In the vibrant but cutthroat world of hip-hop, titles like “Greatest Rapper of All Time” (GOAT) are a source of endless debate. Recently, Billboard magazine ignited a firestorm by naming Jay-Z the number one rapper, placing him above legends like Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. The decision not only enraged fans but also drew sharp criticism from fellow artists. Notably, Spice 1, a former collaborator of Tupac’s, did not hesitate to speak out, not only opposing Jay-Z’s title but also revealing stunning details about Jay-Z’s alleged fear of Tupac and how he may have capitalized on the tragic deaths of two of hip-hop’s most iconic figures. This is not just a debate about talent, but a complex narrative about competition, loyalty, and the dark undercurrents of the music industry.

The GOAT Title and a Wave of Fury

When Billboard released its list of the 50 greatest rappers of all time, crowning Jay-Z, it triggered a wave of fury within the hip-hop community. Many fans and veteran rappers alike openly criticized the list, calling it “irrelevant.” Ice Cube, a West Coast hip-hop icon, stated that Billboard “knows nothing about hip-hop” and their opinion “doesn’t matter”. Lil Wayne, who came in at number seven on the list, confidently declared that he deserved the top spot.

Spice 1, in particular, was a fierce opponent of the ranking. He argued that if Tupac were alive, it would have been a “whole different story,” and no matter how much money Jay-Z has, he “still hasn’t accomplished what Tupac accomplished before he was at 25 years old”. Many fans on Twitter agreed, claiming that Tupac is the real GOAT and even accusing Jay-Z of paying Billboard to secure the top position. These conversations reignited an old debate: Did Jay-Z truly benefit from the deaths of Tupac and Biggie?

Jay-Z’s Alleged Fear of Tupac: A Stunning Revelation

According to Spice 1 and other sources, Jay-Z was once “afraid” of Tupac. Rumors at the time suggested that Jay-Z was terrified of being surpassed by Tupac because he knew he didn’t possess Tupac’s natural charisma and stage presence. While Jay-Z was a master of wordplay, Tupac had an “it” factor that couldn’t be taught or replicated.

Spice 1 isn’t the only one to recount Jay-Z’s apprehension. Jean Deal, Diddy’s former bodyguard, also revealed a shocking incident in Las Vegas. According to Deal, Jay-Z refused to leave his hotel room after a performance because Tupac and his crew were in town and wouldn’t let him out. Jay-Z reportedly wouldn’t step out until he received “clearance”. This reinforces the accusation that Jay-Z lacked the courage to confront Tupac directly while he was alive, instead choosing to take “subliminal shots” to provoke him, knowing Tupac would react emotionally.

Several rappers from that era also claimed that Jay-Z was extremely jealous of Tupac’s charisma and swag. They argued that no matter how skilled Jay-Z was lyrically, he could never match Tupac’s effortless charm. Nas even implied in an interview that Jay-Z was bitter about Tupac and Biggie’s success and once told him he was a better rapper than both of them.

Brooklyn’s Finest and the Start of the Feud

The feud between Jay-Z and Tupac began to escalate after Jay-Z joined forces with Biggie, Tupac’s rival, to diss West Coast rappers. Jay-Z and Biggie, both from Bed-Stuy, New York, became friendly in the early 90s, and in 1996, they collaborated on Jay-Z’s breakthrough track, “Brooklyn’s Finest.” This very song reportedly ignited the feud between Jay-Z and Tupac.

Irv Gotti, who worked on Jay-Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt, later revealed that he tried to warn Jay-Z about collaborating with Biggie because tensions between the East and West Coasts were already at a fever pitch. Gotti stated that Biggie was too “strong” and that to take over the world, they had to conquer the West Coast, then the East Coast, and finally New York, which Biggie already “owned”. He worried that Jay-Z might come off as the “little man” next to Biggie.

Though Tupac and Biggie were initially friends, their relationship soured around 1994 after Tupac was robbed and shot five times at Quad Studios. Tupac believed Biggie and Diddy knew about the setup but failed to warn him. Biggie, however, later denied this. Things quickly escalated after the Quad Studios incident, with Tupac and Biggie publicly exchanging shots. Shortly before “Brooklyn’s Finest” was released, Biggie dropped “Who Shot Ya?”. Tupac naturally assumed the song was directed at him, and tensions between the coasts were at an all-time high. This is why Irv Gotti advised Jay-Z to wait before releasing his track with Biggie.

Jay-Z ignored the warnings and released “Brooklyn’s Finest” anyway. This made the situation even worse because Biggie directly called out Tupac in his verse, referring to him as his “son” and alluding to Tupac’s rumored affair with Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans. With Jay-Z on the record with him, Tupac felt betrayed and began targeting Jay-Z.

Buried Diss Tracks and a Fateful Death

Soon after, Tupac began throwing not-so-subtle shots at Jay-Z on tracks like “Bomb First (My Second Reply)” and “Friends”. At this point, everyone was waiting for Jay-Z to drop a Tupac diss track, but Jay-Z never got around to lyrically retaliating, as just weeks later, Tupac was fatally targeted in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

It was later revealed, however, that Jay-Z did write a brutal diss track called “Scathing” aimed at Tupac. While he was allegedly too scared to release it, he performed it live at the Apollo after Tupac passed away. DJ Clark Kent later revealed that “Scathing” was “crazy disrespectful” to Tupac and that Jay-Z seemingly wanted to perform it live because he “had a massive chip on his shoulder”. But why would Jay-Z insist on performing a diss track when Tupac was already dead? Much speculation suggests that Jay-Z released it after Tupac died because he was always scared of him and believed he could never surpass him.

Jay-Z and Diddy: A Questionable Relationship

Another reason fans have labeled Jay-Z a “snake” is his continued close relationship with Diddy, even after allegations emerged that Diddy was connected to Tupac’s murder. According to former LAPD detective Greg Kading, who worked on both Tupac and Biggie’s cases, multiple witnesses confirmed that Diddy paid South Side Crips member Keith D $1 million to take out Tupac and Suge Knight. In retaliation, Suge reportedly had Biggie taken out.

These allegations were further strengthened when Keith D later identified his own nephew as the murderer of Tupac Shakur. An informant in 1997 also told investigators that Diddy had hired the South Side Crips to kill both Suge and Tupac. Diddy has refused to discuss these matters.

Fans, however, were not completely convinced. After Tupac and Biggie died, Diddy publicly praised Jay-Z, claiming that he “filled their shoes”. This led many to believe that Jay-Z benefited from the tragedy.

Many have also pointed out that even if Diddy wasn’t directly responsible for Tupac’s death, he was still partly guilty by association. The South Side Crips used to run security for Diddy and his Bad Boy crew whenever they came to the West Coast. Rumors suggested that Diddy feared Suge was after him and had conversations with the South Side Crips to “hit on Suge”. Furthermore, on the night of Tupac’s death, he and his crew jumped Orlando Anderson, a South Side Crip member and Keith D’s nephew, at the MGM Grand Hotel. Since Keith D was already promised a payout to take out Suge, he now had an added incentive to get revenge on Tupac for assaulting his nephew.

While this doesn’t mean Diddy was directly responsible for Tupac’s death, it’s telling that Diddy apparently went to great lengths to cover up his connection to the case. Despite all these allegations about Diddy over the years, Jay-Z has remained close to him to this day. Meanwhile, Jay-Z turned his back on Kanye West for much less, leading many fans to label him as “sneaky” and undeserving of the GOAT title.

Spice 1 explicitly stated that Jay-Z cannot be ranked above Tupac because Tupac accomplished more in a shorter amount of time. He said, “If Tupac was alive, it would have been a whole different story, and as much money as Jay-Z has, he still hasn’t accomplished what Tupac accomplished before he was at 25 years old”. Other fans agreed, arguing that “no one can touch Tupac” and the fact that he has been gone for over 25 years yet still outsells contemporary rappers proves that he was “light years ahead of his time”.

The story of Jay-Z, Tupac, and the buried secrets is not just a crucial chapter in hip-hop history but a reminder of the complexity of legacies, where the truth is often obscured by glitz and veiled relationships.