The Top 4 Hip-Hop/Rap Artists of All Time – 1: Tupac

1: Tupac

Born Tupac Amaru Shakur on June 16, 1971 the number 1 hip-hop/rap artist of all time was commonly referred by his stage names 2Pac (Pac) and Makaveli. “Pac” began his career as a backup dancer for the alternative hip-hop group Digital Underground, where he eventually branched off into a solo artist. Pac has sold in excess of 75 million albums worldwide as per recorded in 2010, thus making him one of the best-selling music artist in any genre in the world. MTV ranked him at number two on their list of ‘The Greatest MC’s of All Time’ and Rolling Stone listed him as the 86th Greatest Artist of All Time.

Pac was mostly remembered for the breathtaking and ever-present relevance in his music which focused on the themes of violence, hardship, racism and other social problems that still exist until today. During the end of Pac’s life, he become an ‘ambassador’ of sorts in the highly publicised East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry, constantly being a key participant in conflicts with other big names, most notably the previously mentioned, ‘The Notorious B.I.G‘ and his label, ‘Bad Boy Records.’ Unfortunately, Pac’s involvement in such affairs led him to be a victim of many murder attempts and some may say, even his eventual death. On September 7, 1996, Pac was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He met his untimely death six days later and was heavily mourned due to his innumerable fan base.

‘All Eyez on Me‘ was Tupac’s fourth studio album, which came out just four months after he was released on bail for sexual assault and barely a year after he was shot. This album is very commonly recognised as one of the crowning and defining moments of 1990’s rap music. Also to note, this album marked Tupac’s newly formed allegiance with the West Coast’s powerhouse rap dynasty, Death Row Records. This album also made history as the first double-full-length hip-hop solo studio album released for mass consumption.

REVIEW: All Eyez on Me

The notion of a classic album is the most overused word in the hip-hop culture but the use of such a title for this album would not look out of place for the majority. As complex as Tupac was prior to his jail sentence and first shooting, the drama of events that followed pushed Tupac to new heights and doubled the complexities of himself as an individual. This effect was bound to affect his music and it is this very contradictory nature that made his music so attractive. One minute he would be the thug, the the other minute he would be vulnerable, the next he would display his paranoia and snap back to his attitude of not caring about anything.

He previously wrote some of the most woman-adoring songs in rap in, “Keep Your Head Up” and “Dear Mama“, followed up by constantly throwing down rhymes about ho’s and b*tches. However, this was not the case in this album. Tupac emerged hardened and hungry with this album. With all surrounding controversy, it seemed this colossal artist wanted to release a monumental epic where the sheer scope of the project makes it an achievement itself. But importantly, the ablum is an unabashed embrace of the ‘gangsta’ lifestyle, which is backed off with the sober self-recognition in “Me Against the World“.

The production on the album is easily the best of all Tupac’s albums. The brilliance provided by Dr. Dre in a rap classic, “California Love” and the anthemic duet with Snoop Dogg in “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” are two songs that any rap listener, and perhaps extended to music listeners in general, would have heard or know the scale of importance on these songs. Other notable songs include “Ambitionz Az a Ridah“, “Only God Can Judge Me“, “How Do U Want It“, “I Ain’t Mad Atcha” and “Picture Me Rollin’“.

To conclude, it was this volatile and compelling personality that cement 2Pac as a rap icon and the reason why he is seen as the number 1 artist in the hip-hop/rap of all time. Erratic as this album may be, it is the driving feature that provides the assurance of this album as a must-have, must-listen and must-be-favourited-as-number-1. Tupac may not have had the lyrical flow and prowess of other notable artists as The Notorious B.I.G or Nas, but it was the raw passion, emotion and straight thuggery that Tupac brought to the stage which sets him apart. Also, the contents of his songs are that of a transcending in the nature of time and the issues that are presented are still relevant to that of today’s.

ALBUM RATING: 5/5

The Top 4 Hip-Hop/Rap Artists of All Time – 2: THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G

2: The Notorious B.I.G

Born Christopher George Latore Wallace on May 21, 1972, best known as The Notorious B.I.G, also commonly referred to as Biggie Smalls, Biggie, Big, Big Poppa and Frank White. “Biggie” was raised in the streets of Brooklyn, New York City, like many influential and memorable rap game changers in the era. Biggie’s debut album release of “Ready to Die” (1994) propelled him into transforming into a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene, resulting in an increase of New York’s recognition in the predominantly West Coast dominated genre. The successive year, Biggie, along with his entrusted childhood circle of friends, reached chart success as a group in the form of, ‘Junior M.A.F.I.A‘. During the recording of Biggie’s second album, he was the forerunner in the East Coast/West Coast feud, mostly led charge by himself and Tupac Shakur.

On March 9, 1997, Biggie was assassinated by an unknown shooter in a drive-by in Los Angeles. His next album, “Life After Death” was released posthumously only 16 days after his death, later rising to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and being certified ‘Diamond’ in 2000, becoming one of few hip hop albums to receive this high praise. This larger than life figure was noted for his ‘”loose, easy flow”, dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his passing, two further albums have been released, amounting to an amount of 17 million units in the U.S in certified sales.

Biggie did not set out to become a musician in any form. He always excelled  in school but once the drug market got a hold of him, he found it hard to resist. Upon being arrested and sentenced to nine months in jail, he turned to music. Once released, he created his own cover with no intention of being signed but it received amazing reception and that changed things forever..

‘Ready to Die‘ was released in 1994, reaching to the height of No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart and eventually certified four times Platinum. At the time, West Coast hip hop was the prominent force in music lead by none other than close friend turned arch enemy, Tupac Shakur. This album, according to Rolling Stones, “single-handedly shifted the focus back to East Coast rap.”

REVIEW: Ready to Die

West Coast hip hop is buzzing out of the speakers of all. Death Row Records, led by Dr. Dre’s unique brand of g-funk, is a leading force in the industry. The East Coast are reclining in their chairs and seeing their dominance of the rap game fade. Enter The Notorious B.I.G. This was the climate Biggie faced upon entry and unleashing of his ‘Ready to Die‘ album. This album is Biggie’s defining art, filled with painful recollections as oppose to fond memories. It was the album that brought the East Coast back into the thoughts of everyone and redefined the mid-90’s sound to which many of us grew up to. Still, only one description is fitting – classic.

Using well-placed changes in tonality and vocal inflections, Biggie manifests stellar works of art in songs like “Gimme the Loot“, a schizophrenic gesture and admiration to armed robbery. By reflecting the thought process of two identities looking to prosper the ski-mask way on this ultimate stick-up anthem, he exudes creativity and a knack for dramatic storytelling. It is this talent that remains constant throughout the album, in that it is usually standard for emcees to talk about violence, but Biggie took it to a whole new level. The seamless transition between moods and characters take the listener on a journey where they believe they are sitting down with a friend that recalls a story about past exploits, a skill that the majority of artists lack.

Biggie begins by delivering chilling lyrics in which he wishes for death in “Everyday Struggle” and then poetically moves onto further into that desire in “Suicidal Thoughts“. Despite his persistent depression, this remarkable artist brushes off the dirt on his shoulder and reveals a softer and vulnerable side. The celebratory “Juicy” remains as one of Biggie’s most notable, greatest and most-revealing songs. Part-autobigoraphy, part-decleration of success, it rekindles the kind hearted and innocent nature most people experience in life. These feelings can be summed-up with great ease in his following lyrics, “Birthdays was the worst days/Now we sip champagne when we thirsty/Uh, damn right I like the life I live/’Cause I went from negative to positive and it’s all… (It’s all good).”

To conclude, the tracks “Juicy” and lady-enticing, panty-dropper “Big Poppa” help humanise the gun-toting-crazy artist. It is this, despite the album displaying Biggie’s deeply-rooted uncaring attitude towards life and violence, that takes away from the Bad Boy image. This is the reason that innumerable emcees have tried in vain to reignite the ability of The Notorious B.I.G in simultaneously holding the respect of peers whilst swaying over the general public too. Most of all, this is the reason why this redeeming quality cements ‘Ready to Die’ in the category of must-have for any music enthusiast as the album was part of a major shift in power and change in direction in the genre of rap and hip hop. This album is easily a classic and in my opinion, on-par, if not better, than Nas’ “Illmatic”.

ALBUM RATING: 5/5