Throughout hip hop there have been many debates on who was the best, who is the best, and who will be the best. Depending on what time period it is there have been different answers thrown around. However one debate that has never come to a close is the debate on who is better between two fallen icons who at the time of their deaths were involved in a bitter feud. Of course I’m talking about the greatest rapper of all time The Notorious B.I.G. and one of the greatest performers of all time Tupac Shakur. I believe that of those two, Biggie was a superior rapper and here’s why.

Lyrics

When it comes to the lyrical aspect of the game B.I.G. has this one hands down. His creativity on songs like “Suicide Thoughts” and the vivid scene he painted on “Niggas Bleed” show that B.I.G. was on another level. Add to that the fact that he didn’t write any of his rhymes down makes it even more mind boggling. With Pac on the other hand he was a lyricist but to me he just didn’t have the vocab that B.I.G. did or at least he didn’t show it.

The Flow

B.I.G. didn’t have a flow. That is to say he didn’t have one flow that  you could say “That’s a Biggie flow”. And this is not an accident. People who worked with Biggie say he custom fitted every track with a different flow. Listen to the ease in which he glides over the beat to “Hypnotize”. Now listen to the choppy baritone he puts on “Kick In The Door”. Totally different right? Now listen to “Hit Em Up”. Listen to “Scandalous”, “Me Against The World”. It all sounds the same as far as flow goes. And who wants the same thing over and over again? Not me. I feel this is due to a different process of song making which brings me to my next point.


B.I.G. Rapped From The Mind, Tupac Rapped From The Heart

What I mean by this is that it seemed like B.I.G. put a lot more thought into what he was going to say and how he was going to say it. Even those closest to Pac say that he would just go in the studio hear a beat one time and immediately you would see his pen writing and then 15 minutes later he’d go in the booth and knock out a song. Now how much reflection and thought do you think goes into a song when it’s done like this? Did he really have time to dig deep and think why is he saying what he’s saying. Not really. However B.I.G. did and it shows. He didn’t just say he was a nigga out there sellin drugs. He let you know why. “I know how it feels to wake up fucked up…baby on the way, mad bills to pay.” He gave you both the rhyme and reason instead of just the end action. This also allowed him more time to consider the flow for each song which once again makes each song a new experience for his fans.

Tupac Was An Actor
Bottom line, in today’s world of TMZ exposures and Smoking Gun Exposes’, Tupac wouldn’t of lasted a year. A former ball dancer who trained at one of the nation’s top dance and acting schools with no criminal record and admittedly extremely limited street experience who suddenly tats THUG LIFE on his stomach and now screams out “Nigga I hit em up!”….yeah you see where this is going. We’d see headlines on all the blogs in no time, “Pics of Pac In A Tutu?”  Hip Hop is based on realism and bottom line is the story that Pac presented wasn’t real.

 He was a talented writer and actor and figured out he could apply both of those to this music shit and do very well. And he did. However B.I.G. was still doing what he was rapping about even after he got a deal. I think that’s also why B.I.G. was able to give us that vividness that was missing from Pac’s lyrics. Like I said anyone can say they sold drugs. But when your telling us how selling drugs is affecting your relationship with your mom and how it sucks being out in the winter rain when you’ve only made $30 bucks in 4 hours, it kinda makes it stick a little more feel me. This is what Biggie provided, the whole picture.

B.I.G. Knew Who He Was, Pac Had No Clue

 Ouch. I know I fucked a lot of ya’ll up with that one huh? But walk with me. As said before Hip Hop is based on realism and consistency. We wanna know who you are. Not who those are around you or who you wanna be. Firs point. Pac was controlled by whoever he was around at that time. Tupac is from New York. He lived there until he was around 12 or so then he moved to Cali. That is why on his first record he is shouting out “all my rooftop niggas” and reppin NY to the fullest, even shooting all his videos and recording the album there. Then when he gets to Death Row and the West Coast is poppin suddenly, he’s an East Side Rider and all that da-da-da-da shit. B.I.G. was from Brooklyn, repped Brooklyn and stayed reppin Brooklyn. Ain’t no switchin sides over there.

Second Point, and the foulest shit Pac ever did in my opinion. He switched out on Biggie and maybe even caused both of their deaths. When Pac was in jail Suge and Puffy started up a war. When Pac got out he immediately jumped on the bandwagon and started ridin on Big and Puff too. We all know the ridiculous claim. Two millionaires (B.I.G. and Puff) set Pac up to get robbed for like 5 G’s in gold chains at a recording studio…right! A.K.A. my spotlight is fading and I need something to talk about quick! Pac allowed Suge to manipulate him into starting one of the most pointless and unfortunate rap beefs of all time. However this once again goes back to Pac not really knowing who he was, because if he did he could of stood on his own two and done the right thing. As said before in hip hop we wanna know who you are. Not who those are around you or who you wanna be.

Don’t get me wrong both of these men were incredible talents who each brought something different to the game. I’m not  a Pac hater. I have all of his albums and could recite at least 50 of his songs by memory. But there can only be one when it comes to who was the best, and in my opinion that was The Notorious B.I.G.

Verse 1, “Everyday Struggle”- The Notorious B.I.G.

I know how it feel to wake up fucked up
Pockets broke as hell, another rock to sell
People look at you like youse the user
Selling drugs to all the losers, mad buddha abuser
But they don’t know about your stress-filled day
Baby on the way mad bills to pay
That’s why you drink Tanqueray; so you can reminisce
and wish, you wasn’t livin so devilish, ssshit
I remember I was just like you
Smokin blunts with my crew, flippin over 62’s
Cause G-E-D, wasn’t B-I-G
I got P-A-I-D, that’s why my moms hate me
She was forced to kick me out, no doubt
Then I figured out licks went for twenty down South
Packed up my tools for my raw power move
Glock nineteen for casket and flower moves
for chumps tryin to stop my flow
And what they don’t know will show on the autopsy
Went to see Papi, to cop me a brick
Asked for some consignment and he wasn’t tryin to hear it
Smoking mad Newports cause I’m due in court
for an assault, that I caught, in Bridgeport, New York
Catch me if you can like the Gingerbread Man
You better have your gat in hand, cause man

BIGGIE SMALLS IS THE ILLEST!