XXXTentacion has never been afraid of voicing a potentially divisive opinion in a public forum, be it related to music or his ongoing struggle with adapting to a certain level of fame. However, he took on a completely different topic that is touchy in most rap circles while in conversation with DJ Akademiks: the legacy of one Tupac Shakur.
When Akademiks tried to link X and 'Pac in terms of their talents and how their art could become more than just music-based, the young Florida native got more than a little uptight. "I'm better than Tupac," XXXTentacion stated. "Please don't compare me to him." A main sticking point for X is that 'Pac, in his mind, "can't make rock music," therefore putting the young rapper above the West Coast legend in terms of ability. He wasn't done there, though. XXX even weighed in on the whole Notorious B.I.G versus Tupac debate, in terms of who was better.
While X concedes that 'Pac was able to articulate himself slightly more clearly than Biggie was in his music but, at the end of the day, he believes that the late Mr. Wallace was the better poet. To prove his point, XXX quotes part of the first verse from B.I.G's classic cut "Suicidal Thoughts," a dark, raw piece of writing that was off his first studio album, Ready To Die. The young Florida native dscribed Biggie's prose as "real," stating that other emcees sound like they're playing around by comparison. One can only assume that he'll be questioned about this opinion plenty in the coming days and weeks.
For more on XXXTentacion, including what he covered in his first-ever vlog, click here.