Musical beefs are nothing new; one has to go back to as early as 1933, when Brazilian artist Noel Rosa recorded the samba song ‘Rapaz Folgado’ (’Easygoing Boy’), criticising the lifestyle of fellow samba musician Wilson Batista.
Others may point to Paul McCartney’s ‘Too Many People’ as the first instance of a modern pop/rock star feud, in which the former Beatle made thinly veiled jabs at both John Lennon and Yoko Ono, in particular Lennon’s perceived bossiness and hypocrisy. That led to Lennon’s response, ‘How Do You Sleep?,’ focusing on his former bandmate’s musicianship.
In recent history, the art of the musical beef has led to not only an explosion in interest for even the smallest, yet most vocal of musician, but also an incredibly lucrative means of propelling their music on streaming services and, along with it, the vast amount of royalties that come with those streams.
SeatPick conducted a study to determine the most profitable diss track released in the last 10 years by first compiling a seed list of diss tracks from Wikipedia, to which recent tracks from Lily Allen's latest album were specifically added following her public diss aimed at ex-husband David Harbour.
The current Spotify stream counts for each track were then noted, and estimated royalty earnings were calculated using the Music Gateway calculator, which allowed the tracks to be ranked from the highest to the lowest earning.
So as we close out 2025, what have been the most profitable diss tracks this year?
1. Offset - NO SWEAT (beef: Stefon Diggs, Cardi B)
This track was Offset's public response following his divorce from Cardi B and the highly publicized rumours of her involvement with NFL star Stefon Diggs. The song is interpreted as a scathing reaction to the new relationship, with Offset allegedly throwing shade at Diggs's character and questioning the speed at which Cardi B moved on, particularly as their split played out in the media. 💰 £920.64 | Getty Images
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2. NLE Choppa - KO (beef: YoungBoy NBA)
'KO' is NLE Choppa’s direct counter-attack in a heated, ongoing rivalry with YoungBoy. The feud intensified after YoungBoy took shots at NLE Choppa on a previous track. NLE Choppa's response is an aggressive dismissal of his rival, questioning YoungBoy's influence and character in a bid to lyrically end the long-running dispute. 💰 £4,477.91 | Getty Images/YouTube
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3. Joyner Lucas - Nobody Cares (beef: Skepta)
This was Joyner Lucas's immediate and forceful response to Skepta's diss track, "Friendly Fire." After Skepta initiated a lyrical challenge, Lucas used "Nobody Cares" to aggressively question Skepta's standing in the rap world and challenge his authenticity, escalating their UK vs. US rap challenge into a full-scale battle. 💰 £9,732.39 | Getty Images
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4. Skepta - Friendly Fire (beef: Joyner Lucas)
Skepta’s track served as the opening salvo in his lyrical feud with Joyner Lucas. The diss was a pointed critique of Lucas's highly technical, complex rapping style. Skepta used 'Friendly Fire' to accuse Lucas of overthinking his craft and being an outsider to the street origins of rap. 💰 £10,737.19 | Getty Images
5. Lily Allen - P***y Palace (beef: David Harbour)
One of three songs from Lily Allen that made the list, but we picked the one that garnered her the most profit and, arguably, the most candid track on her album. 'P***y Palace' delves into the intimate and traumatic details of her marriage's breakdown with David Harbour. The lyrics shockingly reference alleged instances of her partner’s infidelity and betrayal, revealing highly personal evidence and pushing the boundaries of confessional songwriting. 💰 £34,288.10 | Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Netflix
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6. Card B - Magnet (beef: JT, Lil Uzi Vert, Offset, Ice Spice)
'Magnet' is a multi-targeted track designed to settle multiple rap and personal scores. It primarily focuses on the long-running, volatile feud with JT of City Girls, but also contains subliminal attacks against Ice Spice and pointed criticisms aimed at Lil Uzi Vert and her estranged husband, Offset, consolidating multiple rivalries into one high-stakes track. 💰 £37,146.85 | Getty Images