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Hmm, i'll agree with some of it but not all. If your definition of classic hip-hop is transcendent albums which push in progressive directions while updating what's come before, then, sure, Nation of Millions and the Score would make most Top Ten albums list. If your definition of classic hip-hop is something which, years later, can be seen as a social, cultural and musical documentation of what was going on at a certain place and time, Ready to Die makes the list, as would, say, the Pharcyde's first album, Run-DMC's first album, Wu-Tang's first album, Cypress Hill's first album, and Outkast's Stankonia. If you're assessing the Top 5 emcees of all time, all three Fugees put together don't make that list. Putting things in perspective here. Rakim had two and a half classic albums before going AWOL, and he's always mentioned. Melle Mel deserves to be listed just on the basis of "World War III", one of the most amazing concept-driven rhymes ever. LL can make a case right up to Mama Said Knock You Out. And few people East of the Rockies would put Mac Dre in a GOAT list, but for those in the know, his flows were some of the most creative and effective ever. Anyone within a 500 mile radius of Texas would probably have something to say about Scarface and UGK, as well. So defining the criteria of what makes a classic such is critical, but Scott doesn't do that, probably because he has larger points he's trying to address about the marketability of "Suicidal Thoughts."

That said, is Biggie overrated? Most certainly. Ice-T has more classic albums than Biggie. So do the Coup, Del tha Funky Homosapien, Too $hort, Gangstarr, Nas, De La Soul, KRS-One, and MF Doom, to name a few. Tupac was certainly more prolific and much more nuanced, but, just like bluesman Robert Johnson, their posthumous legend has added a gravitas to their careers which had to be factored in. Biggie typified the struggle of the disenfranchised young black male for money, women, and fame, an the fact that his story ends in tragedy gives him legend points he might not have otherwise had. That, and no small amount of East Coast bias, can account for his high ranking whenever these subjective, controversy-provoking lists are announced. The real question Scott should be asking is, had Biggie not been murdered, would he even make a top 25 list? The answer is, we'll never know.

But is it fair to devaluate Biggie's contributions to hip-hop just because a major motion picture is being made about his life story? There were lots of books about Ray Charles, Muhammad Ali, and Malcolm X, and their stories were all made into Hollywood biopics -- which, fyi, serve wider mainstream audiences who may not even own a Biggie CD far more than heads. If anything, we should be asking ourselves why the cycle of death Biggie was unable to escape continues, not hatin' on the brotha now that he's not here. Scott dismisses Biggie's entire output rather casually, without really taking the time to break down lyrics or explain why he doesn't think it compares to a PE album released six years earlier, much less the Fugees album. We're just supposed to take his word for it that Ready to Die isn't up to snuff. (pun not intended)

I agree, however, with many of Scott's critical comments about pop culture and the exploitative nature of Hollywood, but some of his comments seem a bit out there: "when rappers die violently, they are transformed into gods of war, leading their followers on a quest to seek revenge against all those that had beef with them when they were alive." Really? transformed into gods of war? That seems like...somewhat... of an exaggeration. Other than the fake-ass East v. West beef perpetrated by Bad Boy, Death Row, Vibe, Source, and XXL both before and after the deaths of Biggie and Tupac, what other fallen MC has been elevated to the posthumous level of an Aries, Shango or Thor? And even if that were true, how is that different from people riding for Lil' Bobby Hutton, Malcolm X, or Crispus motherfuckin' Attucks (what, what!!!)? Is Scott saying that tradition should not be factored into history? In other words, this didnt start with Biggie or Tupac, and it's not limited to rappers who die violently. That statement is just as exploitative and factually-incorrect as much of what comes out of Tinseltown.

Scott overlooks one crucial point in his assessment: namely that there is an African component to African American culture. In African culture, ancestors are revered. Biggie and Tupac both became ancestors, so shouldn't they be remembered and elevated to a position of cultural glorification? Robert Johnson sang about hellhounds on his trail, having sex, and other topics which would have been considered 'gangsta' today. Is his contribution to black culture so much greater than Biggies? Or were they both products of their respective eras, who made music that provoked an emotional response, despite their bleak subject matter? Hmmm...