This thread is exactly why Biggie will never leave GOAT discussions. Everyone compares their favorite rapper to Biggie, and this happens on message boards all across the net. You know why this is? Biggie is the STANDARD Period. Now being one of Mos Def's Biggest fans, I would agree that he is criminally under-rated as an emcee. "Black Star" is a Classic album, it's time for people to admit it and not just call it a back packer Classic. "Black on Both Sides" is also a Classic album that showed Mos Def to have a great range in rhyming skills. The problem I have with this thread is the attempt to somehow elevate Mos by saying he's better than Biggie. Look, music is subjective, if someone likes Mos better than Big that's their business but the reality is Biggie is considered the superior Emcee. "Ready To Die" is better than anything Mos has ever done.
That's not to disrespect what Mos has done but I haven't met anyone who wasn't taken aback when they 1st heard Biggie rhyme. I don't know if I can say the same for Mos. He's dope but Big bars hit listeners hard, instantly. When I 1st heard "Warning" or "Me and my B!tch", it's like how could you not push the rewind button after you finished "Ready To Die". I feel there are just more Classic songs on "Ready To Die". They were both versatile but I'd say Biggie was also a little more versatile mainly cause of his flow. I don't know if Mos could do an album like "Life After Death" that would require him to come out of his comfort zone and spit on other regions beats or sounds. There no doubt that yes Mos is versatile cause he started to sing but he does for the most part stay in his lane. Big made a habit of going outside of his lane many times including spitting with Bone Thugs. So again Yes Mos is under-rated but Overall the answer is no. Mos did not show more potential than Biggie did when they both dropped cause Biggie is called the greatest rapper ever based on what he did in his limited time. Also after "Black on Both Sides' Mos's solo material fell off quality wise and wasn't as strong as his debut. But I think that more people feel Big had a stronger potential even if he didn't live to fully see it. Also let's look at the fact that Biggie's "Who Shot Ya" beat is actually used by Mos Def on his debut album. In Mos Verse he admitted Biggie was GOAT STATUS and though I love the song "Brooklyn", he did not rip that beat harder than Biggie did. Cased Closed:
Mos Def - Brooklyn - YouTube
"Where one of the greatest emcee's was a Local Kat" - Mos Def (Admitted Biggie was GOAT Status)
. Fall back
on people all of a sudden saying Mos Def is top 5 or even 10 of all time, he's not, not to say he isn't one of the best rappers of the past 15 years he is, in fact he's in my top 15, but all this stuff about dude being better than Big, when you had people a little while ago arguing if he was even better than Common.
(waits for stanning/hate)
a NY nikka getting emotional over Biggie? I didn't see this coming
