Tupac: A Legend

Ask anyone who knows me and they’d easily be able to tell you who my favorite rapper is. It’s unquestionably Tupac. He’s widely revered as the greatest rapper of all time and that’s simply because he is. Of course there’s some debate and that’s due to personal preference and even some pure unadulterated hating.  You know those kind of people who hate anything popular just so they can feel like they’re part of some sub-culture. Others just like to champion the underdog. About that hating though. Years ago the now defunct Blender Magazine named Tupac the #1 most over-rated artist of all time. Now there’s a new affront, Billboard Magazine has now come out with a list of the top ten rappers of all time and they left Tupac off the list.

 

Unlike Blender Billboard is a name that is taken seriously in music so this snub resonates. As a diehard fan I feel the need to speak on this slight. Tupac should not only have topped that list but the description of his legacy should have noted that he is far more than a rapper. he is a legend. There is no other rapper in history that perfectly embodied street culture and wisdom all at once. Whereas music today often plays to the least common denominator, money, sex, drugs. Tupac actually took the time to challenge his listeners to examine, question, and seek to change the world around them. Which leads me to believe this Billboard snub was intentional.

  You see Tupac was not the only conscious rapper of his time and he certainly wasn’t the last. People often complain about the rampant violence, misogyny and overall self-destruction promoted in rap music. This is no accident, some of it is art mimicking life to be sure but there is also an industry standard rappers are forced to adhere to if they want to get radio play, backing from major labels, the money, fame glitz and glam. Yet Tupac often broke that mold and spoke the truth. He was insightful and knowledgeable about everything from the crack game to politics and he still managed to be popular and successful without completely cooning.  Instead he sought to have a positive effect on the world around him.

 

So when Billboard snubs Tupac they snub anyone who does not fit the image of blacks in society that the mainstream media wishes to portray. We all know how the mainstream media wishes to portray black people. In short Tupac refused to sellout, yet he still managed to obtain fame and fortune before his untimely demise and that alone makes him the greatest rapper of all time. This whole mess is starting to make me believe the powers that be really do run the music industry.