Harmonised hip-hop: The only songs to feature both 2Pac and Biggie Smalls
The East Coast versus West Coast feud between Death Row and Bad Boy was a tumultuous time in hip-hop that resulted in the deaths of two icons, 2Pac and Biggie Smalls. However, their music is still popular to this day, and they continue to impact the culture.
Despite their early demise, the projects and tracks they recorded in their lifetimes continue to intrigue people, and even the posthumous albums released in the 2000s continue to receive praise. There is often an argument about which emcee was more successful. However, on paper, many have concluded that 2Pac won that battle as he began releasing music much earlier than Biggie.
Still, regardless of which lyricist was more successful, fans often have to reach for different albums when they want to hear 2Pac or Biggie Smalls, but that is not to say they never collaborated. On a few occasions, rap fans have heard both Biggie and Tupac on the same record.
Akin to 1980s icons Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap going back to back on ‘The Symphony’, ‘Pac and Biggie went head to head on a track. However, they weren’t alone; a star-studded lineup joined them.
In 1993, before Biggie Smalls had even released his debut album, 2Pac put out his sophomore project, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. The body of work was considered his breakout and gained him notoriety across the US.
One of the tracks on the album was ‘Let’s Get It On,’ which saw the Oakland rhymer collaborate with Grand Puba (of Brand Nubian), Heavy D, and, of course, Biggie Smalls. The opening verse is delivered by Heavy D, 2Pac, then sneakily enters the fray to rap his rhyme, with Biggie Smalls closing the song.
Strangely, ‘Let’s Get It On’ was one of the tracks that helped the Brooklyn rapper gain traction on the West Coast. As a rapper from the Bay Area, 2Pac was respected in California. Following the release of 2Pacalypse Now, he had become relatively well-known. Meanwhile, Biggie hadn’t released more than a demo.
That said, by 1994, 2Pac was trying something different with Thug Life. Although his music was still introspective, his image was certainly less ‘Baltimore Drama Kid’ and instead more ‘Gangsta’. However, as he still hadn’t been shot and wasn’t around Suge Knight, he and Biggie were still friends.
From Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z, 2Pac made it clear he wanted to work with Biggie again. He brought the big man into rap on ‘Runnin’ From Tha Police,’ a track meant to appear on Thug Life: Volume 1. However, the song didn’t make it onto the album, as Interscope Records deemed many of the songs—especially the tracks about law enforcement—too controversial to release.
In 1995, ‘Pac released ‘Runnin’, but this was not only after he had been shot in the lobby of Quad Studios but also after he signed with Death Row. As such, his relationship with Biggie had become strained.