Jackson Free Press

The beef, now settled, between Ron Chane and Phillip "DJ Young Venom" Rollins over whether hip-hop belongs at Fondren's First Thursday reminds us how passionate we are about hip-hop culture in Jackson. Here are a few other local beefs that could be brewing.

Phil Bryant vs. Robert Gray

Both the Republican and Democratic nominees for Mississippi governor look for words that rhyme with Gray's chosen profession, trucking. Winner: Gray.

Senate Education Chairman Gray Tollison 
vs. House Education Chair John Moore

As these two Republicans jockey for lyrical dominance, Rep. Moore disses Tollison for switching from the "Democrat Party" in 2011. Sen. Tollison, weakly, tries to hit Moore for struggling to get the charter-school bill through his committee without help from Speaker Philip Gunn. Winner: Moore.

Rainbow v. Whole Foods

The Kanye of natural-foods grocers, Whole Foods, was cool a long time ago, but now even friends find them utterly annoying. Yet, after all these years of success, Rainbow still keeps it real. No contest, Rainbow takes the crown.

The Jackson Zoo vs. Natural Science Museum

Once homies, a rift emerges between these two capital-city attractions. The zoo cleverly refers to the museum as a two-headed snake. The museum levels its assault against the zoo's west Jackson neighborhood, elevating the beef to Lakeland and West Capitol 'hoods. The Natural Science Museum wins for lyrics, but Lakeland is bodied by West Capitol in the turf war.

Margaret Barrett-Simon v. Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler

Surprisingly, these veteran female emcees never battled until Mayor Mary releases a track dissing Jackson for the loss of businesses along County Line Road to Madison County. Not to be outdone, Councilwoman Barrett-Simon comes back with her record about the Fondren and Belhaven neighborhoods she represents attracting more young professionals than Butler's wack-ass subdivisions. Winner: Barrett-Simon, for lyrics and beats.