I don't understand why people think Tupac was some sort of human rights activist. I don't get why people think he was some sort of angel, that he was so important to society.
He shined light on problems such as racism and poverty but so does every other rapper.
I can't call someone a saint when their motto was Thug Life.
This isn't to say I don't enjoy his music. I just think people raise Tupac over BIG because of this myth that Tupac was the second coming of Dr. King.
Anyone who knows anything about lyrics knows that BIG was unreal. You remembered his lyrics. People can recite entire songs of his. Most rap fans can't do that with Tupac.
People think Tupac was a human rights activist because he was. His library of music is about equality for people of all colors, and he humanized those communities that are raised in a culture of violence and poverty while Biggy (agreed, greatest lyricist of all time) was rapping about rims and hoes with Puffy dancing in the background.
I understand that a casual hip hop fan might not understand how someone who lived and died in a world of violence and gang affiliations might seem an odd fit for "Dr. King of Hip Hop," but in fact Thug Life was a complicated ideology Pac popularized about the cycle of violence and poverty that he himself embodied, struggled with, and connected to all people who have been forced to desperate measures in order to survive in hard times.
I know almost all songs by both Biggy & Pac by heart, and so do most of their fans. Biggy is in my pantheon off greatest ever hip hop artists, no diss to him, but all that tongue twisting was empty noise in comparison to the depth and humility that Pac brought to his music. Pac presented himself as vulnerable, fallible and 3 dimensional. If you like word play, Biggy was the man. But Pac had something better: meaningful, honest content. That, and not the fact that I'm a whiteboy (see my previous discussion on this thread), is why I have his name tattooed on my arm and will play him at my funeral.
Just checking. No "ill will" towards you. (get it? lol). I hear you, I just want to make sure Im talking to someone who can make valid points, and is actually educated in what im talking about. many people would just go with the popular pick and thats it. The reason I wanted to state, but did not want to look racist was the following;
First off I'm half black and half white, let me get that in the open. However, having grown up next to every race(and I love every race), my white friends tend to lean towards Pac. While my minority friends, lean towards biggie.
But alot more than skin color goes towards that. Where we live(east coast, west). Who who put us on to that artist(at some point an older friend or family member tells us about an artist or song). Or just who we can relate to more. That was what I wanted to say, but it is difficult to not come off as racist online. Where people can read what Im saying, but can not tell the tone, in which Im saying it.
So I hear you, I respect your thoughts, and just wanted to clear that up. Especially since your an artist too, I got nothin but love for you. Peace. TP ur way.
See, I'm glad you shared that, and personally I think that observation's on point. It's all love brother, TP back @ you...