Why does every argument for Tupac being the best not include his actual rap skills?

Question

It seems like any time people on here argue for Tupac to be the G.O.A.T., they say things like "how smart he was", or the positivity in his songs.. Im not knockin you if thats what you believe, but for once i would like to see someone give a breakdown of his: flow, consistency, wordplay (or use of metaphors/similes), delivery, overall content, etc. as the basis for their argument other than the generic "He was so real" or "His songs had meaning"

Ant: i see what you're sayin, but i really am not trying to turn this into a Pac vs. Biggie thread...basically im asking, how come people who argue for Pac to be the G.O.A.T., why do they side-step talkin about his actually rap skills by using he the "he makes positive music" card

*actual rap skills

same thing over and over gain...if you're only criteria for being the best is "making positive songs" shouldn't Common & Talib Kweli get more recogniton...by your theory?

i never said he overrated, i never said anything negative about Tupac...what im sayin/askin for (which nobody has really answered yet) is could someone give a solid breakdown of him, other than what has already been mentioned

Answer 1

Another case of ppl not READING your question...Ppl are like you said before jumping on the Tupac bandwagon...Nothing in you question even mention BIG...Not taking away from Pac he was good...But why ppl are talking like he the greatest and the best...how...Pac wasnt anticipated when his first album dropped...He was a media vaccum...He drew attention to himself by controversy...And it sold...Yea he had positive songs...So I guess that makes Speech from Arrested Development a runner up...Or Will Smith even better then him...Pac as had a cadre of negative songs also...but that has nothing to do with skills...Over time to me Pac started to get better at rhyming but he was an average rapper...He was great for voicing his opinions about society...But in hip hop that doesnt make you the GOAT of hip hop. Lets talk about his rhyming skills...thats what the question is looking for. What makes Pac supposedly better then any other rapper?

Answer 2

Personally I thought Tupac had a great flow and his words were well put together. I understand your question, but as for me I do consider the way he raps in addition to the content as being dope. He didn't use a lot of metaphors but I don't think that should take away from his credibility for rhyming skills. The gangsta rap that was popular during his tenure didn't include a lot of traditional rhyming structure that we hear from a lot of hip hop artists, predominately being from the east coast. He was innovative in his songs, and I feel like his style of rapping influenced many artists today, 50 cent being one of the many. In his song So Much Pain he actually raps as a different character and until a few months ago I had no idea that it was him rapping! I think that takes some talent to pull off. Listen to So Much Pain next time you get a chance so you can see what I'm talking about.

Answer 3

Lets just compare him to the late greats. Big L had so much more lyrical skill then him, Biggie had better flow, and Big Pun was also more lyrical. It is true that Pac had way more meaningful music, but rapping and poetry arent the same. He was the best poet out of any artist hands down. I would say that 2Pac was just barely above average as a rapper, and as everybody says, his message made him great. I agree with you, i cant even of the top of my head think of a Pac metaphor now that I think about it.

With all that being said, 2Pac is still one of my favorite artists ever, possibly my favorite.

Answer 4

Having a message in your song is an important part of rap. Although Tupac is not the best and he may be top 5, but no higher than that. Mostly people just overrate him because of his death. I think that KRS and Rakim are much better.

Answer 5

Yeah no one is answering your questions, I love Tupac but the reason I think no one can answer that is because thats not what made Pac a great rapper. It's deeper than he was just real and his songs had meaning though. I can tell you what made him a wonderful rapper.He spoke from his heart and he always contradicted his self in his songs...calling a girl a h or a b in one song but on another one he telling us to keep our head up. He gave all views of a subject in the most natural way. His flow was smooth but hard at the same time...he could be mad and you could feel it but he was still cool about it.Like in Hit em Up he was saying some crazy mess but he was calm about it. In me and my girlfrd he used the most word play that I can remember him using it wasnt nothing extra special about what he was saying it was rather simple but he so could have been talking about a girl. "I love finga fu*&in you.....my girlfrd might be .45 but she still live...when ni**as act b**tch made you live...I was too immature to understand your ways caused so many arguements and strays"...He came hard, he hit something in his songs to the regular public. Thats what made him a great rapper, plain and simple. You felt his pain, his struggle, made you fall in love with him. Not the greatest lyrics not the greatest beats,or nothing too special about his flow,delivery, etc. He was a regular man that rapped about EVERYTHING..He wasnt candy coated like these water down rappers today.He spoke his mind and ppl loved him for that. It was never a sweet hook and some bs lyrics...he always said something.Alot of rappers dont. He made history being real, plain and simple. Just having something real to say out his mouth made him wonderful. It sounds too easy but that's what it is.His flow was smooth as h*ll, he made a life being non consistent, wordplay was ok..speaking from the heart, delivery was just a regular black man with a voice. Overall content was reaching the people. I am listening to Pac as I write this and there is NOTHING special about what he is saying..no great spin on it, no gimmicks, no tricks, just Pac. That makes him even more GREAT in my eyes because he made simple songs but ppl loved him and still do.Rap hasnt been the same since him and Biggie died. Rap isnt about a catchy chorus, rhyming its about the content and Pac had that.

Answer 6

People make the argument that Pac was a poet, he was consistently (more than anyone else) writing what he saw in every day life, and he was "real" (which I strongly disagree with the last one). He was successfully able to convey struggles and calamity in our community. He was Americas worst nightmare; an educated black man with an audience, and the conviction to utilize the aforementioned things. He wasn't afraid to contradict himself which allowed him to give unmatched versatility. He was and always will be the most commercialized artist with a conscience undertone in his music. He wasn't afraid to try to be what he wasn't. (a west coast emcee) What he lacked in lyrical word-play, flow and delivery, he made up for with passion and lyrical content.

With that said, he is not the G.O.A.T

Answer 7

Pac is a legend, but in my opinion he isn't the best lyricist, what makes him great is the message he put in his songs and he believed in his messages, he didn't say it to just say it. Pac put such strong feeling and emotion into his songs, even though he has contradicted what he preaches at times, so even though Pac might not be the best lyricist ever that still doesn't mean he is overrated but no doubt he's over hyped

Answer 8

okay i like tupac cuz his "positive" songs but he does contradict himself from like keep ya head up and changes to hit em up and i get around...biggie deff. has betta word play and flow and delivery..but no positive songs except like juicy and sky's the limit..so i like pac because his positive songs even though i kno he contracdicts himself

HNIC: i dont got an argument 4 u there

EDIT: Flow: A-
Consistency B
Wordplay C-
Delivery B
Overall content B+ my opinion
R.I.P. Tupac and Biggie

Answer 9

"just listen to keep ya head up and you'll see" thats the kinda shits they gonna be sayin homie. rip to dude and its all love but he aint the best ever. neither is wayne homie. preciate cha

Answer 10

East Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidddeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!