Jan 22, 2017 i would also point out that the general meme of "critics are pretentious" isn't just reductive, it's wrong, at least of good critics. good critics make it a point to widen the (traditionally narrow) scope of what's considered great rap.
Jan 24, 2017 Yes there are MANY rappers with better technical rap skills than Biggie (not the least the dude who's section we're in right now :D) but biggie combined funky, awkward, technical flows with real life every day struggle, sex appeal (as a huge, fat black dude) and dropped commercial hit singles that were played EVERYWHERE. Commercial rap prior to biggie was mostly (not all) cheesy, formulaic s---. But biggie brought real life struggle, real life stories, real hardcore rap to the mainstream. He brought hardcore hip hop to the masses. This alone is why he's the GOAT, in my humble option. But I agree with your overall point. There are many rappers who have more technical, complex flows than biggie.
Jan 24, 2017 im not talking only about flow tho , i was just naming his strongest point and that there are rappers who outdo him even in that category
Jan 24, 2017 the only people who say this are stans, you need to study more on the culture besides listening to one single artist.
Jan 24, 2017 You literally could have posted anything else, but you chose a video of him sitting awkwardly close to a silver haired h---------- and rhyming the word "orange" as reason to call him the greatest rapper .
Jan 24, 2017 I hear ya. And you are right. Take any individual category we use to rate rappers, you can almost definitely find people better than biggie. But collectively, you'll be hard pressed to find someone who scores so highly in each category, is as well rounded, and a complete package. That was my overarching point. Biggie was the complete package. It's an age old debate at this point. And there is no right answer, because, ultimately music is subjective. For me, I'm greatly influenced by Biggie because I was a kid only listening to rap in elementary school. My older brother had records from PE, EPMD, Tha Alkoholiks, LL, Run, etc. In elementary, i was obsessed with Tribe's Lowe End Theory and specifically Scenario (this was the first rap song I ever heard and I was hooked for life, it's the only music I listen to regularly to this day), Naughty by Nature, LL Cool J, Run DMC, etc. But when I started 6th grade, Ready To Die came out and f---ing destroyed me, it changed my life forever. I was literally blown away by this dude. So was everyone else once he crossed over into mainstream radio. Hip hop was never the same. Edit: f--- me. I need to shorten these f---ing posts. They look absurd. I need to learn how to just get to the god d--- point.
Jan 24, 2017 Good post though fam. Im not sure biggie has enuf material to be the GOAT. I've had this debate myself soooo many times and biggie is one of my favourite rappers of all time not to mention up there with the very best mc's to do it, but 2 and a half albums maaan? That kills it. Rip christopher wallace man.
Jan 24, 2017 Yup, you sir are spot on. I totally hear ya. I've struggled with that too. His lack of albums or lack of content is definitely the Achilles heel to the GOAT argument. Ready To Die is, in my opinion, the greatest rap album of all time. He followed that up with an incredible double album that many say is classic or an all time great. Is that enough to be the GOAT?? You're right, that's arguably the most critical question. I used to go back and forth between him and Pac as the bonafide GOAT but I've been stoutly in the "Biggie is the GOAT" camp for many years now. Pac is right there though on my list. My list is basically 1A and 1B then 3rd, 4th, and 5th haha My GOAT top 5 is (hopefully) an objective ranking. My personal top 5 favorites is very different from my GOAT top 5. Hope that makes sense.
Jan 24, 2017 on studio leaks you had eminem in your top 30 greatest rappers of all-time list. you must change your mind a lot on rap basement you said slug was the greatest rapper ever. you even made a whole thread about it. now you're saying biggie is which one is it?
