Macho posturing has been an element of hip-hop since its beginning. MCs adopted tough personas and relied on clever rhymes to put down the competition. Into the 90s, gangsta rap’s emphasis on the dark reality of inner-city life demanded authenticity. The posturing turned violent. An East Coast-West Coast feud developed, pitting L.A.’s Death Row Records founder Suge Knight against Sean “Puffy” Combs of New York’s Bad Boy Entertainment. Two of the most acclaimed, best selling rappers of the era were unnecessary casualties – Tupac Shakur of Death Row and Notorious B.I.G. of Bad Boy. Both sides’ rumored ties to rival Blood and Crips gangs fueled the antagonism. The rappers’ once friendly relationship turned nasty after Shakur accused Biggie of involvement in a 1994 robbery that resulted in him being shot repeatedly. An onslaught of personal attacks escalated matters. Shakur was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting on September 7, 1996, dying six days later. Rumors of Biggie’s connection to the shooting were reported almost immediately. Six months later Biggie was gunned down under shockingly similar circumstances. Despite exhaustive police investigations and intense media scrutiny, the murders remain unsolved. Posthumous releases by both rappers have sold in the millions.

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