| Of the many
skilled lyricists among his early-1990s East Coast contemporaries (Nas,
Jeru, Black Moon), Biggie Smalls, AKA the Notorious B.I.G., was the only
one who lived up to the predictions of a comeback for the East Coast
hardcore sound. With the help of Bad Boy producer Sean "Puffy"
Combs and R&B collaborators like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, and
Total, Biggie snatched public attention away from the G-funk sound of
the West Coast. By the time his single "One More Chance"
debuted at #5 on the Billboard pop charts, his popularity and industry
politics contributed to a public feud between Biggie and West Coast
counterpart 2Pac. The untimely deaths of both artists sealed their
status as legends |