Tupac and Biggie

Every so often, we are blessed with legendary musical talents who define their time periods. Michael Jackson. James Brown. Elvis Presley. Jimi Hendrix. Kurt Cobain. Marvin Gaye. John Lennon. The artists span over multiple different genres. In Hip-Hop however, no one looms larger than Tupac Shakur and Christopher "Biggie" Wallace. Tupac was a living paradox, the militant poet who was heavily versed in both Shakespeare and black nationalism, who wrote" Hit 'Em Up" and "I Don't Give A Fuck" as well as " Dear Mama" and "Keep Ya Head Up". Biggie, the self-described "Livest one, from Bedford-Stuyvesant", the Brooklyn-bred king of flow, who not only told stories, but brought them to life. The two will always be tied together, their deaths leaving us thinking about what could have been.

Tupac was born in East Harlem, New York. His mother, Afeni, was a Black Panther. His family moved to Baltimore, and while Tupac was there, he developed a close friendship with actress Jada Pinkett(later Jada Pinkett-Smith), as they attended the same performing arts high school. Pac is quoted as saying "Jada is my heart. She will be my friend for my whole life." At 16, Tupac moved to Marin City, California, a suburb of Oakland, and about 5 miles north of San Francisco. From there, he got his start as roadie with the group Digital Underground. He first appeared on their song "Same Song" from the soundtrack of the 1991 movie Nothing But Trouble. From there, he got his break, appearing as Roland Bishop in the urban classic Juice, and releasing his debut album 2pacalypse Now. The album received a large amount of controversy when a Texas youth who murdered a state trooper claimed the album influenced him to do so. This incident, and the grimness of songs like "Brenda's Got a Baby", "I Don't Give a Fuck", and "Trapped" led Dan Quayle to condemn the album, saying " There's no reason for a record like this to be released. It has no place in our society." 2pac's second album, Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z. went platinum, and is noted as his breakout album.  He starred in the movies Poetic Justice and Above the Rim. In late 1993, Shakur, among others, was charged with sexually assaulting and raping a woman he had a prior sexual relationship with. Tupac vehemently denied the charges until his death. During the time period of this trial, Pac was shot five times at Quad Studios in New York. He checked himself out the next day against doctor's orders. He was found not guilty of rape, but convicted of first degree sexual abuse and inappropriate touching. He was sentence 1.5 to 4.5 years in prison, but was bailed out by Suge Knight, after Tupac agreed to release his next three albums under Suge's label, Death Row Records. Tupac became the first artist with a number one album while in prison, as his album Me Against The World reached the top of the charts and stayed there for four weeks. Fresh out of jail, with a giant chip on his shoulder, Tupac seemed to unleash his rage, declaring war on Biggie, Sean "Puffy" Combs, and Bad Boy Records. On June 4, 1996, Tupac released "Hit 'Em Up". Known for being arguably the greatest diss record of all-time, the song was the main turning point in the East Coast-West Coast feud, as it added gasoline to the fire that had already been started at the 1994 Source Awards. Tupac released his fourth album, All Eyez On Me on February 13, 1996. This would be Tupac's last album to come out during his lifetime. On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting after watching the Mike Tyson- Bruce Seldon fight in Las Vegas. Six days later, on September 13, 1996, Tupac died from respiratory failure and cardiopulmonary arrest in connection with multiple gunshot wounds. He was 25.


The other Hip-Hop martyr, the Notorious B.I.G. was larger than life. Biggie stood 6'3" and weighed over 300 pounds. Born in Brooklyn to Jamaican parents, Big started dealing drugs at 12. At 18, he spent nine months in jail. At 20, he met, and signed with Sean Combs. On August 4, 1994, Biggie married R&B singer Faith Evans only eight days after meeting her at a Bad Boy photoshoot. On September 13, his debut album Ready To Die came out. The album has gone 4x platinum, and is credited for revitalizing East Coast Hip-Hop . Biggie met Tupac on the set of Poetic Justice, and the two instantly became close. Their friendship soured, however, as Tupac accused Biggie and Puffy of setting  him up in the shooting that occurred at Quad Studios on November 30, 1994. At the 1994 Source Awards, Suge Knight insulted Sean Combs and Bad Boy Records, stating that any artists that " Wanna be an artist, and doesn't wanna worry about the executive producer, all in the songs, dancin'......" should join him at Death Row. That moment, coupled with Knight's alliance with Tupac, ignited a feud between the coasts. Biggie's 1995 and 1996 were fairly quiet, at least musically. He focused on his protege' group Junior M.A.F.I.A., comprised of childhood friends such as Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease. After the tragic death of his former friend Tupac, the Rap game was undisputedly B.I.G.'s for the taking. His debut album Life After Death was released on March 25, 1997. The album went platinum, reaching number one on the Billboard 200..... but Biggie wouldn't live to see in. In the early hours of March 9, 1997, he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting while leaving an after party for the Soul Train Music Awards in Los Angeles. He was only 24 years old.

Tupac and Biggie both left huge fingerprints on Hip-Hop, and music as a whole in a short period of time. They seen as both legendary, and on an untouchable pedestal, and as a symbol of potential that hadn't been reached. They are part of a group, along with Aaliyah, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Pimp C, and Eazy E, of musical icons gone too soon.  Quincy Jones said it best when describing Tupac's death. " If we had lost Oprah Winfrey at 25, we would have lost a relatively unknown, local market TV anchorwoman. If we had lost Malcolm X  at 25, we would've lost a street hustler named Detroit Red. If Martin Luther King had died at 25, he would've been a local minister who had not yet reached the national scene. And if I had left the world at 25, we would have lost a big-band trumpet player and aspiring composer-- just sliver of my life's potential...". Pac and Big accomplished everything  they did in a span of five years, reaching heights and captivating audiences in a way no had before and no one has since. They have given birth to just about every rapper who's come along after them . Nas, Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, and J. Cole, among a host of others, cite them as influences. They became much bigger than they art form that brought them to the public eye, and will be on constant replay, influencing generations after them deep into the distant future.

The Kings of the New School (Kendrick, Cole, Drake, and Chance)

Hip-Hop has evolved as an art form since its heyday in the 80's and 90's, but there are still a lot of rappers who embody what the culture has been known for since Hip-Hop's rise to mainstream popularity. Today, with all the rappers of different sounds and approaches, such as Logic, Big Sean, Joey Bada$$, Wale, etc., there are probably four rappers who are head and shoulders above everyone else. With all the intelligent lyricists around, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Drake, and Chance the Rapper have the most pull of anyone in the game right now, each with a different approach, a different cult following, and different, trendsetting sound. Kendrick is the consensus king, the west coast heir to the throne, with hints of trap and soul music, that appeals to old head Hip-Hop fans and youth alike. J. Cole is the melodic, soulful, insightful MC from Fayetteville, NC that would make Nas and Lauryn Hill proud(No pun intended). Drake, the reigning king of the pop charts from the 6 who seemingly makes hit after hit. Chance, the newcomer, the colorful, refreshing, down to earth kid from Chicago with acidic jazzy vibes.

Kendrick Lamar, by most accounts, is the best rapper alive, and has been for a number of years. Kendrick was born and raised in Compton, California. He was a straight A student at Compton High School, and idolized Tupac Shakur. In fact, one of the major points of his childhood was when he was able watch his heroes Tupac, and Dr.Dre(whose Aftermath label he later signed to) His mixtape Overly Dedicated and debut album Section. 80 led to widespread breakout acclaim. His major label debut, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, solidified him as a major force in the rap game, and is considered one of the greatest rap albums in recent memory. Kendrick's verse on
Big Sean's Control signaled his take over, and has been widely considered " The verse that woke the game up". His album To Pimp A Butterfly showed a change from his traditional West Coast sound to one infused with Jazz and spoken word. The album led to 11 Grammy nominations, one less than Michael Jackson's record of 12 from the 1984 Grammys. His album DAMN, was arguably the most popular album of the past year. The album outsold Drake's More Life, which was shocking, as Drake's style is seen as more pop, and more conducive to record and streaming sales  At one point, all fourteen tracks from the album were on the Billboard Hot 100. He was also the curator and one of the executive producers for the newly released Black Panther: The Album soundtrack for the movie Black Panther. Kendrick's music follows in the footsteps of his hero Tupac Shakur, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, etc.,  delivering hits that made statements on social issues, such as Alright and Blacker the Berry, both from TPAB.


J. Cole, possibly the artist most mentioned with Kendrick(the two have been tied together since Cole produced for Kendrick's hit HiiPower off of Section. 80) , has a little bit different of story. A native of Fayetteville, NC, he used academics as a way to get to New York and vie for a major label record deal. One of the few rappers with a college degree, Cole graduated magna cum laude with a degree in communication and business. One of the greatest rappers of the current generation, he was originally snubbed by Jay-Z before being the first artist signed to his Roc Nation label. After his breakout mixtapes, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights, his debut album The Sideline Story( named for his frustration with the period of time his album was "benched") debuted at #1. Next came his sophomore album, Born Sinner, which reached  #1 in its second week, outselling Kanye West's Yeezus, and solidified him as a Hip-Hop megastar. He followed that up with 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which is hailed as one of the greatest rap albums of this decade. His latest album, 4 Your Eyez Only, debuted at number one, and made J. Cole one of three rappers to have each of their first four albums reach number one on the Billboard 200(DMX and Drake). He also fits into the line of artists known for using music as a platform for social and polital change. His songs, Be Free and Neighbors are probably the biggest examples


Drake, the wunderkind from Toronto, first appeared in the public eye on the series Degrassi. He signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money label, and has been arguably the most successful artist of the past ten years. He is the only artist to have a Grammy nominated diss record, as his single Back to Back was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 58th Grammys. He broke onto the scene with his EP, So Far Gone, which debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200. As previously said, Drake's debut album, Thank Me Later, as well his next three albums, Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, and Views, all debuted at # 1 on the Billboard 200 as did his mixtape, If You're Reading This, It's Too Late, What a Time to Be Alive, his joint mixtape with Future, and More Life. Drizzy has had a stranglehold on the charts since his rise to popularity, and is one the most impactful MCs of the new school. His blend of rap with smooth R&B has also undoubtedly influenced a generation of rappers and singers like Bryson Tiller and Tory Lanez.


Last but not least, Chance the Rapper has ascended to the top of rap like no one else in the past 2 years. Yet to release an album, Chano still has his fingerprint on Hip-Hop, and has changed the game despite not being signed to major label. Drawing comparisons to Kanye West and Andre 3000 for his soulful, jazz and gospel inspired sound, Chance is known for his world beating authenticity. His debut mixtape, 10 Day, was named after the length of his suspension for marijuana possession that led to its conception. His next mixtape, Acid Rap, debuted at number 63 on the Billboard 200, even with his sales on Amazon and iTunes not being counted. He is the lead artist of the band The Social Experiment, and is featured of their album, Surf. His third mixtape, Coloring Book, was the first streaming-only album or mixtape to be nominated, let alone win, a Grammy. The album won three.


These artists have become superstars in their own right, and carried on the torch that artists like LL Cool J, Nas, Tupac, Biggie Smalls, DMX, Jay-Z, and Kanye West bore before them. The four of them are on an elite level above anyone else in the rap game right now, and contribute heavily to Hip-Hop recently becoming the most popular genre of music.

Introduction

Hi, my name is Elijah Reed, and I am a Hip-Hop head. I've been fascinated with the genre for as along as i can remember. I grew up in a household where a lot of old school soul/R&B, and Hip-Hop was played. I fell in love with all three, but found the latter captivating in a way I had never experienced. Rap embodied outspokenness, intelligence, self expression, and social activism. The four elements of Hip-Hop are rapping, graffiti, deejaying, and b-boying/break-dancing. Out of the four, MCs have always grabbed my attention the most.

 The way that rappers like Tupac, Rakim, Nas, and Kanye West were able bring the words they wrote to life. Hip-Hop music has grown into an art form with many different kinds of artists. Art evolves over time, for better or worse, but one thing that has stayed at forefront of Hip-Hop has been lyricists with deep content matter, and outspokenness on social issues. Rappers that "actually talk about something" as my mother would put it, grabbed my attention during my childhood and early adulthood. It's precisely these "nerdy rappers" that I plan to talk about. I am a huge fan of the art form and culture, and take them very seriously, which is why I feel I am the right person. I think I can talk about Hip-Hop, the rappers, and the impact of the culture it's created in a intelligent, unique way. My intended audience is Hip-Hop fans, young and old, and I believe I can connect with both.