Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am scored big time recently by appearing on Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” Remix, but weeks before the major release, he was trending for a very different reason. In an interview with Hip Hop Confessions, the artist shared that while The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie) and Tupac Shakur (2pac) are lauded as two of the greatest acts in hip hop history, will.i.am doesn’t buy into that idea. The Art of Dialogue shared a clip of the video of him explaining why he chooses neither.
“Like when people say 2Pac and Biggie, I’m such a Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul head that I don’t like 2Pac and Biggie,” will.i.am said, per HipHopDX. “That kind of music doesn’t speak to my spirit. I like Boogie Down Productions, KRS-One, I like – if it’s like 2Pac or Biggie? It’s KRS-One. Why those two? If it’s 2Pac and Biggie, I don’t hold them up like that. I hold Eric B. and Rakim like that. 2Pac’s dope – don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I don’t think he’s dope. It spoke to the projects. My escape is De La/Tribe out the projects. It took me out the projects while I was still in the projects.”
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He says he used his favorite rappers listed as inspiration to do better. In fact, he says he credits them for saving him from a potential alternate lifestyle.
“It took me out the projects physically, as far as being able to reach my dreams, that was my path out,” will.i.am added. “And it took me out of the projects as far as while I was in the projects, the worlds is painted for me. It kept me safe while I was in the projects. Had I loved 2Pac and Biggie while I was in the projects, I probably would have been stuck in the projects still.”
