Ep 8. Hip Hop: The East vs West Media War

In episode 8 of season 1 of "Dark Side of the '90s," titled "Hip Hop: The East vs West Media War," the series explores the notorious conflict between East Coast and West Coast hip hop artists that erupted in the mid-1990s.

At the center of this feud were two of the genre's biggest stars: Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. Both rappers had risen to fame and fortune in the early 1990s and were seen as the leaders of their respective coasts. However, tensions began to simmer between the two when Tupac accused Biggie of being involved in a 1994 robbery that resulted in the shooting and robbery of Shakur.

The feud between the two artists escalated when Tupac was shot several times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996. He claimed that the attack was carried out with the help of Biggie and other East Coast rappers. Following this incident, the two engaged in a public war of words, with Tupac releasing a diss track called "Hit 'Em Up" that ridiculed Biggie and his associates.

Meanwhile, the media fueled the conflict by painting a sensationalized picture of the rivalry between East and West Coast hip hop. News outlets and tabloids alike seized on every development in the feud, portraying the artists as gangsters and perpetuating the idea of a violent and dangerous hip hop culture.

In "Hip Hop: The East vs West Media War," "Dark Side of the '90s" delves into the ways in which the media inflamed the tensions between the two coasts and exacerbated the conflict between Tupac and Biggie. The episode explores the role that race played in the feud, as well as the larger social and cultural dynamics that fueled the conflict.

Through interviews with hip hop journalists, cultural critics, and industry insiders, the episode provides a nuanced and in-depth exploration of the complex forces that shaped the East Coast-West Coast feud. It also examines the tragic consequences of the conflict, which culminated in the deaths of both Tupac and Biggie in separate shootings in 1996 and 1997, respectively.

With its comprehensive and insightful exploration of the East Coast-West Coast hip hop conflict, "Hip Hop: The East vs West Media War" is a must-watch for anyone interested in the history of hip hop and its impact on American culture and society.