NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Why is Tupac’s “Against All Odds” never mentioned as one of the greatest diss tracks in Hip Hop history? “Hit ‘Em Up” gets a nod but truth be told, “Against All Odds” is better.
Just the first verse alone should send chills down your spine. The reason “Hit ‘Em Up” gets so much respect is because he was a direct shot at Biggie. But take a listen to “Against All Odds” again, then another time, and the gems Pac dropped in there, are second to none.
Tupac was never one to mince words. He came at you directly and as lethal as “Hit ‘Em Up” was, “Against All Odds” was a dagger to the heart, back, neck, and anywhere else he wanted to hit.
This was during the time of the East vs West beef. The Tupac vs Biggie beef. But Pac went at everyone. He took a shot as Nas, Puffy, Dr. Dre, Mobb Deep, and even De La Soul. Hell, that was just the first verse.
This little nigga named Nas thinks he live like meHe’s talking about he left the hospital took five like meYou living fantasies nigga, I reject your depositWe shook Dre punk ass, now he out of the closetMobb Deep wonder why nigga blowed them outNext time grown folks talking, nigga close your mouthPeep me, I take this war shit deeply
In the second, he talked about Haitian Jack. Labeled him a snitch for the Feds. In the streets, that’s something you don’t do. But Pac was on one for sure. Pac was just stacking the cards in his favor and telling the story as he saw it.
As deadly as the first verse was, the 2nd was subtle. However, the 3rd is where he went for broke and laid it all out. No punches were being pulled here. “Hit ‘Em Up” was aimed at Biggie, while “Against All Odds” was more of attacking the entire East Coast with jabs that felt more personal. While we never heard too much from Nas regarding their beef, Pac made it known on this track that there were issues. At least on his side of the coin.
With two of arguably the greatest diss tracks in hip-hop history tied to his name, Tupac more than established himself in the game. Biggie never got to the point where he mentioned Pac’s name but we knew who he was talking about on certain records. Other MCs did their best to stay clear of Pac. On the other hand, Tupac didn’t care who he offended.
“Hit ‘Em Up” was not expected. It was such a devastating blow that anything that would come after that, just couldn’t catch up. However, “Against All Odds” was just that different that it’s in a class by itself. It was a laid-back storytelling type of smack in the face. Maybe it was all fictional. Maybe there were facts to it. But the way he broke the stories down, you can’t help but to believe there is some truth in those jabs.
For many, “Hit ‘Em Up” deserves to be in a vault as the ultimate diss record but don’t forget about all the controversy that surrounded Pac. On this track, he addressed it all. He told us the places and the names of the people. Tupac was on some next-level dissing. When he came at you, you knew he was coming at you. No matter which one you love more, what’s clear is that Tupac changed the art form when it comes to diss records.
