Anyone tired of the 2Pac worship?

[Sam the Seed]

Don't get me wrong. I love his music and he's one of the greats but he's far from the GOAT and he contributed just as much negative influence as positive. People ignore the facts he likely shot and killed a black child, got away with shooting at white cops, probably raped a black woman & got killed by a real gangsta while being a super fake one. All over an idiotic street beef with rappers instead of the guy who actually shot his ass 5 times.

I mean he was a great artist who helped bring conscious hip-hop to gangsta rap but others did it better (Ice Cube, Nas) and his run was short and he wasn't a dope or creative lyricist at all. Just a great message and great delivery. Pac being better than Lil Wayne or Jay-Z still doesn't mean he was a top MC.

I remember how much late 90s/early 00s rap borrowed from him, but I didn't like it at all. I think his new status as this God Rapper comes from Gen Z kids who grew up on Kanye, Drake and drill and didn't know rappers could be hardcore/hood without being stupid af. And aging Gen Xers who never listened to anything more advanced than Pac.

The Pac fandom is better than Em fandom but you can see the beefing/fake thugging/over-emotional mama's boy with prison tats and his shirt off swag is still annoying and fucking up rap ever since.

[Apocalypse]

I totally agree with you!

His rapping skills were really basic and he was corny a lot of times...

Tupac, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne are the most overrated rappers ever!!!

[hotnikks]

Being the best lyricist doesnt mean the most impactful and influencial. Nowadays Tupac is like the Coca Cola brand all over the World... I cant hate on that

[ShaDynasty]

I feel like Biggie is a lot more popular than Pac, but maybe I just see that because hes my favorite rapper.

Anyway I can't diminish 2Pacs art. There are issues with his musical persona, but he was an incredible rapper with charisma. He excelled at world building - he brought listeners into his world and made it feel real and immersive. Thats a high compliment.

[Kutman]

No.

[SHEEPISH LORD OF CHAOS]

tired to the worship, yes but cannot deny 2pac's greatness sure he's not one of my favs but he's rapper that spoke to the people and that cannot be disputed!!!

[David Daniel Davis]

He would still have high ranking in the world of hip hop, although obviously his untimely demise amplified it.

[Sam the Seed]

I feel like Biggie is a lot more popular than Pac, but maybe I just see that because hes my favorite rapper.

Anyway I can't diminish 2Pacs art. There are issues with his musical persona, but he was an incredible rapper with charisma. He excelled at world building - he brought listeners into his world and made it feel real and immersive. Thats a high compliment.

You nailed his skills. Like another brother said, his rapping was extremely basic. That fit his message since he was talking to West Coast thugs who weren't into lyricism anyway. And he could depict the ghetto life extremely well. My criticism is he didn't have much range in subject matter. Really just recycling stories of thugs and single moms. No one got more sympathy out of that but he wasn't very clever or entertaining or creative with it like an Ice Cube - the guy he modeled his entire persona after - and he was never convincing playing that role. I respect Cube a lot more for never pretending to be a gangster except in obvious fictional story raps. I think Pac's destiny would've been in Hollywood or politics, like Cube has done. I don't think Pac would've done much more with his limited musical ability.

I prefer 2Pac to Biggie but Biggie is definitely a better Mc in every category. I think Pac is waaaaay more popular with audiences but Big is more popular iwith hi-hop artists, especially because of the NYC status. And I stress hip-hop. Underground rappers take more from Biggie while Pac is more of a pop/rap icon because he was sexy, emo, attention-seeking. He's what young celebrities and teens love.

[ShaDynasty]

2Pac is a bigger streaming artist, but I would attribute that to him having about 20 albums and BIG having basically 3 or 4 albums.

From that point of view, BIGs 2 main albums probably get more play than any 2 2Pac albums. I'm guessing.

[Sam the Seed]

True. Also, Biggie had more actual iconic radio/crossover singles.

[ShaDynasty]

I just saw a list of the top viewed rappers on youtube from last month and 2Pac was number 4. He was the oldest artist on there, which is impressive. They were all newer artists except Em & 50.

[Rev Jones]

2pac is to rap what Bob Marley is to reggae in terms of visibility

[Sam the Seed]

Yeah, but I think a lot of its manufactured. I remember like 5 years ago, Gen Z started wearing fake 90s 2Pac shirts after they got tired of Kurt Cobain. And you could tell they grew up not knowing anything about him until he became a Hot Topic item. He's a 90s icon. Ramones were the same thing to punk but I don't know many people seriously into the punk genre who think they're GOAT.

But to be fair, they didn't care about Wu til Drake made a shitty song named after them. Difference is Wu has deeper respect IMO with people with deeeeep hip-hop or music knowledge.

[noel411]

Pac and Big were the last commercially successful rappers that I actually respected and/or took seriously. So I'd much sooner pick on every marketing tool rapper who's come out since then.

[Goldenchild]

Tupac died young, so that has a lot to do with it, lots of "what could've been" questions. That made him more popular. Plus he was socially conscious and you know kids today love that stuff, so his legacy has blown up because of it. "Dear Mama" is consistently ranked among the greatest songs ever and people love songs that pull at the heart strings. All these things are factors in his huge popularity.

Personally, I prefer Big Pun over both Tupac and Biggie