Ice Cube believes that his N.W.”No Vaseline” is an even better diss tune than Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” or any other diss track for that matter.

G.O.A.T. Ice Cube Crowns “No Vaseline” Diss TrackIn 2024, diss songs have taken center stage in hip-hop discourse. Video from a recent Cube show at Tucson, Arizona’s Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheater on Monday, May 27, shows the seasoned rhymer responding to the debate over which diss track is the best.

In the video below, Cube addressed the audience, saying, “[People say] Tupac [‘Hit Em Up’] but it’s not.” “Nope, Cube, cling on. It’s “Ether” by Nas. It’s not, but I adore Nas. Perhaps it is Kendrick Lamar, perhaps it is him. Though I adore both of their tracks, “No Vaseline” is the greatest diss track in hip-hop history.

Cube went on to explain why, in his opinion, “No Vaseline” is the best option.

“I’ll tell you why,” Cube went on. “I am one MC. The manager and four muthaf**kas were taken out by me. That’s unbeatable. That was more over thirty years ago. I therefore have nothing but affection for N.W.A. as of right now.”

The audience cheered in agreement with Cube’s viewpoint.

With the release of “No Vaseline” in 1991, Cube—who had just left N.W.A.—took aim at both their manager Jerry Heller and his former teammates in a biting diss song in which he raps over many rhythms.

“Y’all n***as just phony/I put that on my mama and my dead homies,” Cube raps on the track. “Yella Boy’s on your team, so you’re losin’/Aye yo Dre, stick to producin’/Callin’ me Arnold, but you been-a-d**k/Eazy-E saw your a*s and went in it quick/You got jealous when I got my own company/But I’m a man, and ain’t nobody helpin’ me.”

The track is revered as one of the best disses of all time and didn’t even get a response. N.W.A disbanded a short time later, with Dr. Dre’s departure being a huge blow. Recency bias aside, Cube’s “No Vaseline” does have an argument for being the best of the best, and is often cited in the top five on diss song lists.

This is not the first time Cube has touted “No Vaseline” on top of the rap diss song totem pole. Last July, during an interview on  DJ Whoo Kid’s Whoo’s House Podcast, Cube put “No Vaseline” over “Ether” and “Hit Em Up.”

“How’s Tupac No. 1 when he needed help on that record?” Ice Cube asked DJ Whoo Kid. “Me, ‘No Vaseline,’ one MC.”

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Joins Elite Company

Release earlier this month, Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss “Not Like Us” has quickly ascended to being mentioned among the great diss tracks in hip-hop history. Along with receiving critical acclaim by topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart earlier this month, the Mustard-produced track has been inescapable as it has shattered streaming records, been featured on national television, played at live sports broadcasts and more.