i try merlin. hey fitone, tupac sold out for cash. he and notorious rapped their asses off when they were younger, then deathrow came with the money and tupac relocated from new york to cali and started talkin shit to sell records.he’s damn near as fake as jay-z.
notorious still the best to ever spit.
I dont listen to rap, so I’m curious who you guys think has the most “street-cred?” My roommate idolizes 2pac and says he was the only real rapper. So who has the best credentials? 2pac, Biggy, Eminem, Jay-Z, 50cent, …?
Merlin I can’t really speak on street cred (I’m not from those area like new york or the south, and I’m no gangster or anything). But to me the two mainstream rappers (rappers you don’t have to do hours of research to find out about, and can actually buy at a record store) are Nas and Jay Z. They both fell the fuck off about 3 or 4 years ago, but with their diss songs and all they have made pretty solid comebacks. Some people might say that 50 has the most street cred, but does that make him a good rapper. If getting shot at and commiting crimes made you a good rapper john gotti would be the best now.
What about Vanilla Ice? He’s still hardcore right? Right?
merlin, pac has a lot of cread (or however the fuck you spell that) amongst the main stream. however most true “hardcore” fans wil tell you he is almost in the same boat as Gay-z. pac has made some pretty “soft” songs, and we all remember when he used to “clown around” with the underground. dont get me wrong i love most of his music. but one minute the guy is talking about shooting and humping hos, the next minute he is singing to girls to keep their “heads up.” he sent out way to many mixed messages for me.
if you want true street cread you have to go with ug stuff. stuff that doesnt hit the radio stations. there is plenty of that out there in texas. i cant give you names as i listen exclusivley to rap from the bay area. if your interested in some stuff from the bay let me know.
p-dog, I think that’s what makes a good lyricist: the way to describe two completely opposite spectrums (killing and ‘ladies stay strong’) and bring the same amount of energy to both. Mixed signals? no doubt. Great rapper? definitely. He would not be this big if he wasn’t. Street cred for Lesane Crooks (Tupac)? getting shot 5 times and living should count for something, don’t you think? Also, isn’t there a white boy underground that’s even better than Eminem and has street cred up to wazoo? His name escapes me but the dude’s a psycho.
p.s. my lifting cd is ALL tupac and eminem. I can’t find crazier rappers than those two.
dont get me wrong i like pac. but if all out street cred is what you are after i dont think hes the man for it.
p.s. i cant stand eminem. i like his stuff when he is just in the background like on chronic 2001 with dre. but i cant stand his solo stuff.
P-dog knows where it’s at. If you guys want to check out some good underground rap from the Bay, give a listen to some of this:
Young Lay: Black and Dangerous
The Click: Down and Dirty
Mac Dre: Young Black Brother
Mac Mall: Illegal Business 2000
Dubee: Sugawolf
come and get meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.lmao
E-fezy my nogga
dont forget RBL and Totally Insane!
nas is only good for gettin a ho to grind wit you on the floo. i see why you guys like him so much your all east coasters.
“not that there’s anything wrong with that”
Had to pipe in on this. Heard 3 jams off the Black Album. All were good. He is sounding more like his old self. He went club for too long. Started making a come back when he dropped BluePrint. Listen to his first album, the dude used to be straight thug, he was lyrically tight. His flow sounded like he was just spitting out lyircs off the top of his head.
What did you all think about the new RZA (Birth of a Prince)? I like it. Lyrics and beats are top notch.
To Kevin: as far as artists, I like a couple. Being from the Bronx, I’m biased (Pun, KRS, Lord Finesse, Nine, Fat Joe has gotten better, much better.) Also Chino XL (if you listen to EM since after the Sway and Tech album, he’s got a lot of Chino in his flow), Canibus (who can’t get a break), Kool G Rap, Kane, Rakim, Redman, Big L. It’s actually a little bigger list, but rap right now has me heated. It’s been so perverted (as any art form will eventually) and prostituted. I don’t mind a cat that does party joints or hard core joints, but right now, most popular artists are cookie cut. I’m tired of everyone claming gansta. I really don’t think any one has watched the end of Scareface, Carlito’s way, Godfather, or King of NY. The main characters ALL DIE! I really wish artists would be prouder to claim their a man than a thug, but I guess that’s why I joined the Marine Corps rather than stay on the streets. As far as Nas, he doesn’t know what he wants to be. That’s why I said thug messiah. He wants to save hip hop but claim thug. You can’t do that, again, cookie cutter MC. as far as tupac, I really couldn’t tell you why people idolize him. Sure, he had a tremendous work ethic, but that’s about it. After Fresh, it was a wrap. He thought he was straight thug. Why do people think he’s a strong example of pro black? Shooting at black cops should take you off that list, but not pac. Sure, he did some positive joints, but he also said he was gonna kill people on his tracks. Again, not a positive (or stable) role model in my opinion. Also why I’m not a big fan of Biggie. He’s rather 2d also, but he was more lyrical than most, so I give him props for that. and that’s all without spitting curses or hating on cats (which is hard for me to do 
yeah i never really understood the whole pac thing. nobody really gave a shit about the dude until he died, and now hes some kind of hero.
funny thing is that he has sold a shit load more albums since his death than he did alive.