Y'all was grimy in the early 90s, far behind me
The predecessors of BIG — rappers like Wu-Tang Clan and Nas — weren’t willing to “play the game” and record radio-friendly singles on their albums; they preferred to stay “grimy” (dirty/real) and not sell records
When Biggie’s Ready to Die was released in ‘94, he showed that high-art and marketing can go hand-in-hand