Complex: 50 Best New York Rappers of All-Time

[kingofnyc]

0I don’t hate Biggie nor have disdain for him. U nikkas hate Pac tho. And hate on Nas.

I don’t hate pac or nas …. actually, I love nas. Tell me something that I said negative about him

but the reason I tagged you because you are one of those hard core / all out nas fans …. and since day one you & your type has had much distain for biggie. You could even look at dudes affiliated with nas himself MC Serch, Cormega , Prodigy , Questlove etc. etc.

 

[spliz]

I don’t hate pac or nas …. actually, I love nas. Tell me something that I said negative about him

but the reason I tagged you because you are one of those hard core / all out nas fans …. and since day one you & your type has had much distain for biggie. You could even look at dudes affiliated with nas himself MC Serch, Cormega , Prodigy , Questlove etc. etc.

I don’t even know what ur trying to say here. But I def don’t have any disdain for Biggie. Whatsoever. I still own my original copies of both his album. No remastered shyt. Biggie has made some of my favorite hip hop songs of all time.

 

[Cladyclad]

I don’t even know what ur trying to say here. But I def don’t have any disdain for Nas. Whatsoever. I still own my original copies of 6 of his albums. No remastered shyt. Nas has made some of my favorite hip hop songs of all time.

 

[ISO]

Why aren't you making this argument to discredit other legends? Why is it only Nas. I know why, but it's corny. Nobody cares that Rakim hasn't had a hit or plaque in some time, he's acknowledged as a GOAT/top 5-10 rapper. I'm not even sure YOU deny Nas is a top ten rapper so...what are we doing.

My general view has always been that there's nothing Nas or Jay can do right now that impacts their status on any list. Their most impactful, relevant music is behind them - as is the case of virtually every legendary artist at this stage of their career, especially in rap. They don't rise or fall for music reasons today anymore than a good or bad new KRS album would have any impact on his standing in my eyes. All they can do right now is entertain their fans/previous generations.

That’s wild Jay can still have commercially and critically successful albums that become the talk of the culture like 4:44 and can black out on Jay Electronica whole album or hop on a feature and have hip hop buzzing and it doesn’t matter

This shyt defies all logic

 

[kingofnyc]

I don’t even know what ur trying to say here. But I def don’t have any disdain for Biggie. Whatsoever. I still own my original copies of both his album. No remastered shyt. Biggie has made some of my favorite hip hop songs of all time.

what I’m trying to say, is the biggest nas fans specifically from NYC always had a distain for biggie because they feel he’s stole nas his spot as the top / No.1 nikka in da game ( nikkaz used to make the analogy of biggie being rkelly -to- nas/aaron hall )

and I’m not gonna go back-and-forth on you as far as you claim in you don’t have distain for biggie but when you post in here it sounds like you sure damn do . I mean you won’t even admit that during that era biggie was 2 to 3 times more relevant then nas - which is undeniable and non-debatable

 

[spliz]

what I’m trying to say, is the biggest nas fans specifically from NYC always had a distain for biggie because they feel he’s stole nas his spot as the top / No.1 nikka in da game ( nikkaz used to make the analogy of biggie being rkelly -to- nas/aaron hall )

and I’m not gonna go back-and-forth on you as far as you claim in you don’t have distain for biggie but when you post in here it sounds like you sure damn do . I mean you won’t even admit that during that era biggie was 2 to 3 times more relevant then nas - which is undeniable and non-debatable

Biggie wasn’t 2-3 times more relevant that’s why. Especially by 96. lol. Nas outsold Biggie in 96. So how tf was Biggie 2-3 times more relevant? Biggie was overall more popular but the disparity wasn’t as big as u making it. Nas sold more and faster than Biggie with IWW.

 

[spliz]

That’s wild Jay can still have commercially and critically successful albums that become the talk of the culture like 4:44 and can black out on Jay Electronica whole album or hop on a feature and have hip hop buzzing and it doesn’t matter

This shyt defies all logic

Nah YOU defy logic. Cause 4:44 dropped muthafukkin 6 years ago. The collab with Bey barely went gold and that was connected to a tour. The collab wit Jay Elec sold less than both KD1 and KD2. Both got Grammy nominated but Nas WON but u refuse to acknowledge shyt like that. U the same nikka that said Empire State Of Mind would win against NY State Of Mind in a Verzuz round. Nah my boi u became a straight up Nas hater and Jay dikkrider.

 

[O.G.B]

Biggie wasn’t 2-3 times more relevant that’s why. Especially by 96. lol. Nas outsold Biggie in 96. So how tf was Biggie 2-3 times more relevant? Biggie was overall more popular but the disparity wasn’t as big as u making it. Nas sold more and faster than Biggie with IWW.

How did Nas outsell Biggie "more & faster" in 96 with It Was Written when Ready to Die wasn't officially released until 97?

Nas It Was Written - RELEASED June 96
Sold 270,000 copies in its first week and debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 char

Notorious B.I.G Life After Death - RELEASED March 97
Sold 690,000 copies in its first week and debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 char

 

[Piff Perkins]

maybe I should’ve worded it better, but the truth is the most hard-core Nas fan, specifically from New York City, or the east coast region has a deep distain for biggie … see @spliz (all these years of me and him going back-and-forth ; it’s come full circle why he has his feelings towards BIG)

so let me school you if you don’t know
In the early 90s, we all know that the West Coast was dominating the hip-hop scene , and this new kid from Queensbridge had all the talent in the world to become the next big star / bring the East Coast back to its rightfully home , so this kid record label and team was able to gather several of the top producers in the industry ; heavily promote his album through all types of venues , even giving the platform to co-host the hottest hip-hop shown on the planet at that particular time ‘ video music box’ with DJ Ralph McDaniels , which was literally unheard of for a new fresh rapper to promote his new album days before it was debut to drop .… although he did his thing and his debut album always go down as one of the greatest ….. It was a fat black nikka whom optics wasnt suited to be the face of anything - changed hip hop forever …. and as they say the rest is history.

I get what you're TRYING to do/say but this ain't it. Biggie is an icon. If you generally like 90s east coast rap shyt, you like Biggie. That's just reality. Now are there stans who ride for their guy against the other? Sure. That doesn't change the fact that Nas was Nas when Biggie was alive. Was Nas as popular as Biggie, at any point after Ready To Die came out? No. Did Biggie influence Nas, including heavily on IWW? Sure. Even Nas said he borrowed from Biggie. Biggie was the unquestioned king, from shortly after Ready To Die came out to his death. He had more hits, sold more, etc etc. I don't think anyone disputes that because it's facts.

By the end, from what people have said, Nas and Biggie weren't even on speaking terms. Is there tension today between the stans? Overall no IMO, but I sense some of it on the Coli. Not a lot because at the end of the day most of the Biggie fans on here are also fans of Nas, and Jay. I haven't seen any Nas stans hating on Big in here. Nor do I think it's hate to suggest artists who were able to live longer/drop more music surpassed Big artistically. That's just life vs death.

Biggie is on video saying he thought Nas was gonna win lyricist of the year, he gave him all types of props and congratulated him on IWW's success (before sneak dissing him lol). Who knows why they had a falling out. Prob just rap shyt. Dudes who were broke together, suddenly one guy is shining while the other guys (Nas, Rae, etc) are sharing cars and shyt. And by the time they started shining in 1996 maybe they felt Biggie had changed. Who knows man. Salute to Biggie. Salute to Nas. Salute to Jay.

 

[spliz]

How did Nas outsell Biggie "more & faster" in 96 with It Was Written when Ready to Die wasn't officially released until 97?

Nas It Was Written - RELEASED June 96
Sold 270,000 copies in its first week and debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 char

Notorious B.I.G Life After Death - RELEASED March 97
Sold 690,000 copies in its first week and debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 char

Because IWW went double plat within 2 months. Up until that point RTD was double plat but it took a year and change to do it. On top of that it was Nas’ second album and Biggie was still on his first. Nas sold more records at that point than Biggie.

 

[kingofnyc]

Biggie wasn’t 2-3 times more relevant that’s why. Especially by 96. lol. Nas outsold Biggie in 96. So how tf was Biggie 2-3 times more relevant? Biggie was overall more popular but the disparity wasn’t as big as u making it. Nas sold more and faster than Biggie with IWW.

since u bring up album sales up till ‘96

Nas
(94) illmatic album : GOLD (96)
(96) IWW album : 2x PLAT (96)
(96) street dreams single : GOLD (96)

Biggie
(94) R2R album : 2x PLAT (95)
(94) juicy single : GOLD (94)
(94) big poppa : PLAT (95)
(95) one more chance single : PLAT (95)
(95) jr mafia conspiracy album : GOLD (95)
(95) players anthem single : GOLD (95)
(95) get money single : PLAT (96)
not even adding PLAT singles featuring him on BadBoy ei. total ‘can’t u see‘ & 112 & mase ‘only u”


so, u gonna tell me that‘s NOT 2 or 3 times more ???

men lie
women lie
numbers don’t

 

[Cladyclad]

since u bring up album sales up till ‘96

Nas
(94) illmatic album : GOLD (96)
(96) IWW album : 2x PLAT (96)
(96) street dreams single : GOLD (96)

Biggie
(94) R2R album : 2x PLAT (95)
(94) juicy single : GOLD (94)
(94) big poppa : PLAT (95)
(95) one more chance single : PLAT (95)
(95) jr mafia conspiracy album : GOLD (95)
(95) players anthem single : GOLD (95)
(95) get money single : PLAT (96)
not even adding PLAT singles featuring him on BadBoy ei. total ‘can’t u see‘ & 112 & mase ‘only u”


so, u gonna tell me that‘s NOT 2 or 3 times more ???

men lie
women lie
numbers don’t

Sold a million now u half of me…

 

[O.G.B]

Because IWW went double plat within 2 months.

And Life After Death, Biggie's 2nd album went 6x Platinum in under 5 months.

Notorious B.I.G
Life After Death
Release Date: March 25, 1997

6x Platinum | August 1, 1997

Nas’ second album and Biggie was still on his first. Nas sold more records at that point than Biggie.

Thanks, you just proved my point. Nas only sold more "records" during 94 - 96 than Biggie because he had 2 albums released during that time frame (Illmatic/IWW) while Biggie only had one (Ready To Die).

 

[Mastamimd]

Record sales man

Even HHT doesn't go so low and they full of teenagers

 

[kingofnyc]

I get what you're TRYING to do/say but this ain't it. Biggie is an icon. If you generally like 90s east coast rap shyt, you like Biggie. That's just reality. Now are there stans who ride for their guy against the other? Sure. That doesn't change the fact that Nas was Nas when Biggie was alive. Was Nas as popular as Biggie, at any point after Ready To Die came out? No. Did Biggie influence Nas, including heavily on IWW? Sure. Even Nas said he borrowed from Biggie. Biggie was the unquestioned king, from shortly after Ready To Die came out to his death. He had more hits, sold more, etc etc. I don't think anyone disputes that because it's facts.

By the end, from what people have said, Nas and Biggie weren't even on speaking terms. Is there tension today between the stans? Overall no IMO, but I sense some of it on the Coli. Not a lot because at the end of the day most of the Biggie fans on here are also fans of Nas, and Jay. I haven't seen any Nas stans hating on Big in here. Nor do I think it's hate to suggest artists who were able to live longer/drop more music surpassed Big artistically. That's just life vs death.

Biggie is on video saying he thought Nas was gonna win lyricist of the year, he gave him all types of props and congratulated him on IWW's success (before sneak dissing him lol). Who knows why they had a falling out. Prob just rap shyt. Dudes who were broke together, suddenly one guy is shining while the other guys (Nas, Rae, etc) are sharing cars and shyt. And by the time they started shining in 1996 maybe they felt Biggie had changed. Who knows man. Salute to Biggie. Salute to Nas. Salute to Jay.

great post


but with that said, it’s very true in the biggest , most loyalest Nas fans had a distain for biggie
I previously mentioned a few MC Serch, Cormega, Prodigy
Seacrh … literally said in a Nas documentary like a decade ago that Nas was the king of New York
Cormega in an interview many years ago talked about biggie and pac & said Biggie might have owned New York, but popped owned America yet the simple fact was biggie went platinum first
biggie might have owned New York, but pac owned America yet the simple fact was biggie went platinum first
prodigy in his infamous book, said he kinda hated biggie, and said his music was corny but after he died, he felt good that Havoc did a track on LAD & wished he had the opportunity to collaborate with

these 3 individuals are completely connected to Nas
search - being his sort of mentor who brought him in the game
Cormega - being literally one of his best friends
prodigy - being his most talented understudy

and I’ll say in my humble opinion, I don’t think Nas had that same animosity towards Biggie as the people directly around him and his fan base, but this was very much the way his fanbase felt