Would it be fair to say Pop Smoke was more important to NYC rap than Big L?

[Street Knowledge]

More influential, bigger in his time etc. both got murdered in their primes but Pop’s death was a much bigger deal in real time.

I bring this up because I remember Pop smoke was ahead of Big L on the Complex NY rapper list and some people were furious.

 

[Jasonmask]

Too many hip hop heads have a narrow POV and only value one aspect of the music and not the whole package. Obviously L is lyrically better by miles but pop smoke made better music overall and brought out a unique sound that was already here but he made his own twist to it and drill is still what they do half a decade later. No one is trying to replicate the Big L format but we have a couple of pop clones

 

[Bigblackted4]

Correct because at least back then they still had young stars coming after for a decade. There’s no deal NYC star under 25 unless you want to say Ice Spice, the region dead.

 

[Pop123]

How is this even a question? Of course Pop was more important/bigger…anyone who’d say otherwise is just one of them “anything older has to be bigger/better/more impactful/etc” type people. Pop last album is a huge album

 

[THE 101]

People will get mad but yes he was definitely more influential.

Big L you could argue had some influence on the late 90s/early 00s mixtape scene but Pop was a legit star.

 

[mundL]

I never followed Pop Smokes music so cant rly judge

All I know is Big L's influence as far as punchline rap was huge

 

[RennisDeynolds]

100%. Pop was having a moment in the game. Idk about "bringing new York back" and all that but his wave was strong

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

you could argue had some influence on the late 90s/early 00s mixtape scene

Not at all

 

[Nokids]

Bronx nikka here and imma listen to Pop Smoke till I’m old and gray. Better question could have been Max B vs Pop Smoke

 

[RennisDeynolds]

Bronx nikka here and imma listen to Pop Smoke till I’m old and gray. Better question could have been Max B vs Pop Smoke

I think pop wins that as well

 

[Jigganaut]

Yeah pop smoke and it's not even debatable

 

[Yecht]

You have to be in the grimiest of grimy NYC bodegas to even encounter a thought like this

 

[blackestofpanthers]

So many people I wouldn’t know exist without the internet

 

[Wargames]

Both died to soon.

 

[NormanConnors]

Nah RIP Pop Smoke but dude was trash/ along with most of that version of drill shyt