This is part four of Inside Pulse Music’s groundbreaking 10-part series on the impact and influence of Tupac Shakur.
C’mon…be honest. Don’t y’all hate it when self-righteous do-gooders start preaching that bull about “seizing the day” and “don’t take life for granted”?
Let’s break it down: there are 24 hours in a day. For most of us, eight of those are spent sleeping. Another eight are spent at our mundane jobs. While the final eight is broken up between commuting to and from work, trips to the can, eating, watching television and, for the exceptionally sleep greedy…taking a nap.
What’s so special about this existence that made Tupac Shakur so desperate to reclaim his freedom?
Outside the walls of Clinton Correctional Facility, 1995 was a year of significant change for rap music. This change was perhaps best illustrated by the late March death of gangsta rap pioneer, Eric (Eazy-E) Wright. Both the west coast scene and the whole gangsta genre were giving way to what was derisively described as a “return to lyricism”.
By 1995, the images of Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg, which had become synonymous with mainstream, commercial rap, were rapidly being replaced by new faces…from the other side of the country. Acts like Nas, Wu-Tang Clan and, of course, The Notorious B.I.G. were now getting the bulk of airplay and their influence began to be felt in the west coast media markets.
In another shift of the winds, the belligerent posturing of gangsta rap was actually being forced aside by such lightweight acts as TLC and Montell Jordan. While neither brought much substance to the mic, they did manage to grab a large share of the demographic that once preached the gospel of gangsta.
Make no mistake about it: these were the seeds that bloomed into the “East Coast/West Coast” beef.
Death Row Records had the most to lose by these changing trends. However, they spent the year bogged down in a battle with Presidential Candidate Bob Dole and opportunistic activist C. Delores Tucker over the content of their lyrical catalog and, more specifically, the release of the album Dogg Food, a well-produced, but comically vulgar opus from The Dogg Pound.
The label had been taking a public pounding in the press and was beginning to hear some never-before-heard critiques from their original foundation of Southern California fans who had been on the bandwagon from the beginning. Where was the Dr. Dre/Ice Cube collabo that Death Row had been promising for years? What about Nate Dogg and Lady of Rage, both of whom had released regionally successful solo singles, yet were relegated to brief soundtrack appearances? And where the f*ck was the follow-up to Snoop Dogg’s debut album? It had already been two years, which is a lifetime in the rap music industry.
Taken by themselves, these events could probably be written off by a record company that had already released four multi-platinum albums. As a whole, it was becoming obvious that Death Row Records needed to go on the offensive to keep their name in the public eye, so CEO Suge Knight quickly moved from the background to the forefront in an effort to do so.
He made a memorable appearance at a low-budget gala called “The Source Awards”. The event was syndicated and televised in most markets between midnight and 2:00 A.M. on Saturday or Sunday morning in the summer of ’95. Suge infamously accused Bad Boy Records owner Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs of stealing the spotlight from his artists, while Snoop Dogg taunted the partisan New York crowd with his own Hefty Bag of trash talk.
A few months later, armed with $1.4 million of his own money, Suge Knight posted the bond for the release of Tupac from prison. Legend has it that Shakur immediately signed a three-album deal with Death Row Records and leapt into the studio to begin work on his fourth album, All Eyez on Me, which dropped on February 13, 1996.
Amazingly, it took only about 100 days after Tupac’s release from prison to create, craft, market and release this album. Of course, in the world of rap, “marketing” takes on the most unsavory of forms.
*On November 30, 1995, one of the men whom Tupac implicated in his 1994 shooting, Randy “Stretch” Walker was killed “execution-style” in Queens.
*A few weeks later, Snoop Dogg and The Dogg Pound were filming the video for New York, New York. Their set trailer was fired upon several times by unknown assailants, who were reportedly under the impression that Tupac himself was the on the set.
*On New Year’s Day, 1996, MTV debuted the video for California Love and played it all day at the top of every hour. The video was shown its entirety, along with the accompanying “remix” video. The total running time was nearly 15 minutes, which was among the lengthiest videos to ever air on the network.
*In early February, Tupac was interviewed in Vibe magazine and minced no words in describing his rumored sexual relationship with the estranged wife of The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans.
Intentional or not, these events created an ad campaign that managed to position Tupac in a favorable light with both the hardcore hood market, as well as the suburban fans who bought into the verbal shots fired at Bad Boy Records and the “east coast” from Pac and the Death Row Camp.
The product of these 100 days is outlined below. This was a new Tupac, with a new agenda and a new approach. No one can argue that rap music had never seen so much of anything like this…
Book One
Ambitionz Az A Ridah – Daz Dillinger drops a beat that’s heavy on the bass and layered with drums and keys. Tupac’s flow is precise and methodical, as all the vulnerability from his last album is suffocated by a threatening bravado.
Spittin at adversaries envious and after me
I’d rather die before they catchin me, watch me bleed
Mama come rescue me I’m suicidal thinkin thoughts
I’m innocent, so there’ll be bullets flyin when I’m caught
All Bout U – This was one of the bigger hits from this album, but that was mostly on the strength of the playful beat and one of Nate Dogg’s most famous hooks. Pac doesn’t bring much on this one, lyrically, as it recycles themes he’s already used on I Get Around. The Outlawz and Snoop Dogg share forgettable cameos in the third verse.
I’m still tipsy from last night
Bumpin these walls as I pause, addicted to the fast life
Skandalouz – Another solid beat from Daz…another nice hook from Nate…and some surprisingly uninspired subject matter from Pac. He goes off on gold-diggin’ women and the games they play. The end result is shallow, but entertaining.
I’d probably be sprung, addicted to the heat of her tongue
and though I don’t know where we’re goin, she’s makin me cum
Got My Mind Made Up – This one checks in at over five minutes and contains no less than five verses. Daz, Kurupt, Redman and Method Man sandwich a very tight Pac verse with excellent contributions of their own. Meth, especially, comes off real nice on this track, which obviously was an outtake from 1995’s Dogg Food album. A cool nod to the old school.
We must be based on nothin better than communication
Known to damage and highly flammable like gas stations
How Do U Want It – One of the biggest hits of Tupac’s career, this track revels in its own debauchery. Although lacking in substance, the x-rated lyrics are delivered with so much bounce and energy, you can’t help but to get caught up in them. K-Ci and Jojo make their most notable appearance ever, as well.
Positions on the floor it’s like erotic, ironic
cause I’m somewhat psychotic
I’m hittin switches on bitches like I been fixed with hydraulics
2 of Amerika’s Most Wanted – Tupac and Snoop Dogg team up for one of the finest Death Row joints ever put on wax. Both men had endured their fair share of legal drama and this Daz-produced gem will beat you over the head with a pounding bass and drum beat. The urgency and electricity in Snoop and Pac’s lyrical delivery seemed to be fueled by their real life run-ins with the law.
They wonder how I live, with five shots
Niggaz is hard to kill, on my block
No More Pain – Devante Swing pieces together a slow and lethargic beat that really doesn’t serve Pac all that well. This is a generic, no-names-mentioned threat to all of Pac’s enemies. The interpolation of the classic Method Man anthem Bring The Pain is pretty much wasted here.
My only fear of death is reincarnation
Heartz of Men – The criminally underrated DJ Quik crafts the beat for this one. He and Pac work well together here, where the up-tempo beat and more focused subject matter is a welcomed change from the plodding style of the last track. Listen for samples from Prince, George Clinton and Richard Pryor, too.
Eternally I live in sin
until the moment that they let me breathe again
Life Goes On – This is a phenomenal cut and easily one of Pac’s all time best tracks. The hopelessness of each word Pac spits is laced with a hint of a silver lining. It’s one of the few times (post-Me Against the World) where he takes an entire track to look at the mortality of himself and his peers. Stacy Smallie is excellent on background vocals, as well.
Bury me smilin’
with G’s in my pocket
have a party at my funeral
let every rapper rock it
Only God Can Judge Me – A track that didn’t get much play beyond California, this is a very strong effort. It continues to look at death and what lies beyond, while subtly serving as an open letter to his legion of critics. Bay Area legend Rappin’ 4 Tay drops a tight third verse to wrap things up.
I’ve been Trapped since birth, cautious, cause I’m cursed
And fantasies of my family, in a hearse
And they say it’s the white man I should fear
But, it’s my own kind doin all the killin here
Tradin War Stories – The Outlawz get their first extended album time on this overly long track. Tupac only appears on the first verse and the hook. The theme of comparing conflicts in the streets to the art of war had potential, but it’s left in the starting blocks with a typically bland performance by Pac’s prot駩s.
Criminal ties for centuries, a legend in my own rhymes
California Love (Remix) – Newer fans won’t remember, but many of us were mad as hell that the original version of this one didn’t make the album. While the original did show up as a B-side on the How Do U Want It single, Death Row gave us this mildly acceptable remix. It lacks the spark of the original, but could start any party just about anywhere.
Out on bail fresh out of jail, California dreamin
Soon as I step on the scene, I’m hearin hoochies screamin
I Ain’t Mad At Cha – This is it. My absolute and unabashed all-time favorite Tupac track. Pac flows over a forlorn piano-laced beat and speaks on staying true to your hood, to your friends and to yourself. This is also pretty much the song that made Danny Boy’s brief career as Death Row’s next big thing.
Don’t shed a tear, cause Mama I ain’t happy here
I’m through trial, no more smiles, for a couple years
What’z Ya Phone # – Amazingly, Pac manages to segue from his best ever effort to one of his all-time worst. The beat sounds like a record skipping, while the lyrics are less than nothing. The phone sex skit at the end is laughably unlistenable.
Book Two
Can’t C Me – This one features a crazy Dr. Dre funked-out beat that was originally intended for the Dre/Ice Cube collabo that never came to pass. Pac gets another assist from George Clinton on the hook. This cut is pretty much the epitome of Shakur’s Death Row years, as it’s loud, reasonably effective and littered with overt threats and boasts.
My own momma say I’m thugged out
My shit be bumpin’ out tha record store
as if it was a drug house…
Shorty Wanna Be A Thug – An odd track that seems to both caution against and celebrate the criminal life, it’s solid enough despite the mixed messages. While it doesn’t work too well on a storytelling level, some of the imagery that Pac paints is exceedingly clear and vivid.
The future is looking dim
I’m trying to make a profit out of living in this sin
Holla At Me – A not-so-subtle diss at his former friend Biggie Smalls, this is one of the stronger tracks due to Pac’s stepped up lyrical effort and the fact that B.I.G. is not mentioned once by name. The “mystery” makes it more powerful, almost as if the listeners are being let in on a secret that wasn’t.
Are you confused?
You wonder how it feels to walk a mile inside tha shoes
of a nigga who don’t have a thing to loose
When me and you was homies
no one informed me it was all a scheme
You infiltrated my team and sold a nigga dreams
Wonda Why They Call U Bytch – Speaking of “not-so-subtle”…Tupac makes an effort to explain his use of this misogynistic term. The beat is actually very strong and damned if Pac doesn’t make some salient points, as well. Of course, most fans prefer to remember who Pac chose to sing the hook for this one. Another volley towards the Bad Boy Records camp with a message mixed in somewhere.
Keep your head up, legs closed, eyes open
either a nigga wear a rubber or he die smokin’
I’m hearin’ rumors so you need to switch
and niggas wouldn’t call you bitch, I betcha.
When We Ride – Ice Cube’s longtime producer DJ Pooh steps in for a track that, once again, is heavier on The Outlawz, than Tupac. All of them spit generic, stereotypical gangsta verses about shootin’ cats and bustin’ hoes.
My adversaries crumble when we rumble it’s a catastrophe
I pull revenge on bitch niggaz that blasted me
Thug Passion – The best thing about this joint is the bouncy and up-tempo beat. Tupac only shows up for the fifth and final verse, while again stepping aside for The Outlawz. The Roger Troutman influence is a nice touch, but this is one of the emptier tracks. Jewell serves up a throaty and steamy hook, while Storm does show off some of the potential that was never fulfilled.
Picture Me Rollin’ – The parade of guest stars continues, as Tupac shares the stage with Death Row’s one-trick pony, Danny Boy and anonymous spitters Big Syke and CPO. All parties work well together, though, on this track about dreams of moving from rags-to-riches. Listen until the end, as Pac takes a verbal shit on a few select enemies in ad lib format.
My dreams is censored, my hopes are gone
I’m like a fiend that finally sees when all the dope is gone
My nerves is wrecked, heart beatin and my hands is swollen
thinkin of the G’s I’ll be holdin, picture me rollin
Check Out Time – Pac only puts in work on the first verse, but this still manages to stay listenable with cameos by Kurupt and Big Syke. The singsong hook belies the raunchy subject matter. Especially, Tupac’s verse which, if news reports were accurate, is eerily similar to the details revolving around his conviction for sexual abuse.
I got my mind focused on some papers while I’m into sexy capers
Give a holla to them hoochies last night that tried to rape us
Ratha Be Ya Nigga – Take the elements of How Do U Want It and bleed it dry of the fun and energy?you’re left with a track like this. Richie Rich and Pac share mic time that could serve as a primer for all these “In Love with a Thug” tracks that are so popular in rap and R&B today.
Look, now you was sprung from the introduction
My conversation’s full of game yet laced with seductions
All Eyez On Me – The title track is a little lacking on the beat, but Pac comes with a pair of solid verses that bookend yet another Big Syke appearance. This one does an accurate job of outlining the myriad of people who were so interested in Tupac’s next move.
The feds is watchin, niggaz plottin to get me
Will I survive, will I die? Come on let’s picture the possibility
Run Tha Streetz – You can’t take the Streetz out of the Thug, I guess. In Pac’s first verse, we catch him at the end of the day describing how he goes about lovin’ his woman. In the final verse, Pac is getting up early to do whatever it is that Thugs do when the rest of us are at work.
I betcha never screamed a niggas whole name out
and felt tha pleasure and tha pain
about to f*ck tha very taste out your mouth
Ain’t Hard 2 Find – Pac makes a triumphant return to the Bay Area on this one, as E-40, Richie Rich, B-Legit and C-Bo all make strong appearances. While the theme is simple enough (they ain’t hiding from their enemies), it’s the unique flow of 40, the tag team second verse and the chemistry on display throughout that makes this work.
I heard a rumor I died, murdered in cold blood dramatized
Pictures of me in my final stage you know momma cried
But that was fiction; some coward got the story twisted
Like I no longer existed, mysteriously missin
Heaven Ain’t Hard 2 Find – A rare solo Pac effort (save for the simple Danny Boy hook), this is a humble message regarding how much women should enjoy being with and making love to Tupac. As you can guess, it’s not too deep, but it’s a refreshing detour from many of the over-sexed escapades of some of the earlier tracks.
Simply because you nervous, let me start off with my conversation
Hoping my information alleviates the hesitation
With a little help from the ridiculous rule that considers double CDs “two units” instead of one, All Eyez On Me (unofficially) went platinum in nine days. The bi-coastal buzz was off the charts as fans and enemies alike scooped up the album to see if it deserved the hype.
The verbal sparring between Bad Boy and Death Row continued unabated and came to a head at The Soul Train Awards, which took place in late March of ’96. Both camps were in attendance and, fueled by a mixture of crowd support, alcohol and weed, Death Row’s entourage confronted their Bad Boy counterparts backstage. This included the first face-to-face between Pac and Biggie since the 1994 shooting aftermath.
Accounts of this night are sketchy, as some claim it was akin to an old west showdown with guns drawn. Others say the two sides shouted insults at each other and nothing more. Nevertheless, the event seemed to propel Death Row to new heights (or depths) in an effort to step up the beef.
A “long” version of the video for Pac’s next single featured caricatures of Puffy and Biggie being slain at Pac’s hand. MTV ordered the segment trimmed to the song only, but an image of a roasted pig (Death Row’s unoriginal nickname for B.I.G.) made the final cut.
Of course, these shots would pale in comparison to where Tupac would next take the feud. Were these the actions of a calculating mind focused on selling albums, or was it an out-of-control spirit spraying wanton verbal gunfire across the lyrical landscape?
Pac’s obsession with his enemies seemed to consume his every waking hour. For a man who unknowingly had so few days left, what happened in June of 1996 would take the east coast/west coast feud past the point of salvation.
Carpe diem, indeed.
Next, in Part V of Countdown to Resurrection, we examine the final few weeks of Tupac’s life, the song that changed the game forever and the album that many consider to be Tupac’s last release “in his own words”.
