Is Tupac Shakur the most overrated artist ever?

lulz Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 04:03 AM EST

as most know, Blender folded, surprise, surprise. Shows how much their opinion mattered, doesn't it?

kamakazzee Thu, May 28, 2009 at 04:44 PM EST

Man I hate people sayin that 2pac is over rated that's just stupid 2pac is the best rapper of all time biggie smalls sucks the only reson why people dnt like pac now is because of that stupid movie notrouse and that's not even how it all happend if we are talking about over ratted then put lil wayne there because he is the most over rated rapper of all time not some one actually good

someone Fri, May 8, 2009 at 12:41 AM EST

Damn, I didn't know that 2Pac did Ballet in high school. That's a surprise. There is no way he can top this list or be on it at all.

QG Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 03:24 PM EST

Ok, now keeping it real, that magazine talked a whole lotta nonsense. 2Pac is like number 4-ish on my list of top MCs. Yes he had a ton of filler, absolutely. But we can only count the CDs before his death, namely 2Pacalypse Now - The Don Killuminati. Anything after wasn't even official releases. Pac may have had those made for fun, but never intended their release. Counting those 6 albums, I'd say two had huge filler issues. Mostly his supposedly best album, All Eyez On Me. That's his only non-classic album, and his worst. The guest list was weak and rediculous, and it was too long, so many tracks were too skippable. All Eyez On Me Is the Most Overrated thing EVER in my opinion. Don Killuminati had filler too, but it was much more tolerable, shorter, and an excellent album altogether. Me Against The World was really great too, maybe a filler track once, maybe. 2Pacalypse Now, Strictly 4 My N.****Z., purely classic stuff.

RO Sun, Feb 15, 2009 at 01:12 AM EST

I must totally agree with the fact that there are way too many 2 pac verses. Having a lot of songs/verses doesn't make you good. Personally, I think 2 Pac had severe insecurities and many identity issues. I mean, he took Ballett and Acting classes in school. He wanted to entertain. But he never convinced me that he was "hard." He was an interesting guy, that got very lost and carried away. Most 90's "gangster rap" was actually not hard at all. Just pop. Remixes of 70's jazz songs mostly. Listen to "Regulators" by Warren G. and tell me its a good song. It's a total rip off! But back then we thought it was cool. 2 pac was better than Warren G, but still an overrated pop star...who by the way, brought on his own demise.

Chris Chamberlain Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 03:57 AM EST

I disrespectfully disagree...
no one has brought more talent or pure musical genius to the hip hop world. no one ever ( common and R are a distant 2nd )
pac *IS* the rating system...
because of who he is, what he had to say, and the reasons he was an artist, he didnt make filler.

dont question pac, it makes you look silly as a music critic. especially a hip hop critic, you shouldn't have thought twice about this. You should have saw it in blender, laughed and walked away.

I didn't really believe Nas until now, but maybe hip hop is dead if we have true music fans questioning the truest legacy to ever live in this game.

dru Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 07:48 PM EST

What you call forgettable filler I call his greatest work. You named three songs that aren't even in his top 10.

kenneth Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 10:47 AM EST

i think pac is one of the best rapper of alltime whether died or alive i love his music and i will continue listening until the end of time

prince Sun, Nov 16, 2008 at 10:42 PM EST

check this out. 2-pac is the best of the best and for everyone who says that this here is false will need more trainng for their own thoughts. we all must understand.yes tupac had his bad times just as we all have. do you not understand that the man was not perfect but charming,troubled and also searous about life. beleive this if you felt some what as tupac did only you too would understand. do not forget we all come from diffrent backrounds!!

nadalopolous Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 07:02 PM EST

I think Bender was trying to stir some controversy and as result lost credibility. Funny thing is, all these assfucks that hate/diss/criticize Tupac will never put a stain on his legacy or his image. No matter how hard they try, they will not be able to ruin Pac. Most of em are jealous/envious little pricks that realize that they will never amount to anything.

Tomas Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 06:29 PM EST

Well Eminem said Tupac was the greatest lyricist ever (look it up on youtube) Rakim gives respect to him. Hell my goth mate respects his lyrics. 12 years down the line and gaining more fans, not great,, LEGENDARY. Altho it could be argued rkims better.

Dark Night Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 10:02 AM EST

Tupac.. Is far from over rated. I dont know any other rapper who ever sold 8 platinum albums AFTER his death. So what if Pac had a lot of tracks? He loved to make paper and drop hits. So forget anyone who says he is over rated..

Frazier Tue, Oct 28, 2008 at 07:47 PM EST

v6, school is in session. record labels pay all expenses in releasing an album. that includes everything from studio costs, pressing, and distribution to food, hotel, and transportation costs. They do not purchase enough records to jump start the artist halfway to a gold record. Labels get paid when the album sells to consumers. If they were to purchase 200,000 units, that would put overall sales (as far as the label is concerned) at -200,000 units....meaning they would need to sell 200,000 units before they even started recuperating expenses on the album. Try to use your head a little bit before you state "facts."

jennetta ramsey Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 07:39 PM EST

tupac was good but i liked biggie and snoop much better. now lets get back to pac, everyone wants to be him,50,jigga,lilcrack head wayne and many more i care less to say. but none of these rappers can do what he did but SNOOP!!!

v6 Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 12:21 AM EST

alot of people like pac and alot of them don't LIKE HIM. pac will 4 ever be one the greatest rappers people that say he's not the greatest have there opinions well they have there opinons. now a days they say "records sales dont make him the greatest" but remember in the 80's they said "critics dont make a rapper the greatest its the fans that do that" right now there loving the soft south sound but put some real south music like scarface, devin, or trick most suburban folks cant really relate to bad times. FACT: RECORD LABELS DO BUY UP TOO 200,000 RECORDS IN ORDER FOR AN ATRIST TO SELL LIL' WAYNES ALBUM WAS THE MOST RECORD LABEL EVER BOUGHT 345,756 CAN U BELIEVE THAT

Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 09:21 PM EST

HI ADAIR!!!!

dante jackson Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 09:14 PM EST

okay, wow. this is a disgrace to hip hop. tupac was the most talented person ever to walk the earth.saying hes ovverated is like saying jesus isnt holy. think of how many modern songs and quotes have been based on tupac. tupac worked so hard in being a rapper and being a thug that theyre still releasing his stuff today. thats what started this contrevarsy of if he is dead or not because when people saw how much music was actually still being released, they thought that he was still alive. but he isnt. he jsut made all that in a short ten years of being a rapper and 15 years of being a gangster

Paul Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 08:37 PM EST

To the people saying The Beatles and Elvis are overrated? Are you serious? On changed music resulting in the other changing the world! I feel this is a slap in the face to the legacy of Tupac. The man was increadible smart lyricaly, and had a message. It is no coinsidence that rap is in the toilet. The greatest of all time is dead, so the standards went WAY DOWN. Nobody then or now held anything over 'pac. RIP, always have been and always will be the greatest rapper

Tony Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 01:43 AM EST

WTF!!! Tupac overated?? wow that is the most ignorant bullsh### I HAVE EVER HEARD! tUPAC IS THE gREATEST rAPPER EVER TO LIVE > bLENDER MAG SUCK BALLS! rip tUPAC

keva Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 01:16 AM EST

who is blender magazine ne way

liger Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 02:58 PM EST

there's a difference between pac being overrated and medias making pac overrated...will there ever be a hip hop artist who will say pac didn't play an unplaceble role in hip hop music??

Omar Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 01:15 AM EST

Tupac > *
RIP

Murker1 Mon, Sep 15, 2008 at 09:50 AM EST

WTF god is over rated?? Tupac over rated?? bloody hell you just want to cause a problem, where there isn't one, just cos ur magazine isn't rated at all by about no one. It doesn't give you the right to question peoples beliefs in god and whether Tupac is too over rated. You just want to cause a big argument and hope you'll make a few quid in the process. For my top 10 pieces of absolute ball that want to cause problems your magazine is right up there next to the congestion charge. Also don't you think that Elvis Presley ain't overrated if not then wow you have a narrow mind, might of been a legend in his day and age but he is constantly talked about and mimicked almost all the time and WOW there are even groups of people touring the world dressed as him pretending to be him.

You really should quit n just get back to the real world...

Chris Fisher Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 05:12 PM EST

I hear blender is into lil wayne so they obviously have 0 taste.And pac is to me a very passionate artist and was very gifted while his deathrow days are overrated pre-death row he was my favorite young artist in hip-hop.Personally I take rakim over 2pac as the king of hip-hop he is a better artist in every catagory but passion and I would say nirvana or the beatles should be #1 way before pac and lil wayne shouldve been on here right with them.

Muffy Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 02:30 PM EST

Blender magazine is in luv with Lil 'Very Overrated' Wayne!!

alessio Thu, Sep 11, 2008 at 09:05 AM EST

che coglione tupac è il migliore

DooMzDay Tue, Sep 9, 2008 at 06:32 PM EST

yeah I have to agree with blender here Pac is definitely the most influential rapper of all time but thats only because he reached so many people but it wasnt at all due to his lyrical content I love his music but lets not get carried away here you talk about guys like big daddy kane big L biggie smalls jay-z big pun ghostface raekwon meth gza eminem these guys are lyricist hell even snoop is a better rapper then pac but dont be offended im not coming at him like I said I listen to his music but dont let his amount of songs and popularity fool you into thinking he was a great Emcee if you think that you really dont understand lyrics wordplay and symbolism Im sure he is alot of ppls favorite rapper but that doesn't make you the best sorry

Boonation.com Tue, Sep 9, 2008 at 05:17 PM EST

The Blender only represents a suburban group of writers (sorta like MTV's Hip-hop (Inane) Brain Trust. These guys hated Pac when he was going after Biggie and the whole East Coast. Pac took on, Nas, Jay, Puffy and Biggie (along with the wackass Junior Mafia). Ever since then, these types (Sway, Shehiem, and others) have wanted to erase Pac from our memory. Because they know, when they start talking about Biggie, Nas and Jay as some of the greatest of all time, those of us who are not fooled by their power of the suburban machine, remember how Pac was getting in their ass and eat all of those fools up! Pac's death is the best thing that happened to East Coast music, I hate to say it, because as long as he was alive, they would never be able to rise like they did after he died. So this article doesn't surprise me. That's why I hit em up on my website too, check it out, yo, Boonation.com!

frank Tue, Sep 9, 2008 at 03:17 PM EST

number 1. who the hell is blender mag.??
number 2. tupac is the greatest there ever will be.

see ya blender magazine

Mindstate555 Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 10:37 AM EST

Tu Pac Overrated???? What the Fusk are you talking about? Who ever wrote this must not know a damn thing about hip hop culture. Note to the Columnist: Stick to what YOU know! apparently Rap legends or hip hop in general is none of your business!

derek Sat, Sep 6, 2008 at 04:28 PM EST

i dont think so how is tupac overratted he is the greatest rapper of all time and if you get released from jail and finish a album in two weeks with 27 tracks on them i dont think your overratted i think your a pretty good freakin artist he is not overratted this magazines a joke anyways they dont know what there talking about

eric Sat, Sep 6, 2008 at 12:37 AM EST

Overrated!!!! are you kidding me! Tupac is the greatest rapper of all time and in 50 years he still will be! there has not been any rapper that has even been anywere close to on the level that tupac was and still is. he is still putting out some good albums (not as good as his first 6 or 7 albums) but they are pretty good, even better if it was all original.look at the rappers today soulja boy, hurricane cris,V.I. C, and so on. these rappers never ever will be even close to what pac was. there will never be another one like him. he is still putting out better music than over 95% of rappers now, and he has been dead for over 10 years!! how can you call that overated. this has to be the dumbest magazine on the face of the planet. if you want to sell 2 or 3 magazines, dissin tupac and his legacy is not the way to do it.

Common Sense Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 11:33 PM EST

Pac gave me chills from his songs, you could feel what he was saying he reminded me of an (E.T) type of brother (oh not the movie)brothers understand. He was smart beyond his years like an old soul with a young man body. Statistics has proven as well as music sales he's still the #1 rap artist of all times he even out beat Elvis...mmm. He say he wanted to spark a change in the world and that he did. Jada once stated she NEVER discussed Pac he was a hard one to explain but she LOVED him DEARLY the type of love you only see once.

Rob Grizzly Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 11:01 PM EST

The list as a whole is actually a pretty funny read. #5- Writing Your Own Songs: Mandy more does; Britney Spears Doesn't. And who's the more successful? Good point. I take it in jest because some of their rants make no sense. Encores? God? Ok...

But, I agree with alot of it: Winning American Idol, Bling, Getting Backstage, Festivals, even Music we Loved as a Teenager (heck, cartoons we loved as kids could fit just as easily).

They even mark Lists as #18, though it really should have been number 1. Then they would have had subtext and been funny at the same time.

Darryl D Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 08:59 PM EST

In a poor attempt to sell your magazine you put out an article stating Tupac Shakur is the most overrated artist? I would never buy blender magazine. Have you ever listened to "Me Against the World" All Eyez on Me" Makaveli" 2Pacalyse Now" or songs like "Against All Odds" "Hold Ya Head" "Tatoo Tears" "Ambitions Az A Ridah" "No More Pain""So Many Tears" "Death Arounder The Corner" "Hellraiser" "Late Night" "Me and My Girlfriend""How Do You Want It""Bomb First""To Live and Die In LA" "Dear Mama" Brenda's Got A Baby" "When My Homies Call" Holler If Ya Hear Me" "Pour Out A Little Liquor" "U Can't See Me" "Wonder Why They Call" "Picture Me Rolling" "Keep Ya Head Up" "Lost Souls" etc etc etc. Lol you got mad jokes for publishing this article. Pac is the best selling and most influential artists of all time. He happends to be my favorite artist but I like all genres. I'm not waisting anymore of time with you Blender clowns!

Peace
DD

katy Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 01:30 PM EST

I think that the reason why Tupac has so much staying power--and the demand for the release of so much new material, and so long after his death--says something about the quality of his talent.

Not to mention that he is criminally underrated as an actor. For one, his performance in "Gridlock'd" is heartbreaking.

my opinion only Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 11:43 AM EST

I guess I'm still in the minority. While I agree he is better than 99% of what passes for rap these days, he still isn't the G.O.A.T, to me, and he never will be. He had a nice voice and flow, but lyrically he was only inventive is spurts. His appeal to me was more about the subject matter he covered, but he didn't really say it in an inventive or witty way. He brought nothing new in terrms of phrasing, style... I don't know. Charismatic, relateable, willing to tackle interesting subject matter, compelling voice... YES. All that made him good. But inventiveness, innovation, creativity in his delivery? Only sometimes. And that is why he is not great to me. He became "great" when he died, but if he had lived, I don't know if he would have been considered great. Record sales don't make you great... look at Souljah Boy and 50.

tk Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 11:28 AM EST

I'm with outlawz...pac would have never signed off on that crap that came out after his death - but All Eyes on Me & Makaveli are the ish and that's just mainstream - what about Me Against the World and 2Pacalypse? I have never been a rap head, but I gotta always give props to Pac, I think he is one of the best lyricists around (even better than Eminem, who is good) I don't think Tupac is overrated, fools that are trying to make money of snippets he recorded while high, now those folks are foolish and that's why people might tend to believe he may be overrated....but no Simon - he's the G.O.A.T.

Nix Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 10:45 AM EST

It's BLENDER. who cares?

cookiemac Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 10:00 AM EST

I have to say, that although I don't normally listen to tupac, I have listened to some of his lyrics, and I don't think he is over rated. I do think, however that 50 cent, Pdiddy (or whatever he goes by) and especially Kanye West are all highly over rated rappers.

Hunee_Dipd68 Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 09:05 AM EST

Look you lame %$#@!!! Are you serious? Tupac Amuru Shakur was not and is not ever overrated. Ask Jada pinkett- Smith how important he was to her, read his poetry, check the black history of injustices that he identified and made people take notice of young adults black and white growing up in the "hood". Blender you're overrated !!!!!

Cool Deal Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 08:37 AM EST

I am hispanic and I listen to all types of music. You are insane, and Blender has no idea what they are talking about, if you think Tupac is overrated. First off, these rappers that you can't even understand their lyrics have no clue what rap is. Tupac may have been a thug, but he rapped about real problems and issues and you felt what he was saying deep inside. He had a creative way of putting his feelings into music and that is what it's all about. Isn't music suppose to touch you on the inside? That is what he did and a lot of people don't know Tupac at all. They don't know he has written thousands of songs even before his big hits and don't know half of what he has been through. So don't talk about him unless you know of him and what he is about - Blender. I also find MORE offensive that Blender put God on their list. I think Blender should have thought about what they put out before they did, I will put the word out never to listen or read Blender ever again.

frank Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 07:56 AM EST

serious?? hes sold more records than any other rapper...

overrated my ass

hes the greatesr

Cory Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 07:01 AM EST

I'm not familiar enough with Tupac to form an opinion (slightly before my time, plus not my kind of music), but I find Blender's list slightly offensive. So, I'm not going to give it much thought.

dr day Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 06:03 AM EST

I see it slightly differently. I think Tupac was overrated for his most famous songs e.g. 'California Love' and 'Changes'. In that sense, yes he is hyped up a little since these few hit songs of his are all that some people know about Tupac.

However most people haven't heard all his other songs, including the dozens of unreleased and original mix tracks (all of which you can find on youtube if you only look). These songs are far superior to his famous 'pop' and 'hit' songs and they are unfortunately very overlooked when they are Tupac's greatest legacy of all.

Jerry Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 05:01 AM EST

He was nothing more than a common street thug.

Lola Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 04:38 AM EST

Of course you couldn't expect a Vozick-Levinson to know or understand much of Tupac's music... Blender is just ignorant. Among the overrated should be The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Elvis. But these same people that call Tupac overrated, probably believe John Wayne was a brilliant actor.
If you don't get Pac's lyrics or REALLY listened, you've probably never lived or felt them. Sorry for you. Tupac is NOT overrated!!

Tommo Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 04:19 AM EST

Its unbelievable that people say he is so overrated. Tupac was a very very special person, people have learned alot from him like me. Its not just about the songs, its about touching people through music. His lyrics are touching, not like these rappers today. No one will ever be on the same level as Pac.

Tupac Forever

long beach will Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 01:48 AM EST

tupac style of rap!no one would dare to say what they mean and mean what they say .JAIL DEATH unstoppable overrated think not hes just a real one !

cecilia Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 11:46 PM EST

The reason that Pac resonated so much w/the masses (particularly those of us who grew up in the hood) is the versatility he brought to hip hop...and by that i mean on one hand he could give you a party song, and in the next lyrically analyze the conditions of the nation..moreover; b/c his mother was a former black panther a lot of his songs referenced not only the things that minorities are going through but also sought a way to improve conditions

JT Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 11:35 PM EST

Ok, it appears that our transient society based upon what have you done for me lately has decide to question the noteriety associated with Tu-Pac. Saying that he was over-rated and I guess they were also attempting to imply that he was not a genius or a creative power during his time. Well lets take a look at other misunderstood white icons that society tends to look over their travesties and embellish their contributions to epic proportions. Edgar Allan Poe was an alcoholic, Albert Einstein operated in a childhood state until the age of 25! Oppenheimer was a questionable member of German loyalist? I could continue on and discuss others from earlier eras such as the bi-sexual Julius Cesar or the adulterous whoremongering Alexander the Great. No, I will not take the muck road instead I will only ask that we examine Tu-Pacs' impact on the rap genre in another 2 decades and lets see how future generations view him as overrated or do they see him as a prolific speaker of his time?

James Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 11:27 PM EST

To the clearly ignorant and racist guy that posed this of all the questions that could have been asked, the answer is no. Tupac was a great and original talent. Even in death, he still sells millions of new songs to new listeners. Elvis....that's overrated. He wasn't original; he copied others.

John Cyzycki Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 10:24 PM EST

To say that Tupac is overrated is incredibly ignorant. Just compare him to today's rappers. In 1996, he was still considered the driving force of hip-hop, even before he died. In 2008, we have Lil Wayne as the driving force of today's hip-hop game...what does that say about hip-hop? Wayne has a broad vocabulary, and tells no stories...yet he's the best we have today? Tupac was able to tell a story with a new rhyme scheme, and included a great vocabulary...
He was a great storyteller and poet, who used hip-hop as an outreach to better the world. To say that Tupac is overrated, is to say that MLK was overrated.

my opinion only Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 10:16 PM EST

Well, I'm African-American, I love rap, and I've been listening to it forever. That said, I've always thought Tupac was overrated. Good, but not great consistently. And that was BEFORE all the albums after he died. I think Blender is dead on with this one.

DelfunkboyMusic.com Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 08:30 PM EST

The first and only artist to put out a doudle album and it does 10 million in sales. If it don't make dollars it don't make cents. What is Blender rated in the magazine list sales and popularity. Over - Under / circle one.

myspace.com/1delray

Tupac fan Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 08:28 PM EST

The guy who wrote this piece is definitely not a real rap connoisseur. He might want to stick to music he knows and understands. What an idiot...

Nikki Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 08:24 PM EST

This person must not be African American if he thinks Tupac is overrated.

matt Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 08:22 PM EST

I have always disagreed with Simon about his rap music tastes and now I know why... when faced with the question, "is Tupac overrated?", even considering it is ridiculous. Listen to any of Tupac's music (particularly the music he released while alive, which is really what he should be judged on) and you weep when faced with how terrible most rappers are today. He is nearly in a league nearly by himself.

DelfunkboyMusic.com Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 08:20 PM EST

Wow this is a person writing this artical. Did he know Tupac as an artist or person? Baby Don't Cry " Temptations " One Day At A Time " i can go on and on !! Britney Spears was and is overrated but that does'nt sell magazines because we already know that now !! Tupac still sells 11 years later so cut the check to: Tupac's Estate.

Stef Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 08:11 PM EST

NO! Tupac is not overrated; that is completely ridiculous. He made me love rap. I agree with Ep Sato (who doesn't?), why even give this article mention in the first place?

C Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 07:58 PM EST

Out of all the 1,000s and 1,000s of lyricist out here that want to be stars...2pac made it. Theres something to be said about that. Theres nothing overrated about that.

jmh Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 07:51 PM EST

Writing even a handful of amazing, timeless, powerful songs puts him above and beyond the majority of musicians in the past 2 decades or so.

Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 07:28 PM EST

yea, who's tupac

Raje Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 07:04 PM EST

Who's Tupac?

Nee Nee Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 07:02 PM EST

Well, i don't read Blender, but the list was interesting. I agree with some of the things on their list. Music festivals ARE more trouble than they're worth. But I DEFINITELY don't agree with the music I liked as a teen being lame. Does that make me old? I still listen to that stuff, along with a lot of new stuff. All my old faves still get played on alternative radio stations. It had staying power. Anyway, I don't really agree that Tupac should be #1 on the list. I didn't listen to his music (I don't really like rap), but does it seriously deserve to be the absolute MOST overrated? Seriously? I can think of a lot more overrated artists out there than Tupac! In fact, wasn't that a topic on PopWatch once?

S.D Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 06:50 PM EST

Well from someone who does own Pac's ENTIRE 'released' collection, I can say that if anything...Pac aint given enough credit... And the writer of this article don't even seem to know Pacs music...All he stated was his released singles when any TRUE pac fan knows that most of his bangers were not the singles..That tells me that all you know is the shyt you've heard on the radio...That aint even to take away from the singles but the ALBUM is what brought it.. Ballad of a Dead Soulja, Static, Trapped (realeased)...man I can go on and on..PAC is G.O.A.T and before you write something on hym make sure you knowledgable of his music...

Devastator9 Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 05:57 PM EST

Snarf, your way out there guy...It has nothing to do with racism, just ignorance, Like, "Not into rap myself" lol So your expertise is where?

BrandonK Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 05:57 PM EST

Since when does Tupac's rapping qualify as "rock"?

BJohnson Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 05:28 PM EST

To be honest, Blender's list always suck. They do the crappy lists so people can talk about them. I honestly had no clue there was a magazine called that until they started doing these list. So I don't think they really make the list on if they really believe it or they just want the mention in EW or on local radio stations. It worked, here we are talking about it on the blog.

Bishop Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 04:40 PM EST

How do you rate a rapper? Tupac is certainly one of prolific rappers (if not the most). His commercial reach went beyond traditional listeners of rap. His lyrics and personal story gave him street cred. And his bravado was unmatched. More important he rhymed about more than cars, fashion, women and the accumulation of wealth. Sure other rappers did the same. But no one can match him in making you feel when you listened to him that there was at least one other person who felt like it was him against the world - even after all that commercial success. You can't say that about Jay Z. If Tupac is overrated, what does that make Blender? The magazine is living off of Maxim ad rates and circulation numbers. Blender is to Rolling Stone magazine, as Ja Rule is to Tupac. Small in relevance and stature in its respective community. Now I'm gonna let the rest of my lil homies ride on that rag that considers itself journalism.

J Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 04:34 PM EST

Most overrated in my opinion: Kurt Cobain.

outlawz Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 03:41 PM EST

this is dumb. you can't judge him on the stuff that was released after death- every artist makes raps that don't make the final album cut.

for pac, too many weak producers like eminem tried to release his unreleased stuff and just ended up putting out crap.

look at how bad biggie's unreleased tracks were - if there was 6 albums of that out you'd call him overrated too

Wojo Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 03:25 PM EST

Blender really is a pretty terrible music magazine. Every issue has the same tired jokes about the same over-exposed people. I made the mistake of getting a subscription a while ago because I'd flip through it while waiting in line at Blockbuster and often chuckled at it. But it didn't take a long time for me to realize that their staff is not only lacking in music knowledge but also lacking in creativity. However, I still get it because I'm too lazy to cancel the subscription.

As for Tupac, I'm not a rap expert so I don't know how much weight my opinion carries, but I find his songs to be kind of stale after a few listens. I have his greatest hits on my Ipod, and the only song I always listen to when it comes up on shuffle is "Brenda's Got a Baby." Everything else can be skipped at any moment. I don't think his music is nearly as entertaining as say Outkast or any number of guys still out there today.

katgirl Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 03:23 PM EST

I think Tupac is not overated. His raps are from life experiences and are real. These new rappers are just out for the bling and fame. No comparison.

MELLY MEL Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 03:20 PM EST

You guys are all stupid. If you actually take a few minutes to sit and listen to more than the pop songs the radio plays, and pay attention to the words he speaks you could learn something. Everysingle cd he put out was classic. You can listen to every song on every cd he ever put out. You cant do that these days. When you buy a cd your lucky if you get 4 good songs. You have to be ignorant to his work to say he's overrated.

BinkyM Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 02:59 PM EST

Seems as if anytime *anyone* dies, his work suddenly becomes a lot better than it was in retrospect. (shrug) Tupac's an excellent example of this. Another was Marilyn Monroe who, let's face it, simply wasn't a good actress.

EP Sato Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 02:42 PM EST

BTW how did Jerry Garcia not make that list? I'd argue he's 100 times more overrated than Tupac ever was.

EP Sato Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 02:40 PM EST

Why does Popwatch give any press time to Blender's clueless lists in the first place? Time and time again, their staff have proven that they don't know much about music. Example? Blender has referred to the Beatles' "Oh Bla Di" as a reggae song more than once. However, there was NO REGGAE at the time the White Album came out. The genre known as reggae didn't come into existence until two years after Oh Bla Di came out, which was actually a SKA song.

My point? Music journalists who dish about music should know more than the fans, not the other way around.

Nevermind that Blender is what Maxim Magazine would be if it were a little bit more focused on music. Are you in college and think your taste in mainstream music is better than everyone else's? Want to see lots of boobies and read smart alecky comments from smarmy pseudo-journalists? Then read Blender...

waynemichaels Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 02:37 PM EST

Tupac by far is THE MOST OOOOOOOVERRATED RAP ARTIST.....EVER!.... to me NOTORIOUS B.I.G. WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE GREATEST RAP ARTIST OF ALL TIME.

Snarf Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 02:11 PM EST

Not into rap myself at all but it does seem like there's a certain, uh, unwilligness to look at his discography objectively shall we say?
And cue the cries of racisim in 5, 4, 3, 2...