Did The Notorious B.I.G. diss Nas on ‘Kick in the Door’?
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Did The Notorious B.I.G. diss Nas on 'Kick in the Door'?

The New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens have always had a deep rivalry. Whether it’s Lil Kim versus Nicki Minaj or Jay-Z against Mobb Deep, a lyrical tug-of-war has always existed. However, there may have been a lowkey feud between The Notorious B.I.G. and Nas in the 1990s with one Biggie track appearing to be a diss aimed at the Illmatic rapper.

Nas (real name Nasir Jones) and The Notorious B.I.G. (real name Christopher Wallace) were both massive names in the ’90s, especially in New York. Jones was known for his gritty, underground work alongside DJ Premier. On the other hand, Wallace was renowned for his smooth, mainstream material with Diddy. From an onlooker’s perspective, the two rappers co-existed and individually brought something different to the table. However, that may not have been the case behind closed doors.

The two MCs were different concerning the sonics of their music. However, there was some overlap in terms of their career paths. Both artists released their debut albums in 1994. Although Nas put out his project in April and Biggie dropped his in September, this may have aggravated one of the parties. Furthermore, they were both hugely impactful bodies of work. However, Illmatic had higher first-week sales selling over 60,000 copies in its first week. In contrast, Ready To Die sold approximately 57,000 units.

These figures may have irritated Wallace and could have even prompted him to diss Nas. ‘Kick In The Door’ by The Notorious B.I.G. was released in 1997 on his final studio album, Life After Death, dropped only 16 days after his murder. The track, upon its release, caused much controversy and sparked speculation among fans. Due to its lyrical content, many have concluded that the song is aimed at Nas, Jeru the Damaja, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and perhaps even the track’s producer DJ Premier.

The rap that Biggie’s fanbase believe is directed at Nas heard the Brooklyn rapper declare he was the true King of New York. It is thought that this was a retaliation to Jones’ 1996 single, ‘The Message,’ on which he raps, “Yo let me let y’all n*ggaz know one thing / There’s one life, one love, so there can only be one King.” On ‘Kick In The Door’, Wallace delivers a bar in which he raps, “Ain’t no other kings in this rap thing / They siblings, nothing but my chil’ren / One shot, they disappearin’ / It’s ill when MC’s used to be on cruddy shit / Took home Ready to Die, listened, studied shit / Now they on some money shit, successful out the blue.”

With the lyrics referencing his 1994 debut, many are sure that it is a shot at Nas. You can hear ‘The Message’ and ‘Kick In The Door’ below to determine whether or not it is really aimed at Jones as many have declared Wallace was simply saying he is the best.