Do you believe in magic? Do you believe that certain people are born with the gift of sight, meaning they can look into the future? It’s a controversial idea that has believers and detractors on both sides of the proverbial aisle. Still, sometimes even the most ardent of skeptics can be surprised at what they see. Have you ever watched David Blaine??
Well, when it comes to the world of music, there are some songs and even some artists who seem to be able to predict the future. Maybe they are magicians or maybe they can just read the tea leaves so well that they can see how the next few days or years will transpire. It’s not for us to judge or figure out!
But here, we wanted to explore three rap songs that actually looked into the future and predicted it out loud. Not only that, but they incredibly predicted horrible events in human history. Indeed, these are three ’90s rap songs that actually predicted tragic events that would come true down the road.
“Against All Odds” by Busta Rhymes from Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front (1998)
Not only does this album cover show a city in flames, but on the LP’s song, “Against All Odds,” bombastic rapper Busta Rhymes seems to predict the events of 9/11, which would take place some three years later.
On the track’s final verse, Busta takes the mic and spits: None of you n—-s really wanna war / The type to fly a plane into your building in the name of Allah. Not only that, but the opening verse of the song seems to reference box cutters, though some sites have the lyrics reading Bots cutting.
Either way, there is too much about this track that just feels familiar when it comes to one of the most tragic days in American history.
“Juicy” by the Notorious B.I.G. from Ready to Die (1994)
Before we even jump into the song here, let’s talk about this album title. Biggie, who would die in 1997 just three years after his debut album release, literally titled the record Ready to Die. Ready is one thing. Eager is another.
That aside, on his famous hit, “Juicy,” The Notorious B.I.G. seems to envision the destruction of the famed World Trade Center in New York City. Above, we have Busta predicting 9/11 and here we have Biggie seemingly soothsaying the 9/11 WTC attacks.
While Biggie may have been talking about the 1993 WTC bombing, which killed a handful of people, hearing him today on the song makes your eyebrows pop up. He raps: Now I’m in the limelight because I rhyme tight / Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade.
“N—-s Done Changed” by Richie Rich from Seasoned Veteran (1996)
Tupac Shakur has long been considered the fortuneteller of rap. His keen rhymes both tell it how it is and predict the future. Some even believe that Tupac predicted his own death—or perhaps he just laid the breadcrumbs and faked it.
Either way, on the 1996 track, “N—-s Done Changed” by Richie Rich, which features the bodacious rapper, Tupac offers: I been shot and murdered, can tell you how it happened, word for word / But best believe n—-s gonna get what they deserve. Now, maybe he’s just being severe and a little poetic. But it’s easy to believe that Tupac knew he would one day (soon) be snuffed out. It’s another one of those live fast, die young stories.
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