Finally, something I can write about. Aight, so last night when I arrived at home, I went and checked my Facebook. A fellow Milwaukee rapper replied to something I said about the "new west underground" as I like to call them; artists such as Blu (a LYR-I-CIST), Kendrick Lamar (a current favorite), and Pac Division (group with a lot of buzz), which was the name that caught his attention the most. He later responds with "Pac Div can't be as good as PAC pac" [pretty much hinting that he started listening to rap 5 minutes ago :)].
So I reply with clearing up for him with who Pac Div was, and then perhaps I went a little too far, and put the exclamation point on my statement, by saying that 2Pac was "NOT THAT HOT"....that set off a blitzkrieg with dude. Some of the remarks was playful, however I was dead serious when I said what I said about 2Pac's music....just saying it in my asshole manner.
Then I later tweeted, that if people really take offense that I said what I said, then they obviously don't know shit anyways...So I been in debate with friend/homie/collaborator Brown Man, about the issue....now I'm gonna explain why I said what I said....
Now...call me crazy...or call me an elitist...but everytime that I am asked, who is in your top ten MCs of all-time...and not that I do that shit anyways, 'cause I can't...but Pac is never in there, neither was Biggie at the time, until I picked up Ready To Die, being that I heard Life After Death first.
But as far as top ten ALBUMS...Ready To Die has gotta be around #2 or #3, Illmatic has the top spot forever....Me Against the World, is somewhere around.....maybe #9, #10, if not under #10.....but that's it....
2Pac has always been someone who I considered a legend. No denying that....He made great...CLASSIC songs...had classic collaborations w/everyone (Dre, Snoop, E-40, DJ Quik, MC Breed, Digital Underground, Jodeci)...who's passion in his words and emotions in his vocals, and his statements through his actions, have always been justified. However...I was never able to accept the total package. Which is why almost the ENTIRE Me Against the World album will be in my iTunes/Music player...everything from all his other albums (2Pacalypse, All Eyez On Me, Don Killuminati, Strictly For My...)...you will see maaaybe about 2, 3 songs from each and that's it....and not only that, if I was to make up a list of my favorite West Coast albums...there will be many that I rank before any Pac album that I consider a classic
The Chronic, Straight Outta Compton, Doggystyle, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Death Certificate, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, '93 Til Infinity, Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde....
See....eight albums right there...that I may put before I even mention Pac...you can't call it hating when I can back up the reasoning. Not only that, but you can never really count posthumous releases, because honestly....who knows how long those verses have been released to the public, and then shifted, copied, cut, and pasted, as a fresh new production.
So, at the end of the day, this has nothing to do with elitism, this has to do with how I was raised growing up and how those experiences influenced what I listen to now, and consider great. Me being around my sister back in the days, around the time of the Death Row/Bad Boy beef, and once I finally took this seriously, and being into more conscious/alternative rap from the West (Del, Souls of Mischief, Pharcyde)while at first neglecting then coming into more of the G-Funk music coming from there (Dre, Snoop, Dogg Pound, Nate Dogg, Warren G)...Pac was always in the middle of that to me...It does not mean...that I don't enjoy his music, no more, no less...
.....AND EVEN MORE REASON WHY I DON'T PUT RAPPERS ON GOD COMPLEXES....
So, whether or not my words gets misconstrued again, let it be known that I have every right and feel that I have learned the game long enough, to make statements like this, and always be ready, willing, and able to defend myself, if there was ever a need to...I don't think there is a legit reason to do that here...but of course...people's feelings get hurt....and if you are...I think a lot of people are confusing what I said....to THIS...
Very different....so all of you that take it differently, it's about time you start to crawl your way out of that box you're so comfortable in, and expand your minds outside of what you already know about rap music and its artists...then you can read this a lot differently then what you probably will now......ya'll know who you are.
.....But to end this rant on a good note....I can definitely say that this was a definite favorite of mines...and pretty much shatters all negativity shown towards my somewhat east-coast favoritism.
