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Which death impacted the music world more.. Kurt Cobain or Tupac Shakur?

Captain Zyrain

Captain Zyrain

Member
Amazing that its been over 20 years for both.. I was listing to my playlists on random today and Nirvana and Tupac came on.. And I got to thinking who I missed more. I was into both of them in the 90's.. And both their music is still great.

Obviously grunge carried on, and so did West coast rap.. But for you, which do you think impacted music as a whole more?
 
S

Staccat0

Fail out bailed
I love Nirvana but I don't think they had much lasting impact. You can hear them in stuff like Cloud Nothings and a few other artists but for the most part it was just great pop-punk.

Most of the copycats were quicker to glom onto Pearl Jan's sound and I think Smashing Pumpkins had a bigger impact on indie rock... that is, if we're just looking at the mainstream "big" bands of that time aside from Radiohead. It turns out modern music is heavily inspired by weird shitty pop like Ace of Bass. Never woulda guessed.

Not a Tupac fan, but I think he did a lot to legitimize rap as art for white suburban/midwestern kids after his death.

Personally Nirvana impacted me more, just becuase I only really liked Public Enemy and a few other rap acts as a kid in the 90s. Didn't really dig into rap until Stankonia.
 
P

Panzon

Member
Guess it depends on demographics?

Throughout my life it's always been tupac even til this day but I'd say that's mainly because I've always been around a minority group. Maybe Im wrong but it's pretty fascinating nonetheless
 
K

Kyzer

Banned
Kurt Cobains death itself was more talked about but Tupac and BIGs murders were much, much more impactful. Dave Grohl is the man tho and seems to be the biggest "impact" from Nirvana on rock in general
 
D

Dalek

Member
I'd say Kurt. Nirvana is still played and referenced to this day. Tupac is really only mentioned for the circumstances of his death it seems.
 
D

Dr.Acula

Banned
Rock was bigger than rap in the early 90s, so it seemed like Kurt was the bigger loss. I can't even think of who might be the biggest rock star today, clearly no one's on the level of Kendrick or Drake.
 
A

Affeinvasion

Member
For whatever it's worth (not much) Kobain's death seemed to be a bigger deal at the time.

Within their own genres, though, Tupac probably had more influence.
 
Gouty

Gouty

Bloodborne is shit
I don't think their deaths had an appreciable impact on music. The music they contributed while living however was huge.
 
B

BADMAN

Member
Does it have to be a competition? I guess Tupac's style is a bit more relevant to today's hip hop than Cobain's style to today's rock/indie scene.
 
M

Mahonay

Banned
I was too young to have either really effect me emotionally. My sister was a huge Tupac fan though and was extremely upset when he died.

I would say Tupac's death had a larger impact as a whole since he was such a central piece to the entire rap/hip hop genre. And then Biggie was killed as a result, so yeah.
 
O

overcast

Member
Kurt's death is referenced more I think. As far as people almost using him as a general metaphor for suicide.

I feel like Tupac's death is more impactful to hip-hop culture.
 
V

Varna

Member
Cobain. Only because I had a friend in highschool who worshiped Nirvana and wouldn't shut up about him.
 
B

Beerman462

Member
I think both artists said what they wanted to say and influenced music to the point that they could. I'm not sure either of them would have contributed more after death that the other.
 
S

Staccat0

Fail out bailed
Beerman462 said:
I think both artists said what they wanted to say and influenced music to the point that they could. I'm not sure either of them would have contributed more after death that the other.
Click to expand...
I dunno. I think the fact that 10 or so years later basically every indie/alternative band that wasn't using synths took a detour into folk/Americana says it coulda gone another way. By all accounts that's the direction he wanted to head before he killed himself. We'll never know though.

Still, listening to stuff like The Judge demos makes me think he coulda pushed things in that direction a little earlier.

I'd love to see a chilled out Cobain with less angst writing folk music. I have very little use for old rappers haha
 
S

Seesaw15

Member
I don't know who was more important musically but Tupac just seemed more interesting as a person. Would be more interested in seeing what 2017 Tupac was up to vs Cobain.
 
D

Dre3001

Member
This depends largely on what music or social groups you follow or interact with.

I will go with Tupac though, he is still referenced regularly throughout all of rap, hell Kendrick Lamar had a track on his album before last where the last track was just him speaking to Tupac about current events going on today.
 
R

Randolph Freelander

Member
Dalek said:
The OP asked:

Whose opinions and personal experiences should I be reflecting on when I post in this thread, if not my own?

Don't be so easily offended.
Click to expand...

Dude, please. I wasn't offended until just now, so slow down with that nonsense.

You said "Nirvana is still played and referenced to this day. Tupac is really only mentioned for the circumstances of his death it seems." Unless you're referring to yourself in the passive voice (played and referenced [by me], mentioned [by me]), and the wording would be incredibly odd if you were doing so, then you were making a fairly absurd claim.

Recognize it and move on.
 
Captain Zyrain

Captain Zyrain

Member
Dalek said:
Whose opinions and personal experiences should I be reflecting on when I post in this thread, if not my own?

Don't be so easily offended.
Click to expand...

Yeah, obviously this is subjective. I grew up in a pretty white bread area. Nirvana is still played on KROQ here in LA on a pretty regular basis.. But Tupac still moves me when I hear it.
 
M

McBryBry

Member
I'd say Tupac had a greater effect on his genre while Kurt is more talked about, at least here in rando midwest town. I'm 21, I don't know any Tupac worshippers while the group of early 20 somethings that wish they were born a decade earlier so they could grow up with Nirvana are more than abundant.
 
D

Dalek

Member
Captain Zyrain said:
Yeah, obviously this is subjective. I grew up in a pretty white bread area. Nirvana is still played on KROQ here in LA on a pretty regular basis.. But Tupac still moves me when I hear it.
Click to expand...

No subjective opinions allowed in this thread.

Porcile said:
I would quite like to forget this.
Click to expand...

I was in a mall and "The Police's Every Breath You Take" came on over the speakers. The two women in front of me in line said "they ripped off Puffy!"
 
S

Staccat0

Fail out bailed
Randolph Freelander said:
Dude, please. I wasn't offended until just now, so slow down with that nonsense.

You said "Nirvana is still played and referenced to this day. Tupac is really only mentioned for the circumstances of his death it seems." Unless you're referring to yourself in the passive voice (played and referenced [by me], mentioned [by me]), and the wording would be incredibly odd if you were doing so, then you were making a fairly absurd claim.

Recognize it and move on.
Click to expand...
Ya'll...
 
T

The Adder

Banned
Dalek said:
Whose opinions and personal experiences should I be reflecting on when I post in this thread, if not my own?

Don't be so easily offended.
Click to expand...

This

Dalek said:
I'd say Kurt. Nirvana is still played and referenced to this day. Tupac is really only mentioned for the circumstances of his death it seems.
Click to expand...

Is not a subjective statement. As such, it is flat out wrong, which is why people found it absurd. And no "it seems" does not turn it subjective.
 
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