In an ongoing debate that has lasted many years even before their deaths, people have had heated arguments over 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G., a debate that will never cease. Two fallen icons indeed, many people sided with Biggie as being the best, while others sided with Pac. It is evident that both had the lyrical matter that can bring a room to a pause as well as the bangers to be called hits that eventually became classics. Undeniably, you have to admit that both men were platinum selling artists regardless of the fact that one released more than 10 albums. In my eyes, I believe 2Pac was the greatest rapper amongst the two and I have my reasons why.

Lyrical Matter

A poet, a lyricist, a scholar, and an activist, this is what comprises Tupac Shakur. The fact that he was able to use all these elements into each individual track that he ever graced is pure genius. He was quite a deep musician when it came down to expressing what was on his mind. His flow atop each and every beat was like water. His delivery was on point and we felt his lyrics, we felt his pain. His choice of words has always provided the inspiration for everyone to relate to, no matter who you are and where you came from, his expressive nature was powerful. He expressed passion, struggle, and belief in his lyrics. Growing up as an adolescence listening to tracks like ‘Words of Wisdom,’ ‘Keep Ya Head Up,’ ‘Me Against the World,’ ‘If I Die 2Nite,’ ‘My Block,’ ‘So Many Tears,’ ‘Dear Mama,’ ‘Ambitionz Az a Ridah,’ ‘Pain,’ ‘Life Goes On,’ ‘I Ain’t Mad at Cha,’ ‘Hail Mary,’ and Changes, these songs was consistent in my daily life, Pac had ways of telling it to you real, that’s the only way he knew how. I mean ‘Me Against the World’ and ‘All Eyez on Me’ alone were classic albums, the lyrical matter on those tracks were phenomenal. Let’s be real, there is not one Pac song that I can’t recite word for word.

The Flow

You want to talk about flow, Pac had a distinctive flow. You could tell that was Pac. His delivery had enthusiasm and flowed like a stream of water. People are still trying to mimic his flow to this day. It’s understandable that B.I.G. had his own flow, if you ever got past the heavy breathing. Pac created that spunk and excitement on the track, those verses were heard crystal clear, and he made it apparent that you heard his lyrics. If you listen to ‘Brenda’s Got a Baby,’ ‘All About U,’ Troublesome ’96, ‘California Love,’ I mean even ‘2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted’ to ‘Picture Me Rollin.’ The flow elements were all there. Even in the track ‘Troublesome’ the anger driven delivery was there. Listen to ‘Life to Goes On,’ you can sense the sadness in that delivery.

Numbers Don’t Lie

2Pac, while alive, released 6 miraculous albums and another 6 in his death, aside the compilations and remix albums. All his studio LPs have eventually went multi-platinum up to his best seller until this day ‘All Eyez on Me,’ that album alone went 9x platinum. Someone once asked me if numbers count, well wasn’t it Jay-Z that said, ‘Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.’ Those numbers shot through the roof with each and every album we make reference to. Coincidentally, while Pac was in prison, his album ‘Me Against the World’ went platinum. He was the first artist to ever hold number 1 on the billboards as well as platinum status while incarcerated. With that, he was able to collect an international audience; the whole world knew who Pac was even before the release of ‘All Eyez on Me.’ In his lifetime up to his death, he had released 23 hit singles that topped charts over a long period of time. In his death, he was also to release 20 more. The numbers that he was able to accomplish in life many rappers dream of. If he was alive now he’d be killing the game, no one would be able to stop him.

Prison: Pre-Death Row Records

Pac eventually served time in the Clinton Correctional Facilities in1995 for sexual abuse charges that he obtained in December of 1993. While in prison he read many books and further expanded his mind. Those books included subjects dealing with political philosophy and strategic tactics. He read Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ and Niccolo Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince.’ From those books he was able to expand his knowledge on somehow linking music with philosophy. With the assistance of Suge Knight, he was able to be released under a $1.4 million bail and after serving 11 months of his previous 4 year sentence. With that bail, Pac was required to sign a three album deal with Death Row.

The Death Row Era

Any way you want to put it, B.I.G. had Puff and Pac had Suge. Under Suge Knight’s empire, he departed the element from ‘Me Against the World’ and entered the realm of thug mentality. With the help of Suge he was able to express his true nature against Puff and the East Coast. In November of 1994, Pac was attacked in the lobby of the Quad Recording studios in Manhattan, he was shot 5 times. He later accused Puff and B.I.G. for setting him up as he saw them minutes after the shooting. It is true that while Pac was in prison Suge and Puff created a war that eventually involved both Pac and B.I.G. who at one point were friends. Either way, the whole nation was focused on both Bad Boy and Death Row. The diss track ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ was the first of its kind, Pac let loose an ensemble of inside knowledge of B.I.G. and Bad Boy bashing their credibility in the industry. He also goes forth in admitting that he had sexual relations with Faith Evans, Biggie’s wife at the time. This caused a major wrinkle within the East Coast, West Coast warfare, as Pac wasn’t letting up on going in at Biggie. On the other hand, all the way across the U.S. in New York, B.I.G. kept his cool, calm collective state and chose not to respond to Pac’s song or allegations. The double CD ‘All Eyez on Me’ would eventually go platinum and become his best album to date. Even through his death in September of 1996, the two remained enemies and the bad blood never washed away. B.I.G later died in March of 1997, months after Pac.

Don Killuminati: Life After Death

In November of 1995, after his death, his last album to be released under Death Row was The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, in which he released under the moniker Makaveli. With all his readings while incarcerated, he took the knowledge and comprised an album that basically took him 7 days to complete, 3 days of writing and recording and 4 days of mixing and mastering. Pac himself was able to provide the creative input that was featured on the front cover of the album; the image depicted how society and the media crucified him. That studio LP, his fifth album was said to be his darkest material to ever be released.

Legends Never Die

Until this day, Pac has been revered by many people with many honors and books written in inspiration of him. There have been literally over 13 documentaries made about his life and his music. In 2002 he was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame, MTV viewers voted him as the number 1 MC on the ‘22 Greatest MCs’ in 2003. He was later inducted into the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors in 2004. His music will always represent his life and what he believed in. Pac will always be a major icon and pioneer in the Hip-Hop genre that we love and respect. It is sad, however, that we acknowledge him for all his accomplishments in his death, we should celebrate his life and undying devotion to music. From a personal aspect, I’ve been listening to Pac ever since I was in middle school, his album ‘Me Against the World’ was the first Hip-Hop, Rap album I’ve ever bought. I give all the credit to Tupac Shakur and his music for if it wasn’t for him I would not be where I am as a writer in Hip-Hop right now.

2Pac – Nothing to Lose

Verse 1

The only way to change me is maybe blow my brains out
stuck in the middle of the game to get the pain out
Pray to my God everyday but he don’t listen
the poverty bothers me but mama’s working wonders in the kitchen
Listen I can hear her crying in the bedroom
praying for money we never think would she be dead soon
Am I wrong for wishing I was somewhere else
at 13 can’t feed myself
Can I blame daddy ’cause he left me
wish he would’ve helped me
too much like him ’til my mama don’t love me
On my own at a early age gettin’ paid
and I’m strapped so I’ll never be afraid
Where did I go astray I’m hanging in the back streets
running with G’s and dope fiends will they jack me?
Can’t turn back my eyes on the prize
I got nothing to lose
everybody gotta die
say good-bye to the bad guy
that one you fucked when you passed by
Buck buck (gunshots) from a Glock
tempured glass fly
Do or Die walk a mile in my shoes
and you’d be crazy too
with nothing to lose

Chorus

I got nothing to lose
(that’s why I got gang related)
got nothing to lose 5x
nothing to lose

Verse 2

I thank the Lord for my many blessings
though I’m stressin’ keep a vest for protection
from the barrel of the Smith & Wesson
and all my niggas in the pen’
here we go again
Ain’t nothing seperating us from a mack 10
Born in the ghetto as a hustla older
straight soldier bucking at them bustas
No matter how you try niggas never die
We just retaliate with hate then we multiply
see me striking down the block hittin’ co’ners
Mobbin’ like a muthafucka livin’ like I wanna
Ain’t no stoppin’ at the red lights I’m sideways
Thug Life muthafucka criiime pays
Let the cops put they lights on
chase me nigga
zig-zaggin’ through the freeway
race me nigga
In a high speed chase with the law
the realest muthafucka that you ever saw
I’m livin’ raw ’til they bury me don’t worry me
I’m high livin’ like I ain’t afraid to die
And you could walk a mile in my shoes
and you’d be crazy too

Chorus

Verse 3

Ain’t no escape from a deadly fate
and everyday there’s a million black bodies put away
I’m startin’ to lose hope
it seems everybody’s on dope
Mama told me to leave ’cause she was broke
Sometimes I choke on the indo
peepin’ out the window alone on my own
I’m a criminal
Got no love from the household I’m out cold
in the streets give me muthafucking peace
I got nothing to lose
and something to prove
What do I do live Thug Life nigga stay true
I wonder when they kill me
is there a Heaven for a real G
Lord forgive me if you feel me
‘Cause all my life I was dirt broke
with no hope li’l skinny muthafucka wantin’ dough
I hated cutting suckers with my razor blade
but everyday it’s a struggle to get major paid
Anyway it’s so hard on a nigga in this city
no pity and ain’t no love for the scrubs that be buyin’ time
If you could walk a mile in my shoes you’d be crazy too
with nothing to lose


Nothing against B.I.G., but 2Pac was the best lyricist to ever touch the mic!