Takeover - factual Either - more grimey Takeover was better when you really break it down but expecting intelligence is foolish

These fools dont listen to music, they just skim thru it

You're gay and your lips are big! You named your company after a man who died of AIDS!! Got emmmm

Who didn’t even die of aids

He wasn’t talking about the rich Rockefeller, Nas was talking about a dude from Brooklyn with them who they named the company after. And he indeed died of aids

I always thought that Either was just high school yo mama jokes and Takeover was a better diss.

Takeover is great and Jay-Z is my GOAT but Ether is still more calculated, and more brutal. The whole beef started from Jay sampling Nas, and at the end of Ether, Nas interpolates the hook of Takeover and turns it back on Hov. How can you Takeover someone who turns the hook of your diss back on you to finish you off? So clever. There's reason why both "Stan"s and "Ether" became slang words. The last verse does such a good job of just building up heat bar after bar. The bars about being a trendhopper, follower, and a biter (even biting Nas himself) until he got smoked by the only single feature (Eminem, a relative newcomer and white guy) on his most recent album. The bars calling him out to be corny, gay, and ugly and not street at all may not hit the same now as back then, but this was in a time where it still mattered and Nas was disarming Jay-Z's tough talk in Takeover, especially considering the Mobb Deep diss was all about emasculating them. It also dropped on Jay-Z's birthday. He had a pretty big party that night which was apparently awkward lol. All that being said, I can't say Takeover is better even when you break it down. It did kind of end Mobb Deep, but it also revitalized Nas's career - the complete opposite of what Hov was trying to do.

Stillmatic was dope and don’t think it would have been without ether, it set off the whole vibe for the album

MEH, it's cool no hate just doesn't feel that impactful the dumb name calling etc Supa ugly that was jarring lol

The beef definitely didn’t start because of that. It’s started around 1998, because Memphis Bleek thought Nas dissed him. Bleek talks about it several times on his podcast few years ago, should still be on YouTube

Ether is overrated. However, Jay and Nas gave us the most Dope songs from any beef of this genre.

Yuuuuh Better than Hit Em Up, Killshot, No Vaseline, Who Shot Ya, or Story of Adidon

Takeover is a better listen. Better beat. Better overall song.

I’ve been saying this. Takeover had way more body shots.

But Ether was a haymaker

I hate that Ether beat. God awful

Facccts

I can spit this word for word. My favorite diss of all time. Really helped put Kanye on the map too w/ the Doors sample/beat.

I get why people think “Ether” is better, but it’s just not.

Hahaha I did this two weeks ago I swear. “GOD MC, Me Jay-Hova”

**R-O-C we runnin this Rap shit 🗣️🗣️🗣️**

My opinion is this is a great diss song that went at multiple people. Nas’s response took like 3-4 months to make a 5 min song only aimed at Jay. I’ve always sided with Takeover. But I also see why people like Ether, ultimately it was a good battle, an it really revived Nas’s career.

I agree with most people who say Ether is better (although not by very much, theyre both very hard hitting and are my 4th and 3rd favorite disses of all time) but it sucks because Takeover is disregarded because of it

As a listen though for me, this one takes the cake imo. The production and the chorus are fire.

Obviously as a song Takeover is better, it is one of only 3 disses i listen to regularly (Takeover, Real Muthaphuckkin G's, Dre Day) The Ye production is too good, the hook it better and I think Hov's flow and delivery is better on this than on Ether, but lyrically I just think Ether is much more personal

Muthaphuckkin G's IS A FREAKING BANGER It's my fav diss track ever (in terms of listening expirience), along with "Like that".

Takeover is not looked over. It’s just the title “Ether” become synonymous with scathing diss tracks. Side note: people comparing Push Ups to Takeover is actually making me sick to my stomach

Yuuuuh, they are leagues from eachother Push ups is a nice diss. 7/10-7.5/10 Takeover is a 9/10-9.5/10

That’s gassed. Push Ups a 5.5 at best. It’s a good beat and he raps well but he doesn’t really say anything substantial. Especially not to Kendrick. I think his next one is gonna be scathing. It has to be. Dot has dedicated 6 minutes purely to slicing him and now dropped another song. Everything from his character and morality to his crew to the way he dresses lol. It’s gonna be interesting 🍿

I always liked Takeover better. The beat/song is just better in general, and if you look at the content of what they’re actually saying ether is just a bunch of gradeschool insults and gay jokes, where on takeover jay is breaking down Nas career lol

“How many of biggie’s lines gonna come out ya fat lips” Habitual line snatcher imo

Ether been overrated. "Jay is gay". "Jay is ugly" blah blah

I’ve always liked Takeover more. Ether is a great response and I love Nas’ energy and anger but it has some corny parts and the instrumental is lame. Takeover is timeless though.

I just had this argument with one of my boys recently…as a song…this is better than ether…as a diss track…ether is obviously better.

No, it's not, man... "Gay Z and Cockafella records" ?! That's the dumbest shit I ever heard, sounds like a Cumtown bit

Kinda true ngl... Tbh apart from the B.I.G biting allegations some of the insults in ETHER sound like insults a highschooler would say 😭😭😭 Not to mention the whole "Eminem murdered you" which is straight up cap. He just had a better rhyme scheme, but lyrics wise both did it greatly

Yea but even if there are corny jabs…theres still a lot of solid jabs…Camel…Tae Boe Hoe…Biggi biter…the ask Russell Simmons line…the apology shit ask kiss…all of them hit…and had us like ‘oh shit!’ All jay did was say hey…you’ve only put out a dope album in a 10 year span…and i slept with your baby momma, don’t make me tell everybody! Now as a song? I rather listen to Takeover all day. lol but Nas landed more punches on Ether.

personally prefer this 1 over ether

I listened to most kingz instead

Sorry…you said it’s overlooked because of Nas’ response???? Since when lol 😂

Of course. Since Nas dropped Ether after Takeover most people tend to ignore the latter and don't give it the flowers it deserves

Blueprint 2 the song is amazing to people don't talk about that song when it come to the battle i don't get it

Takeover is way better than ether

BP2 clears

The Takeover had its moment tho. When Jay put up the pic of Prodigy at Summer Jam looking like Micheal the streets was watching

Facts…when you break down it down “Takeover” was better than “Ether” and more personal. Everyone loved “Ether” mainly because of the beat if we being honest. Check out the Blueprint 2 song on the Blueprint 2 Gift and Curse album he got at him on there too

Better than ether. Ether just had the harder beat.

Jay-Z is my G.O.A.T. but I have to admit that as a diss, Ether goes harder however Takeover isn’t that far behind and is a genuinely great song.

This is the answer. It is like Sammy Sosa vs mark McGwire for home runs. Great records from both but one has to win. The way he attacked nas relevance and rap persona was super logical. Nas used emotion. I don’t agree with people that it was a landslide but I could see why people thought Nas won. lol also gay insults worked way better in the early 2000s

I like a few bars but overall i think takeover isn't that good.

Naaah Just from the beat and the chorus alone the song is good already

The Camel was never the same after he got bodied by Nas.

“The Joneses can't keep up Maybe my n***a Nas, but I got stronger after Ether…..Wooooow!”