The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was a feud in the early-mid 1990s between artists and fans of the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes. Seeming focal points of the feud were West Coast-based rapper 2Pac (and his label,
Death Row RecordsDeath Row Records is a record label that was founded in 1991 by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight, and was once home to some of West Coast hip hop's most well-known rappers, including 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound ....
), and East Coast-based rapper
The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , popularly known as Biggie Smalls , Frank White , and by his primary stage name The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper.Raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Wallace grew up during...
(and his label,
Bad Boy RecordsBad Boy Records is an East Coast record label, dealing largely in Hip-Hop/R&B music, founded by producer/rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs in 1993...
).
Background
During the late 1970s,
Hip-hopHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
emerged in the streets of
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, which would remain the forefront of the genre throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. As the 1980s drew to a close, however, several west coast based acts such as
Ice-T* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE-T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
,
MC HammerStanley Kirk Burrell , best known by his stage names MC Hammer, Hammer and Hammertime, is a rapper, entertainer and dancer most popular during the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
and N.W.A began garnering attention. The origins of the conflict were arguably initiated in
1991See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...
when East Coast based rapper
Tim DogTim Dog is an American rapper from the Bronx, New York who rose to prominence during the early '90s with his debut LP Penicillin on Wax and the celebrated "diss" record "Fuck Compton". Tim had already appeared on songs with the Ultramagnetic MCs and went on to form a duo, Ultra, with member Kool...
released “
Fuck Compton"Fuck Compton" is a diss track aimed at the West Coast hip hop scene in general by East Coast hip hop artist, Tim Dog.-Background:During the early 1990s, seminal rap group N.W.A. and several other West Coast rappers were becoming popular within the hip hop community and magazines such as Rap...
,” a scathing
diss trackA diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or attack another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became an increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon.-Background information:Almost...
aimed at N.W.A. and other Compton artists including
Compton's Most WantedCompton's Most Wanted is an American gangsta rap group and one of the pioneers of the West Coast Hip Hop scene still performing today on independent labels. The leader of the group was MC Eiht.-Biography:...
and
DJ QuikDavid Marvin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and Record Producer..-Biography: It was always thought that he had 8 sisters, but in a March 2007 interview he stated that he only had one, explaining that Profile Records at the time had suggested to add it to his background to...
. N.W.A. never officially responded due to their pending break up, but upcoming West Coast artist Snoop Doggy Dogg would respond on the Dr. Dre track “
Fuck wit Dre Day"Fuck wit Dre Day " is a hip-hop single by Dr. Dre, with a guest appearance by Snoop Doggy Dogg, from the 1992 album The Chronic on Death Row Records...
.”
In late
1992
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January-February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s.**Paul Simon is the first major artist to...
, rapper/producer
Dr. Dre’sAndre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, and actor...
solo debut album,
The ChronicThe Chronic is the debut solo studio album of hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992 on his former own label, Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles, California and...
, was released on the fledgling Death Row Records. Into the new year, the album went triple platinum. In late
1993This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January-February:*January 8 - The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
, Death Row Records released
DoggystyleDoggystyle is the debut solo album from American West Coast hip hop rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg, released November 23, 1993 on Death Row Records. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly...
, the debut album by Dr. Dre protégé and
Long BeachLong Beach is a large city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about south of downtown Los Angeles. Long Beach borders Orange County on its southeast edge....
-based
Snoop DoggCordazar Calvin Broadus , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of producer Dr. Dre's most notable protégés...
, which also became a multi-platinum opus.
By early
1994
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 29 - The Supremes' Mary Wilson is injured when her Jeep hits a freeway median and flips over just outside of Los Angeles, California, USA...
, the quick success of Death Row Records (headed by
Suge KnightMarion Hugh Knight, Jr. , better known as Suge Knight, is the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. The record label rose to dominate the charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including Tupac Shakur, Dr...
and Dr. Dre) had effectively put a large media spotlight on
Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
and the west-coast hip-hop scene. However, the east-coast was re-gaining success around this time with the help of
Wu-Tang ClanThe Wu-Tang Clan is a New York City-based hip hop group. Wu-Tang Clan consists of RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Masta Killa, the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Cappadonna...
's
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)Enter the Wu-Tang is the debut album of American East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, released November 9, 1993 on Loud Records and distributed through RCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Firehouse Studio in New York City from 1992 to 1993, while it was mastered at...
, and
NasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones , who performs under the mononym Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City...
'
IllmaticIllmatic is the debut album of American hip hop MC Nas, released April 19, 1994 on Columbia Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place from 1992 to 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios and Unique Recording Studios in New York City...
.
Suge Knight vs. Puff Daddy
In 1993, fledgling A&R executive and record producer
Sean “Puff Daddy” CombsSean John Combs , known by his stage name Diddy, is an American record producer, rapper, actor, men's fashion designer, entrepreneur and dancer. He won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award.He was originally...
founded the New York-centered hip-hop label, Bad Boy Records. The next year, the label’s debut releases by Brooklyn-based rapper Christopher “
The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , popularly known as Biggie Smalls , Frank White , and by his primary stage name The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper.Raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Wallace grew up during...
” Wallace (also referred to as ‘Biggie Smalls’) and Long Island-based rapper
Craig MackCraig Mack is an American rapper who gained a considerable amount of fame on Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Entertainment record label in the 1990s. Although his first single was released under the name MC EZ in 1988, he is best known for his 1994 hit single "Flava In Ya Ear", which was released under his...
became immediate critical and commercial successes, and along with;
Wu-Tang ClanThe Wu-Tang Clan is a New York City-based hip hop group. Wu-Tang Clan consists of RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Masta Killa, the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Cappadonna...
,
NasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones , who performs under the mononym Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City...
, and
Mobb DeepMobb Deep is an American hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones Pt. II." Although Mobb Deep has not been as commercially successful as many of its peers, the majority of its albums have been...
, seemed to revitalize the East Coast hip-hop scene by
1995This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- Events :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....
.
Oakland, California-based rapper
Tupac ShakurTupac Amaru Shakur , also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He has sold 75 million albums to date and is one of the best-selling music artists in the world. In addition to his status as a top-selling recording artist, Shakur was a promising actor and a social...
, meanwhile, forged a rivalry with Biggie, publicly accusing him and Combs of having facilitated his being robbed and shot five times in the lobby of a New York recording studio on November 30, 1994. Shortly after 2Pac’s shooting, “
Who Shot Ya?"Who Shot Ya?" is an influential hip-hop song by The Notorious B.I.G., a B-side to his 1994 hit single, "Big Poppa". The track was later released on the posthumous Born Again, the remastered edition of Ready to Die, and The Greatest Hits....
,” a B-side track from the BIG’s “
Big Poppa"Big Poppa" is the Grammy nominated and Billboard Award winning second single off The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die released in 1994 and the single was released in 1995. The song was his first Top 10 hit, peaking at number 6 in the US. It features a sample of the song "Between the Sheets"...
” single was released. Although Combs and Wallace emphatically denied having anything to do with the shooting and insisted that “Who Shot Ya?” had been recorded before his shooting, 2Pac interpreted it as BIG’s way of taunting him, and claimed it proved that Bad Boy had set him up.
In August 1995, Death Row CEO Suge Knight took a dig at Bad Boy and Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs at that year's
Source AwardsThe Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988. The...
; announcing to the assembly of artists and industry figures: “Any artist out there that want to be an artist and stay a star, and don’t have to worry about the executive producer trying to be all in the videos…all on the records…dancing, come to Death Row”—a direct reference to Combs’ tendency of ad-libbing on his artists’ songs and dancing in their videos. With the ceremony being held in New York, to the audience, Knight’s comments seemed a slight to the entire East Coast hip-hop scene, and resulted in many boos from the crowd. Combs attempted to defuse the growing hostility in the air with a speech denouncing the rivalry, to little avail. Later that evening, a performance by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg was jeered by New Yorkers in attendance, to which Snoop famously responded, “The East Coast ain’t got no love for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and Death Row?!”
Tensions were escalated when Knight later attended a party for producer
Jermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Maulidin , better known by his stage name Jermaine Dupri or J.D., is an American record producer, rapper and Grammy winning songwriter.-Music industry:...
in
AtlantaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
. During the bash, a close friend of Suge’s was fatally shot outside. Knight accused Combs (also in attendance) of having something to do with the shooting. The same year, Knight posted the $1.4 million bail of the then-incarcerated 2Pac, in exchange for his signing with Death Row Records. Shortly after the rapper’s release in October 1995, he proceeded to join Knight in furthering Death Row’s feud with Bad Boy Records.
In
1996
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January - At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the...
, the Death Row act
Tha Dogg PoundTha Dogg Pound, also known as D.P.G. , is a rap duo made up of Daz Dillinger and Kurupt. They were signed to Death Row Records in their early careers and were key to the label's success. The group made their 1992 rap debut on Dr. Dre's The Chronic, on various songs...
released a music video for their single “New York, New York” in which they are seen knocking over New York skyscrapers and landmarks, a gesture to which many East Coast artists and music fans took offense. This led to suspicion that the song itself was targeted at Bad Boy Records and New York in general. Queens, New York-based artists
Tragedy KhadafiPercy Chapman, known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi, and formerly known as Intelligent Hoodlum, is an American hip hop artist who hails from the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, New York, which has spawned other hip hop artists such as Nas, Cormega, Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, and many...
,
Capone-N-NoreagaCapone-N-Noreaga is an East Coast Hip Hop duo that consists of Capone and Noreaga.-History:In 1996 the duo signed with Penalty Records; it was also awarded The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column...
and
Mobb DeepMobb Deep is an American hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones Pt. II." Although Mobb Deep has not been as commercially successful as many of its peers, the majority of its albums have been...
responded with the release of “L.A., L.A.” aimed at Tha Dogg Pound. In the music video, members of Tha Dogg Pound are kidnapped and thrown off the
Queensboro BridgeThe Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909. It connects the neighborhood of Long Island City in the borough of Queens with Manhattan, passing over Roosevelt Island...
.
2Pac vs. The Notorious B.I.G.
From late 1995 into early 1996, 2Pac would appear on numerous tracks aiming threatening and/or antagonistic slants at Biggie, Bad Boy as a label, and anyone affiliated with them. During this time, although Biggie never directly responded, the media became heavily involved and dubbed the rivalry a coastal rap war, reporting on it continuously.
2Pac vs. others
In addition to Biggie, “Hit ‘Em Up” Pac also insulted
Mobb DeepMobb Deep is an American hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones Pt. II." Although Mobb Deep has not been as commercially successful as many of its peers, the majority of its albums have been...
and
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
-based rapper
Chino XLDerek Keith Barbosa, known as Chino XL, is an American Hip Hop lyricist, battle rapper, and actor. The nephew of Bernie Worrell of Parliament/Funkadelic, Chino is known for his technically accomplished style, consisting of self-consciously over-the-top punchlines, exaggerated egotism, and use of...
, who joked that 2Pac had been raped in jail on his song “Riiiot!” 2Pac only responded with the line “Chino XL, fuck you too,” saying it would be his only diss, because he felt Chino XL was trying to gain fame by insulting him.
During his incarceration, members of 2Pac’s group
OutlawzOutlawz, also known as Outlaw Immortalz, is an American hip hop group from Montclair, New Jersey, founded by Tupac Shakur and Yaki Kadafi in late 1995 after Shakur's release from prison. Collectively, they are probably best known for appearing in the video for, and rapping on "Hit 'Em Up"...
allegedly attended a
Mobb DeepMobb Deep is an American hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones Pt. II." Although Mobb Deep has not been as commercially successful as many of its peers, the majority of its albums have been...
concert. They then visited 2Pac, maintaining that the duo had snubbed them at the concert. Through his associates, 2Pac sent out a message to Mobb Deep, threatening violence. In “Hit ‘Em Up,” 2Pac made reference to Mobb Deep member
Prodigy’sAlbert Johnson, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the infamous hip-hop duo Mobb Deep, in addition to producing MC Havoc.-Debut album:...
struggle with sickle cell anemia. Mobb Deep responded with the track, “Drop A Gem On ‘Em.”
2Pac would later go on to insult various others, including Chicago-based rapper,
Da BratShawntae Harris , better known by her stage name Da Brat is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album....
, her label
So So Def RecordingsSo So Def Recordings is a record label, based out of Atlanta, Georgia and owned by Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B and bass music.-Label history:The label was established in 1993 as a joint venture with Columbia Records...
, and
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
-based group
The FugeesThe Fugees are an American hip hop group that rose to fame in the mid-1990s, whose repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group are rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
. During this time, 2Pac met
NasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones , who performs under the mononym Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City...
and purportedly told him he didn’t have to be involved in the situation—however, a Nas radio freestyle seemingly slighting 2Pac and several direct slights from Shakur to Nas would both eventually turn up. On the introduction to Shakur’s final studio album,
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day TheoryThe Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is the final album by Tupac Shakur, under the new stage name Makaveli, finished before his death and the first to be released after his death. Shakur had complete creative input on the album from the name of the album to the cover which Tupac chose to symbolize...
, he would bill Nas as the leader of a conspiracy against him, which included several of the artists he was having contentions with.
Rapper
Jay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name, Jay-Z is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $150 million, shipping over 30 million copies of his albums in the United...
would also become embroiled in the rivalry when, in an appearance on Jay’s debut album
Reasonable DoubtReasonable Doubt is the debut album of American hip hop rapper Jay-Z, released June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States and on Northwestside Records in the United Kingdom. The album features production by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and guest vocals by Memphis Bleek,...
, Biggie recited the line: “If Faith have twins she’d probably have Tupac's, get it, 2… pacs…” in reference to the allegations that she had cheated on him with the rapper, though it’s unclear if he was insulting her or 2Pac himself. Shakur took it as an affront and, since it was on Jay-Z’s song, went on to insult him as well. 2Pac originally called out Jay-Z during the outro of “Hit Em Up,” but later was convinced by Outlaw member,
Hussein Fatal-The Outlawz:In 1995, Washington ran Into high school friend,Yafeu Fula"Kadafi" He told Washington that he was helping his godbrother, 2Pac Shakur search for members for a group they were forming. He asked Washington to come with him and visit Tupac at the Clinton Correctional Facility where he was...
, that Jay was not part of the rivalry, and ultimately edited that part out. However, later in 1996, Pac would persist in slandering Jay-Z on the songs “Friends” and “Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply).” Posthumous material released underground following 2Pac’s death revealed that he had also slighted
LL Cool JJames Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J, is an American rapper and actor. LL Cool J stands for "Ladies Love Cool James." He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm...
.
Though 2Pac, his group The Outlawz, Snoop Dogg, and Tha Dogg Pound had all been involved in the discord, several Death Row artists refused to follow suit.
Lady of RageRobin Yvette Allen , better known by her stage name The Lady of Rage, is an American rapper and actress best known for collaborations with several Death Row Records artists, including Snoop Doggy Dogg on the seminal album Doggystyle.-Musical career:She then appeared on several tracks from Dr...
stated in an AllHipHop.com interview that 2Pac had once called her “the weak link on Death Row” for not insulting Bad Boy. Death Row co-founder Dr. Dre also snubbed the strife, and produced a track for Nas' sophomore album
It Was WrittenIt Was Written is the second studio album by American hip hop rapper Nas, released July 2, 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States, Canada, and continental Europe. It also featured distribution in the United Kingdom through Simply Vinyl Records...
, and also signed Nas' group;
The FirmThe Firm was an American hip hop supergroup that formed in New York City in 1996. It was created by rapper Nas, his manager Steve Stoute, producer Dr. Dre and production team the Trackmasters...
to his new record label
Aftermath EntertainmentAftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records.-History:...
.
To confirm his disassociation with the "East vs. West" feaud even further, Dre released the song "
East Coast West Coast Killas"East Coast/West Coast Killas" is a single from Dr. Dre's compilation album, Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath. The song features RBX, KRS-One, B-Real and Nas performing together as Group Therapy. The song conveys the message that the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry of the time was unnecessary....
" as a single for his compilation album
Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath (which featured both East-coast, and West-coast artists.) Disenchanted with Dr. Dre's affiliation with the East-coast, 2Pac took a jab at Dre at the end of his song; "To Live & Die in L.A.". Snoop Dogg purported that he and 2Pac weren’t speaking during his final days, because Snoop stated in an interview that he enjoyed Biggie’s music.
End of the Feud
In March 1996, during the Soul Train Awards ceremony in
Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
, there was a confrontation in the parking lot between the respective entourages of Bad Boy and Death Row in which guns were drawn. Although an armed standoff was all it amounted to, it was becoming readily apparent to hip hop fans and artists that the situation was escalating into a serious issue. Local papers referred to the situation as, “the
hip hop version of the Cuban Missile Crisis.”
At the
MTV Video Music AwardsThe MTV Video Music Awards, also called the VMAs, were established at the end of the summer of 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year...
in New York, Nas and Tupac also confronted each other outside the venue. Though accounts from Suge, The Outlawz, Snoop Dogg and Nas himself somewhat vary, most agreed that Tupac said he would remove the insults to Nas from his next album, if Nas would in return refrain from insulting him. Their previous verbal abuse was, as found in the meeting, based on publicity. The media’s sensationalizing of the
East vs. West Coast rivalry, meanwhile, fueled record sales. Although Nas kept his end of the bargain, Tupac was murdered before he was able to do the same.
On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was shot four times in
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
, dying seven days later from
respiratory failureThe term respiratory failure, in medicine, is used to describe inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, with the result that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide levels cannot be maintained within their normal ranges. A drop in blood oxygenation is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial...
and
cardiac arrestA cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during systole....
on Friday, September 13. Six months later, on March 9, 1997, Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed in
Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
, mirroring Tupac’s murder. Both murders remain unsolved today, while numerous theories about their deaths have been posited.
Released tracks
- 1996: "Hit 'Em Up
"Hit 'Em Up" is a diss song by 2Pac, featuring his rap group the Outlawz. It is the B-side to the 1996 single "How Do U Want It". The song viciously insults several East Coast rappers, chiefly Tupac Shakur's enemy and former friend, The Notorious B.I.G....
" by 2Pac feat. OutlawzOutlawz, also known as Outlaw Immortalz, is an American hip hop group from Montclair, New Jersey, founded by Tupac Shakur and Yaki Kadafi in late 1995 after Shakur's release from prison. Collectively, they are probably best known for appearing in the video for, and rapping on "Hit 'Em Up"...
- In the song Shakur dissed The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , popularly known as Biggie Smalls , Frank White , and by his primary stage name The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper.Raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Wallace grew up during...
and P. Diddy. He took also took aim at Bad Boy RecordsBad Boy Records is an East Coast record label, dealing largely in Hip-Hop/R&B music, founded by producer/rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs in 1993...
, Lil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and singer who was part of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A....
and Junior M.A.F.I.A.Junior M.A.F.I.A. is an American hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The acronym M.A.F.I.A. actually stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., in the early 1990s and released their debut album,...
, most notably, Lil' CeaseJames Lloyd , better known as Lil' Cease , is an American rapper and member of Junior M.A.F.I.A. He was also the cousin of the late rapper, The Notorious B.I.G. and was with B.I.G. when he was murdered in 1997. Cease's first release was 1995's Conspiracy with the Junior M.A.F.I.A...
. Shakur further insults B.I.G. by suggesting he had sex with his wife Faith EvansFaith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress and author. Born in Lakeland, Florida and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Evans moved to Los Angeles in 1993 for a career in music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B...
.
- 1996: "Brooklyn's Finest" by Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name, Jay-Z is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $150 million, shipping over 30 million copies of his albums in the United...
feat. The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , popularly known as Biggie Smalls , Frank White , and by his primary stage name The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper.Raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Wallace grew up during...
- The track released on Jay-Z's debut Reasonable DoubtReasonable Doubt is the debut album of American hip hop rapper Jay-Z, released June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States and on Northwestside Records in the United Kingdom. The album features production by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and guest vocals by Memphis Bleek,...
. B.I.G. responded on Shakur's claim of having sex with his wife; Faith Evans, by rapping: If Faith had twins, she'd probably have two Pacs / Get it? Tu... pac's
External links