List of Rappers That Were Better Than Tupac
You know when people start discussing their favorite movie of all time and nothing with DeNiro or Pacino comes out of their mouths, and you just want to punch them in their mouths like Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull? They cite some hacky romantic comedy or something like Pulp Fiction (which was great, but come on), or anything from the past 20 years as their “fave,” and you have that moment of realization that you could never be good friends with this person? This is how I feel when someone argues that ‘Pac was the best rapper ever — or if not first, surely in the top three or five, or any number smaller than 50 that I couldn’t possibly disagree more with. I assume them delusional, unconsciously swayed by a nostalgic association with some self-definition from years past, and I wonder what the fuck their brains were hearing in that non-fluid, impassioned, breathiness delivery and the monotony of all those long E’s. Then I silently blame them for all that is wrong in show business, my own failures and shortcomings included.
People holler bias — that as a New York Biggie lover (sounds like a Pizza Hut special) I could never appreciate ‘Pac or west coast rap. To that I say: Grow up… I did.
1.I’m 37 years old, not 17. I have way too many adult problems to have my musical taste unconsciously swayed by some rap beef from 20 years ago.
2.My favorite Tupac song ever was Hit ’Em Up, where he absolutely annihilated Biggie and the entire east coast. It would almost be tough to listen to if it wasn’t just so dope.
3.I loved Ice Cube and Snoop, and although Black Moon had just dropped at the time, The Chronic was the soundtrack to the inception of my juvenile delinquency. This matters.
Sorry, ‘Pac, it’s not cuz I’m from the east, nor did I like you the absolute least, and although I wish you rest in peace, I felt you were weaker than the following MC’s:
1.BIG: Although I think he was underrated as a lyricist by pseudo-intellectual backpackers, and the importance of his gorgeous voice might go unnoticed by people who think “rap is not music,” what really made BIG the best was his range — his ability to spit at the absolute highest level in any imaginable style or flow. There is no way any rapper ever has, or ever will be able to give us joints like Gimme the Loot, Big Poppa, Hypnotize, Suicidal Thoughts, What’s Beef, and the 14 versions of One More Chance like Biggie did. Also, in one try on Notorious Thugs he rapped Bone Thugs’ style better than they ever did. Bottom line: He’s the only MC who was able to do anything.
2.Nas: Although Ready to Die was a better put-together album (credit Puffy), it wasn’t nearly as perfect as Illmatic musically, because nothing was, because that’s what Nas was from 1993-’95: Perfect. Every verse and every line, every word selection was immaculate, and one of the only mistakes hip hop made during said Golden Era was ever putting Nas anywhere but last on a crew track, because he was impossible to follow. To further reinforce my own lack of bias, while I do think Biggie was a more talented rapper, Nas was my personal favorite, and you really can’t argue with anyone who feels this way. Regardless of anything else he’s ever said or done, his brilliance is forever immortalized by the fact that he made Illmatic at the age of 19. I didn’t do anything that didn’t suck until I was 31.
3.Jay: It’s kind of a shame that Jay-Z is now viewed by many as the lesser half to Beyonce, the former part owner of the wack-ass Brooklyn Nets, and some comrade in crime to Kanye West, because to the real headz of my generation he was as pure of an MC as there was, famous for freestyles with Big L on Stretch & Bobbito, and probably writing the most clever, intelligent lyrics about the drug trade ever on his first classic, Reasonable Doubt. Jay has a fantastic voice (and not just in the booth — I’ve seen him live). I think he has greater range than Nas and was a better lyricist than BIG, but in my opinion falls just short of each of them overall, somewhat ironic to the former, whose career he ironically revitalized by killing him in battle in ’01.
4.Kane: My first shout out to the original Golden Era, ’88, which in my opinion is the second to most golden era, but obviously chronologically first. Big Daddy Kane was to the ’94 cats what Run DMC was to Kane: the gifted godfather and forward thinker who brought shit to the next level. Similar to Nas, the biggest mistake producers made in this era was ever putting him anywhere but last on a song. Listen to The Symphony or Don’t Curse, and tell me you don’t lose interest anywhere from 10–30 second after Kane finishes. Throw on Ain’t No Half Steppin’ and tell me the guy on Dear Mama is a better rapper, and I’ll write a letter to your mama! Also, the best MC in Juice wasn’t seen acting, but only heard over the opening credits.
5.Rakim: Okay, I promise this is the last time I mention the voice, but Rakim?! If Jesus really is black, or God is black, or God is Jesus, or any one of the three, then he would definitely sound exactly like Rakim. I’ve also seen him live, and am happy to report that he sounded just as good… just like Rakim… like God or Jesus… although I’m a Jew, so that goes against my beliefs… though not a practicing Jew, so none of this matters, which is why I like Buddhism. Have you heard Paid in Full? If so, then you probably don’t think Tupac is a better rapper. If you still do, then you probably need to hear Paid in Full 10–15 more times. If still, then maybe 30–50 more times. Maybe read more books and watch less TV in between listens, ‘cuz you’re a moron.
6.Pun: Big Pun, and underground white, Brooklyn maniac, Necro, have two things in common: They’re both better than Tupac, and both obviously influenced by Kool G. Rap (who was also better than Tupac), and who could blame them? Desperately biased Nuyoricans argue that Pun was the best ever, and this is exactly what makes them desperately biased Nuyoricans. Pun was great, better even then his style’s forefather, but in my opinion a victim of “Barry Sanders syndrome:” too short a body of work, also mildly underachieved due to weaker teammates. Pun arrived just as hip hop production began falling off, cutting corners by not using break beat samples, and rushing production, consistent with the Internet era that was just then beginning. His sophomore joint sucked ass. He rocked though.
7.All of Wu (except Cappadonna, Masta Killa, U-God, and fine… maybe ODB): Really, if Tupac would have been a member of Wu-Tang it would have mutually benefited all parties and possibly given him a chance at a longer life than signing to that 300-pound, ignorant turd on Death Row. ‘Pac’s black power renegade attitude would have fit perfectly into the five percenter nation of Shao Lin, and he could have fit like another Inspectah Deck: An awesome rapper who almost always has the best verse on every crew track, but you would never want to listen to a solo album of. Wu forever!
12.Ice Cube: Just to remind the reader that I’m not opposed or closed off to west coast rap, Cube was the bomb. By far the best rapper in N.W.A., by even further better than that shit bag movie, Straight Outta Compton; and Jackin’ for Beats would eat I Get Around for lunch any day of the week. As an aside, It Was a Good Day is as lame as Juicy. Real headz don’t bump those jams.
13.LL: Don’t sleep. LL might be “LL” now, but isolate his ability as a rapper and he probably had a range of flow almost as wide as Biggie’s, and a longevity in relativity that comes close to Jay-Z’s. He may have the limpest dick of superfluous acting careers on NCIS, but to me he’ll always be Uncle L… and that is officially the gayest thing I’ve ever written.
14.Juju, Big L, Redman, Guru, Snoop, Prodigy, AZ, KRS, Epick, Grand Puba, Q-Tip and Phife, most of the Boot Camp, G. Rap, Cage, B-Real, and Aesop Rock.
35.Jadakiss: Possibly the greatest one-trick pony in the history of rap, Jada is vastly overrated by true Jadakiss fans and vastly underrated by non-Jadakiss fans. I said I wouldn’t mention the voice anymore, so I won’t, but Jada’s flow is like silky red wine, and bottom line, he’s just had more bangers than ‘Pac. While he frequently reveals great gaps in his grasp of the English language and can be counted on for some corny-ass similes at times, Jada’s battle rap at 50 might be even better than Hit ’Em Up, which is especially impressive since production was inferior.
36.50: Get Rich or Die Tryin’ was the last album I genuinely liked. I know, I know, I’m old and stubborn, closed-minded to the new stuff, biased to the old, but is it bias when one’s favorite jams come from the unanimously agreed upon “Golden Era?” Hmm. Every time Heat came on I felt like it was ’94 again and I was about to bomb a wall with a stolen spray can. I have no idea what 50 Cent is doing nowadays, but his first album and the mix tapes leading up to it were a fantastic last hoorah for myself and like minds.
37.Lauryn: Whether a result of the misogynistic business or the inherently testosterone-driven energy of the music, we can probably count the amount of great female MC’s on one hand, and Lauryn Hill is easily tops. I’ve never seen someone so sexy who my desire to sleep with was actually based more on her talent than physical appearance. I want you so bad, L-Boogie.
38.Cam’ron, Mase, Jeru, Eminem, Kool Keith, MC Lyte, Scarface, I want to say M.O.P. and am genuinely scared not to, but I won’t, Tame One, that guy on No Diggity, Del the Funkee Homosapien, me if I’d applied myself more, Too Short, Necro, Chuck D, maybe Flavor Flav, Mos Def, El-P, Pete Rock and CL.
57.Big Boi, Dre, and Clipse: Southern rappers can rap… as long as they don’t sound like southern rappers. Also, you can totally determine what kind of hip hop fan (and person) someone is by which Outkast album they love.
61.‘Pac: He was pretty good. Mostly over-rated by pretentious folk who think conscious subject matter equals an intelligent product: I.e. Christopher Nolan worshippers. To call back to my INS comparison, I thought ‘Tupac shined most on crew tracks: California Love, Hit ’Em Up, Same Song, etc.
62.Shock G: Only rapper of all time to abbreviate Tupac, “Tu,” instead of “Pac,” probably the whitest, most embarrassing thing he ever put on wax. But Shock was more than just a gimmick in a big nose. He could rap.
I realize to say this will “piss some people off” would be the understatement of the hip hop century, but isn’t that kind of what makes hip hop great? Themes of contention and its fans passionately raging their obtuse views of who is best, who was wack, and who the fuck do you think you are?
I loved Tupac in Juice, love watching him philosophize in documentaries and old videos on Youtube, and even loved a handful of his joints. He was surely special, probably brilliant, if not close to it, and deserves his memory to be so celebrated. But to allege that he was a better rapper than BIG or Nas, or any of the top MC’s of all time is as idiotic and pointless as Bishop shooting the bodega clerk in the back of the head. Holla if you hear me.
Originally published at davidfostercomedyblog.com.
