Let's be real: back in 2017, you couldn't open YouTube without seeing a blond kid in a colorful hoodie screaming about his brother. It was a weird time. But nothing defined that era of the internet quite like the Logan Paul diss track phenomenon. It wasn't just music; it was a high-stakes business strategy disguised as sibling rivalry. If you weren't there, it’s hard to explain how a 2-minute rap song could basically pause the digital world.
Logan didn't just stumble into music. He weaponized it. While most people see these tracks as cringe-worthy relics of the past, they actually laid the groundwork for how modern creators use conflict to build massive empires. Honestly, the "feud" between Logan and his brother Jake was the first time we saw a "reality TV" arc play out entirely through Spotify uploads and music videos.
The Fall of Jake Paul: The Song That Changed Everything
When Logan dropped "The Fall of Jake Paul" on June 3, 2017, he wasn't just making a song. He was responding to Jake’s "Logang Sucks" and "It's Everyday Bro." It was a counter-strike. The production was surprisingly slick for a YouTuber, featuring the boy band Why Don’t We, which Logan was heavily promoting at the time.
But the real drama? That was Alissa Violet.
Alissa was Jake’s ex-girlfriend. Logan flew her out, put her in the video, and the internet absolutely lost its mind. It was the ultimate "big brother" move. He teased a "second verse" that was supposedly so savage it would ruin Jake's career. He eventually released the full version after a brief "truce" failed, and it became one of the most-watched videos on his channel.
The lyrics were personal. He mocked Jake’s Disney Channel acting, his "Team 10" business model, and the fact that Jake was basically living in his shadow on Vine. It was brutal. It was effective. It was also, as Logan later admitted, a bit of a "very opportune chain of events." They were actually mad at each other, but they also knew that being mad at each other was worth millions of dollars in views and merch sales.
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Why Logan Paul Diss Tracks Keep Coming Back
It didn’t stop with Jake. Once Logan saw the ROI on a diss track, he started using them like a marketing tool for his boxing matches. Take the Antonio Brown situation in 2020.
Logan wanted to fight the former NFL star. What did he do? He dropped "Going Broke." He wore a Tom Brady jersey, mocked Brown’s "Whole Lotta Money" single, and made fun of his legal troubles. It was a classic Logan Paul diss track move: find a target, find their insecurities, and put them on a beat.
- Marketing: He uses tracks to "sell" a fight or a new product (like Prime).
- Narrative Control: When he’s the one rapping, he gets to tell the story first.
- Audience Retention: Music videos are highly rewatchable, keeping his metrics high even when he's not vlogging.
Basically, these tracks are the "trailers" for the next season of Logan Paul's life. He doesn't make them because he wants to be a Grammy-winning rapper. He makes them because they are loud.
The KSI Era: When the Music Got Serious (Sorta)
The beef with KSI was a different beast entirely. This wasn't just a sibling squabble or a one-off joke. This was an international incident. KSI, a UK YouTube titan, called out the Paul brothers, and the resulting back-and-forth tracks were pivotal.
While Logan didn't drop a traditional "diss track" in the same vein as "The Fall of Jake Paul" for the second fight, the musical rivalry was always there in the background. KSI was actually trying to be a rapper; Logan was trying to be a disruptor. This clash of styles made the eventual boxing matches at the Manchester Arena and the Staples Center feel like the culmination of a musical feud.
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Interestingly, Logan later said on his podcast, Impaulsive, that he actually hates making "real" music. He finds the process of trying to be a serious artist exhausting. But the "fun" diss tracks? Those are easy for him. They’re just extensions of the trash talk he’d do anyway.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Beef
A lot of critics at the time called the Logan Paul diss track era "fake" or "scripted." The truth is a lot more nuanced.
Was it staged? Not exactly. Was it exaggerated? Absolutely.
According to Logan's own tweets and podcast episodes, the brothers were genuinely pissed off. They had real sibling issues. However, they are also two of the smartest marketers in the world. They realized that if they were going to fight, they might as well do it in front of a billion people and sell some t-shirts. They took a real spark and poured a gallon of gasoline on it.
The "Logang" vs. "Jake Paulers" war was a manufactured tribalism that worked perfectly. It gave kids a team to join. It gave the media something to talk about. It made the Paul family the center of the universe for a solid eighteen months.
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Practical Lessons from the Logan Paul Strategy
If you're looking at this from a business or content creation perspective, there's actually a lot to learn here, even if you find the music cringey.
- Conflict as Content: People love a hero-villain arc. Logan isn't afraid to play the villain if it moves the needle.
- Cross-Platform Integration: The tracks weren't just on YouTube. They were on Spotify, TikTok (later on), and Instagram, creating a "surround sound" effect for the drama.
- The Power of the Reveal: Logan’s use of the "missing second verse" or the "hidden feature" created a massive "cliffhanger" effect that kept people coming back.
What's Next for the Maverick?
Today, Logan Paul is a WWE Superstar and a beverage tycoon with Prime. He doesn't need to drop a diss track anymore. But don't be surprised if he pulls that tool out of his belt again. Whenever there’s a massive fight to sell or a brand to launch, a well-timed, controversial song is usually just one studio session away.
The era of the "YouTuber diss track" might be over for most, but for Logan, it’s just another piece of the Maverick puzzle. He proved that you don't need to be a good singer to have a "hit" song—you just need to be the person everyone is talking about.
To see how this strategy has evolved, you can look at his recent social media feuds with other creators; notice how he still uses short-form video and "mini-disses" to keep the engagement high. You should also check out the Impaulsive archives where he breaks down the specific production costs of his early music videos—it's a masterclass in creator spending.