You have to hand it to Diddy. Before Kain, Fuzzbubble and Dy-lan, Sean Combs made the greatest decision – not only of his career but also for hip-hop itself – by benching Craig Mack for Chris Wallace. If Puff had continued to make moves with the crater-faced one-hit wonder, Bad Boy Records as a staff, record label and as a motherfuckin’ crew would be as prominent a company as, say, a Body Head Entertainment or a Damon Dash Music Group. But somewhere in between clacking two empty Coke bottles together and hearing Biggie Smalls absolutely destroy his opening verse in the remix to “Flava In Ya Ear,” Sean John had an epiphany that would forever change the soundscape of hip-hop.
Never mind that Puffy had plenty of missed opportunities to unleash this monster talent to the world, initially limiting his gold mine rapper to one-shot guest appearances with talents like Heavy D & the Boyz, Supercat and Neneh Cherry. Excuse the fact that “Party and Bullshit” was on the soundtrack to a movie starring Yo! MTV Raps hosts Doctor Dre and Ed Lover, or that his very first single, “Cruisin’,” caught about as many radio spins as a Dixie Chicks song on Hot 97. And yes, it did take catching Chris trapping all the fuck out in North Carolina for Puff to realize what he’d been sitting on.
But once “It was all a dream…” was pumped out of every Jeep, MPV and low-rider from Brooklyn to Compton, listeners all got that same warm, tingly feeling Sean did when he got Chris‘ demo from The Source. And ten years after his final recording, every snap, crackle and pop rapper, singer and rapper-turned-singer all agree on one thing:
The Notorious B.I.G. was a problem. And the greatest of all time.
In the early ’90s, Left Coast hip-hop had all blocks on smash. The laid-back, easy flows, post-George Clinton Funkadelic rhythms and the buttery smooth melodies had everyone from Long Beach Boulevard to Fulton Street in a gangsta lean. And at the forefront of all of this was the Suge Knight-commanded Death Row Records. With records like The Chronic, Doggystyle and Dogg Food (in which the video for its lead single “New York New York,” hilariously depicted label mates Snoop Dogg, Daz and Kurupt punting Manhattan’s most famous skyscrapers), not too many people were checking for the jazzy stylings of Native Tongue acts De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.
That all changed, however, with the release of Ready To Die in 1994. Hardcore, humorous, story-telling, semi-autobiographical and club-ready all rolled into one, the album was Biggie Smalls at his finest, with each cut resembling more of a lesson in lyrical gymnastics than an actual song. From the grime ball tales of “Gimme The Loot” to the brutal honesty of “Everyday Struggles,” B.I.G. turned his life and inspirations into a Picasso-esque piece of audio magnificence, simultaneously becoming the benchmark for all east coast hip-hop albums to come and snatching the crown back from the west.
He also made it cool to be “Black and ugly as ever,” yet still able to mack the ladies and come across smoother than Big Daddy Kane could have ever been. With Coogi sweaters, a cane and Jesus pieces in tow and brimming with confidence, Biggie‘s unnatural charisma was an inspiration to all the less-than-perfect peoples in the world, making it possible for all the Joe Camels, gorillas with rabbit teeth and other hot ass messes to have a chance bagging the flyest model chicks.
Sadly, the notorious one was also the benchmark for one of the more destructive forces in hip-hop today: the beef. He was an unwilling participant at the forefront in the worst grudge match ever in hip-hop, with greedy publications constantly fanning the flames, and was ultimately an example of when keeping it real goes wrong, as bullets separated the lives from both him and Tupac Shakur.
In the years following his demise, Biggie has become the most blatantly copied martyr in all of rap today. Need further proof? Cop Nas‘ It Was Written, Jay-Z‘s Reasonable Doubt or Raekwon‘s Only Built For Cuban Linx…. Arguably classics in their own right, the three albums glaringly showcased the same Mafioso identities, drug deals from here to Panama and near-effortless wordplay that made B.I.G. the black Frank White (something he would perfect in his sophomore release, Life After Death). Pages upon pages of his rhymes have been reused countless times from Rick Ross to Beanie Sigel to Pusha T. Many argue that Lil’ Kim wouldn’t be as prevalent as she is today had it not been for Biggie‘s guidance and influence. The idea of a non-Midwestern rapper spitting in a double-time flow at the time was unfathomable, yet B.I.G. “out-boned” Bone Thugs-N-Harmony in “Notorious Thugs.” Witness the other late great heavyweight, Big Pun, who took the ideals of a plus-size rapper “crushing” the ladies with the greatest of ease to another level. Lil Wayne who – while known for borrowing from Jigga (who is also very well-known for “borrowing” from B.I.G.) – has stated that he no longer puts his rhymes down on paper, a talent Biggie infamously trademarked. Even his voice (and, freakishly, in some cases appearance) has been mimicked, from Shyne to Guerilla Black.
Truly the Zen master of wordplay, the Notorious B.I.G., in his five way-too-short years in the game, remains to this day the most inspirational, influential and swagger-jacked artist the hip-hop world has ever witnessed. His beats, rhymes and life have now become the guidelines for the perfect MC, and it gave Sean John a constant ghetto pass (hence why we still love him and all his “preserve my sexy” glory). Besides, would people really be clamoring for a Dream Duets: The Final Chapter or a Ma$e: Born Again album?
A second opinion by J-23…
Like the man himself once said, “there’s rules to this shit,” but I’m just following the manual, not writing it. Biggie isn’t the greatest emcee of all-time, plain and simple. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t unbelievable, and it doesn’t mean he isn’t high on the list. But longevity is weighted fairly heavily on this debate and Biggie, unfortunately, had none of that. For all we know, Biggie could have fallen off mightily after Life After Death, its happened to other emcees of his caliber (just listen to say, A Taste of Chocolate by Big Daddy Kane). Some people lose their fire after too much success (see: Snoop), or switch up their style something terrible after a handful of albums (see: LL Cool J). Do I honestly think Big would have fallen off? I certainly wouldn’t bet on it, but that doesn’t mean he gets credit for it. We just don’t know what would have become of him, and two albums just weren’t enough to give him this grand distinction.
HipHopDX.com wants to know… What do you think???
He ain’t the greatest…Not with 2 albums, one overrated, one hyped because of his death… Eminem and Jay-z are sure better than him….!
FUCK THE GUY WHO WROTE THIS AND HIS MOMMA!! DICK BREATH….!!!
Even the white boys over at MTV got this rite when they did the 22 greatest MC’s. Dispite wut bitch niggaz like funk flex say, the greatest ever is TUPAC!!! “Aint no rest, east, west, north, south flossed out breathing”
Really just calling 2PAC a rapper is an insult. He is an activist. Like a MLK or Malclom X….You have never heard another mainstream “rapper” compared 2 those people. Definitely not Jay-Z, not biggie, not Eminem. The only other rapper that u could mention in this conversation is DMX!!
wrong a rapper called z-ro and k-rino
So if Eminem died after dropping SSLP and MMLP, he’d be the GOAT, right ? Very stupid article.
What makes you a GOAT in Hip Hop
1. Cultural and Global Impact
2. Consistency and Longevity.
3. Sales and Figures
4. Album catalog
5. Mic Skills
Jay-z and Eminem are the only Emcees that can make strong cases for GOAT, and maybe, Nas. The rest are just your personal favorites…..So, lock yourself in your room and listen to your favorite rapper, and stop ranting all over the internet !!!!
I agree. i love big to death but someone has to define the criteria b4 we give the award.
@ Dumb article!!! — What does record sales have to do with an emcees skills? So should we consider Nelly? He sold a lot of albums too. And if you consider album catalog then you cant include emcees like Big L, Big Pun and Biggie who all passed before there prime. In all actuality those three are in the top 10 at worse. Im with you on the fact that there can be a “Greatest Of All Time” if we just create a criteria. What I dont respect is the elements of YOUR criteria.
Biggie is the fucking GOAT but by your criteria Pac has a strong case, and he is 3rd on my list
the greatest rapper of all time? false. and Tupac isnt either. Its amazing how much respect people get when they die. In hiphop, Death=G.O.A.T 70% of the time.
Nope. Nas still breathen…
GOAT List:
1.Eminem
2.2Pac
3.Biggie
4.Jay-Z
5.Nas
Jay-Z cud’ve been higher but he took Biggie’s image of being “king of NY”, 2pac’s Me & my girlfriend(the beat and lyrics) for Bonnie & Clyde. He has to lose some credit for dat.
He as well jacked Eminem’s I’m back lyrics on Success!!!
lol c dats y I cnt put him over those 3. But I loves his ol’ music and his flow. U just cnt jack other ppl’s material/style and then be placed ahead of them
1. KRS-One
2. Rakim
3. Scarface
4. 2Pac
5. Big Daddy Kane
6. The Notorious B.I.G.
7. Nas
8. Chuck D
9. Ice Cube
10. Eminem
wow. you’d put chuck d in before jay-z? im lost by that one.
word to chuck D…
the only guy in hip hop who has a genuine genre independent classic
There is no such thing as “greatest rapper of all time” because of opinions, but if I had to choose I’d pick Kool G Rap
There can be a best of all time. You just cant confuse emotions, opinions and facts. Thats when things get complicated.
This is an ignorant article
Biggie bit Raekwon’s Only Built For Cuban Linx… not the other way round
Ready to Die = 1994
Only Built for Cuban Linx = 1995
Yep. Mekah Udoh is completely wrong. It’s crazy that this is supposed to be a hip hop site and its writers can’t get history right. Frank White (Biggie’s moniker) was introduced in Life After Death, two years after Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Lots of rappers copied Raekwon’s style and persona, not only Big.
R.I.P to BIG
But he don’t even make my top 20
To all you people making these ridiculous lists, I have one question. WHAT CRITERIA ARE YOU BASING THIS ON? Sounds like foolishness to me. No Biggie is not in my opinion the best ever but some of you need to put your age beside your list so I can dismiss it when I see people putting certain emcees infront of others.
A top 10 of all time legend no doubt, but the best? Eminem, 2pac, NaS, Rakim, and Jay-Z are all higher on my list. I guess you could argue him over nas rakim and jay-z though..
lol eminem, this site as a whole has such a strong predilection for one particular strand of hip-hop (the underground-centric, multi-syllabic form of rap), it blurs objectivity from the discourse altogether … eminem has great skill, that’s obvious, but his discography is average
Depends on your criteria
Flow – Not even close
Passion – Dont make me Laugh
Versatility – He’s above average but didnt have time to really experiment
Storytelling – His greatest strength but I still think a few others have outdone him, again, not enough time
I’d put him on my list somewhere but not even close to the top
Pac had tons of material so thats why an argument for him is more valid
“Brendas Gotta Bay” >>>> Any BIG storytelling track
Biggie did have a storytelling track! It was actually called “I got a story to tell” damn you are an idiot!
@nickrazor2000 haha you’re retarded. Re-read his comment, realize that you suck at life, then go somewhere where a requisite to exist isn’t reading comprehension, which means somewhere besides hip hop
pac put out average albums; biggie put out at least one certified classic
When I read these articles from the opinions of some of these ass clowns who work for hiphopdx,it makes me realize that my hiphop knowledge is top notch compared to these writers.I am 35 years old and I know the facts.Fact is, that groups like M.O.P.,Gangstarr,The Beatnuts,Jeru Da Damaja,Wu Tang,R.S.O,Fat Jo,Ill Al Skratche and Kool G Rap were already on that hardcore East Coast gangsta hip hop shit and they all came out before Biggie came out in late 94′.This mafioso shit was spit since the early 90’s with G Rap and others as well.You think Biggie came up with that shit?…Cuban Linx came out in early 95′ where as Biggie spit the mafioso shit later.Everybody i know knows this Meka?Biggie was no pimp and took that style from other hip hop cats.The west coast flows were not easy either so if you ever listened to Tha Alkoholiks,DPG,Spice 1 or any other west coast dude you would realize that they spit lyrics homie and it was before Big dropped.Biggie himself has said who were his influences.Maybe Meka Udoh was still living in Africa rocking bootleg Tommy Hilfiger gear but his opinion and views make me wonder if he was even there at all?Biggie murked Flava in your Ear remix, but so didn’t LL Cool J.Biggie was one of the greatest but he was NOT better than Kool G Rap.Biggie made his image through his influences before him.Just like Pac did with his gangsta image.These dudes were not REAL gangsters man!The way thisfool writes his shit is like from the perspective of a dick riding groupie who praises Biggie but forgets the roots aspect and you can’t drop science if you don’t have the facts…jack.Lil Wayne is fake as shit so don’t reference him with greats from the 90’s’like his pen game is sick.He sounds like he does’nt write his rhymes down cuz they fucking suck and are lazy with no cohesion.HEY HipHopDX….hire me and you will get factual hiphop from someone who met the greats and lived the times son.Ready To Die was a classic and one of my favorite albums ever…but real recognize real Meka.
Thank you!
I want a fucking job too. Y’all cater to popularity, I seek truth, and the truth is that Kool G, along with countless others, were better rappers than BIG. His lack of longevity, or lack of proof that he could have maintained consistently good music within that longevity, disqualifies him from any GOAT conversation. Eminem is better than BIG. Yeah, I said it
Justin Bieber and Rebecca Black are the GOATs so everybody stfu with your lists
Lil B will always be the greatest.
1. Eminem
2. Guru
3. Rakim
Now fuck off with that ‘Biggie Smalls GOAT’ bullshit.
IMO Biggie SUCKED cuz he didn’t show his emotions in his songs. And his ” image ” was just stupid, lol.
Gangster my ass. Holla at me when you’re trying to get out of the hood and not in the hood!
eminem sucks . -.-
my goodness gracious @ having eminem at number one; a great technical emcee, not a great artist, my god that’s an awful list
your dumb dude , biggie is not goat but is one of the goat , cool list but eminem is kinda overrated
Lets just pose this… If Nas’ Life is Godd turns out to be a classic, then he has arguably 4 classics in illmatic stillmatic and it was written. Does that pput him on top of the list?
Let’s put it like this, he didn’t have the best flow, wasn’t the best lyricist, didn’t have the best rhyme scheme or best punchlines, also didn’t have the best content. If you’re a ‘Real Hip-Hop Head’ you know Biggie isn’t the ‘Greatest’ because there are alot of rappers who beat Biggie in those categories I mentioned.
lol, yeah, your opinion is tantamount to fact
Heres my list. Everyones opinion is different. Everyone is nostalgic of the past and biased towards their generation. People need to remember that a rappers influence and style depends on the culture of the time and such. You obviously couldnt expect Lil Wayne to spit like Public Enemy and actually make it marketable. You need to respect the creativity of certain artists that make them artists. It is entirely subjective.
1. Biggie
2. Jay-Z
3. Tupac
4. Nas
5. Eminem
6. Rakim
7. Big Daddy Kane
8. Andre 3000
9. Immortal Technique
10. Lil Wayne
I dont give a damn about Lil Waynes placement on this list. Ive been listening to him for a long time, I have hundreds of Wayne songs on my iTunes, he always sells, hes a cultural legend, and he has unique, special talents…freestyling, wordplay, flow, etc.
Not every fucking hiphop head glorifies early 90s New York rap, the oldheads need to stfu
Jay-Z over Pac and Nas, youre joking as fuck
lmao biggie =GOAT??? ahahhaha, this man had only TWO abums
lil wayne >>>> biggie
You’re a dumbass too.
Yea, he only had two albums and he’s still considered the greatest of all time.. That should tell you something.. Dumbass..
LOL, we are talking about the goat in HipHop not the goat in looking Gay or making Pop Songs.
The rap GOAT did not die March 9, because Rakim is still alive. It’s non-debatable!
Rakim is a legend without a doubt but people have to remember this IS music. Rappers are musicians so they shouldn’t be judged only on their flow but their music as a whole.The G.O.A.T will always be someones opinion. It all depends on the sound that catches your attention most.
1. B.I.G (nobody can flow like big)
2. Nas (Almost perfect at his finest)
3. Pac (Poet)
4. Eminem (Fuc**** talentet)
5. Jay-z (“I’m not a writer i’m a biter for my self and others” – can’t put him higher that this)
Let me guess…the list of rappers you have listened to your entire life is:
1. Big
2. Nas
3. Tupac
4. Em
5. Jay
6. Lil Wayne
1. 2Pac
2. Biggie
3. Nas
4. Eminem
5. Jay-Z
Period!
its like an aids test what’s the result, nas pac and big, ain’t no best
suge knight the realest nigga in the game.
you niggas is crying like butt hurt kills 4 real. Biggie always talked about killing people and hoping he died……nigga asked for it and Suge Knight granted him his wish.
Ready 2 Die?
Life after Death?
LOL Fat Ass MotherFucker Got Murked
Fake thug, no love, you get the slug, CB4 Gusto
Your luck low, I didn’t know til I was drunk though
You freak niggaz played out, get fucked and ate out
Yo let me let y’all niggaz know one thing
There’s one life, one love, so there can only be one King
You’re a dumbass! Those lines are from NAS you moron.
hhdx or meka udoh to be exact , biggie being goat is your opinion
I think we often mesh the definitions of “best” with “most impact” when it comes to hip hop. When you talk about people that had the most impact or influence on hip hop, the two names that typically come to mind, and continue to loom as the biggest figures, are Biggie and Tupac. However, when you talk about the best, in terms of talent, longevity, content, etc., that brings up a different discussion.
Those that tend to have huge impacts 99% of the time are also phenomenal MCs, but there are plenty that may not have been the most lyrical or the most creative (in other words, no where near the “best”), but they were able to have enough impact on the culture that we may still give them consideration. It’s hard to separate the two, but perhaps that will at least help when having the discussion.
Do I think Biggie was the greatest to ever do it? No. I reserve that place for Tupac. I think he had the perfect blend of everything (poetics, passion, content diversity, etc.). But, Biggie’s impact was so great and his talent was great, that there will always be people to argue that he is.
You guys crack me up.. on the anniversary of his death, B.I.G. is the GOAT.. on the anniversary of Tupac’s death he is the GOAT.. on the anniversary of Big Pun’s death he will “arguably” be the GOAT or the most “underrated” and most “technically” skilled to ever do it…
You guys are full of shit plain and simple. And why do you do this shit on the anniversary of his death? is that how you celebrate his life? by bringing his name up the day he died? How about you celebrate his birth day for once?…
Back to the topic, EVERYONE, and I do mean EVERYONE (especially rappers) will acknowledge that Tupac was by far the MOST INFLUENTIAL and IDOLIZED rapper ever. Some lames copied BIG’s style but EVERYONE TRIED to be PAC.. it just didn’t work out as well because there can only ever be ONE Pac.. you could look like him, sound like him, rhyme like him hell you could even act like him but you’ll NEVER be pac and you will be outcast if you try to emulate him.. look at Ja, Purple Haze etc etc..
B.I.G. was good.. but GOAT? no way. If you asked me who is the GOAT I’d have to say Eminem because you simply can not argue his impact, his talent and definitely his numbers… but you ask me who’s the most influential, the legend, the “godfather” that everyone pays homage to and will forever respect and admire? TUPAC muthafucker!
biggie didn’t try to copy pac, pac was like a MLK, Big was a Player a BDK.
Some of you guys are hating way too much on Biggie in trying to prove there were/are better rappers than him… he’s one of the GOATs, not the GOAT… IMO what made him even bigger than his lyrics was his Don/Mafia/Kingpin-ish persona he projected, which (especially now) is still vital. RIP B.I.G.
Sidenote: where the hell is Big Pun in people’s GOAT lists? wtf…
2pac!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Scarface and then Biggie Nas and Rakim
In short.
No.
Real ish right here. Big was GREAT!! Everyone has there own style and BIG was killin’ shit just as a whole lot of rappers do/did/doing. Period. I usually never read comments or post, but damn. Who are these people or you in fact to say who the greatest is. Its your opinion so why you mad son! Just listen and respect. REAL MUSIC!
I went from Construction Timbs to Ac’s with rims,
Flippin’ mix tapes to bitches feedin’ me grapes, Peep my mind state,
Big Poppa’ flow is lethal, That weed make my ass wanna kill four people,
Fuck the game, gimme the dame and the Range (Uh huh) My niggas up to pawn drop-top Jaguars, Lock on you when you step in the car, That’s the superstar status apparatus, more wins than Cassius, Cease roll the hashes in the pocket with the 9, Roll up the whole dime as my seats recline (Nigga) I want a presidential Roley (So?) so I crush MC’s to guacamole makin’ Robin scream “Holy Moley” Big Poppa, fuck the cape I’m that Paper Crusader playin’ Sega in the wide body Blazer
RIP BIG
Nope; Eminem is still alive.
Puffy is a big bitch, I cant stand this dude. This moron let the beef go on because he knew it was good for business, that shit sold records and made them money. It escalated to a point that it should never have gotten to and he never stopped it when he should have, that makes him responsible for big’s death and puffy also knew about biggie getting death threats in cali thats probably a reason he never rode in the same car because he knew. hes now one of the wealthiest guys ever and big is dead
This man understands.
tupac : rap :: mj : basketball
yessir
Bigs discography is average as….pac, same. Jay too.
Spread the truth…
Tupac was shot in the middle of the Strip in Vegas, yet no one knows who is responsible. Tupac was murdered, and as a continued Satanic ritual, Puffy sacrificed Biggie for his own fame. Only God can truly provide justice.
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
Meka Udoh is a blatant biased idiot. Here’s why.
“In the years following his demise, Biggie has become the most blatantly copied martyr in all of rap today. Need further proof? Cop Nas’ It Was Written, Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt or Raekwon’s Only Built For Cuban Linx….”
You can’t be fuckin serious, can you.
The Cuban was August 95. The Cuban was the first album to set the stage for the mafioso cinematic scene and the usage of aliases.
You DO know that Life After Death came out in 97, don’t you?
You DO know that Ready To Die didn’t have shit about any Frank White on it, don’t you?
You DO know that Ghost dissed Big on The Cuban about biting Nas’ ALBUM COVER (Illmatic) don’t you?
You DO know that It Was Written was Nas Escobar…the very same Nas Escobar that was birthed on The Cuban, don’t you? So if anything, you could make an argument that this bit off The Cuban…but nope. And It Was Written was 96.
Jigga was after It Was Written and The Cuban. Jigga bit off of both. As he bit off of everything since his debut.
The only writer I respect pretty much left here a while ago. That was J-23. And while I don’t speculate or anything as far as how Biggie could’ve fallen off…the GOAT didn’t die on March 9th. The GOAT still lives. His name: Nasir Jones.
Now Big was a beast…don’t get me wrong. One of my all time favorites and he’s just amazing…but he, like Jigga, isn’t fucking with Nas. Not. Even. Close.
Next time you write some bullshit, Meka…please get your facts straight. Shit’s disgusting as much as it is downright stupid.
CO FUCKING SIGN. You can’t talk about a ’94 “east coast renaissance” and tell me Illmatic and 36 Chambers weren’t just as, if not more influential than RTD. He also implies RTD single-handedly brought back hardcore to the east coast. It’s like he completely forgot the Wu-Tang Clan existed lmao. Do your history Meka.
best mafioso albums were: only built for cuban linx and reasonable doubt imo
Furthermore…if we’re to speak on impact and everything else…Pac > Big. All day every day.
And guess who was bitten off as well. Yep. PAC! Biggie bit off that nigga as well.
The GOAT of anything can’t be a shark nigga. Epic failure.
Pac had more impact but Big was the better MC
And I respect that statement and agree with it.
It’s just plain and simple…Biggie was indeed a beast. Biggie’s wordplay was intricate. Biggie basically made it hella flashy and sold records being GRIMEY as fuck. But to call this man the GOAT when you still have a cat named Nasir AND the fact that Biggie BIT for a lack of better words off of not one, not two, but THREE niggas and this pretty much embodied his style. Naw. Nope. Never.
And once again…I’m a Biggie dude more than Pac. But realistically you can’t put Big over Pac when you put everything in perspective. Hell it’s a gang of NYC cats that don’t even f with Big NOW and didn’t then just cause of the simple fact he took Pac’s style and steez and ran with it.
Biggie GOAT. WE got the closest to Biggie now though, Ricky Rozay the nigga thats now the new biggie. All yall niggas can hate all ya want cant deny the Boss closest to B.I.G we got in the game.
Bawse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RIP to Bigge defo one of the GOATs. But how you gonna say RTD changed the game? Enter the 36 Chambers was the game changer, all the other albums after that (Illmatic,OBFCL,RTD etc) built on its style.
Lol, Nope, Illmatic made a new style
Smh… My God.
Illmatic was a game changer, nigga. The best quote I remember was from Fat Joe when he basically said Illmatic made niggas well aware of who Nas is and made niggas EVERYWHERE have to step their bars up. Illmatic was that LP. OB4CL was that LP cause you didn’t hear shit so cinematic before then and the many references to shit later bitten by Big and Jig (Cristal, versace shirts, robes, aliases).
So with that said, once again…HOW CAN A NIGGA THAT BIT FROM OTHERS TO GET HIS STYLE FUCKIN BE THE GOAT?
And for this Meka nigga to imply that Nas and Rae bit off of Biggie when those LPs PRECEDED Biggie owning such when he didn’t even come like that on RTD is beyond stupid. Hell Biggie said it himself regarind Life After Death not being Ready To Die cause “he had money in his pocket” and was a big star now. Life After Death was 1997…It Was Written was 1996… The Cuban was 1995.
September 13th 1996!
pac ain’t dead
OB4CL
greatest ever hands down.
Man i was lookin at the comments by the users….If 2pac and/or B.I.G. were still alive there wouldnt be much hype around Jay-z and Nas…let alone RIck ROss….BIG was twice as good as ROss.
WRONG (Charlie Murphy version)
Nas had the hype already and was considered the best. His flame was flickering the brightest.
Now Jigga wouldn’t have been as big (no pun). Jigga is the one who benefited the greatest with Big’s passing. He would have been ok and thorough but never would have surpassed Big. For all intense purposes from what we now know and see with Jigga…Jigga damn well would have dissed Big subliminally in his efforts to get to the top like he did Nas.
Once again…Jigga doesn’t create…he imitates and takes and then runs with it for his own. He is the very definition of a leech.
Technically Eminem is a better MC than Big. But as a whole, content wise and persona, album qualities, I would put Eminem, Nas and Big together. And Jay-Z for longevity and classic albums.
Meka you’re entitled to your own opinion. I love Biggie to, but please, you are a journalist. Get your facts straight. If it’s very hard to actually get the involved to confirm or deny your theses about influences and inspirations, at least checking a timeline shouldn’t be beyond your level of competence (which sadly it seems to be).
Nas, my former favourite rapper, lacks style of flows. He is, on the other hand, probably the mainstream rapper that has covered the most bases content-wise and he’s never made an album without thought-provoking genre-pushing songs, hence he’ll remain a legend. And don’t underestimate his influence. If you love Eminem, Cole, Big or Jay you gotta pay homage to the kid.