Biggie’s point is you can only rap about being “gansta” and coming from a tough community if you actually experienced it, and continue to emerge yourself in this type of lifestyle. If you live a life of wealth and disconnect yourself from the community you express yourself as, then your work will...
(Note: This is a response to both parts, but I can only reblog one post at a time.)
Biggie's point is short, sweet, and to the... well, point. If an artist talks about a situation, it's much better if they've lived that situation and know exactly what it's like, not only in the past but also the present. Furthermore, I never thought about how this pertains to the East/West coast rivalry. I do have one question about "Picasso Baby": Besides the MOMA not being the type of setting in which Jay Z would usually perform, do you think his presence there said anything about his thoughts on performance art itself, or how society sees it?















