look Any Further.'”

He explained further in the caption,

“Let’s be clear on the context I was speaking of aight?

lol woke up to a grip of “what did Dennis Edwards/Pac do to you?!” texts

I’m speaking of the musical backdrop of that record (“Hit Em Up”)”

 

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A post shared by Questlove (@questlove)

Questlove added,

“(Still mostly not a fan of dis records mostly because having lived in that period (mid 90s) I never seen any good results from hip hop beef & yeah you don’t have to remind me of my role on Unplugged——-that wasn’t one of my brighter moments & had I had a redo I prolly woulda had second thoughts of the “Takeover” situation. I mean I know I’m old y’all but damn I’m not tryna be #Poundcake/Respectable Politics Smurf over here yelling “Get Off My Lawn!!!” every 14 secs.”

“I mean it’s bad enough we are stuck in the “health scare” era of hip hop where a majority of people are NOT making it to 55 years old—— but to take steps backwards to even flirt with the idea of going to an era in which turning 30 was a MAJOR CHALLENGE (again, if you are my age and were there? It’s triggering) so that is what I meant by “No one won this battle”. And I know that sentiment is “corny” but it’s how I feel. I would rather see cats collaborating than where we are now.”

He concluded,

& speaking of “where we are now” we got WAY WAY WAY more important things to be worried about in this particular year of 2024 than out of the blue distracting hip hop beef. I feel like my words were taken outta context from that interview so I’m making it clear that I was never a fan of that particular musical interpretation of “Don’t Look Any Further” Welp since I got everyone’s attention can I really RHUIN this post by reminding you kind folk that #HipHopIsHistory will be available (stores and audiobook) June 11th 2024? Yall really about to have a field day with that one if this morning is any indication ?? @auwabooks Aight: comment.”

Original Story (May 14, 2024): Can the beat make or break a diss record?

During a recent interview with the One Song podcast, Ahmir K. Thompson, famously known as Questlove, chatted about iconic diss records throughout hip hop history and what makes them stand out. Speaking on Tupac Shakur’s 1996 song “Hit ‘Em Up,” Questlove said,

“I would respect 2Pac’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ if his music tracking was better. … ‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ to me, is disqualified, not because of the misogyny — forget all that. It’s like, ‘Dude, you’re rhyming over smooth jazz dinner music.’ Luther Vandross could sing over this!” 

As you may recall, Tupac Shakur (aka 2Pac) dropped Hit ‘Em Up in the ’90s, firing shots at The Notorious B.I.G. (aka Christopher “Biggie Smalls” Wallace) and his associates. Elaborating on how the beat pulls from the threatening message of the tune, Questlove continued,

“People who are born in the later part of the decade that I was born in — alright, I was born in the ’70s — their relationship with 2Pac is different to my relationship [with 2Pac]. So thus, when this came out, everybody was like, ‘This is hard as shit! Yo, he killin’ it!’ And I was like, ‘Dog, he’s smooth jazzed up Dennis Edwards.”

Tupac Shakur

He added,

“It doesn’t count. …My thing is, if you’re going to annihilate me on a diss record — if you’re going to kill me I want you to take me out like Cleo at the end of ‘Set It Off.’ That song, to me, is the weakest musical smack. I can’t get with ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ because the music, to me, is just…”

Questlove says he would respect 2Pac's diss song "Hit 'Em Up" if the music tracking were better, and calls "Hit 'Em Up" the weakest musical smack.

(? One Song Podcast/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/0fIlxIqNaK

— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) May 14, 2024

This isn’t the first time Questlove has shared his opinion on rap beef. Earlier this month he weighed in on the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar drama, sharing on his IG,

“Nobody won the war. This wasn’t about skill. This was a wrestling match level mudslinging and takedown by any means necessary — women & children (& actual facts) be d*mned.”

He added,

“Hip Hop Is Truly Dead.”

What are your thoughts on this entire situation? Tell us in the comments below!