Melle Mel Says Jay-Z Is Overrated, Biggie Isn’t The Greatest

Melle Mel interviewed by DJ Vlad has claimed Brooklyn rappers Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls aren’t who the Hip Hop world has celebrated them to be.

According to Mel, this is no doubting Jay-Z’s business mindset, but when it comes to rapping, the Hip Hop pioneer will never have Jay-Z on his top list. “The problem I got with a lot of these dudes is when you made it, now you out. Forget the street guy act. You’re not street like that,” Melle Mel explains on part 16 of his interview on VLAD TV. “And to take it a step further, these dudes live in the big houses, live in the best neighborhoods and ain’t no street dudes around, but you gonna have have this street dude think that being on the street is the right thing to do.”

For Mel he isn’t happy with artists who portray a certain lifestyle in which they are no longer living, which then leads the listeners and the youth in the wrong direction. “And, all these things is what the system promotes, to where a good smart kid is a piece of sh-t,” Mel explains.

In fact, Melle Mel doesn’t believe in any top 50 greatest MC’s list. “They toss around greatness too much. In order to be great you had to have changed something,” Mel said. “And these are the people who are the “experts” and there’s 50 great MC’s? Please, there might be four if you talking about true greatness, maybe.”

Another rapper Mel would never considered great in any era, is Biggie Smalls, because the lack of substance and range in his music. Watch the clip below and let us know in the comments if you agree.