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The death of 2Pac in 1996 and Biggie Smalls in 1997 were catastrophes that saw hip-hop lose two of its most skilled lyricists and caused the culture to go into an extended period of mourning that many still haven’t recovered from.

However, the West Coast vs East Coast feud that plagued hip-hop during the 1990s, as much as it may have entertained the culture, was an amalgamation of bloodshed and pure horror that inevitably ended with the deaths of two amazingly talented rappers. However, its origins were complicated and fueled by catastrophic misperceptions.

Few young hip-hop fans know that 2Pac and Biggie Smalls were initially friends. In the early 1990s, the two MCs always hung out, and the Brooklyn rapper was one of Shakur’s best industry friends.

Before becoming a Death Row artist, Pac was already an established artist signed to Interscope and one of the most prevalent up-and-coming MCs on the West Coast. Until late 1994, there was no feud between the pair, and when they met in 1993, there was no hostility. 

In an interview, the author of It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him explained how the pair “instantly hit it off. They were both Geminis, so they were Gemini twins in a way. These guys were incredibly close. 2Pac would have Biggie over his house when he was in LA, even [have him] sleep on his couch.”

But many will be familiar with the turn their relationship took in 1994. That year, while in New York to work on music, the rhymer was shot at Quad Studios in Manhattan while exiting the building. However, 2Pac’s recollection of the event included the shooters distinctively wearing labelled garments worn by gangs in Brooklyn.

The attackers stole 2Pac’s jewellery and then shot him, hitting him in the chest. The rapper was shot five times. Twice in the head, twice in the groin area, and once in his left hand. Still, according to the rapper, he recognised two of the three men as associates of his friend, Biggie Smalls.

When the beef escalated, 2Pac began hurling everything he had at Biggie Smalls and Bad Boy Entertainment. Biggie didn’t respond, and many questioned why. In his Biggie Smalls diss track ‘Hit ’em Up’, Shakur raps, “I f*cked your wife” and “five shots couldn’t drop me, I took it and smiled.”

However, Biggie Smalls’ silence was partially due to his sadness that one of his closest friends in the industry was now gone, with their friendship in tatters. His reaction to the All Eyez On Me creator’s death further reflected this sentiment.

During an appearance on Vlad TV, Biggie Smalls’ close friend C-Gutta, whom he had known since he was a teenager, recalled what it was like being with the Brooklyn emcee in 1996 while recording Life After Death. Speaking to the host, he revealed that he was with the ‘Hypnotise’ rhymer when he found out 2Pac had been shot.

Reflecting on the moment, C-Gutta detailed, “We was in the crib. We was getting ready to go to the studio when we heard about what happened. When Big heard, he didn’t think it was serious. He was like, ‘Oh no, that n*gga gon’ be he be all right’. Because [2Pac] had already been shot so…”

C-Gutta then confirmed that he was with Biggie Smalls when he was made aware 2Pac had passed away from the shooting and recalled, “You know he had tears in his eyes. Big had love for ‘Pac, so he definitely shed a tear for him. I knew Big didn’t really want that beef with 2Pac.”

Still, although the beef had ended, little did C-Gutta know that less than a year later Biggie Smalls would get shot and killed for the same toxic feud.