re: 2pac vs. Jay Z

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2-pac became famous and revered because of his thug persona.

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I've been thinking about this comment. I avoided it at first because I see it as potentially a mess of an argument, ultimately depending on two things:

1. Your definition of a thug persona.

2. Having knowledge of the psyche of people who revere Tupac, understanding why the reverence exists in their mind. And regarding his rise to fame, why audiences were originally drawn to him.

I'm going to leave #2 alone. That's too deep of a rabbit hole for me to try to go down on a Thursday night, but you probably have a point there to some degree.

My issue with #1 are the positive themes in Pac's music. Changes, Keep Ya Head Up, Unconditional Love, Brenda's Got a Baby, Dear Mama, etc. Do these songs fit with your definition of a thug persona?

The way I see it, Tupac was able to strike a balance in his music between narrating his environment (and the negative aspects within), but also promoting change and a way of perceiving things that focuses on the positive. There was a duality in Pac that is conspicuously absent in popular rap today.

Also, with regard to the word persona, if that implies anything contrived, I disagree. Tupac was all heart.

For instance, compare him with Eminem, whom you rank ahead of Pac. To me, they are/were both masterful at conveying emotion through music, both passionate rappers. But I can't really get into Eminem because I feel like so much of his work is gimmicky. Not all of it, and there are songs of his that I like, but often times I feel like his stuff is contrived, like he's trying to pull a stunt, shock the audience.

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Not because he was a great lyricist. He was not a great lyricist.

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I completely disagree with this. But it depends on your criteria for what constitutes a great lyricist.

My main criteria are themes and ideas, and the words used to express them. You may differ in your own criteria.

It seems like most today are big on wordplay, similes, metaphors, witticisms, double entendres, things of that nature, which I also appreciate. Pac may not have been real strong in this area, but I think there was less of this across the board in rap during the 90s.

he was rapping during a time of racial unrest in LA, he was telling the streets story, a true poet.