During an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” this week, Virginia beatsmith Timbaland was asked who he thinks is the greatest rapper of all time.
Before answering that particular question, Timbaland clarified that he is not a rapper, and then offered his thoughts on what he feels a rapper is. He later revealed that the late Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. are the greatest rappers of all time, in his opinion.
He also gave credit to Jay Z, who he referred to as his brother, for being one of the top emcees.
“I feel like a rapper is somebody who really tells his story,” Timbaland said. “My story is told through me making music and sound. I get on the mic because sometimes there’s nobody around that can assist me to what I want to do. So, I’m just like ‘I might as well do it myself’…Well, I think both of them are not here today. And that’s Biggie Smalls and Tupac…Jay is my brother. So, I’mma put him always number one. But to ask me is kinda biased because I respect the music.”
Prior to sharing his picks for greatest rapper, Timbaland spoke on his role as executive music producer for the Fox television show, “Empire.” He explained how producing music for TV differs from making music for an artist or album.
“It’s been a wonderful ride,” he said. “It’s been a learning experience. Just about the business of TV and film more than anything. And when Lee approached me, and Fox, it was kinda like it was different from going into a studio. Because you have time to look over a song and go over a song, but when you doing ‘Empire’ it’s—You gotta know. So, it’s kinda challenging for me. Kind of like ‘Okay, I gotta know this song is gonna work. And I can’t go back and double-take it.’ So, it’s like ‘phew.’”
How the fuck is this news?
Timbaland says chuck Taylor’s are the greatest shoes of all time.
Who gives a fuck
Stop with the pac and big stuff. They were great… But there’s a few that are greater and let’s celebrate the mc’s that are alive… Enough please
Either U Don’t Know Musik, Our Ur A Hater.. Its One Of Dem….
People love dickriding these 2
Don’t know MUSIC… are you serious… Homey you don’t know me. I can name every BIG and PAC album, the year it came out the producers and so fourth… and my opinion is that I am tired of the greatest this that shit. It gets old and rap/hip hop is the only music that we have to constantly pick a who’s greatest. That is irrelevant to anything. It’s who your favorite is or who inspires you the most. Pac had two great LP’s… the MAK album and Me against the world… all eyes on me was OK. Big dropped a 94 classic and a fair 97 double disc that could have easily been one… I love those guys, but Nas, KRS, Jay, Kool G, Rakim and many others have great catalogues … a Lot of MC’s and people say BIG and PAC for shock value and attention. Both were great, but my opinion stands. Many EMCEE’s are greater… I been collecting the music since 85… I know music good brother… but I know bullshit and trickery too
“tells his own story” sorry Drake!
Duh!!
NaS is the GOAT.
Pac > (insert anybody)
Biggie is mos def da greatest y’all can shout all y’all want!!! But tupac is aight he just had a lotta heart where we just had 2 understand his struggle nd biggie shit da mic still smoking man too many tracks features remixes we can go on all day…could neva kill BIG on wax even wen u feature him he”ll murk da shit outta niggas, craig mack,the lox, busta rhymes da list goes on!!!! Am a fan nd fuck a stan!!!
controversial position there timb…
Them dudes are not the Goats, they are both instrumental to the process and were both very popular but popular never means the best. Pacs albums were weak and biggies last one was weak they both rapped over R&B commercial hits. How hard is that. Both cats are dope and had skills but everybody dick rides them 2. There is much more to hip hop then those 2.
Tim is is a pop and has never been hip hop !
Good jokes.
We bit of an insult to compare the two…one was just a rapper…the other is beyond effectivw titling, rap was merely one of his tools-Patron Saint Pac is epic
Drake is greater than both. Tupac has a lot of songs and most of them are shit and Biggie as too few songs but most them are great. Drake has a lot of songs and 98% are fantastic.
Tel me you’re joking. Drake will never be better than Pac and Biggie. He doesn’t even have any classics like those two or even great songs.
“Drake has a lot of songs and 98% are fantastic.” No. 98% of his songs are shit.
5 years from now Kendrick will be GOAT.
5 years from now, Pac will still be the greatest ever!!! Pac’s music is timeless. He took rap to another level. BIG is up ther as well.
Yo Timbaland either invest in some better toothpaste or stop smoking Newports, bruh. Look like you got a mouth full of corn on the cob.
Yooooo im dead lmao..why you had to do em though..
No Nas… No PAC, Biggie or Jay Z if he is talking about storytelling with his fat a$$!
Nas will always be the GOAT in my book.
Go back to school u f, he said a rapper is someone who can tell his own story n a story u think u know abt or a story u read in a book or heard over some medium but ur own story which is what Hov have done that y he have to explanations for any body bcos he knows he’s d only one with it n all others are either gimmicks or fake thuggin.
Yall wrote a whole article because Timbaland said what every other artist says? Slow day in Hip Hop or what? Take this L HHDX
Ya’ll ever read “Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Deathrow Records” by Ronin Ro? Some insightful sh*t on Pac there