Because he is. Damn some of y'all act like the man didn't have any rightful credentials just cause of his faux beef with Pac. Why can't y'all just give credit where it's due. Homie was no slouch lyrically. Do your Hip Hop research, the evidence is there. And I was not a Biggie fan at all (was never a Pac fan either, alive or dead). But best believe when it came to finding out what the hype was about with dude, I looked him up. And by looked him up I'm talking pre-Bad Boy. It's not like he doesn't have music prior to his major debut. And anytime someone can draw a crowd simply freestyling on a street corner, that's skill and star potential.
It's not like Pac was some gifted lyricist his damn self. Homie got by mainly on emotion (err intensity) and image. Not any real type of lyrical viable skill. That made you go, ok, dude is dope off of words alone.