Chris Brown has cited numerous influences musically over his career, whether it be his idol, Michael Jackson or Lil Wayne. However, when naming his mythical Mount Rushmore, Brown is like numerous Hip Hop fans, ready with an answer but understands how tough the question can be.
Speaking to the LA Leakers, Brown paused for a moment when asked the all-important question before giving a unique answer.
“JAY-Z, Nas, Big L and 2Pac,” Brown said. He thought about the answer again and doubled back, replacing one New York MC for another.
“Skrrt, put Biggie in the spot of Nas!” Brown exclaimed. “I love Nas, damn, it’s fuckin’ up! Damn, hold up I’m sorry. Rakim in there too, I’m sorry! That’s all mine. Everybody I said, those are in my Mt. Rushmore. I made my own Mt. Rushmore.”
The inclusion of 2Pac and Hov on any Mt. Rushmore is common. Same for Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. Breezy’s citing of Big L raised plenty of eyebrows as the Harlem rapper was on the verge of blowing up even more before he was tragically gunned down in 1999.
Chris Brown Declares He's Back On His 'Gangsta Shit' After 'Breezy' Doesn't Get Support He Expected
After the release of his Breezy album on June 24, Brown predicted it would receive similar love and fanfare from his fan base as his previous albums, debuting within the Top 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. However, as Breezy moved an estimated 84,000 album-equivalent units, Brown dismissed the sales total as a lack of support when he’s doing good rather than when he’s embroiled in controversy.
“July 8th breezy deluxe album,” he wrote in his Instagram Stories while announcing an extended version of the album. “Not that it matters…SEEMS LIKE YALL ONLY INVEST IN THE NEGATIVE STORIES ABOUT ME. CHRIS GETS IN TROUBLE (THE WHOLE WORLD IS ON it). Chris drops album [crickets]. I’m back on my gangsta shit. It’s BRACKING at all times.”
Big L was dope though!!!
Biggie even mentioned is an insult. Nas lyrics are like poetry and Jay has 20 years of hits. Jay & Nas put in too much work to be compared to someone with 2 albums.
Here comes the hater.
Leave biggie alone hip hop nerd
Probably you a suburban listener. 2pac Stan etc
Why would I mention Jay and Nas if I was a 2Pac stan? Damn you kids are dumb.
BOTH JAY & NAS WISH THEY WERE AS NICE AS BIGGIE
Nas doesn’t have to wish. He is nicer and was when he was alive. There is a reason Biggie went at him and never got on wax with him. He knew that was the dude he couldn’t fuck with.
Ok so if a rapper puts out 2 albums 1 of which is a double (Life After Death) which means he has 3 albums that are full of classic material and another rapper puts out more than 3 albums of average/above average material you’re saying the rapper with more than 3 albums of average/above average material is better? Above average IS NOT better than timeless classics like Biggie has in his catalog. It’s never quantity over quality bruh u really need to re evaluate your whole logic. And it’s not just albums we talking. Biggie had tons of classic features and solos as well. Brooklyn’s Finest, Victory, Young Gs, Flava In Ya Ear Remix, Get Money, Get Money remix, The Ugliest, Keep Ya Hands High, Party and Bull, One more Chance Remix and I can keep going they all classic tracks. Do the knowledge first before speaking nonsensically on hip hop culture you’re clearly not well versed in.
Ok so if a rapper puts out 2 albums 1 of which is a double (Life After Death) which means he has 3 albums that are full of classic material and another rapper puts out more than 3 albums of average/above average material you’re saying the rapper with more than 3 albums of average/above average material is better? Above average IS NOT better than timeless classics like Biggie has in his catalog. It’s never quantity over quality bruh u really need to re evaluate your whole logic. And it’s not just albums we talking. Biggie had tons of classic features and solos as well. Brooklyn’s Finest, Victory, Young Gs, Flava In Ya Ear Remix, Get Money, Get Money remix, The Ugliest, Keep Ya Hands High, Party and Bull, One more Chance Remix and I can keep going they all classic tracks. Do the knowledge first before speaking nonsensically on hip hop culture you’re clearly not well versed in.
Problem is that a lot of people don’t consider Life After Death a Classic. That shit was a huge letdown after Ready to Die. I still can’t believe Biggie worked on that album for three years and that was what he left us with.
Trust me you are definitely in the minority of people who think Life After isn’t a classic and was a “huge let down” Smh. Life After had over a dozen hard hitting tracks I’m not exactly sure what you were listening to that you consider it a “huge let down”. Ten Crack Commandments, Notorious Thugs, Love the Dough, Long Kiss, Nobody Til Somebody, Story 2 Tell, Pray 4 Downfall, Somebody Gotta Die, Kick in the Door, Last Day, Niggs Bleed and I can keep going. All those tracks I named hit hard af if you think they don’t you’re absolutely delusional and in the wrong genre of music. Ready 2 Die and LAD both regarded universally by those who know as timeless CLASSICS the same way both ILLmatic and It Was Written are.
I remember when the albums dropped I don’t need to research. Puff was a master marketer and they put the house on pushing BIG cause Puff owns the masters. I never said he sucked I said if he’s equal to Jay ans Nas but they have longer careers he can’t be ranked higher. If you take away the BadBoy pop hits we would be comparing him to Raekeon.
Lollll@”casual fan” Smh. First things first I’ve been listening and in love with hip hop culture since 1991 I’m not no “casual fan”. I’ve already forgotten more hip hop knowledge than you will ever know. Secondly, just because someone was killed after 5 years in the industry and didn’t have the opportunity to release more material doesn’t mean someone who released more material is better. That’s like saying since Future has had a longer run and put out more albums than BIG did he’s above BIG to Smh. Make it make sense dude. Quantity doesn’t top QUALITY.
Big L is what Jay and Nas were trying to be. Punchline King. Rap was different back then but people forget it. They just had an article about Jay talking about selling water to a whale/well (whale obviously hotter due to the quadruple entendre) but Big L was doing that his whole career. Jay wanted to be like Big L and was lucky to get his first feature on Big Ls LP.
The Big L feature was in 1995 that was not Jay’s “first” feature. He had features with Jaz-O (late 80s early 90s) Original Flavor (Can I Get Open) in 1993, Big Daddy Kane (Show N Prove) in 1994. Do your research.
Nas is better than all of them. Not even close or second guess him on Mt Rushmore… Biggie and Big L not enough work the place there kid. Jay, Nas and Pac are the only ones belongs lyrically right now. Love Rakim but not at these guys level. They put in too much work and still is! Rakim is long gone!
Rakim changed the rap game in the mid to late 80s, he influenced rappers like Nas and 2Pac. Both of them have credited Rakim for that through their songs and interviews.Rakim is an all time great, he just announced a 30 date European tour today, how many rappers from the 80s are doing that in 2022? Not many.
Why does it make the news when a pop singer says he likes overhyped mainstream rappers?
You obviously don’t know hiphop if you think rakin or big l are overhyped mainstream rappers.
Obviously the comment is directed and Jay ans Biggie. Big L wasn’t big, and Rakim never went mainstream.
STFU
Nas is way better than Biggie.