Core DJs Say Social Media Made Rap Beef Deadlier Than the '90s
By @sharedot · · 6 pages
- Hip Hop
- Yella Beezy
- Mo3
- Rap Beef
Following Yella Beezy's conviction, DJs Tony Neal and Hollygrove say social media pressure has made rap beefs deadlier than in the 1990s.
DJs Who Knew Both Rappers Call the Case Heartbreaking
Speaking on Houston's Good Morning H-Town during The Core DJs Worldwide Retreat, DJ Tony Neal, founder of The Core DJs, and DJ Hollygrove reacted to Yella Beezy's murder conviction in the 2020 killing of fellow Dallas rapper MO3.
According to Hot Spot ATL, the two DJs had developed personal relationships with both artists: MO3 attended one of the group's events before his death, and Yella Beezy became a regular presence at Core DJs gatherings after DJ Deuce introduced him to the organization.
Neal described the situation as heartbreaking for everyone involved, expressing sadness for both rappers.
The Surprising Take: Beefs Are More Dangerous Now Than in the '90s
The most striking claim from the conversation, as Hot Spot ATL reports it, is Tony Neal's argument that conflicts within Hip-Hop have become more dangerous than they were during the 1990s — the era legendary for its rivalries.
Neal contends rap beef has always existed, but social media has dramatically changed how disputes unfold. In his view, the internet amplifies conflicts by pressuring artists to publicly respond to rivals and broadcast disagreements.
Tensions that once stayed outside the public eye can now be intensified by online posts, he says, bringing extra attention to potentially dangerous situations.
The Verdict Behind the Conversation
Per the Texarkana Gazette, Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, was unanimously convicted of capital murder by a Dallas County jury for hiring the gunman who fatally shot MO3, born Melvin Noble, in a 2020 daylight attack on Interstate 35 in south Dallas.
He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors said Conway paid Kewon White $40,000 for the shooting; White was separately convicted of capital murder in September and also received life without parole.
Prosecutor Tommy Adams called it one of the most challenging cases of the last six years and said the jurors "got it right today."
Revenge Evidence and What Comes Next
The Texarkana Gazette reports that during closing arguments, prosecutors showed jurors an interview clip in which Conway talked about revenge, saying he would "get his lick back," and prosecutor Krystal Biggins compared Noble's killing to a 2018 roadway shooting that wounded Conway.
"Over a rap beef, we are here for capital murder," Biggins told jurors, while defense attorney John Gussio argued the state offered "a lot of speculation."
With both Conway and White now serving life sentences, the DJs' warning lands as a scene-wide question: whether online beef culture itself is on trial.