Three’s-A-Crowd :: The Story Behind the Ludacris, Big Sean & Drake Beef

A new rap battle between Ludacris, Drake, and Big Sean seems to be picking up some momentum. So how did the so-called “battle” begin? It all started with an interview Drake did back in May. He admitted that the “Hashtag” rap flow he uses in the song, “Forever,” is from his friend Big Sean. (This flow is when rappers focus on using metaphors at the ends of the lines in their lyrics.) During the interview, Drake also called out Ludacris for using the “Hashtag” style incorrectly in the song “My Chick Bad.” Drake said,

“I don’t want to sound cocky, but the best way it’s been used was on ‘Forever.’ Those lines just all individually make so much sense. They’re all punchlines. Then a bunch of rappers started doing it and using the most terrible references in the world. I don t want to offend somebody. I hate that rappers picked that flow up. I wish they had left that for people that know how to use it. [They go like] ‘It’s a parade! Macy’s!’”

In a separate interview, Big Sean agreed with Drake and explained how he originated the “Hashtag” rapping style (a.k.a the Supa Dupa flow). Big Sean said that the first time he used it was in his song, “Supa Dupa,” In the song he spit rhymes like,

“Used to be bottom, Scuba

So I’m on the grind, skateboard or Scooter

‘Till I am the king of my castle, Koopa”

During his interview, Big Sean explained,

“With the Super Duper flow, I created that one word rhyme style. Drake really made it more popular, but Drake gave me the credit and was like ‘I really got that from Big Sean…’ I think some artists just did it so wack man. Every time I say names I get in trouble and it’s like I’m dissing, but some people used it wack. If [Drake] said Ludacris used it wack, hey… Don’t get it wrong I’m not trying to diss Ludacris or nothing. He’s a great MC. But even though that style got so overused, there was a lot of people who did it great and there was a lot of people who didn’t do it so great. People always ask me ‘Was you mad that people took that style from you?’ I’m like, ‘Nah, that shows me how far I can go as an artist.’ I feel like I changed Hip-Hop.”

Fast forward to the present day and Ludacris has decided to respond. The song “Bada Boom” on his new mixtape, 1.21 Gigawatts, (which was released on Tuesday the 15^th) allegedly takes shots at Big Sean and Drake. Ludacris never uses either rapper’s name, but he does address the fact that he has been called out for copying the Hashtag style. Here are some of the lyrics:

“I’m the truth in this booth and you niggas all hoes

Counterfeit rappers say I’m stealing their flows

But I can’t steal what you never made up bitch

Y’all some duplicate rap cloning niggas, I manufacture you hoes put on your makeup bitch

Nothing’s been new since Big Daddy Kane

Flows will get recycled, passed around in different names…”

And another song on the mixtape, titled “History Lesson,” features snippets from rap legends like Biggie, Q-Tip, and Method Man using this same type of Hashtag flow that Big Sean says he created.

In a recent interview, on Sway In The Morning, all Luda had to say was,

“I don’t start these things, I finish them.”

Sounds like a battle to me! Do you think Ludacris stole Big Sean’s Supa Dupa/Hashtag Flow?  Here’s audio of Ludacris’ “Bada Boom.”

Sources: XXL & RapFix

-@Kami2Kute