The Simple Reason Why Tupac Is Better Than Biggie

In hip-hop and rap, there is an age old battle that turns brother against brother, sister against sister, friend against friend and sometimes even turns violent. It is the debate over who holds the crown as best rapper of the 90’s, some would even say of all time, between Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. It is the personification of the East Coast versus the West Coat. It is a battle of two murdered stars, taken in their primes, both with controversy clouding their deaths.

But when it comes down to who is the best, the answer is quite simple as Tupac takes the throne. It isn’t because Makaveli has a better flow, better word play, or even better beats. It actually has nothing to do with the sound at all for me, which may be shocking to some. The reason is because Tupac was for the people and Biggie was generally for himself.

Now of course Shakur has his infamous “Hit Em Up” diss track and his fair share of ego driven, women objectifying songs, but overall his message was to free the people from mental and physical slavery put forth by the police, government, and our environment. Tupac’s hit “Changes”, best personifies this idea and the video for the song gives viewers a glimpse to the wise words spoken outside of his music.

Tupac’s mother, Afini Shakur, is a former Black Panther Party member, along with many of his other family members, including is step-father. So from birth, Shakur was raised in an activist home that had an emphasis on community pride and anti-authoritarianism, which is clearly seen in his music. Tupac also grew up in a rough neighborhood and his mother was battling substance abuse, so he was no stranger to the hardships of growing up in the hood of New York and often wrote songs about growing up in that world. This reflection in his music, helped those struggling with the same issues find hope and gave others a glimpse into a world they may have often judged, but not understood.

“Tupac also envisioned the concept for one the tattoos on his chest which reads,“50 Niggaz” and has an image of an AK-47 assault rifle. Meaning that if 1 African-American came together in each state, one for each state in America, that there would be no stopping them, they could achieve anything.” writes John Good Vibes in an article on Tupac’s life and controversial death.

When Shakur was in prison for eight months, he studied and eventually changed his rap name in honor of Nicolo Machiavelli. A historic Italian man who’s work is famous for showing us how we are ruled by Kings and governments. Another example of Tupac’s dedication to the people and freedom from the chains that nine us. As an interesting side note, Nicolo Machiavelli wrote about faking his own death to trick his enemies and is one of the reasons so many believe Tupac to be alive today. But as the controversy over his death continues, we can at least put a lid on the Biggie debate, as Tupac’s music and persona has transcended time because of it’s message and impact on the generations of today and tomorrow.