BIG & PAC

In 2010, do you think that the unfortunate and untimely deaths of these two legends are still being felt in hip hop today? (I know this may be an obvious question, but it's an interesting one that I would like to discuss.)

Absolutely! The game would be much better with them in it than without them. I think if they were in the game, they both would have dropped even more classics, and raised the bar for other MC's to follow.

KJ Styles wrote:

Absolutely! The game would be much better with them in it than without them. I think if they were in the game, they both would have dropped even more classics, and raised the bar for other MC's to follow.

The game would be so much better, so I cosign with you on that one.

I don't think it has that much of an effect in the sense that the kids that are making music today aren't really familiar with their influence. It changed things in the industry, for sure...but I don't think the effects will be all that long lasting in the minds of anyone under the age of 26...

they would be doing what all people from their era would be doing... either not evolving and staying content with a small, but loyal fan base, or adapting with the times (selling out) and remaining relevant. Those are the only real choices there.

I mean I think Pac would very much have followed a Snoop curve to his career. I think Biggie would have followed a ghostface path to his career.

Both have remained relevant, they both had to come out of their comfort zone to do so, but they both show flashes of their old selves. Granted, big and pac were bigger than snoop and ghost, but BONE was just as big as Pac and Big and you see how their career has played out.

true, but before Pac died he was on the verge of starting his own label and squashing his beef with the east by signing Gang Starr, Boot Camp, and Wu-Tang to that label. Shame that never materialized.

If I am not mistaken Gangstarr remained committed to Virgin to this day, part of the reason Guru left... Boot Camp was commited as well through the 2000s and Wu was committed to their label through the 2000s as well...so I don't really see how pac was going to make that happen or how it would have changed much of anything.

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

If I am not mistaken Gangstarr remained committed to Virgin to this day, part of the reason Guru left... Boot Camp was commited as well through the 2000s and Wu was committed to their label through the 2000s as well...so I don't really see how pac was going to make that happen or how it would have changed much of anything.

well Pac died so they never had that chance

No, I am just saying, contractually it was impossible without Pac buying out millions in contracts from each group... which he did not have and doing so would have set up the label for failure from the start.

Bushido Brown wrote:

I don't think it has that much of an effect in the sense that the kids that are making music today aren't really familiar with their influence. It changed things in the industry, for sure...but I don't think the effects will be all that long lasting in the minds of anyone under the age of 26...

WOW!!

I gotta co-sign this...

Big and Pac's influence in 2010 would be remote if they were still here I think...they both might be on Fatbeats Records, Babygrande or Koch by now being looked at as the veteran artists they would be by now...the kids of today (outside of Jay-Z) aren't trying to hear any "old school" artists like that...they want B.O.B., Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Lupe, etc..etc..

the hip-hop audience is the most fickle audience around and most of them show no loyalty whatsoever...which is why you see former big name hip-hop artists being pushed below the surface so these so called new HOT cats can shine above ground....Big and Pac would've probably have had to go through this too!

Let's keep wayne out of this Powell.. his debut as part of a group came around the same time as Pac and Biggie's debuts.

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

Let's keep wayne out of this Powell.. his debut as part of a group came around the same time as Pac and Biggie's debuts.

It was around 1998 or so, but that's besides the point. Back then, Wayne was like the 3rd most popular Hot Boy, and he didn't officially blow up as a solo artist until the middle part of the decade so the kids today identify with him.

That said, I disagree with Powell. I see some influence of both Biggie and Pac in today's artists, and most kids that have heard them bump their shit. Furthermore, if they were still here I don't think very many people would have ever considered Jay-Z the best rapper alive.

1995 sir

KJ Styles wrote:

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

Let's keep wayne out of this Powell.. his debut as part of a group came around the same time as Pac and Biggie's debuts.

It was around 1998 or so, but that's besides the point. Back then, Wayne was like the 3rd most popular Hot Boy, and he didn't officially blow up as a solo artist until the middle part of the decade so the kids today identify with him.

That said, I disagree with Powell. I see some influence of both Biggie and Pac in today's artists, and most kids that have heard them bump their shit. Furthermore, if they were still here I don't think very many people would have ever considered Jay-Z the best rapper alive.

KJ they became more popular with death man...that is one of the reasons why...Big and Pac were no larger back in the dayz then let's say Ice Cube or Heavy D as an examples

did you know that Heavy D made a full reggae album last year?? I'm sure you did but how many kids under 26 were interested enough to actually hear it?? and why is he not on a major label anymore?? Why would a Marley Marl and KRS-One recording go largely unnoticed by the mainstream but if they had made that same recording back in say 1990 it would've probably have been the one of the largest projects to come out that year?? and why was it released on Koch?

do you see where I'm going man?? Big and Pac dying actually helped to keep them more relevant than if they were still alive man..

as for Lil Wayne, yes he has been out for awhile but these kids in 2010 have claimed him as one of their own.....him...Nikki Minaj.....Drake...Cudi..etc are all part of that new school of emcees...Lil Wayne is the man right now..back in 1995 nobody even thought about him man...samething with 1998...he was one of the Hot Boys but Juvenile led that crew...B.G. was larger than Wayne too back then...this is Wayne's time to shine...right now in 2010 and beyond!

Actually true story was around 1994 and let's not front like Pac was making hits from the start. He wasn't a true star til me against the world.

but now people want to qualify it? who cares... Wayne recorded an EP in 1994 and has been in the rap game sense... he has been able to keep relevant and adapt with the times... he is one of pac and big's contemporaries just like anyone else from that era... you fools let the hate blind you and sound foolish because of it.

Umm Pedro Wayne was not fuckin relevant in 1994...cut that bullshit out.....Pac was relevant in 1991 and Biggie was relevant in 1994

Wayne was not a fuckin peer of those 2 man...kill that southern bullshit and stick it up your taco man!

trying selling that to someone whose interested in buying man....lol

Wayne's most relevant time period is NOW....this is clear, simple and plain...as the nose on your face....his relevance has grown throughout the 2000's my dude...Biggie dropped in 1992 on a Heavy D project (Blue Funk to be exact) but his ass wasn't relevant then...just like Wayne wasn't relevant in 1994, LMAO!!! as others have said to you and others many times on here: GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!

" I see some influence of both Biggie and Pac in today's artists, and most kids that have heard them bump their shit"

Ask these kids to name three Tupac albums. They won't be able to. They only bump a certain number of songs by either artist. That makes Biggie and Tupac no different than other artists these kids bump these days.

Hmmm Pedro says that 2Pac wasn't a "true" star until Me Against The World

well then that pretty much eliminates Strictly For My N*i*g*g*a*z* and 2Pacalypse Now both of which contained some pretty decent hits for the boy...especially Brenda's Got A Baby...Trapped....Keep Your Head Up and I Get Around....LMAO


Kill it Pedro!