Once upon a time in a universe far, far away, HipHopDX used to host blogs. Through Meka, Brillyance, Aliya Ewing and others, readers got unfiltered opinions on the most current topics in and beyond Hip Hop. After a few years, a couple redesigns and the collective vision of three different Editors-In-Chief, blogs are back. Well, sort of. Since our blog section went the way of two-way pagers and physical mixtapes, Twitter, Instagram and Ustream have further accelerated the pace of current events in Hip Hop. Rappers beef with each other 140 characters at a time, entire mixtapes (and their associated artwork) can be released via Instagram, and sometimes these events require a rapid reaction.
As such, we’re reserving this space for a weekly reaction to Hip Hop’s current events. Or whatever else we deem worthy. And the “we” in question is me, Andre Grant, and our Sr. Features Writer Ural Garrett. Collectively we serve as HipHopDX’s Features Staff. Aside from tackling stray topics, we may invite artists and other personalities in Hip Hop to join the conversation. Without further delay, here’s this week’s “Stray Shots.”
How “Nasty” Was Jay Z’s Alleged Tupac Diss?
Ural: Considering the impact, popularity and backing Pac had at the time, it’s highly unlikely anything Jay Z would have thrown him could work. Death Row was too much of a united front that was only made stronger once the All Eyez On Me rapper joined the ranks despite Dre leaving some time before his death. Yes, Pac wasn’t anywhere near the wordsmith people associate with Hov. However, there was an unhinged genius who was bold enough to say “ You fat muthafucka, that’s why I fucked yo bitch” on “Hit Em Up.” Hov simply wasn’t big enough then to even effectively diss Makaveli himself mainly for the same reasons Drake vs. Meek Mill turned out the way it did regardless of how elementary the contemporary beef looked. History probably would see him now as someone trying to capitalize on the East Coast vs. West Coast controversy. Then there’s the fact that Pac was a genuine hit-maker and Hov’s first crossover hit wouldn’t be until Vol…2 Hard Knock Life. Around that time, Jay couldn’t match the mainstream appeal of Death Row’s flagship artist or Biggie.
This does beg the question: What info did Jigga have on Pac that DJ Clark Kent felt was damaging enough to destroy his career? Honestly, it sounds like fluff considering how long Mr. Shakur has been dead now. Between the internet, recent accounts of how people viewed him then and other tidbits of information, what could have been said? Right now, the world will never know. That’s unless something gets leaked because that’s how the internet world works.
Andre: According to DJ Clark Kent it would have been over after Jay Z’s scathing takedown of ‘Pac. He said there wouldn’t have been any coming back. But he’s wrong, I think. ‘Pac always came back. He’s been coming back after his untimely and tragic end in 1996, and before that he was a man of many lives. But, if what he’s saying is true, then this diss track could have had far reaching implications. Tupac has become a symbol of the poetry and rage of Hip Hop. He is Hip Hop’s champion, and unless something changes drastically over the next 20 or 30 years he will go down as its ultimate hero. So then imagine a world where that isn’t the case. A world where Tupac Amaru Shakur gets so thoroughly roasted by Jay Z that his disses become tiny, ineffectual affairs akin to “Wanna Know.” Let’s imagine what, in 1995-1996, that would have meant for him. Well, it would have meant close to career humiliation.
Those were Hip Hop’s halcyon days and such losses would have been taken seriously by all. It would have put a blemish on his record that would not have been easily escaped. But how plausible is it that Jay Z really put the knife in and turned it slow like that with “Nasty?” You have to remember that as great as he was even then, he wasn’t the well seasoned lord or rap he would become by the time Big died and The Blueprint surfaced. Could “Nasty” really be that good? I guess we’ll never know.
What Would Be The Ultimate Hip Hop Biopic?
Andre: The only true, no holds barred biopic I’d like to see is the life and times of one Sean “Puffy” Combs. Talk about a rags to riches story. Hard-scrabble kid off the streets of Harlem makes good, goes to Howard and pursues his story in the music business. At first, a backup dancer and small time A&R. Then, the Andre Harrell days where the stories fly en masse. Coming to work with his shirt off. Screaming at interns. His firing, and then re-emergence as a major player through one of the biggest coups of all time. Grabbing a then underappreciated Biggie Smalls and helping to mold him into one of the greatest emcees of all time. Calling B.I.G. back in time to avoid the raid on his stash house in the Carolinas, Faith, Lil Kim, Bad Boy and more.
Puff Daddy has had his hand in almost every major rap happening in the last 20 years. Every single one. And his life is chock full of rumor and innuendo. It would be epic and sprawling and if honest, could unlock a litany of mysteries hanging over Hip Hop like a cloud.
Ural: The best music biopics are good at interconnecting an artist’s music with their personal lives while framing that in the role they serve within pop culture. At this point in time, Hip Hop is so ingrained within mainstream America, it won’t be surprising how many rap stories get silver screen adaptations after the inevitable success of Straight Outta Compton. One story that needs to be told is that of Sugar Hill Records, rap’s first record label. Most importantly, Joe and Sylvia Robinson’s company gave the world The Sugar Hill Gang and the biggest rap single of the time “Rapper’s Delight.” Anyone who’s seen the documentary I Want My Name Back can surely understand the drama and controversies that arose from that record’s success. For many unaware of the culture, “Rapper’s Delight” was their first introduction to Hip Hop. Then there were the effect rap’s most iconic single had on Hip Hop culture both negatively and positively depending on who one talks to.
Who doesn’t want to see an origin story wrapped in an “almost end of disco era” package? Other moments could be tackled including Grandmaster Flash and Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s “The Message” which turned Hip Hop into more than just something to party to but, lead socially aware themes that would eventually benefit a group like N.W.A. A Sugar Hill Records flick would be beautiful, funny, triumphant, uncomfortable, depressing and everything that makes musical biopics great.
Andre Grant is an NYC native turned L.A. transplant that has contributed to a few different properties on the web and is now the Features Editor for HipHopDX. He’s also trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot. Follow him on Twitter @drejones.
Ural Garrett is a Los Angeles-based journalist and HipHopDX’s Senior Features Writer. When not covering music, video games, films and the community at large, he’s in the kitchen baking like Anita. Follow him on Twitter @Uralg.
I just so happened to be lucky enough to be at the Apollo Theatre that night as I was product manager on Jay’s Reasonable Doubt. The diss record was bananas! Im from the West Coast and was like ‘Whoa” this is krazy!!!! Every bar was TRUTH from Jay that definitely woulda hurt ‘Pac’s career. If it had been released, it would have went past music and into the streets definitely. On a side note – BIG came out and did “Brooklyn’s Finest” with Jay and I thought the building was gonna collapse! The Apollo was LIT that night!!
Bullshit
I’ll never forget that night at the Apollo either. Hov had that place rockin’.
Wow sounds like a great time. Thanks for sharing your story! Definitely a piece of Hip Hop history.
Paraphrase the bars
U big nutball
These fly by night fans don’t know what time it is. I followed PACs career and I luvved the dude but I truly knew a lot of it was theatrics and pretentious for his both personal and career gain it was agenda driven. That being said I can imagine jiggas clever ass pen pickin that shit APART!!! He knew more about PAC then we did from the outside and I ALWAYS said PAC was being extra about a lot of shit. He was a brilliant dude though and the grown man in him had so many plans to help us as a people and he was ready execute all that shit once his deathrow obligations were over with.
Totally agree with y’all views on the alleged pac diss … Truth be told , mobb deep release drop a gem on them after pac died and no cared ….I call bullshit on DJ Clark Kent ….
Shame it didn’t came out. If it did, there would be no Roc-A-Fella, Kanye and no Jay-Z today. 2Pac’d torture him back in the days, gut him like a pig.
Well, i gotta admt though i like me some Yeezy now and then
Word
Couldn’t have been scathing Jay-z didn’t know tupac. Only scathing disses that have happened in hip hop history are ones where the rappers know things about each other. Anyways back in 96, Jayz wasn’t even known for his first album, he was known as Foxy Browns hype man. Jay-z’s songs, contrary to Jayz dick riders didn’t get any play until in my lifetime vol 2 when he went commercial. Ironic DJ Clark Kent is bringing this up, when west coast MC’s are putting out the best hip hop. Kent is just mad that his boy Biggie couldn’t do nothing when pac dissed him.
2Pac had way too much fire in his belly for Jay Z. Fucking Solange had too much fire for Jay. If tupac had live THERE WOULD BE NO JAY-Z
Really ? Cuz when 2Pac was alive you think he was the only Hip Hop Icon ?
All Bull
First Jay & 2pac was to different types of artists Pac was inspiring and a poet. .Jay was was a rapper …is rap was more nonfiction and Pac’s was real, real life everyday struggle. So (NO ) Pac would have stood strong. ….as for Jay he would have took on something his ass wouldn’t be ready for because Pac would have spoke on some of Jays darkest secrets. ..Jay was smart,checkmate because he’s the last 1 breathing!
#ThugLife
Let me tell you what happened though, It’s been 19 years, still stuck in a dark cage
Living in my mind, thinking about that fateful day
9-7-96, I remember like it was yesterday, I gotta lot to say
They’re gonna make a thug nigga cry
how the media said that I died, but I’m still breathing
Who do you believe in
Everything they said was a lie, you see, listen
We was in Vegas, getting faded, in the city of sin
I Had a bad feeling that night, after the fight, at the Mgm
Can ya feel me
We left the telly on the way to the club
These hoes pulled up right beside us
My adversaries steady plotting on my death
Squeezing bullets till my name on my chest
I heard gun shots, but it got weird, instead of bullets
only smoke appeared
Next thing I knew, 2 men in a suite just standing there
They opened the door grab a nigga by his feet
let my head hit the concrete
It was a nightmare, dragged on the street
Scars on my back, looking at the white Cadillac
before the black bag over my head
I couldn’t believe what I happen
to see, a nigga who looked just Like me, dressed like me
In The passenger seat, but it can’t be me
sitting there next to Suge
Another 4 shots and That Cant be Good
I gotta find a way is what I said
Next thing I know
A blow to the head
Another horrible article from people who shouldn’t be writing about topics they have no clue about. You guys are big time Jay-Z haters and super delusional about the Hip-Hop culture. I would much rather take the word from a seasoned professional like DJ Clark Kent. Then some writers who are solely giving their own opinion about the topic. Repeatedly lying and change topics to suit a positive or negative agenda control over the readers and the youth through the site. Secretly allowing artist like Drake and others to get away with using ghostwriters/ reference tracks. Your focal point should be on “Why are today’s commercial artist using ghostwriters” Second topic should be “The effects ghostwriting has caused the culture.” Lastly if I was you, I would look further into real topics. Just saying… lol Your Friend.
ding, ding, ding
Jay Z uses “ghostwriters” and reference tracks like Drake.
In fact its completely opposite of what your saying, the writers on this site are throwing Drake under the bus while not holding older MCs , like Jay Z, to the same standards they use on Drake. Unfortunately, that’s the truth.
lol very funny… can u pls name one jay z ghostwriter? no no no
he doesnt need them
but tell u what?? hes ghostwritten for dre, snoop, and kanye plus beyonce, and others too im not so sure about rihanna….
jAY WRITES FROM HIS HEAD AND HE DONT NEED A NOTE PAD DUMMY!!!
The ultimate hip hop biopic to me would b WUTANG .
Becuz of the nine/10 members. The could b the first trilogogy or more biopic becuz you’re telling the story of 10 members and how they came together to rule the hiphop world.
Editors, this is a shallow analysis. If Pac could take on Bad boy, who da fuck was Jayz back then? What could his sorry ass do ’bout it? Ask da true OGs- I mean day ones! Pac was larger than life, wr all know it. If he had lived, da bar would be so raised. Definately lotta fuckin’ faces we seein’ now wouldn’t be rapping.
Haha. If Tupac bodied Biggie who was way better than Jay-Z, who is Jigga.
Pac would have rode over Jay-Z like a semi-truck.
Puffy is from Mount Vernon
Jay has the skills to get inside your skin , Pac wouldve retaliate with anger.
To me Ice cube is the best when it comes to diss on wax
Jay couldn’t handle nas how was he going handle pac
U are just on point bro
Jay Z a better “wordsmith” than Tupac, I’m sorry, what?
Keep in mind jay-z wasn’t even putting records out like that when pac dissed him, meaning way before reasonable doubt, if i was jay i would be happy that a big figure took notice to someone that wasnt on like that yet, makes you wonder why pac went at him in the first place. On the real pac sounded like a bitch on hit em up and tell me how “how’d you want it” wasnt pop quit acting like pac didnt bend over for c notes, see you west coast miggas only kno soo much cuz yall dont leave your lil square ass area , LAB ass motherfuckers open yo mind
This article confused the shit out of me, this entire article barely mentions the “nasty” track, little kno info regarding the title, no info as to when it wouldve been released or anything at all, hiphopdx needs to step up yo research game. Matter in fact stop hiring geniuses that use opinions as facts