Drake vs. Pusha T: Are fans taking rap beefs too seriously?

NWA versus Ice Cube. Biggie versus Tupac. Nas versus Jay Z. Nicki Minaj versus Remy Ma.

Rivalries and beefs are a longstanding tradition inhip hop, from b-boys and b-girlsbattling it out in dance torappers trading lyrical barbs, live or via disstracks.But fans taking an artistic battle from a performance space into the real world is rareand surprising, according to hip-hop writer A. Harmony.

"Battle rap is a fixture in hip hop. It's considered a sport. It's considered a form of entertainment and a chance forMCsto really showcase their skills. It's a part of the music industry. It's a part of the music culture," explained Harmony, hip hop contributor to Exclaim Magazine.

Buta full-on brawl ensued at a PushaTconcert in Toronto on Tuesday, after some audience members apparently tossed drinks onstage at the American rapper who hasbeen embroiled in anon-again, off-again beef with hometown favourite Drakemid-performance. Briefly retaking the stage, the Virginia rapperseemed to accuseDrake of being behind the slight. The concert was closed down shortly after. Later, a concertgoer turned up at a nearbyhospital with stab wounds, according to police.

Note: strong language and violencein following video

The drinks being tossedmight have been something "betweenconcertgoersthat got out of hand," saidHarmony. It might also have been the result of fans "who decided to take this form of entertainment and turn it into something it wasn't."

In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in young music fans lashing out at rivals for perceived slights to their idols, whether its Beliebersrallying behind Justin Bieberorthe BeyHivelashing out in support of Beyonc.

"We have seen instances ofsuper fanskind of crossing the line," Harmony noted, citing an instancethis July whenNickiMinajfans waged a brutal campaign against a Canadian freelancewriterwho offered a negative critique ofthe rapper's music.

Different kind of connection

Today's fans aren't like those of previous generations.They feel a different, closer connection to their idols thanks to social media and that goes for rap aficionados as well, according toEmmanuelTabi, a hip-hop fan andUniversity of TorontoPhDcandidate examining cultural production and its intersection with education and activism.

Because entertainers frequently tackletheir personal problems withtheir art or in interviews and shareseemingly real, but carefully cultivatedpersonas on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and beyond, "you might feel like you actually know Drake," Tabi said.

The result? Fans become"a lot more more invested in the performances and in these individuals."

Friday RickyDred, co-host and founder of theWe Love Hip Hoppodcast, also believes the beer-tossing incident that set off Tuesday night's melee was the work of "an overzealous fan" of Drake's.

"There's a lot of fans who just take things too seriously. We're in aninternetage where people are always looking for moments," he said, suggesting the perpetrators wereperhapsseeking notoriety online at a time "where everything is recorded in real-time."

What concerns him, however, is if the actions of a few reckless individuals ends up hurting the hip-hop community in a wider wayfor instance sparking a chill on upcoming rap performances and events.

"It's another brawl. Brawls happen at concerts and bars all the time," Friday noted."I just don't want it to paint a bad light on hip hop where it makes it harder for even a local artist to be able to book shows.

"[Drake's] a huge artist. He has no problem booking shows. But for me, the artists who are out herewho are independent, who aretrying to make itthey need performances as well."

The bottom line is that rappers are entertainerssomething audiences need to keep in mind, according toHarmony.

"[Fans] shouldn't ever blur the linebetween entertainment and real life," she said.

"I think we are at a point where people realize that it's not worth it to take this art form and this form of sport outside of the studioWe have to remember to separate the art and these unfortunate real incidents of violence."