But then a violent rivalry started.

By the mid-1990s, the West Coast had proved itself in the hip-hop world with Death Row Records, the label that included Tupac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg.

Meanwhile, Biggie’s 1993 album “Ready to Die" helped give the East Coast label Bad Boy Records — Puff Daddy’s label — some recognition, along with Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt.”

Tupac and his fans interpreted Biggie’s 1994 song “Who Shot Ya?“ as a diss track because he had been robbed and shot two months before the song's release. The track's lyrics described a situation very similar to what happened to Tupac. 

In the 1996 song "Hit 'Em Up," Tupac struck back: He alluded to having an affair with Biggie's wife, Faith Evans.