IMHO Tupac was the greatest figure ever in hip-hop but…
IMHO Tupac is not even in my top 10 greatest emcees of all time.
In last month’s edition of “Who the Hell Am I”, I made the statements above and never realized how much mail I would get about these statements. Some agreed with me, while others did not. But it got my gears turning and I thought “What is the criteria that makes an emcee the Greatest of All Time?” For years and years we argue about the greatest albums of all time, the greatest emcees of all time, the greatest producers of all time. Blah, blah, blah. But no argument carries as much weight as who is the greatest emcee of all time? Well kids, I pondered and argued. Tossed and turned. Thought about every email I got and still stand by my statement that Tupac was the greatest figure ever in hip-hop but is not in my top ten greatest EMCEES of all time. Hell… Notorious B.I.G. has a hard time making it in there (and that is because of lack of material and never fully reaching his potential or having the opportunity to fall off). But let me explain my cause further.
We all know the story of Tupac and Biggie and how, in the event of their untimely demise, they have been propelled to hip-hop martyrdom. Shortly after Pac was shot down in my hometown of Las Vegas, he immediately became the Greatest Emcee of All Time but you know what kids? I beg to differ. Less than a year later, when B.I.G. took his last breath in California, he began to grace magazine covers as not only the King of New York, but competed with Pac for the Greatest of All Time. Then another witty lyricist by the name of Big L met his demise on the streets of New York on Feb 15th 1999 and guess what? He was getting recognition as possibly one of the Greatest of All Time as well. Okay yo…
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What is our infatuation with death and negativity? I mean…let’s be honest with ourselves. Many listeners out there cared little about Pac when he did speeches at Malcolm X rallies, or spoke of rekindling the spirit of the Black Panther Party, when he blessed the world with inspirational tales such as “Brenda’s Got a Baby” and “Keep Your Head Up.” It was only after he began to live the notorious lifestyle of Bishop in Juice that people paid him attention (and by this I mean that he was already popular but he became Icon status afterwards). Rape charges, Death Row Records, Beef, Being Shot, Thug Life, Death these are the things that make an artist a legend? Let me draw a parallel to better suit my claim…
As I sit, slumped into the couch, thumbing through the channels of the “idiot box”, I come across the ultimate “I’m rich bitch” TV show, MTV’s Cribs. You know the show that has the incredible house complete with 9 vehicles that they never drive in? But other than the requisite 5+ vehicles, what is the one thing EVERYONE has? The ultimate gangster movie…Scarface. So I ask myself “Why does everyone love this movie so?” Is it because Al Pacino is a great actor? No. It’s because of this so-called rags to riches story about a man who came from nothing and became something only to finally go out like a “G” in dramatic fashion and a blaze of glory (if that’s what you want to call it). So I begin to ask myself “How could a man, who was kicked out of his country because he was such a piece of trash that Castro felt the need to ship his trashy ass to America, become such an intriguing person?” Tony Montana was a criminal by nature but the only place that can turn a criminal into a champion is America, more specifically, pop culture. A man who killed someone to get out of jail, took over the drug game, killed his best friend over some bullshit and finally was killed by the very environment that gave him that chance we call a “hero”. We adorn our walls with Scarface posters, T-Shirts and all other kinds of memorabilia. We embraced this man for all the wrong reasons and the fact that he “went out like a G” automatically makes him the greatest of all time.
Fast forward two decades later and pop culture once again found their Scarface. A man who was embraced for all the wrong reasons and also, like Scarface, “went out like a G”. A man who, because of his tumultuous and controversial life resulting in death, has been crowned the greatest of all time. Tupac is embraced by this generation of hip-hoppers because of his expletive riddled speech, his ability to absorb more bullet wounds than Tony Montana on coke and his “I don’t give a fuck…I’m real” attitude. While it sounds like I am slandering Tupac, it is the complete opposite. I believe that Tupac was the most influential figure in hip-hop (for better or worse) who was a compelling individual that could take his street savvy persona and blend it with a Malcolm X-esque mentality in a day and age where black culture lacks leadership but became consumed and eventually murdered by the negative lifestyle and environment he welcomed with open arms. You are what you eat. You make the bed you sleep in at the end of the day. What is unfortunate is that everyone missed the bus that showcased a young hungry panther whose anger was a little more direct. Instead of beefing with Biggie he beefed with the police. But Pac as an emcee? Now he was good, don’t get me wrong, but not great. While many say his best work was All Eyez On Me (which was fueled with more venom than I could imagine), I feel that it is a far cry from introspective works, controlled artistry and ability to transform from ultra hard rapper (“Holla if Ya Hear Me”) to the sentimental, loving artist (“Dear Mama”) like Me Against the World and 2Pacalypse Now. Which, to me, doesn’t contain the lyrical prowess of KRS-1 or the intellect of Chuck D or the wizardry of Rakim, but does an outstanding job. As an EMCEE I feel like Pac was good but I can name a few artists who I felt was lyrically more sound. As a matter of fact there is one emcee who could have very easily burped Pac when he was coming up. An emcee who was everything Pac was before Pac became it. An emcee that belongs amongst the greatest of all time. But I shook a great deal of you up when I said…
IMHO Ice Cube was a better than emcee than Tupac Alight kids let’s be real…
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Before there was a Tupac there was an Ice Cube. Before there was a Bishop there was a Doughboy. Before Tupac was mad, Ice Cube was pissed. Before there was “Hit Em Up” there was “No Vaseline.” Before there was All Eyez on Me or Makevelli, there was Amerikkka’s Most Wanted and Death Certificate. Before Pac was a west coast artist who blended intellect with lyrical street venom, Ice Cube was schoolin’ folks about the streets as well as oppression while gaining the hard earned love from the East Coast. Before Pac was controversial, Cube was the self-proclaimed “Nigga you loved to hate.” But you know what the problem is? Cube didn’t die!
Yeah folks…if Cube would have gotten his ass gunned down after Death Certificate, he would be the greatest emcee of all time. I mean seriously, think about it. Ice Cube wrote for the West Coast’s most influential group of all time- NWA. He was responsible for putting the West Coast on the map along with Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, D.O.C. and DJ Yella. After delivering the classic Straight Outta Compton and birthed what would be known as “Gangsta Rap” he split up with the super group and many thought it would be the end of Ice Cube. Naw kids, he linked up with the East Coast’s most prominent and militant group of the time, Public Enemy, and crafted would could be argued as one of the greatest moments in hip-hop history with Amerikkka’s Most Wanted. Shortly after that he delivered another remarkable album combining consciousness with street intellect, Death Certificate, and delivered the diss record of all diss records at the time with “No Vaseline.” But Cube gets penalized because he lived too damn long. Sure he went on to create less than stellar albums like Lethal Injection and went from Doughboy and Fudge to Nick in Are We There Yet but that’s like penalizing Michael Jordan because he played two more years with the Washington Wizards or taking away from Ali‘s legacy because he stayed in the ring and got demolished by Larry Holmes. Only in hip-hop are you shot down for lasting too long. What if Pac was still alive and made a wack record or two (don’t say it ain’t possible). What if he actually chose to stay out of the controversial limelight and moved on to children’s books or showed up in a movie starring Jim Carey or took Redman‘s place in Seed of Chucky. What would you do? Would you discredit his accomplishments because of what he is doing against what he did? Think about it.
So many of you want to know who I think is one of the greatest emcees of all time right? Well this artist that I am talking about may have one of the most consistent catalogs in hip-hop history. Jay-Z? Nope. This artist can be billed as your “favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.” Eminem? Naw. This artist has recently penned a “classic” album. Nas? Think again. I’m talking about the artist formally known as Sense. I’m talking about the man who “Used to Love H.E.R.” I’m talking about the emcee who made the ladies woo (“The Light”) while the hardest of hardcore cats nodded their domes in respect (“The Corner”) while delivering a lyrical tongue lashing or two (“The Bitch in Yoo”). I’m talking about the artist who Jay-Z said he “woulda rhymed like Common Sense.” He’s been in the game for over a decade and hasn’t truly fell off (I liked Electric Circus FYI). Yes people I’m talking about Lonnie Rashid Lynn or better known today as Common. You’ll see what I’m saying a decade from now…
IMHO Common is the Donny Hathaway of this rap shit. Most of you won’t appreciate him until he’s long gone.
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But you know what? That nigga ain’t dead yet either and I’m just a critic…Who the Hell am I?
