2Pac and Biggie‘s careers were tragically cut short, but if they hadn’t been murdered they’d have been just as successful as moguls like JAY-Z, Dr. Dre and Diddy, according to DJ Drama.
The Generation Now mogul joined the Jay Hill Podcast earlier this month where he discussed his belief that Big and ‘Pac would’ve reached the heights of their superstar peers in the ’90s if they’d had the chance to continue their careers.
“When you go back and you listen to Big’s albums or Big’s lyrics, he’s still 20-plus years of saying shit that’s still impeccable bar-wise — ‘Pac the same thing,” Drama began. “They both died when they was like 25 … let’s think about where all those that were around them are now. If we think about Dr. Dre, we think about Snoop, we think about Hov, we think about Puff. These are all people that are some of the biggest, most successful and richest people in our culture today.”
DJ Drama continued: “Big and ‘Pac would’ve been right there, if not bigger. Let’s really think about it. Look where Snoop and Dre are, look where [Puff] and Hov are, why would we not think by any means that Big and ‘Pac would not be right up there, billionaires within the culture?
“They was on their way. Big and ‘Pac wouldn’t have fell off. By no means — they would’ve been up there with the n-ggas I just named doing amazing things in music and outside of music for sure.”
Check out DJ Drama’s interview below:
Snoop Dogg shared similar sentiments regarding Biggie and 2Pac’s career prospects when he spoke to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith last year.
“Look at the peers,” the West Coast icon said. “Biggie and 2Pac are peers with Snoop Dogg, JAY-Z, Nas, and I think that’s about it. ‘Cause everybody else was before us or after us.
“So, Nas and JAY-Z, they still here. Snoop Dogg is still here, but 2Pac and Biggie not here. So, what is Nas doing? He’s dropping bomb-ass albums, done great business deals, a great venture capitalist, he went to the tech side of the game in the Bay Area and made great moves.”
2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. died within seven months of each other in 1996 and 1997, respectively, during the peak of their careers. Their tragic deaths signaled the end of the East Coast-West Coast beef that dominated the latter half of their careers. Both of their murders remain unsolved.
Meanwhile, DJ Drama recently said that he would rather watch a TV series about Dr. Dre than Suge Knight’s, but admitted the Death Row days could easily make for good content.
“That universe, that time and that period, who wouldn’t wanna watch that? That shit would be incredible,” the Gangsta Grillz impresario said about Knight’s recently proposed Death Row series.
“With all due respect, you know what would be even crazier? If we did a Dr. Dre universe, and we did from [World Class] Wreckin’ Crew to like N.W.A to the Death Row era, to then Aftermath, and then him working with Em and then with 50 came along. That’s like 10 seasons right there.”
He continued: “I need a role too, Fif! You’ve seen my acting skills. C’mon, Dram Cruise. C’mon, Fif! I’m manifesting, I’m putting it into the universe.”
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