Rich Homie Quan just dropped his long-awaited debut album Rich as in Spirit, a largely featureless collection showcasing his most personal writing yet that, for my money, is one of the best releases of the year. During a recent Rich As in Spirit-promoting interview with Big Boy, Quan detailed his issues with Lil Xan when asked to name the wackest in the game right now.
"I would have to say the wackest in the game right now would have to be Lil Xan, for what he said," Quan said, referencing Xan's widely debated assessment of 2Pac's music as too "boring" for him. "I ain't never even heard his music. I don't have a bad heart. I'm basing it off of what he said. You know, I messed up Biggie's lyrics but I ain't never say nothing bad about Pac or bad about Biggie. They tried to take my head off."
Quan also pointed out that Xan, 21, is perhaps simply too young to have truly connected with Pac's music. Still, he's not down with dismissing an artist's entire legacy just because you don't personally connect with it. "You gotta look at it too, because at the same time, how old is he, Lil Xan?" he asked. "Either way it goes, he's had no time to even know who Pac is, but I feel as if, you can't get on no interview—even if I don't know Pac or know none of his songs—I'm not gonna get on no interview and just throw Pac or Big or anybody who's got credibility under the bus."
Xan's comments have been met with a variety of responses, with some questioning how someone could disrespect an artist who undeniably helped craft the very art form in which they're currently prospering. Others, including 03 Greedo, viewed Xan's lack of 2Pac appreciation—as touched on in Quan's Big Boy chat—as simply part of a new generation of artists punk rock-ishly bucking those who came before them.
The debate continues ahead of the release of Lil Xan's debut album Total Xanarchy, due next month. Last week, Xan unveiled the official cover art and dropped a new remix of his hit "Betrayed" featuring Rich the Kid and Yo Gotti.
