The picture above is the profile picture for one of the up and coming rappers, 21 Savage. 21 is currently beefing with Hip-hop star Tyga, who is dating the notorious Kylie Jenner. The beef started when 21 Savage posted pictures of Jenner and said things along the lines of “I’ll take Kylie Jenner from Tyga.” Shots have been fired back and forth between the two rappers. The other day, 21 Savage changed his profile picture to the face of Kylie Jenner to stir up to pot. He even added his own style to the picture by adding a tattooed cross on Jenner’s forehead. (He has the same Tattoo) This created a huge buzz over Instagram as well as the entirety of social media.
It’s the little things that matter. Fans deal with advertisements, promotions, and fake engagement all time from celebrities. Sometimes the most personal or tiniest things really attract a fan base toward a particular artist. A lot of times, Rappers will start beefs with other Rappers over a disagreement, song, action, or any other confrontation. One of the most entertaining things for fans is watching these fights or beefs unfold via social media. In addition to the entertainment an argument brings, it also brings a lot of attention to the artist in a good way. People will start talking about the artist, might even start listening to them, or maybe even become a fan.
In addition, this promotes fan engagement in so many other ways. Memes have been created regarding this beef and Instagram has transformed into a battlefield for Tyga Fans vs. 21 Savage Fans. This type of fan engagement keeps artists relevant and trending. This beef is another way of 21 Savage distributing his brand.
The Use of Social Media in the Rap Game 