Originally published in print in November 2025. View print issues here.

Over the past few years, celebrity feuds have become an ever present force in the music industry, catching the attention of people everywhere. However, these conflicts do not leave the same effect as they used to. 

Most recently, celebrity rappers Nicki Minaj and Cardi B have reignited existing tension during a dispute on social media platform X. It all began with the release of Cardi B’s sophomore album “Am I the Drama?” During its week of release, Minaj commented “4.99,” a remark that some X users connected to Cardi B’s album, which was being sold at a discounted price to increase sales. However, the conflict escalated from there, with the two going on to insult each other’s kids and families. The feud led to a spike in Google searches for the two rappers.

Spanish teacher Jessica Martinez thinks that these conflicts are exactly what artists want — they draw attention to themselves, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. 

“There is a trend of when something blows up, it’s kind of that sense of any publicity is good publicity, which I don’t necessarily agree with,” Martinez said.

Junior Audriana Aguilar finds that these feuds help grab the attention of people who might not normally listen to their music, diversifying their popularity. She specifically connected this effect to the Drake and Kendrick Lamar controversy.

“When it started popping up on social media and [I realized] ‘Oh my gosh, this lyric means this, and this lyric means this.’ That made me want to listen to their music, so I started listening to their music more.” 

On the other hand, junior BeEmnet Amare believes that because celebrity disputes and controversies are so normalized, the effect they have on things like the number of an artist’s listeners or followers is decreasing.

“Viewers are just so used to it by now,” Amare said. “It doesn’t really affect the viewer’s stance on them as a person or their music.”

Similarly, junior Alex Wray finds that celebrity feuds, like the Drake and Lamar beef, have become so oversaturated that these conflicts do not have any effect on how people view the artists. 

“I don’t think beef affects anything. Everyone was against Drake, but he drops ‘Nokia’ and everyone forgets,” Wray said.

Martinez feels that it is challenging to decipher whether the tension is real or staged as many figures in pop culture often organize publicity stunts. 

“Especially as women, we’re always pitted against each other, and for the audience it’s super entertaining, but for me it’s not appealing,” Martinez said. “The more I hear about it, the more I don’t think it really matters in the broader sense of things. It doesn’t make me want to listen to their music.”

Additionally, Wray finds that celebrities who are constantly feuding are not positive role models for their kids or fans.

“It sets an example that pettiness equals fame,” Wray said.

Martinez agrees that public figures should not be using their platforms to tear each other down, but rather to lift each other up.

“[Celebrities] have a lot more that they can do for us [because] they’re in the public eye,” Martinez said. “They have a much bigger voice in that way, so it’s not productive.”

Finally, Martinez believes it is important to look beyond the drama and not lose sight of the true purpose of music — to feel.

“The point of having [music] is to feel something and to feel a human sentiment, which would be hopefully kindness, hopefully love, hopefully sadness,” Martinez said. “I don’t think it should be hatred.”

Illustration by Kailey Fu/Bear Witness