Old heads, what was big and pac's presence in the music scene like when they were alive?

[Rapmastermind]

"2pacalyspe Now" was a lukewarm debut commercially and critically but it did get some attention as the lyrics were criticized by the Vice President Dan Quayle at the time. "Me Against the World" did make Pac a Superstar and "Dear Momma" was the single that finally shot Pac way up in the game but he was in jail during most of it's release it's 1st year out. But as far as mainstream success "Strictly for my N!ggaz" did make noise. "I get around" and "Keep Your Head" both went Gold and the album went Gold after it's 1st year and that was in 1993. So in the beginning no Pac wasn't a A-Level artist as far as popularity but he did start to make noise by his 2nd album. Big was more successful out the gate.

 

[god shamgod]

God theses Pac haters are early at at it...

Truth hurts don't it?

Your god wasn't revered until he caught them slugs in vegas.Keep thinking he ran hip hop

 

[Rapmastermind]

Breh, there was alot of fukkery involving the 95 source awards. For instance, how is Big going to win album of the year over the person who the Source gave 5 mics? That inteself doesnt make any sense. I think NYC was just happy to have a NY artist selling records so they went overboard with the BIG accolades.

BIG was not getting anywhere near the kind of admiration from the people that you claim. There were plenty of people not really feeling the commercial vibe tha he was on at that time. It wasn't just Ghost, Rae and Jeru that were hating, there was a sizeable number of people who were not feeling his whole movement.

I did a thread on the 1995 Source Awards and we debated it's historical significance in Hip Hop History. Big did feel he thought NaS would win Lyricist of the year but "Ready To Die" clearly was the album of the year for it's impact, success and critical acclaim. Yes NY was happy about Biggie cause we haven't had a Platinum solo Rapper since LL "Momma said knock you out". LL himself kinda fell off after that album when "14 shots to the dome" flopped and it wasn't until after Biggie when he dropped "Mr. Smith" he kinda came back. NaS also made noise on the East from "It Was Written" but sadly the purist took away his "Savior" card after that. "Ready To Die" was the album that brought the East Back Commercially and Critically.

Biggie to most was the best of both worlds. He gave you that lyrical exellence and street tales that the hood loved but he also gave you the Classic Hit songs that the clubs and radio loved. I agree that there was hip hop heads that didn't like Bad Boy but again they weren't the majority. Most people on all side enjoyed "Ready To Die" cause the album reached out to everyone not just the hood. Method Man himself said Ghost and Rae were hating but most of the Wu didn't have an issue with Big. Jeru came out and said he actually didn't have an issue with Biggie and that it was a misunderstanding. He even posted a photo of him and Biggie. Actually everyone from New York that said anything negative about Biggie have all either backtracked or apologized. So I agree with you that Biggie wasn't called the GOAT while he was alive. That is true but there were people saying he was the TOP emcee in New York while he breathing. Even Pac admitted Biggie was on top which is why he said while he was in prision he was upset seeing Biggie blow up and Big not saying Pac helped him or gave Pac his props.

 

[blackslash]

Im loving this thread

Continue to shyt on this man's lie of a legacy

 

[Rapmastermind]

I disagree on both those, I though Pacs bars and flow were very good on his early stuff. It was the production that was so-so.

This is how I feel. Lyrically, Flow wise and even subject matter, Pac's 1st two albums were great. It's just the beats weren't as better as his later albums. I happen to be more of a fan of Pac Pre-Death Row as "Me against the World" is my favorite Pac album.

 

[Lewis Black]

everybody said pac was the goat before he died

 

[Change]

edit.. not trying to be a dikk.

 

[Robbie3000]

everybody said pac was the goat before he died

That is absolutely not true.

 

[god shamgod]

That is absolutely not true.

Son is like 19 and a pac stan.You know how that's false cuz in the 90's nobody was going around callin nikkas da GOAT.Rakim was the only cat I can recall people considered the best back then and that goat shyt didn't start until LL created that acronym in 00

Pac stans actually think dude ran hip hop it's hilarious when you think about it

 

[Lewis Black]

Its the truth everybody said pac was the best rapper when his first album came out.

 

[Surreal]

Best thing about that time was the plentiful of really dope rap artist from all coast
And you had to have lyrical skillz. Had to stay sharp on the mic

Basically Nas 2nd verse on Back When

 

[Rapmastermind]

Son is like 19 and a pac stan.You know how that's false cuz in the 90's nobody was going around callin nikkas da GOAT.Rakim was the only cat I can recall people considered the best back then and that goat shyt didn't start until LL created that acronym in 00

Pac stans actually think dude ran hip hop it's hilarious when you think about it

Exactly Shamgod. LL COOL VS CANIBUS started the GOAT Debate in Rap Music. Before that nobody was called the GOAT. The Closet was Rakim calling himself "THE GOD EMCEE". Plenty of rappers said they were the best on the mic but nobody was called the GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Hip Hop was really only 20+ years old when the GOAT debate finally started. It's funny looking back cause at the end of the 90's after Big and Pac died it was like Hip Hop acknowledging that it's Best Era's are the 80's and 90's and the GOAT debate begun and here we are 15 years later still debating the 80's and 90's. But the 1st GOAT Debate was LL COOL J VS BIGGIE. LL proclaimed himself as the GOAT (Shoot he made the acronym popular in hip hop by naming his LP that 2 years after Canibus disagreed with his claims). Canibus said Biggie was the all out GOAT making Biggie the 1st rapper to be called the GOAT on wax not from himself.

 

[Mr. Negative]

Yeah Biggie was considered King of New York before he died. Even before LAD came out.

People weren't highly anticipating LAD because they were waiting to see how he would respond to Pac.....

People were highly anticipating LAD because Biggie was KONY.

When he died, they lined the street for his funeral cause... well.... he was KONY.

Beef didn't make him hot. Remember, East Coast beef at the time was all SUBLIMINAL.

 

[Rapmastermind]

Yeah Biggie was considered King of New York before he died. Even before LAD came out.

People weren't highly anticipating LAD because they were waiting to see how he would respond to Pac.....

People were highly anticipating LAD because Biggie was KONY.

When he died, they lined the street for his funeral cause... well.... he was KONY.

Beef didn't make him hot. Remember, East Coast beef at the time was all SUBLIMINAL.

I agree with you but people were anticipating if there was going to be a Pac diss on the album for sure. Remember technically outside of interviews Post Pac Death, Biggie was silent about the beef overall outside of him denying he did anything wrong to Pac. So the whole Hip Hop world was waiting for his response to "Hit Em Up". "Life After Death" was probably the most anticipated rap album ever at that time. Big's Death then took the anticipation through the roof and the album broke all kids of street date violations and later hip hop sales records. But your overall point is correct. "Life After Death" was a lock to be a successful album cause Big's popularity was so high at that time.

 

[god shamgod]

Its the truth everybody said pac was the best rapper when his first album came out.

Only in your revisionist lil mind.There are people on here old enough to know this is false.Ice Cube was entering beast mode when pac 1st album dropped.Nobody was calling tupac the best when his 1st 3-4 albums came out

It wasn't until he died when that non sense started