Once again, we find ourselves imitating the worst aspects of the entertainment industry. Just as North America has its high-profile feuds between superstar rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar, we’ve witnessed a similar, albeit diluted version of this rivalry in Italy. On one side, there’s Tony Effe, a member of Dark Polo Gang, and on the other, Chiara Ferragni’s former husband. What started as a war of words between these rappers has morphed into a spectacle, dragging unsuspecting women into the mix—while echoing the sexist undertones that continue to plague the music industry on both sides of the Atlantic.
Imported Feuds: From Drake and Kendrick to Tony Effe
In the U.S. and Canada, the rap battles between Drake and Kendrick Lamar often centered around personal attacks, many of which were disturbingly misogynistic. These lyrical duels, ostensibly about music, frequently turned into volleys of accusations regarding their romantic relationships and alleged misconduct. Kendrick Lamar, known for his sharp, often socially conscious lyrics, once accused Drake of engaging in inappropriate behavior with underage girls, while Drake retaliated with allegations that Kendrick had a history of domestic violence. These high-stakes verbal exchanges became the subject of heated discussion online, with fans choosing sides, analyzing lyrics, and debating who “won” or “lost.” But amid all the noise, one crucial factor was repeatedly ignored: the women who were being objectified and dragged into a war that was never theirs to begin with.
The focus wasn’t on whether these women were mistreated, either by the artists or the public, but rather on who wielded the better insult. The same pattern has now found a home in Italy. With Tony Effe and his rivals, the issue is no longer about music or skill, but about which man can tear down the other through demeaning references to women, either real or rumored.
The Collateral Damage: Women as Weapons in Rap Beefs
Just as Kendrick and Drake used references to women as ammunition, Tony Effe and his opponents have followed suit. The women in question—Chiara Ferragni, Chiara Biasi, Taylor Mega, and Vittoria Ceretti, to name a few—are often mentioned in songs, Instagram stories, and interviews. They are used as pawns in a larger game, their personal lives turned into fuel for diss tracks. Nicolò Rapisarda, for instance, casually drops lyrics like, “Chiara says she adores me,” while Federico Lucia fires back with crass remarks about drug use and another woman’s private life.
This type of lyrical misogyny isn’t new, but its harmful effects remain deeply concerning. It’s not just the rappers trading barbs; it’s the cultural atmosphere they create. Involving women in these feuds, especially without their consent, sends a clear message: women are tools, commodities to be leveraged in the pursuit of fame or social dominance. They become little more than placeholders in a narrative that centers on male rivalry, their identities reduced to who they dated or were linked to.
Online Backlash: Fans Weaponizing Misogyny
The fallout of these rap beefs doesn’t end in the studio or the headlines. As these songs and social media jabs circulate, the impact on the women named becomes glaringly apparent. Social media platforms, once places for connection and self-expression, quickly transform into arenas for abuse. Comment sections overflow with degrading, sexist remarks, and online trolls waste no time hurling insults at the women caught in the crossfire.
What’s particularly disheartening is the sheer volume of these attacks. Fans, emboldened by their favorite artists, unleash torrents of misogynistic vitriol without pause. These women are targeted not for their actions but for their mere association with these rappers. Their only “crime” was having once been involved—romantically, socially, or even professionally—with the men now engaged in public feuds. Despite their own careers, achievements, and lives, these women become collateral damage, their personal reputations dragged through the mud for the sake of lyrical one-upmanship.
The Search for Responsibility
A recurring question in all of this is: when will these artists be held accountable for the damage they cause? In the race to outdo one another, the well-being of the women involved is often overlooked. While the rappers gain more visibility and spark controversy to boost their streams and album sales, the women find themselves at the center of unwanted attention, their personal lives under scrutiny, their social media pages turned into battlegrounds.
Unfortunately, this phenomenon isn’t unique to one corner of the world. Whether it’s Drake and Kendrick in the U.S., or Tony Effe and his rivals in Italy, the pattern remains the same. Men in the public eye use women as weapons, dehumanizing them in the process, while the masses lap it up, eager for entertainment at someone else’s expense.
Reinforcing Harmful Narratives
To make matters worse, these feuds fuel harmful stereotypes about women. As these rap beefs unfold, Google search trends reveal a disturbing spike in searches for these women—often not for their professional accomplishments, but to learn more about their relationships with the men involved. What should be a moment to highlight their own careers instead becomes an opportunity for the public to define them through their romantic histories. In the eyes of many, their individual successes are overshadowed by their proximity to famous men.
The idea that a woman’s value is derived from her association with a man, rather than her own merit, is an age-old stereotype that refuses to die. Rap battles and their ensuing drama only reinforce this, reducing women to mere accessories, props to be used and discarded in the grand spectacle of male competition.
Breaking the Cycle
It’s tempting to ask for a solution, but the truth is that there’s no easy fix to such a deeply ingrained problem. It would require a cultural shift—one that values women for who they are, not for who they’ve dated. It would mean holding male artists accountable for the misogyny they perpetuate, both in their lyrics and in their behavior. Perhaps most importantly, it would mean no longer staying silent, no longer accepting this as just “how things are.”
Women deserve better than to be sidelined in someone else’s feud. They deserve to be seen for their talent, their intelligence, and their contributions—not reduced to pawns in a battle for fame. As long as we continue to normalize this behavior, the cycle will repeat, leaving a trail of damaged reputations and shattered self-worth in its wake. Let’s not allow these feuds to define what it means to be a woman in the public eye.
curlycurlworld: Get Twisted with CurlyCurl: The Latest in Curls, Coils, and Confidence! 