₦airaland Forum

The first time I heard Tupac was on my cousin’s “Me Against The World” CD and I have been hooked ever since.  His music touched me somewhere deep, I couldn’t really understand it at the time but as I got older I did. Tupac was a very complex individual and his music demonstrated that. From introspective tracks like “Keep Ya Head Up” and “Still I Rise to hard hitting viscerally charged tracks like “Hit Em Up” and “Bomb First”, Tupac Shakur was a man full of demons, trapped between who he was and who he wanted to be.

No disrespect to Biggie, I liked his music but I loved Pac’s. Both were cut down too soon in an example of how violence perpetuates and escalates itself until it becomes uncontrollable. The lyrical genius that was Tupac has yet to be surpassed in my opinion. Feeling nostalgic, I put Makaveli: The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory in my car and just let it bump. As I listened to songs like “Hold Ya Head” and “White Man’s World”, it become very apparent to me just how much what the community considers good rap music has changed. I mean I am a huge fan of little Wayne, T.I, Young Jeezy, and others but when you put their lyrical content and message up against Tupac they just don’t hold up.

Pac was one prolific dude, perhaps unparalleled in rap history. He primarily earned that reputation in the last year of his life, releasing the first double disc of original rap songs with All Eyez On Me in February of 1996. And the legend that he recorded the remarkable The Don Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory in seven days still endures. Some are led into bouts of disbelief. What, did this guy just wall himself up in a studio for days on end or something? But even if you leave out the songs in his posthumous albums that were mainly formed out of his leftover verses…I mean, if he had lived, you mean to tell me he had enough material to make five more albums, two of which are 2-CD sets, bringing his total to about ten albums in five years? The ratio of amount of albums to number of career years would be roughly 2:1! What is he, a freaking factory? Sure, there might be rappers today that record hundreds of songs in the studio. But until one of them comes forward and substantiates a greater volume of work, let alone better quality, ‘Pac will forever remain the prolificacy king in hip-hop.

Tupac was at his best when he harnessed something meaningful with his songwriting ability. No one has made better rap songs dedicated to mothers and women in general (“Keep Ya Head Up” and “Dear Mama”), and it has been extremely hard to rival eulogies like “How Long Will They Mourn Me” or “Life Goes On.” Maybe only Ice Cube can match or surpass him in pure chagrin with revolution songs like “Holler If Ya Hear Me.” And his best album, 1995’s classic Me Against the World,
was the fulfillment of his immense talent and showed that he was indeed capable of being artistically disciplined and focused. Even a decade after his death, his best work has transcended time; his greatest socio-political pieces are just as relevant to today’s society as they were when they were first released.

Pac was socially conscious unlike todays rapppers, with the exception of  a few rappers like Common and Talib Kweli.

He will always get my G.O.A.T vote anytime.

In no particular order:

Nas - Ether (VS Jay Z, Roc-a-fella records)
LL Cool J - The Ripper Strikes Back (VS Canibus, Wyclef Jean)
Canibus - Second Round KO (VS LL Cool J)
Eminem - Nail In The Coffin (VS Benzino, The Source)
The Game - 300 Bars and Runnin (VS 50 Cent)
2Pac feat. Tha Outlawz - Hit 'Em Up (VS East Coast in general, Biggie Smalls, Junior Mafia, Bad Boy, Mobb Deep, )
Common - The Bitch In Yoo (VS Ice Cube)
Ice Cube - No Vaseline (VS Dr Dre, Eazy E, Mc Ren, DJ Yella)
The list is endless,

Frankie Lymon was a wasted Talent.

Damn!!!! Halloween came early. Where the hell are the Fashion police when you need em,

A lot of people need growing up. Rappers would sell their own mothers to get paid, so they can say whatever they like to get cheap publicity. don't believe the hype man otherwise your goin to have a friggin heart attack.

P Square started the trend but I still think Gino's 'Nobi God' killed it for the fact that his was actually shot in Nigeria, I know some Uk producers that went wow when they saw his video.

If this thread gets pulled, then this site is no longer free and fair. I never intend to insult anyone. This is just comparisons and they are based on FACTS.

They do these things to capitalise on our national quest to go abroad by all means. Though morally questionable, you dont need to be Richard Branson to see you can make a lot of money from that. If you are in the UK as a Student / Work Permit / EU or UK Citizen Spouse, and you have renewed your Visas lately you will have see the increase in fees from earlier years. Nigerian Embassy here in London will probably do the same if they get the same number of applicants like the UK get in Nigeria.

Gangsta rap. I spent a large amount of my childhood filling my ears with it. Gangsta rap of all varieties: West coast acts like Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre; East Coast acts (especially of the Queensbridge variety) like Cormega, CNN and Mobb Deep, you name it, I heard it, and probably didn't dislike it. Some of these guys had serious talent, no denying that. But they all claimed that gangsta mentality. See, there's an issue though. That word: "gangsta" - it messes with me. As an unruly young'n I was immersed in an environment that put me into and around a lot of the things that those aforementioned rappers would yap about on their songs, give or take a little here and there. So technically, that should make me 'gangsta' in a sense, right? Somehow, I don't think so. So this brought up a mental conundrum that I was determined to solve. If these guys that called themselves 'gangstas' and 'thugs' didn't really seem to be that, in my eyes at least, then who the hell was? Then I thought back to issues that my mind seems to digest the best - government and politics.

With that being said, here are the 10 top reasons why the Saudi Arabian royalty is more gangsta than your favorite gangsta rapper:

1. Drug dealing.
"You know about them white blocks? Yeah I'm talkin' white squares, move 'em by the two's so they go by the pairs" - (''Young Jeezy "White Girl"
OK, so these guys like to deal in ounces, pounds, dime sacks, nickel bags, lots of green, a little powder, and probably some whiteboy chemical concoctions that they brew in their basement too.

The Saudis? They'll shit all over your wimpy ass pound. And piss on your bricks. Why? They got TONS. Prince Nayef bin Fawwaz al Shaalan was caught back in '04 moving two TONS of cocaine. And this wasn't to his homeboy down the street who just broke up with his girl. No. This is the international drug trade, and on a whole different level than getting one of your Mexican buddies to hop the border and give you a couple pounds. Oh, and he's not getting in much trouble for it. He's just a 'fugitive' of America's NARCs. He's probably drinking his Turkish coffee and hitting a hookah in the comfort of his mansion as you read this.


2. Houses.
We've all seen MTV cribs. They got some nice mansion, possibly in Connecticut where they can design the next revolution in intimacy gadgets in the seclusion of their own walls, a Scarface DVD, a bottle of Cristal somewhere if they're really ballin' like that, and a neatly made bed that probably doesn't see nearly as much action as they say it does.

This time let's look at Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, husband of Princess Haifa bint Faisal. This guy was selling his over $130 million Aspen, Colorado vacation home in 2006. It comes complete with 24k gold fixtures, is bigger than the house America's current idiot of a president calls his temporary home, and has 16 rooms designated for the prince to take a leak in (I'm sorry, but you just don't need 16 bathrooms). This guy, this one prince ALONE, also owns an estate in England. Don't forget his other family members' cribs, such as the vacation 'palace' of sorts situated in the French Riviera. Shit, these places would put even Scarface's place of residence to shame, and could probably give the palace of Versailles a run for its money too.


3. Rides.
Time to quote Jeezy again, because he's just such a good target. "I went from old school Chevys to drop top Porsches" - "Air Forces". Although I don't fancy them so much myself, a Porsche is undeniably a hell of a vehicle. Well, maybe not in comparison to,

, Our favorite 2-ton moving prince’s 747 jet. Or our ex-Aspen resident's personal Airbus A340. Oh, and don't forget their yachts, with their helicopter landing pads and all that.

4. Loot.
Do I even need to explain this one? Even if a rapper managed to go double platinum 10 times and not spend a dime of their profits, their bank account sure as hell couldn't touch somebody's that has "King/Prince(ss)" attached to their unnecessarily lengthy name. Especially if said royalty is pushing tons of illicit materials on top of the money that political types just seem to inherit out of thin air anyway.


5. Methods of punishment.
Your favorite gangsta rapper probably talks about how he'll blast the head off of anyone who tries to test him, then next thing you know there’s "a body in the trunk son", and they're tossing fingerprint-laced firearms in the river and finding a dumpster in Bumfuck to toss the body in. Basically, they're guilty and they know they couldn't fight the charge so they try not to catch one in the first place. Not to mention they blast fools over some stupid shit (word to Remy Ma).

Well, the Saudis have a different theory. Eye for an eye. And yes, I'm aware that Mobb Deep said the same shit, but I doubt they live it. If you steal from a Saudi? Well, I hope you don't mind getting a couple fingers chopped off, or maybe your whole hand. In public, I might add. And for those that think the American capital punishment system is flawed, they still do public beheadings in Saudi Arabia.


6. Allies.
Gangsta rappers have a close, probably tight knit crew that has each other's backs. I mean honestly, isn't that where the word 'GANGsta' came from? By being a self-proclaimed gangsta (notice I said being ***A*** gangsta, not being gangsta), you should automatically by definition have a crew that has your back. And they probably got some knives, weaponry, an inconspicuous looking whip for a hitch-free drive by, and some dirty gossip on your enemies. OK, that's nice and all,

But who needs that shit when you got access to UN conferences? Not to mention that you're sitting on a country-sized oil puddle. Everybody loves you! Even Mr. "Nuke-u-lar" Bush wants to be your friend! While your favorite OG rapper is running from the feds, the Saudi royalty is getting their asses kissed by them.


7. Enemies.
OK, maybe not EVERYONE loves the Saudis. Because oil isn't everything, is it? If you're hiding in caves all day, you don't need much black gold in your life. Any guesses who I'm getting at yet? I'll give you some time,

Your favorite American-bred gangsta rapper has beef with rival lyricists, Joe-Schmoe on the block who banged his girl in high school and gave his girl the itch, and other so-called 'gangstas' that get in his way. Granted, if an enemy possesses a nice firearm and points it in my face, I'll get a little nervous. These random ass people can still take your life. But are you more scared of random ass hood-thug, or,

Bin Laden? yes, Osama bin Laden himself. He's not a big fan of the Saudi royalty at all, despite his strong (and very wealthy) ties to the country. And if you ask me, I'D take a gunfight with homeboy down the block's 9mm over Bin Laden's AR-15 and suicide bomber connections any day of the week. mess that, homeboy down the street can bring five other armed friends and a couple of rabies-infested pitbulls and I'D still choose that over taking on Bin Laden.


8. Protection.
This one is also pretty simple-minded. Your favorite gangsta rapper probably has a bodyguard, or two, or maybe a few more. And a CCTV system at his crib, car alarms, simple and practical means of self-preservation.

No matter what, a government affiliate of any country will have better self-protection measures at their fingertips because, well, that's just the way of the world, as unfair as it may seem. But we're talking people who got beef with Bin Laden here, and they're still alive. Any self-proclaimed gangsta, regardless of how true to the term they actually act, needs protection. And any self-proclaimed gangsta should be aspiring towards a protection system on the Saudi level.


9. Territory.
Let's just say, I don't see any of your favorite gangsta rappers pulling a "Petoria" (see http://www.flatoz.com/. Click on season 2, and watch episode 218 for 30 minutes of hilariousness) anytime too soon, and until they do, well, holding down a city block or two doesn't compare to holding down one of the biggest countries in your region of the world.


10. Being real.
Rappers are slaves to the entertainment industry (save for underground independent-type artists with their own labels and what not). This means that they must conform to industry standards, which right now seems to be talking about and glamorizing the drug game, gun play, and banging Superhead. Aside from catching an itch from the ultimate music industry hoe, in my opinion it's safe to say that they don't really do so much drug pushing and gun shooting. If they did, they'D be locked up. We all know how black men + the system works. So yeah, I question the authenticity of your favorite gangsta rapper's subject matter.

The Saudi's don't have to talk about the shit they do. Media outlets will talk for them. On top of that, the whole world knows (or has access to info) about the shit the Saudis pull, and yet they're still seemingly untouchable. Even the mafia dons of the early 1900's couldn't pay off enough pigs and politicos to be THAT protected from the law.

<<Disclaimer>> This blog was for entertainment purposes only, and I in no way intend to promote a 'gangsta' lifestyle as one you should hope to achieve, because that shit is not cool. I am also not trying to glorify the actions of the Saudi royalty because, and as with any political leader these days it seems, corruption runs rampant and that's nothing to be proud of. So all you easily-influenced kiddies out there: behave yourselves and stay safe. And credit to Meka for sharing his blog with me for the day.

Thanks to Meka Soul

This is some bull ish. No matter what, people are always going to have some kind of conspiracy theory (from the Makavelli 7 Days Theory to the Knight templars)to give their lives meaning. I don't buy that and goodluck to you if you do. My opinion,

This has been on mind for some time. I simply cannot  understand how someone of Tufaces' stature and fame does not have a single decent video to his  name. What do you think?

For some wierd reason, the term, 'One hit wonders' refuses to leave my mind.

This is business. The P Squares were in it for money and it can go dicy. Sadly in this case it did so I cant really say sorry cause am not getting any lol.

Public Enemy - Fight the Power
Run DMC      
LL Cool J
New Edition - Cool It, Mr Telephone Man, etc
Like a Virgin - Madonna
1999 - Prince
November Rain - Guns N Roses
Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force
Etc

LAX - The Game
My Life - The Game
Love Lockdown - Kanye West
Heartless - Kanye West
I put On - Young Jeezy / K. West
Jockin Jay Z - Jay Z
Lost - Coldplay f. Jay-Z
I'm Having A Relapse - Eminem
The Last Is First - Dilated People
Whatever You Like - TI
Lacy Duvalle - Charles Hamilton

I wanna have whatever drink dude had to do that dance, the pictures in the papers absolutely made my day today,

@ his crib in Maryland eating pork chops and chicken nuggets watching porn.

It will have to be Asa because shes got what it takes and her music is so damn different on another level OR
2face simply because he has made that name.

He is original.

@ adconline

You are asking why include non Africans or Africans not living in Africa.
If your question is the first one, let me ask you; why did the Mobos / MTV Europe have 'Best African Artistes' category even though the winners are not Europeans and most live in Africa? Heck even the Grammys too,

Nearly had a heart attack when i saw it in the papers today. Hope the show spurns positive things for Africa.

It was a surprise win, even he was flustered. Thought Asa would have won tho. (Just my opinion)

E thugs lol

I think Kenny and D1 have overstayed their welcome. Granted, they galvanised the urban music movement in Nigeria but i don't think they should also be presenting the programmes too. I know they want to stay relevant but there are more dignified ways than the cheap publicity they seek from the cameras.

On Kenny, that guy seems to have a massive ego problem. I saw him on an Ben Tv london when they were doing a phone in programme. Some guy called in and complained about the quality of Tuface's videos and Kenny literally lost it and started shouting and abusing the guy. I had to laugh cause he was making a big ish of himself.

This is 2008 and she wrote that article in 2005. She still hasnt made it to Hollywood, Doesnt that tell you everything you need to know?

If it is greatest living rapper in terms of relevance, i'D go  for Jay Z because so far, he has got the hip hop flag flying. In Glastonbury, he put hip hop on the map.He has diversified into many fields but still identifying for hip hop. He has influenced a lot of rappers like little Wayne. Other rappers are upping their game because of him. And most importantly, he doesnt get arrested by police every 2 seconds like some of your favourite artistes. Eminem on the other hand is good when he is at it but he needs to come out of retirement first to be considered.

He is such a big clown