Why Tupac and Biggie Had Beef
The E Declension–Due west Coast hip hop rivalry was a feud between artists and fans of the Eastward Coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop scenes in the Us, specially from the mid-1990s.[1] Focal points of the feud were East Coast–based rapper The Notorious B.I.G. with Puff Daddy and their New York City–based characterization, Bad Boy Records, and West Declension–based rapper Tupac Shakur with Suge Knight and their Los Angeles-based label, Death Row Records. The feud culminated in the murders of both rappers in bulldoze-by shootings. Although several suspects accept been identified, both murders remain unsolved.
Rivalry [edit]
Background [edit]
Modern hip hop culture and rap music is widely considered to have originated on the East Coast of the United States in New York City.[2] [three] [4] As a effect, New York rappers were oftentimes perceived as feeling their hip hop scene was superior to other regional hip hop cultures whereas those on the Westward Coast of the United states had developed an inferiority complex.[5] [6]
Past the belatedly-1980s, however, West Coast hip hop was flourishing, led by acts such as Compton, California's N.W.A. On November 12, 1991, Bronx rapper Tim Dog released the anthology Penicillin on Wax.[7] Information technology contained several skits which mocked Due west Declension artists and a diss rail directed at the members of N.Due west.A including Dr. Dre entitled "Fuck Compton." Dr. Dre would respond a yr later on his debut solo album, The Chronic.[seven] Although Tim Dog would non figure into the later stages of the feud, his diss track presaged what was to come.[vii] [8]
In 1991, Suge Knight co-founded Expiry Row Records in Los Angeles alongside Dr. Dre, Dick Griffey and The D.O.C.[9] Knight, a native of Compton, California and a Blood,[ten] was among those in the W Coast hip hop scene irritated by the Due east Coast'due south perceived condescension toward the West.[vi]
In 1993, fledgling A&R executive and record producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs founded the New York-centered hip-hop label, Bad Boy Records.[xi] [12] The next twelvemonth, the label'southward debut releases by Brooklyn-based rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (as well known every bit Biggie Smalls)[13] and Long Island–based rapper Craig Mack became immediate disquisitional and commercial successes.[fourteen]
Past 1994, New York-born, California-based rapper and role player Tupac "2Pac" Shakur had released two successful albums and starred in 3 movies. However, at the same time, his career was in jeopardy as he was low on coin and standing trial in New York City on charges of sexual abuse, sodomy, and weapons possession.[xv]
Quad Studios shooting [edit]
On Nov 30, 1994, 2Pac was scheduled to record a verse with Little Shawn at Quad Studios in Manhattan to help pay his legal fees. As he arrived, members of Junior M.A.F.I.A., a Bad Boy Records grouping, shouted greetings to 2Pac on the street beneath. One time he entered the edifice, two gunmen ordered everyone in the lobby to the floor. When 2Pac hesitated, he was shot five times and robbed. As 2Pac was taken out on a stretcher, he gave the middle finger to Biggie and other Bad Male child affiliates who were nowadays.[xv]
Two days afterwards, 2Pac was bedevilled of sexual abuse.[sixteen] Afterward, 2Pac implied in an interview with Kevin Powell of Vibe that Biggie, Puff Daddy and Uptown Records head Andre Harrell were involved in or responsible for the attack at Quad Studios.[17] Betwixt when that interview was given and when the article was published, Puff Daddy had visited 2Pac at Rikers Island and assured him that Bad Male child was not involved in the shooting.[6]
C'mere c'mere ... open your fucking mouth ... Didn't I tell you not to fuck with me? ... Tin't talk with a gun in your oral cavity huh? ... Bitch-ass nigga, what?
- The Notorious B.I.Thousand.
In Feb 1995, "Who Shot Ya?," a B-side track from Biggie'south "Big Poppa" single was released. Although Combs and Biggie denied having annihilation to do with the shooting and stated that "Who Shot Ya?" had been recorded before the shooting,[19] 2Pac interpreted it every bit a taunt directed at him.[20] [21] [22]
Source Awards [edit]
On August iii, 1995, Suge Knight took a dig at Puff Daddy at that year'southward Source Awards in New York City, announcing to the associates of artists and industry figures: "Any creative person out in that location that want to be an artist and desire to stay a star, and don't want to have to worry virtually the executive producer trying to be all in the videos ... All on the records ... dancing, come up to Death Row!" - referring to Combs' trend to announced in his artists' music videos and perform ad-libs in their songs.[23] [24] To the New York audience, Knight's comments seemed a slight to the entire Due east Coast hip hop scene, and resulted in boos from the crowd.[25]
The oversupply booed again when Dr. Dre was named Producer of the Twelvemonth. In response to the boos, Death Row artist Snoop Doggy Dogg took the microphone from Dr. Dre and asked the oversupply: "The east coast ain't got no love for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and Decease Row? Y'all don't love u.s.a.? Y'all don't dear us?! Well, let it be known then! We don't requite a fuck. We know y'all e declension! Nosotros know where the fuck we at!"[6]
Puff Daddy later took the stage as a presenter and told the audience: "[A]ll this East and Due west—that needs to stop. So requite it up for everybody from the East and the W that won tonight. One dear."[6]
Murder of "Large Jake" Robles, release of 2Pac, diss tracks [edit]
Problems continued the following month when Suge Knight and Puff Daddy attended a birthday party for musician Jermaine Dupri at Platinum Firm club in Atlanta. Conflict between the two groups spilled exterior the lodge and Jai "Big Jake" Robles, a shut friend of Knight's and a Death Row Blood chapter, was fatally shot as he was getting into a limousine.[6] Knight accused Combs (also in attendance) of beingness involved in the shooting.[26] [27]
Shortly afterward Robles' decease, Knight secured 2Pac'southward release from prison past posting his $i.4 million bond, flying across the country and renting a limousine to pick him upwards from Clinton Correctional Facility.[vi] Shortly after his release, 2Pac proceeded to bring together Knight in escalating Death Row's feud with Bad Boy Records.[eighteen] 2Pac insulted or threatened Biggie, Bad Boy and its affiliates on several tracks from belatedly 1995 to 1996. Examples include the songs "Against All Odds," "Bomb First (My Second Reply)" and "Hitting 'Em Upwards."[28] [29]
Who shot me? Only ya punks didn't finish at present you 'tour to feel the wrath of a menace nigga, I hit 'em up!
- 2Pac
Queens group Mobb Deep, which had been called out by name in 2Pac's "Hit 'Em Upward," released "Drop a Precious stone on 'Em" in Baronial 1996 every bit a direct response. In 2011, Mobb Deep's Prodigy recalled his reaction after hearing Hitting 'Em Up: "As shortly as we heard Tupac saying annihilation about Mobb Deep, nosotros went in and made that shit near him. We were like, 'Fuck this nigga, we going right at this nigga and whoever the fuck he's downward with.'"[thirty]
2Pac besides interpreted New York rapper LL Cool J'southward 1995 track "I Shot Ya" every bit a diss track referring to the Quad Studios shooting.[31] In 1996, 2Pac confronted Keith Murray, who was featured on the track, at the California House of Dejection. Murray made information technology clear that the record was not nigh 2Pac.[32]
Although Biggie never released an explicit retaliation tape, Junior Grand.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Cease claimed in a XXL interview that 2Pac was the subject field of Biggie's track "Long Osculation Goodnight." Puff Daddy, however, steadfastly denied this theory, arguing that if Biggie were to diss 2Pac, he would have called him out by name.[33]
During this time, the media became heavily involved and dubbed the rivalry a coastal rap war, reporting on it continually.[34] [35] This caused fans from both scenes to take sides.[fourteen]
Faith Evans [edit]
In November 1995, 2Pac met Biggie's estranged wife, Bad Male child singer Organized religion Evans, at a political party and agreed to pay her $250,000 to sing on one of his tracks. According to Evans, later on she recorded her role, 2Pac refused to pay her unless she had sex activity with him and she declined.[36]
While Evans connected to deny rumors that she was involved romantically or sexually with 2Pac, Suge Knight and 2Pac were doing the opposite. In January 1996, they hinted to Lynn Hirschberg of The New York Times that he was in a relationship with Evans in that she had given him gifts and he had repaid her those gifts with what he implied were sexual favors.[37] Biggie flew into a rage after hearing almost the Times article and aggressively confronted Evans. Publicly, however, he tried to brush it off as a joke.[36] Subsequently, in "Hit 'Em Up," 2Pac made his insinuations explicit, going and so far equally to say "I fucked your bitch, y'all fat motherfucker" and "you claim to be a player simply I fucked your wife."[38]
Hip hop writers including Newsweek's Allison Samuels and The Source 's Kierna Mayo described Evans as "a pawn" in 2Pac's revenge plot against Biggie and the power struggle between the two men. She was not portrayed sympathetically in the media.[36] Vibe joked in March 1996 that Evans was "losing weight from all that running back and forth between the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac."[39]
"New York, New York" [edit]
In December 1995, Tha Dogg Pound, a Death Row group, was in Red Hook, Brooklyn filming the music video for their single "New York, New York." The music for the song used a beat out that Biggie had rapped over in a commercial for St. Ides.[36] Biggie called into local hip hop station Hot 97 and said "Red Hook [is where Tha Dogg Pound and 2Pac are] shooting a video. Brooklyn, stand up!" according to Snoop Doggy Dogg's recollection. Tha Dogg Pound, who were listening to the radio at the fourth dimension, interpreted it equally a friendly sentiment and thought Biggie was summoning fans to their video ready.[xl] Shortly after the call, however, shots were fired at Tha Dogg Pound's trailer on the video prepare. The gunman was never identified. Later on the shooting, a scene was added to the music video showing Snoop Dogg destroying buildings and cars in New York City like Godzilla.[36] In 1996, Due east Declension rappers Capone-N-Noreaga, Mobb Deep and Tragedy Khadafi recorded a improvement diss entitled "L.A., 50.A." It was released in 1996 on Penalty Recordings.[41]
Tupac vs. The Notorious B.I.K. [edit]
On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was shot in a drive-by shooting at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas, Nevada.[42] He was taken to the University Medical Heart of Southern Nevada, where he died half-dozen days afterwards. In 2002, Chuck Phillips wrote the commodity "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?"[43] reporting that, "the shooting was carried out by a Compton gang called the Southside Crips to avenge the beating of 1 of its members by Shakur a few hours earlier ... Orlando Anderson, the Crip whom Shakur had attacked, fired the fatal shots. Las Vegas police discounted Anderson as a doubtable and interviewed him only once, briefly. He was afterwards killed in an "unrelated gang shooting" about 2 years later on May 29, 1998. The Phillips article and its follow-upward, "How Vegas Police Probe Floundered in Tupac Shakur Instance"[44] also implicated Eastward Coast rappers including Biggie Smalls.
Six months after Tupac's death, on March 9, 1997, The Notorious B.I.Thousand. was killed in a drive-past shooting by an unknown attacker in Los Angeles, California.
Efforts at reconciliation [edit]
On September 22, 1996, a peace tiptop was convened at Mosque Maryam past Louis Farrakhan in the wake of the murder of 2Pac,[45] and another later on the shooting of Biggie Smalls in March 1997.[46] [47]
In February 1997, Snoop Dogg and Combs held a printing briefing where they called for an terminate to the East Coast–West Coast rap feud that had already claimed the life of 2Pac. "Kids around the world are watching," Snoop said. "By calling for a truce we're giving them something to alive for." However, their efforts failed to stop the violence; less than a month later, The Notorious B.I.G. was killed in a shooting.[48]
References [edit]
- ^ "LAPD apologizes to Notorious B.I.G.'south family". The states Today. 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2019-11-25 .
- ^ Millar, Aaron (19 May 2018). "New York: the birthplace of hip hop". National Geographic . Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ "Hip-Hop: A Culture of Vision and Vocalism". Kennedy Centre. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ Swanson, Abbie Fentress (August 2, 2010). "The South Bronx: Where Hip-Hop Was Born". WNYC. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ Quinn, Eithne (2005). Nuthin' But a "One thousand" Thang: The Culture and Commerce of Gangsta Rap. Columbia University Printing. p. 84. ISBN978-0-231-12408-9 . Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f yard Anderson, Joel (fourteen Feb 2020). "Slow Fire Flavour 3, Episode iii: What's Beefiness?". Slate . Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Madden, Sidney (November 12, 2016). "Today in Hip-Hop: Tim Dog Drops 'Pencillin on Wax' Album". XXL Mag . Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Barber, Andrew; Tharpe, Frazier (Oct xiii, 2018). "The 50 Best Hip-Hop Diss Songs". Complex . Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Hodge, Kyle (March 27, 2017). "Tupac's Rock and Scroll Hall of Fame Ceremony Might Be a Mini Death Row Records Reunion". VH1 News. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ Bakare, Lanre (thirty January 2015). "Life and times of Suge Knight — the fall of Compton's notorious music mogul". The Guardian . Retrieved 24 Nov 2021.
- ^ "Interview with Marker Pitts". HitQuarters. April 26, 2006. Retrieved November fourteen, 2011.
- ^ "Alumni Message - Alumni - Harvard Business School". Alumni.hbs.edu . Retrieved 2016-09-28 .
- ^ "Slain rapper Notorious B.I.G. was 'ready to die'". The Atlanta Periodical-Constitution. March ten, 1997.
- ^ a b "Why the West is Winning: Milwaukee players talk about the rap wars between the coasts". Milwaukee Periodical Sentinel. May x, 1995. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ a b Anderson, Joel (14 February 2020). "Slow Burn Season 3, Episode 1: Against the Earth". Slate . Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ Perez-Pena, Richard (2 December 1994). "Wounded Rapper Gets Mixed Verdict In Sex-Abuse Example". The New York Times . Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ Powell, Kevin (14 February 2021). "Ready to Live". Vibe (April 1995). Retrieved 25 Nov 2021.
- ^ a b "Notorious B.I.K. Lyrics- "Who Shot Ya"". AZ Lyrics.
- ^ "Big Life: The rising and fall of Biggie Smalls". The Guardian. January 31, 2009.
- ^ "Gangsta rap: Due east Declension vs West Coast". New Straits Times. May 21, 1997. Retrieved Dec 17, 2013.
- ^ "Requiem for a Gangsta". Newsweek. March 24, 1997. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
- ^ "Fifty.A. Times Links Diddy to 1994 Shooting of Tupac". The Boom Box. March 17, 2008. Retrieved December six, 2011.
- ^ "A Source Of Trouble Shots, suits & shaky circulation threaten to rip apart hip-hop magazine". New York Daily News. August 3, 2005. Retrieved Dec 17, 2013.
- ^ "The Turbulent Life and Times Of a Rap Mogul". The Washington Postal service. June 17, 2007. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
- ^ "The Rap Column: Notorious Wins B.I.K., Small Regional Fracas Amid Highlights Of Awards". Billboard. August 26, 1995. Retrieved 17 Dec 2016.
- ^ "MTV party shooting revives rap wars". The Times. August 29, 2005. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
- ^ "Police force probe Puff Daddy on Atlanta killing". The Sunday Times. January 28, 2001.
- ^ "Homo Says He Shot Tupac at Quad Studio". The Root. June 16, 2011. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved December vi, 2011.
- ^ "Biggie Smalls was murdered 12 years ago. Now Jamal Woolard'southward portrayal of the rapper in Notorious is bringing hurting amongst the plaudits, such is his uncanny likeness to him". The Scotsman. January 13, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
- ^ Ahmed, Insanul (May 12, 2011). "Prodigy Breaks Down His 25 Most Essential Songs". Complex . Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ VIBE, Staff (13 September 2010). "Tupac Talks 'Hit Em Up' Vs. 'Who Shot Ya?' (Pg. 2)". www.vibe.com.
Niggas been talking shit all while I was in jail. "Who Shot Ya?" 50.L. [Cool J] got a vocal "I Shot Ya." Even if it ain't most me, nigga, y'all should be similar, I'yard non putting it out crusade he might recall information technology's about him.
- ^ Harling, Danielle (August 7, 2014). "Keith Murray Recalls Tupac Approaching Him Over "I Shot Ya"". world wide web.hiphopdx.com.
Residuum in peace to Tupac. I love and respect Tupac to death. I'grand not talking bad about Tupac or nothing like that. It'due south only an incident. So, he came up. Walked upward and he was like 'Nah, I just wanted to know because we had—I got shot 5 times. You lot know what I'chiliad saying? In New York, then I thought niggas was talking about me'…I tin empathize why he did that…We was squaring off. Everybody had knives on 'em. But we diffused it and it was peace afterward that.
- ^ "8 Subliminal Diss Records That No One Claims". XXL. Nov five, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
- ^ "THE RAP WARS / Due east COAST VS. Westward COAST". Newsday. September 23, 1996.
- ^ "Gangsta Life And Death; For Tupac Shakur, Violence Was Part of the Act". The Washington Mail. September xvi, 1996. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Anderson, Joel (14 February 2020). "Slow Burn Season iii, Episode 5: Wrath of a Menace". Slate . Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ Hirschberg, Lynn (14 Jan 1996). "Does a Carbohydrate Deport Seize with teeth?". The New York Times . Retrieved 25 Nov 2021.
- ^ Dyson, Michael Eric (26 Nov 2019). JAY-Z: Made in America. St. Martin's Publishing Grouping. ISBN978-i-250-27088-7 . Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "20 Questions". Vibe. Vibe Media Group (March 1996): 131. March 1996. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Snoop Blames Biggie for Tha Dogg Pound NY Video Shooting".
- ^ Markman, Rob (April 21, 2011). "Prodigy Didn't Want To Respond To Tupac Dis, N.O.R.E. Says". MTV News. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ Planas, Antonio Planas (2011-04-07). "FBI outlines parallels in Notorious B.I.Grand., Tupac slayings". Las Vegas Review-Journal . Retrieved 2016-05-01 .
- ^ PHILIPS, CHUCK (2002-09-06). "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-05-01 .
- ^ "How Vegas police probe floundered in Tupac Shakur instance". Los Angeles Times. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-01 .
- ^ Coleman, Chrisena (1996-09-xviii). "Rappers in Peace Summit". Daily News. New York. Retrieved 2016-09-28 .
- ^ Loose, Cindy (1997-08-x). "Farrakhan To Sponsor Anti-Violence Rap Concert In D.C." The Washington Post . Retrieved 2016-09-28 .
- ^ Muwakkil, Salim (2003-12-15). "Farrakhan and the Beefs of Rap". In These Times. Retrieved 2016-09-28 .
- ^ "Today in Music History: Snoop and Puffy call to end to rap rivalry".
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast%E2%80%93West_Coast_hip_hop_rivalry
0 Response to "Why Tupac and Biggie Had Beef"
Post a Comment