The 15 Best Pop Music Shade-Fests Of 2014
Kesha vs. Dr. Luke
Remember when Christina Aguilera released a diss track to Scott Storch titled “F.U.S.S.” (or “F**k You Scott Storch”) years ago? Well this next beef was reminiscent of that, only way way worse. Kesha filed a lawsuit against her former mentor, super-producer Dr. Luke, for sexual assault and battery. In the suit, Kesha explained that she was reportedly “emotionally, physically, verbally, and sexually abused” for over a decade. She claims he began his sexual advances once the pop singer turned 18. She then alleged that he would drug her, sexually assault her, and then give her “sober pills” to wake back up. Further, she claimed he threatened her and her family, and she asked the judge to release her from her contract with Dr. Luke. She also stated this level of abuse led her to develop an eating disorder, causing her to check into a rehab facility.
Dr. Luke swiftly responded with a countersuit for defamation and breach of contract. Then, things started to get messy. His lawyer dug up an old deposition from 2011 (from a lawsuit against Kesha/Dr. Luke and her former manager), where under oath said she never had sexual relations with Dr. Luke and was never drugged or assaulted. Kesha’s lawyer Mark Geragos called the evidence “pathetic” and explained that she lied under oath after Dr. Luke threatened her life. The singer’s mom has since gotten involved, suing Dr. Luke for PTSD and emotional distress. This situation is all bad, and Geragos is about to take it to the next level. He has unspecified evidence that suggests Dr. Luke was the producer who raped Lady Gaga. While Gaga’s rep denied the allegation, Kesha’s lawyer plans to bring Gaga into it. This is going to get even messier than before.
Snoop Dogg vs. Iggy Azalea
Petty male rappers with Instagram accounts jumpstarted this feud. Snoop Dogg first re-circulated a photo of a woman with albinism that compared her looks to Iggy Azalea’s, captioned “Iggy Azalea no makeup.” He then took it to the next level and posted a meme with a split photo of the rapstress and Marlon Wayans’ costumed character in White Chicks with the caption: “So we just gonna ignore the fact that Iggy look like Marlon from White Chicks.” She was noticeably hurt, tweeting to Snoop things like “Why would you post such a mean pic on Insta when you send your bodyguards to ask me for pictures every time we are at shows?” and “Every time I’ve ever spoken to you, you’ve always been nice as hell. I’m disappointed you’d be an ass for no reason.”
She even referenced a time when her bodyguard hailed a fire truck to save Snoop’s friend’s life when he set fire to a hotel room in Canada. He evidently forgot about that and released a nasty video calling Iggy a “C U Next Tuesday.” The Aussie’s mentor/label head T.I. had to get involved, calling Snoop to address the situation. The rapper dropped another Instagram video, saying, “Boys and girls, I just got off the phone with my boy Tip, the king of Atlanta, and it’s officially over. No more bad talk, I apologize. I apologize. I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.” Iggy replied to him via Twitter with, “I appreciate the apology.” Let that be a lesson to never mess with T.I.’s friends.
Iggy Azalea vs. Eminem
Iggy Azalea sure kept busy this year with endless feuds! Next up is Eminem, who came for her on his track “Vegas” with the line: “So, what’s it gon’ be? / Put that s**t away, Iggy / You gon’ blow that rape whistle on me … scream!” She took to Twitter (like always) to voice her frustration. “I’m bored of the old men threatening young women as entertainment trend and much more interested in the young women getting $ trend. zzz,” she wrote, adding, “It’s especially awkward because my 14 year old brother is the biggest Eminem fan and now the artist he admired says he wants to rape me. Nice!” Iggy got the ultimate payback at this year’s American Music Awards, where she beat Eminem out of the Favorite Hip-Hop Album and Favorite Artist categories. Guess who got the last laugh? I-G-G-Y!
