I'm The New 2Pac! Artists Who've Compared Themselves To The Rapper

Source: Thaddaeus McAdams / Getty

It seems a rapper’s career isn’t complete until they’ve compared themselves to 2Pac.

T.I. was the latest artist to align himself with the deceased rapper. On Wednesday, Tip posted a collage of pictures of himself on Instagram and captioned the post:

“Any way you slice it… I’m the very best at what I do… impossible to duplicate… accept no substitution!!! When you get done buuuulshittin’… Riddle me this…. Who since 2Pac has maintained as much consistent diversity within music genres, businesses & other opportunities?

I’ll wait…”

I don’t think Tip got the response he wanted.

Folks went in on his comment section, giving countless examples of diverse and business-savvy rappers besides him.

“What about Common, Eminem, and didn’t LL Cool J do it first,” djangelick commented.

“You are a great artist but you ain’t no 2pac! Stay humble or get humbled,” one alex_0406 wrote.

When many users started mentioning Jay-Z‘s diversity within music and business, T.I. responded, “Respectfully to da goat…what major feature film he [starred] in?”

Folks had a clapback for that as well, with one garon67 writing:

“c’mon TIP you was never the leading star in no major film….. sidekick at best ! 2 Pac was leading star in [h]is movies….. Business move and Music carrer #JayZ all day ! You definitely a legend in the game tho #facts”

The ironic thing about rappers comparing themselves to 2Pac is that they end up oversimplifying Pac in the process…

Or the comparison just ends up being wildly inaccurate.

For example, T.I. said he was the most consistently diverse rapper within music genres and businesses since Pac.

But in reality, Pac barely had any business ventures, at least in comparison to people like Jay-Z, 50 Cent or even Eminem. Although Pac developed a substantial acting career for himself, he wasn’t producing films, T.V., or buying up sports teams.

2Pac also barely appeared on tracks with pop artists, making T.I.’s “diversity within music” claim faulty as well. While Tip might can claim this title with signature songs with Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke, Pac barely linked up with pop stars…unless you’re counting his relationship with Madonna. If anything, Pac was pop and didn’t need to do a lot of features to reach a wider audience.

So yea…

These 2Pac comparison are usually small at best and no bueno at worst.

Tip definitely isn’t the first to make such comments though. Hit the next pages to peep other artists who’ve compared themselves to Pac.

For the sake of time, I’ve kept out artists who’ve compared themselves to him in songs.

We’d be here all day.

Jussie Smollett

Source: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis / Getty

After allegedly experiencing a hate crime attack (an incident that is now being disputed), Jussie told a crowd at a California concert:

“And above all, I fought the f*ck back.”

Then he paused and said with a laugh:

“I’m the gay Tupac.”

Donald Glover a.k.a. Childish Gambino

Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty

In a 2018 interview with Esquire, Glover said:

“I know everybody likens themselves to Tupac a lot. I am the new Tupac in a strange way. I grew up similar. I didn’t have a mom in the Black Panthers, but my parents were very pro-black. Also, my mom made me go to performing-arts high school. She was like, ‘That’s where you need to be.’ Sometimes you have to play a role for people to understand you, even though you’re far more complex than any of that. Sometimes it’s really hard to simplify that so people can eat it.”

Kanye West

Source: Jun Sato / Getty

During a 2014 New Jersey show, Kanye said:

“When we’re standing face to face, you know who you’re talking to. You know you see me as a Gemini creator of 2014. You know you’re looking in the face of Miles Davis. You know you’re looking in the face of Lauryn Hill. You know you’re looking in the face of Pac. You know you’re looking in the face of Biggie. You know you’re looking in the face of Prince. You know you’re looking in the face of every Gemini creator.”

Young Thug

Source: Robert Kamau / Getty

On June 16, 2017, Thugga released his Beautiful Thugger Girls project the same day as 2Pac’s birthday.

He used the opportunity to compare himself to the All Eyez on Me spitter:

“I dropped E.B.B.T.G on 2PAC’S bday because I’m the #newPAC I feel like I am the thug he didn’t get to become.”

Troy Ave

Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty

In a 2017 Breakfast Club interview, Troy said:

“I go in the motherf*cking clubs and n*ggas going crazy. In the clubs, in the streets where they’re playing all the f*cking trap music and all type of sh*t, n*ggas go crazy, ‘Oh sh*t, that’s Troy Ave.’ N*gga, it’s the second coming of Tupac. It’s NewPac. I go do shows, everything’s different. The handshakes is different. Women suck a n*gga’s d*ck different.”

Mase

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

In a 2012 interview with Sway in the Morning, Mase said:

“I believe I’m doing right now what Tupac envisioned to do but he never got around to doing because he wasn’t able to make that decision.”

Jeezy

Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty

In a 2014 interview with Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning, Jeezy said:

“I can’t prove anything to nobody in this game. Ain’t nobody in this game got my credentials. It ain’t nothing to talk about. It’s me and Pac. That’s it, leave it there.”

He continued:

“As far as Hov, Hov is a businessman. Me and Pac is more so on revolutionary leadership. Hov, that’s my G. I respect anything he do. But he’s a boss. He makes boss moves. Me and Pac, we always on the ground level, trying to motivate and inspire.”

Joey BadA$$

Source: Ari Perilstein / Getty

In a 2017 interview with Genius, Joey said:

“I already know I’m a better rapper than Tupac is. That’s just facts. One on one battle, I’ll flame Pac.”

Kodak Black

Source: Gerardo Mora / Getty

During his 2016 Freshman Class interview with XXL, Kodak also proclaimed that he’s better than Pac:

“I’m better than Tupac and Biggie. I say that so now you know where my head at.”

Lil Wayne

Source: ATLPics.com / ATLPics.com

At a 2013 afterparty in Houston, Wayne shouted out rappers like J. Cole and Meek Mill before declaring:

“I ain’t Tupac, I’m the new ‘Pac. Holla at ya boy.”