They either happened so long ago that people have genuinely forgotten, or they fell flat, because they couldn’t compete with the rash of rivaled activity that occurs daily in the social media mix. We’re talking forgotten pop feuds. Everyone loves a good feud. It is always catalyst for a good chuckle — millionaires beefing about the silliest stuff…? It’s a great way to keep a little high school in your life, well after graduation. Here are eight forgotten feuds featuring some of the biggest names in the music business.
8. Jay-Z vs. Solange Knowles
Didn’t this just happen? Yes. Pretty much. And it was on fire for a few short minutes, before someone killed it with a fire extinguisher. Stemming from some sort of a disagreement at the Met Gala, Solange Knowles — sister of Beyonce — and Jay-Z, got into a fracas in an elevator. Well, to be fair and transparent, Jay-Z was basically assaulted by his sister-in-law, who tossed in a couple slaps, kicks and cat claws, before bodyguards were able to get between them. Looking back at it now, didn’t it seem odd that nobody tried to break it up? Beyonce stood there the entire time, and didn’t really do or say anything. The aftermath was better than the incident itself, weighted with “why did this happen,” and the alleged feud between Solange and Jay-Z began. All because of something Jay-Z said, or did. Allegedly…
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7. John Mayer vs. Jessica Simpson
What ex-girlfriend has John Mayer not feuded with? Yes, he’s in the midst of a little tiff with Taylor Swift, but long before Taylor — and Katy Perry — John enjoyed a fling with Jessica Simpson. In fairness to John, he has seemingly grown up a lot over the past 10 years. Being that he’s pushing 40, that’s a good thing, and probably a little overdue. He’s admitted to being a jerk to women he’s dated in the past: Taylor Swift; Jennifer Aniston; Jessica Simpson. But with Jessica, he completely threw her under the bus publicly, when he offered an interview with Playboy, and referred to Jessica as “sexual napalm.” He went on to express his feelings about her sexually, and how addictive she was. He put her in the category of “crack cocaine.” Jessica didn’t take kindly to these statements, and the short, John vs. Jess feud began.
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6. Miley Cyrus vs. Sinead O’Connor
This one escalated quickly. Sinead O’Connor — hitting nails on the head — offered Miley a little sage wisdom via social media, and expressed concern about Miley being taken advantage of, and abused by the music industry. Miley, being young, and a total know-it-all, got defensive, pulled out a sharp stick and decided to poke Sinead right in the eye… figuratively speaking. Miley mocked Sinead, and reminded Sinead of her well-publicized mental breakdown. It was without tact, and spit in the face of anyone who had ever experienced mental health issues. Ultimately, it proved Sinead’s point — that Miley was quickly losing herself to a machine she could not control. Sinead, not being one to idly sit on her hands, went straight back to the keyboard and shamed Miley for mocking mental illness of any sort. Woman v. Woman, Sinead would put a spanking on Miley.
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Photo by AGF s.r.l./REX
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5. Mariah Carey vs. Nicki Minaj
American Idol was already in its downhill slide toward the end when producers hired Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey to serve as judges on the show, but they multiplied the velocity of the slide with their antics. The two women were incompatible. To begin, both were far more concerned about themselves than they were about any of the contestants on the show. Their vanity was off the charts. And they weren’t shy about going after one another. A couple of women with alpha complexes, not realizing that they were only tarnishing their own legacies with their outlandish behavior, on set, in front of contestants. Perhaps it was a ploy to reengage old American Idol viewers, but it provided little more than a of couple walk-outs, hateful glances, remarks and childish behavior. It was easily forgotten, because nobody watches American Idol anymore.
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4. Britney Spears vs. Christina Aguilera
Was there really a rivalry and feud between Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera? Oh, yes. Very much so. This goes back to the late 1990s, when both teenagers were building the foundation of pop careers. Britney enjoyed wild success with “Baby One More Time,” and Christina dropped the boom with “Genie In A Bottle.” It didn’t take long for people to start rapping about them both being Disney Mouseketeers, even though the Internet ran at the speed of cold molasses. The girls were friends as youths, but when Britney began to enjoy more popularity — and the residual cash flow because of it — Christina got a little jealous. She made various comments about Britney in interviews, and when Brit caught wind, the old friends were suddenly feuding. They seem cool now, but Britney keeps Xtina at an arm’s distance.
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3. Katy Perry vs. Miley Cyrus
Here’s Miley again. We’re pretty sure Miley has peeved every one of her peers in the past two years. Remember this one? Nobody is surprised to see that Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry had a little online tiff, but they did, and you likely forgot about it. To refresh your memory, it was born over a kiss that never was. Katy and Miley were in the same place at the same time, and Miley tried to offer a greeting by sticking her tongue down Katy’s throat. Katy was less than thrilled with Miley’s behavior. She later remarked that she had no idea where that tongue had been. Ouch. Miley fired back by reminding Katy she was once married to Russell Brand — a very loaded statement alluding to potential STDs, we’d imagine. Surely, these two went out together later that night to celebrate being the top trend on Twitter during the day.
Photo by Stewart Cook / Rex Features
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2. L.L. Cool J vs. M.C. Hammer
Why pick on M.C. Hammer? Well… for good reason. Hammer started making money selling tapes out of the back of his car in Oakland — much respect — unfortunately, he took a few shots at east coast legends early in his rap career, before the monster release of Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em. This came from frustrations with east coast radio executives who wouldn’t play his music. Foolishly, Hammer directed his ire at east coast rappers like Run-D.M.C. In truth, Hammer had a legitimate beef with people who wouldn’t play west coast music on air, but then he opened his mouth and took a shot at L.L. Cool J after Waking With a Panther failed to sell to industry expectations. L.L. hit back with a little something called “To Da Break of Dawn,” in which he drops hammers on Hammer, and several others.
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1. Madonna vs. Prince
Madonna and Prince once recorded a little ditty together called “Love Song,” that appeared on her 1988 album, Like A Prayer. The song wasn’t much of anything other than a collaboration between two of the biggest pop artists in the world, and a love child of their short-lived relationship earlier in that decade. Yes, they dated for awhile in 1985, recorded that song together, then eventually had a falling out. Madonna once referred to Prince as a “little troll,” and suggested that he annoyed her, because he wouldn’t eat on dinner dates. Prince didn’t mind being dissed, he’s quite used to it, but he did fire back later in life, suggesting to a live audience that he had more hits than “Madonna’s got kids…” Eventually, the two living legends buried the hatchet and made nice… 25 years later.
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