MUSIC MINI PROJECT 2
-Ethan Lee
How Biggie and Tupac created a coastal war
When it comes to music artists going after each other there’s little that where as big as Biggie Small’s and Tupac Shakur’s beef. Their feud became so legendary that it started a “coastal beef” as biggie said in a BETNetwork interview in 1997. Now the beef is long done however the effects of this argument still last to this day and it remains to be one of the most important yet tragic events to ever happen to Hip hop and music as a whole. However how did this turn for Hip hops biggest idols turn so tragic? Keep reading to find out how all the details about the harsh, cruel and unnecessary beef that ended the two young lives of Tupac and Biggie.
How did it start?
It was the 1990’s and west coast (California) and east coast (New York) rappers where on the rise to stardom. Two of which Tupac who got signed to Death Row records in October 1995 and Biggie who got signed in 1993 to Bad Boy Entertainment quickly grew mass popularity. Relatively quickly it started to become inevitable that their paths where soon to cross. After their first meeting the two where on good terms for a while even going as far as to consider each other as friends. It wasn’t until one ill-fated night on November 30th 1994 outside the Quad recording studios that the relationship started to go negative. While Tupac was entering the building to record a verse, he was confronted by three men who proceeded to rob him of all his possessions he had on him and ended with Tupac getting shot multiple times. Later after being hospitalized Tupac discovered that Biggie and Puff Daddy where in the building and lead to Tupac believing the Biggie and Puff Daddy set him up. The days following where difficult to Tupac as he was unable to pay the 3 million dollar bail after being sentenced to a year and a half for sexual abuse. As a result, Tupac went to prison for 8 months in 1995. While he was in prison Biggie took this as an opportunity to make and release his infamous track “who shot ya” which is Widley seen as the first diss track between the two despite the fact that Biggie claims the lyrics where recorded “months” before Tupac was shot however this didn’t stop Tupac who was now fully convinced that Biggie hated him and hence the beef had officially begun. Lyrics such as “who shot ya? Separate the weak from the obsolete” greatly angered Tupac and made Tupac go around claiming he had slept with Biggie’s wife Faith Evans. Biggie attempted to calm the situation to no success, anger had taken over Tupac and desperate to fight back everyone waited on Tupac’s response.
Tupac’s response
1996 June 4th Tupac released his hit diss track “Hit ‘em up” featuring Outlawz, which included several brutal disses towards not only Biggie but other east coast rappers such as Mobb Deep, Junior M.A.F.I.A and Bad Boy records as a whole. In the diss track Tupac claimed he slept with Biggie’s wife and how biggie had copied his “style.” Tupac also makes references to Biggie diss track by saying “who shot me? But you punks didn’t finish” showing us how powerful Tupac considers himself and how he isn’t scared of the repercussions of this song. Furthermore, Tupac released a music video to go along with the song. The video depicts Tupac mocking a larger person dressed up as Biggie and is supposed to represent an overexaggerated version of Biggie. According to film director Lance ‘un’ Rivera Biggie was distraught at this diss track, he had felt almost betrayed by Tupac. Biggie decided it was best to not respond however he realised that him and Tupac where now enemies whether he liked it or not.
Conclusion
Tupac died on the late evening of September 13th 1996 and less than a year later Biggie died on 9th March 1997. Unfortunately their beef was never resolved. In an BETNetworks interview with Biggie after Tupac’s death Biggie is quoted as saying “I would never wish death on nobody cos’ there’s no coming back from that, so it kinda turned me down a little bit but at the same time you know… you gotta’ move on.” Over 2 decades later their deaths have remained still a shock to the music community, furthermore there’s an important message we can learn from this unfortunate altercation. We shouldn’t let anger take us over in the spur of the moment, this whole ordeal could have been easily prevented if the two didn’t let their egos get in the way of their friendship and make it turn sour. In 1999 at the MTV Video Music Awards both Biggie and Tupac’s mothers met on stage officially ending the feud for their sons and allowing the world to gain a better understanding of their beef to ensure the feud between Biggie and Tupac never happens again.