A lot of people have a VERY different opinion on, most likely, the most famous rapper of all time. I was wondering the boards, OVERALL opinion on 2Pac. Was he overrated, or not?

Vote. Discuss.

To me. He was the most captivating figure that drew me into listening to rap. Whether they are classics are not his double lp and me agianst the world are both great bodies of work. And show his talent. He wasn't as highly regarded when he was alive but he still had a ton of fans.

He was the hardest working man in show business. And for him to still have material that was unreleased shows you how dedicated to his craft he was. One of the greats for sure and probably my all time favorite.

I can't say he is overrated because his style influenced so many. And a lot of rappers after him have failed at attempts to imitate him.

Whoever says he is the greatest rapper of all time is overrating him.

He was great......just not the greatest.

Peoples opinions won't prove anything though. Some like him, some don't. I personally think he has great material, but i prefer others to him.

Top 10 emcee of all time for sure, but if you put him at top you will be underrating others.

2Pac will go down with Elvis, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix as a gone-too-soon icon with his image on T-shirts and other memorabilia in 50 years.

It depends on your criteria if you place him Top of all time, but that's definitely where I place him. Tupac made you feel his music, he could switch types of songs, his mood, go from vulgar to feel-good to uplifting to gangsta and still seem true.

His rhyme schemes weren't as tricky as some folks and I haven't heard any freestyle he put out that wow'ed me, but Tupac was an artist who just happen to be a rapper. I can't think of anyone that truly compares to him in that way. Biggie had a better start-to-finish album and was more clever with wordplay, but I place 2Pac in a different league overall than anyone else to pick up a mic

2Pac will go down with Elvis, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix as a gone-too-soon icon with his image on T-shirts and other memorabilia in 50 years.

It depends on your criteria if you place him Top of all time, but that's definitely where I place him. Tupac made you feel his music, he could switch types of songs, his mood, go from vulgar to feel-good to uplifting to gangsta and still seem true.

His rhyme schemes weren't as tricky as some folks and I haven't heard any freestyle he put out that wow'ed me, but Tupac was an artist who just happen to be a rapper. I can't think of anyone that truly compares to him in that way. Biggie had a better start-to-finish album and was more clever with wordplay, but I place 2Pac in a different league overall than anyone else to pick up a mic

It depends what you want in a rapper. Grand Puba and Big Daddy Kane for example IMO are some of the finest emcees to grace the mic, but with little recognition. Others such as Nas and Rakim, both who i could argue for the number 1 spot, recieve great accolades from media and other artists alike.

Tupac is in no doubt the greatest rap icon there is and probably will be, but any artist can be overrated/underrated by an individual. It all comes down to taste.

overrated based on what? i'm not a huge fan of pac but the man demanded attention which is very hard to do. he was also a work horse. let's not forget he died at 25 and still has albums coming out. i seen an interview of him and his goal was to record atleast 1 track a day. that's crazy. he's not overrated. my favorite tracks of his are Pain and str8 ballin...classic ****

2Pac will go down with Elvis, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix as a gone-too-soon icon with his image on T-shirts and other memorabilia in 50 years.

It depends on your criteria if you place him Top of all time, but that's definitely where I place him. Tupac made you feel his music, he could switch types of songs, his mood, go from vulgar to feel-good to uplifting to gangsta and still seem true.

His rhyme schemes weren't as tricky as some folks and I haven't heard any freestyle he put out that wow'ed me, but Tupac was an artist who just happen to be a rapper. I can't think of anyone that truly compares to him in that way. Biggie had a better start-to-finish album and was more clever with wordplay, but I place 2Pac in a different league overall than anyone else to pick up a mic


Exactly Tupac was a visionary who's art happen to be rap, he took his ability to create a step further then any other artist before or after him, he literally became his music, inserting his personality into every song he made, whether it was violent, thoughtful,vulgar, damning or respectful... He didn't just rhyme he made you understand him. Biggie was a great lyricist who you wouldn't look at twice on the street, but once you heard him rhyme you where like damn. Tupac on the other hand didn't have to say anything his action captivated you... Its just something about how the man made music so joy able and every changing.. to be able to listen to dear mama and then hit um up.. its like actually listening to two totally different people and Pac is the only artist to encompass both sides of the spectrum with out being labeled a sale out or anything else other then the GREATEST!

No,Nope and hell naw.

dude was the hardest out and i wouldnt argue with anyone saying he is the greatest of all time. And if you dont think he is the best of all time, then its top 5 dead or alive period.

i never thought he was anything special

I'm not too heavy into the Rap game, I'm more into Hip-Hop, I grew up with The SugerHill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, Love Bug Starsky....but I will tell you this....

Tupac was one of the most "Gifted" and talented Rapper's that ever took the Mic. That boy used spurt things out his mouth off the top of his head, and alot of what he said was "Real". A great deal was the beats his producers chose, (Dear Momma, and "I Ain't Mad at Ya") you can't tell me, while driving home on late, late nite...that didn't hit home! he took on different beats, rythym's, and tempo's. That boy was "Real". I'm not one to judge how he lived his life. R.I.P homeboy.

I've always thought that 2pac was overrated, sometimes it gets pretty ridiculous, just like Elvis worship does ( Elvis was overrated too).

Tupac was not that technically skilled, and he wasn't really that deep in my opinion either. He did talk about social and political issues but other rappers have as well, and many have done it with deeper lyrical content. I suppose 2pac connects with people emotionally on some level which is fine with me, he certainly wasn't one of those rappers whose material was all just a gimmick.

I always thought he was rated fairly, for one reason. His ability to connect with virtually ANY person, in at least one way or another. I had a WHITE AS DAY teacher, who listened to The Beach Boys on a regular basis during class. We begged him to put on the radio, and California Love came on, and the dude flipped out. With The Beach Boys and California Love, I think it had a lot to do with the California aspect of it. Nonetheless, the connection was there. It was the song, too. We actually had to tell him who made the song, and that he had been dead for years. That's impressive. Not many rappers/artists can do that.

His songs had staying power, too. Some of this was helped by his beats, but they are still amazing today. Keep Ya Head Up, Dear Mama, I Ain't Mad At'cha, are never going to be old songs.

He touched on a lot subjects, and made it commercially viable. Was he the best lyricist? No. But he had a captivating voice, with INCREDIBLY underrated storytelling abilities and a knack for writing CIRCLES around most rappers. He could write AMAZING songs, with good lyrics. While most struggle to write great lyrics, forgetting the SONG part. I put myself in his shoes, and I'd much rather write great songs with really good lyrics, then pretty good songs, with great lyrics. Just me. Legacy wise, and how it touches peoples lives, the pay off in the end is just far greater.

2Pac was one of a kind, in the fact that you had an opinion on him, no matter what. He got people so far removed from the genre like Tony Danza and Madonna interested in him and his struggle. He wasn't a TRUE gangster, in the sense, but he was also the perfect example for what this industry can turn you into.

Died so young. Not underrated in any way, in my eyes. Some take it overboard, but in the general view, he's held above the majority of rappers. Right where he belongs, to be honest.

Pac didn't always write the most intricate perplexing rhyme schemes, knockout punch-lines or witty wordplay, he wasn't that kind of lyricist.

But what he did give you were great songs. As others have mentioned already, he was an amazing songwriter. You can sense HIS truth in songs like Dear Mama, Life Goes On, Only God Judge Me, Hit 'Em Up...

No other rapper in my mind is able to deliver a song quite like 2pac, whatever he was spitting he'd make you feel it. Much like a singer will bring up their emotions into their vocals, Pac had that uncanny ability to replicate this in his voice when he rapped.

There is a great deal of sincerity in a lot of his music, which by contrast seems to be lacking amongst many rappers around today. You don't believe half the **** MC's come out with these days, let alone have an emotional attachment to it.

So I guess in this respect this is what separates 2pac from almost everybody else and what made him unique.

One second he's flowin about loving his mama and beautiful black women then the next track he's destroying the entire East Coast...The man was a great artist..

I've always thought that 2pac was overrated, sometimes it gets pretty ridiculous, just like Elvis worship does ( Elvis was overrated too).

Tupac was not that technically skilled, and he wasn't really that deep in my opinion either. He did talk about social and political issues but other rappers have as well, and many have done it with deeper lyrical content. I suppose 2pac connects with people emotionally on some level which is fine with me, he certainly wasn't one of those rappers whose material was all just a gimmick.

I remember Sway once said that if Tupac told you the sky was green he could make you believe him. Apparently there wasn't many people who disliked him after speaking with him.