2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. return to the Billboard 200 together as both acts send their ‘Greatest Hits’ compilations to the completive albums roster. NEW YORK – JULY 23: Rappers Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls (Christoper Wallace) and Puff Daddy (sean Combes) perform onstage at the Palladium on July 23, 1993 in New York, New York. (Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. were once friendly before their relationship famously deteriorated and the two became central figures in one of hip-hop’s most notorious feuds. Both men were shot and killed only months apart from one another, but decades later, they are still regarded as founding fathers of the genre and two of the most revered musicians in history.
This week, the two titans posthumously return to the same Billboard ranking together, sitting only a few dozen spaces apart from one another.
2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. Return Together
2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. both reenter the Billboard 200 with compilations titled Greatest Hits, in an unusual bit of coincidence. The former’s collection returns at No. 124, while the latter’s breaks back onto the roster at No. 184.
The Billboard 200, published each week and considered one of Billboard’s flagship rosters, ranks the most-consumed albums and EPs in the United States using a combination of sales and streaming activity.
2Pac Wins When It Comes to Longevity
In terms of longevity, 2Pac’s Greatest Hits is easily the more successful of the two collections. The compilation has now spent 635 weeks on the Billboard 200. The Notorious B.I.G.’s Greatest Hits has also enjoyed an extraordinary run – a rare sight for a rap release – though one that is not quite as long. His project has racked up just over 400 frames on the tally.
The Notorious B.I.G. Wins When Looking at Peak Positions
When it comes to peak position, The Notorious B.I.G. comes out ahead. His Greatest Hits reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while 2Pac’s compilation of the same name missed the summit, but not by much. His own Greatest Hits peaked at No. 3.
2Pac Returns to Two Additional Rankings
At the same time that it finds its way back to the Billboard 200, 2Pac’s Greatest Hits also reenters both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. On those lists – which focus entirely on either one genre or a handful of related ones – the set is back at Nos. 36 and 21, respectively.
The compilation has spent much longer on the more all-encompassing of the two genre-specific rankings, as it is nearing 500 weeks on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums roster. The CD will soon celebrate triple-digit turns on the Top Rap Albums list as well, as it only needs about another month before reaching that mark.
Greatest Hits has previously conquered the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ranking. On the rap-only list, however, it missed the top 10 entirely, peaking instead at No. 11.
The Notorious B.I.G.’s Greatest Hits, meanwhile, appears only on the Billboard 200 this week.