Will.I.Am insist he is not a fan of two of hip-hop greatest artists of all-time, Tupac and Biggie Smalls.
When it comes to Hip-Hop, everyone has their preferred few artists. For many rap fans, Biggie and Tupac Shakur would make their top 10 list of greatest ever, but Will.I.am recently revealed during an interview with Hip Hop Confessions that he doesn’t like the music from the two rap greats.
He explained that for him, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul resonate more with him, and so he gravitates towards artists with that kind of vibe and flow.
“Like when people say 2Pac and Biggie, I’m such a Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul head that I don’t like 2Pac and Biggie. That kind of music doesn’t speak to my spirit. I like Boogie Down Productions, KRS-One, I like – if it’s like 2Pac or Biggie? It’s KRS-One. Why those two?” he continued.
The “Pump It Harder” artist was also quick to add that he meant no disrespect to the fans of Biggie and Tupac. It’s just that for him, they are not as great as many fans believe. He added that for him, the greats in the rap game are more artists like Eric B. and Rakim.
Even so, he added that he believes Tupac’s music is special, but he thinks that Tupac’s message was more for the people of the projects and ghettos, and that message was not for him. Even though he grew up in the projects as well, he said he was not able to escape with that type of music but rather with artists like A Tribe Called Quest.
It’s for that reason he feels a loyalty to those artists that he mentioned above. This was the opposite effect he got when he listened to Biggie Smalls and Tupac. The artists he loved as a young man helped him to escape the projects physically because he was able to pursue and reach his dreams which he added was his way out.
Will.I.Am said their music also made him feel safe while living under trying circumstances. “Had I loved 2Pac and Biggie while I was in the projects, I probably would have been stuck in the projects still,” he added.
Fans did not seem to agree with his take, as many flooded the comment section where the clip was posted to give their two cents.
“Dude would have been begging for a feature from them if they lived lol, stop it,” this fan said while this one added, “So dear mama/sky is the limit don’t do nothing for yo fake intellectual mind huh boy stop l!!!!” and this fan chimed in, “This man a goofy! His career was over once Fergie left the Black Eyed Peas.”
Many other fans said they understood that it was just his opinion and not the standard by which rap should be judged.
Earlier this month, T-Pain expressed similar sentiments about Tupac when he appeared on Akademiks’ Twitch channel. According to T-Pain, if 2Pac had survived the 1996 shooting, then “Lyricism wise, ‘Pac would’ve got ridiculously murdered. Bro, ‘Pac was a crazy lyricist in our time because ain’t nobody else have no platform.”
Check out what Will.I.am had to say below, and let us know what you think about his take on Biggie and Tupac.
