2Pacalypse Now is the debut studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur, released on November 12, 1991.

Though less polished than his later studio albums, 2Pacalypse Now is 2Pac's most overtly political work. In it, he addresses contemporary social issues facing American society, such as racism, police brutality, poverty, and teenage pregnancy, some issues giving a lyrical glimpse into the world of a young black man on the urban streets of the United States.

Album information:
2Pacalypse Now is hailed by many critics and fans for its underground feel, with many rappers such as Nas, Eminem, Game, and Talib Kweli having pointed to it as a source for inspiration. Although the album was originally released on Interscope Records, the rights of it are now owned by Amaru Entertainment, founded by Tupac's mother Afeni Shakur. The album's name is a reference to the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. The album generated significant controversy stemming from then-U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle's public criticism after a youth in Texas shot a state trooper and his defense attorney claimed he was influenced by 2Pacalypse Now and its strong theme of police brutality. Quayle made the statement, "There's no reason for a record like this to be released. It has no place in our society." The record never achieved the same success as many of 2Pac's later albums owing in part to rough construction and sometimes repetitive beats, but it was important in showcasing 2Pac's political conviction and his focus on lyrical prowess. On MTV's Greatest Rappers of All Time list, 2Pacalypse Now was listed as one of 2Pac's "certified classic" albums, along with Me Against the World, All Eyez On Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. 2Pacalypse Now was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. It featured three singles; "Brenda's Got a Baby", "Trapped", and "If My Homie Calls".2Pacalypse Now can be found in the Vinyl Countdown and in the instruction manual for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas along with the track "I Don't Give a Fuck" which appeared on the in-game radio station, Radio Los Santos.

Trapped: is a song by 2Pac that deals with police brutality. It was a single from his debut
album, 2Pacalypse Now. The first verse tells a story of 2Pac being harassed by the police, and one even shooting at him. He then fires back and says he did it, because he would be ridiculed by girls if he didn't. 2Pac then depicts the police chasing after him and eventually cornering him. He then ends the song with the line "I'd rather die then be trapped in the living hell", implying if forced into a corner he would rather die than live life in a cell. Around the time the music video was debuting, Tupac was assaulted by the Oakland Police Department after he cussed at them for demeaning his name and prolonging the issuing of a ticket sustained during a jaywalking incident. The music video features Shock G singing part of the song's chorus and depicts 2Pac in jail. It appeared as a bonus on the DVD for Tupac: Resurrection. The song samples "Holy Ghost" by Bar-Kays and "The Spank" by James Brown. "Trapped" was featured on 2Pac's Greatest Hits in 1998.

If My Homie Calls: is the second single by 2Pac from his debut album, 2Pacalypse
Now. A music video was also made for this single. He performed this song in 1992 on the famed MTV show Yo! MTV Raps. Contains the Mellow Man Ace - "Rhyme Fighter" sample.

Brenda's Got A Baby: is the solo debut single by Tupac Shakur, and tenth track from
his debut album, 2Pacalypse Now. The song, which features R&B singer Dave Hollister, is about a fictional twelve year-old girl named Brenda who lives in a ghetto, has a baby, and is incapable of supporting it. The song explores the issue of teen pregnancy and its effect on the young mothers and their families. Like many of Shakur's songs, "Brenda's Got a baby" draws from the plight of the impoverished. Using Brenda to represent young mothers in general, Shakur criticises the low level of support from the baby's father, the government, and society in general. Shakur wrote the song when he read a newspaper article about a twelve-year-old girl who got pregnant from her cousin and, because she did not want her parents to know about the baby, threw it in a trash can. Lyrics: The opening consists of a duet singing the songs title repeatedly. Much of the rest of the song is one long verse performed by Tupac. The verse begins with him telling a group that he has heard about Brendas pregnancy. He also notes that the girl has had virtually no education in her life, having only barely obtained minimal skills in writing, and calls this a "damn shame", criticizing and has little hope in life. Her family is very poor, and her father is a heroin addict. Brenda is impregnated by her unnamed boyfriend, who is her older cousin, but she is successfully able to hide her pregnancy. Tupac explains that it wouldnt matter to her family if she gave birth, as long as they got their cut of the government assistance. Although she believes that her cousin will stay with her and help her raise the child, he is merely a molester, and abandons her before she gives birth to her baby on a bathroom floor. Brenda disposes of it by throwing it in a trash bin but later retrieves it as she hears the baby's crying. Her mother scolds her severely, and Brenda becomes so ashamed of herself that she runs away from home. Brenda now begins a life on her own, and unsuccessfully seeks employment. Her attempt to sell crack cocaine results in robbery, and eventually she views prostitution as her only way to make money. This life path leads to her to being murdered. What becomes of other characters, such as her family, her boyfriend, and the baby itself, is uncertain. The final minute or so of the song consists of a chorus singing dont you

know shes got a baby repeatedly. The video begins with "based on a true story," although the characters themselves are fictitious, Shakur wrote the song after reading a story in the newspaper of a twelve-year-old girl getting pregnant from her cousin and trying to dispose of the baby in a trash can. In 1998 it appeared on 2Pac's greatest hits album Greatest Hits.

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. is the second studio album by West Coast rapper 2Pac, released by Interscope Records on February 16, 1993. The rights now belong to Amaru Entertainment. Similar to his debut, 2Pacalypse Now, the album contains many tracks emphasizing 2Pac's political and social views. The album was going to be named "Troublesome 21", the 21 referring to Shakur's age at the time. Debuting at number twenty-four on the Billboard 200, this album saw more commercial success than its predecessor, and there are many noticeable differences in production. While Tupac's first effort included a more underground or indie-rap-oriented sound, this album was considered his "breakout" album. It spawned the hits "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Get Around" and reached platinum status.

Holler If Ya Hear Me: is a song by 2Pac, from his second solo album, Strictly 4 My
N.I.G.G.A.Z.. It was the first single released from this album in 1993. The track, which uses a sample from the song "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice and Public Enemy's "Rebel Without a Pause", is an anthem of resistance. Frustrations with black poverty, police injustice, and Tupac's perceived persecution from political figure Dan Quayle fuel the majority of the track. Hustling, bearing arms, and refusal to conform are the key methods of combating said issues, and the chorus leads those listeners in agreement to join in the movement. The song is autobiographical in nature, referring to various traumas experienced by Tupac himself, and the editor of Vibe was quoted in TIME magazine as stating that the song struck a chord with a large section of

disaffected youth. The song was used by Michael Eric Dyson as the title of his book about the life of Tupac Shakur. Music video: The video made for the single was shot completely in black and white. Much like the track, the video clips were shot in an energetic, nearly-chaotic pace. The video starts off from the viewpoint of a young boy who witnesses his father's death. Tupac's lyrics of resistance to injustice and encouragement to bear arms and fight back are backed by his gathering groups of young black men and women to march in the streets. Between these are clips of the young boy in the aftermath of his father's death. After seeing his mother reminiscing on her lost husband, the young boy finds money in the house and takes to the street, later seen buying a gun from someone in an alley. Near the end of the video, Tupac, sporting a bulletproof vest, is walking around in a shooting range with a group of young people taking shots at paper targets (notably accurate in hitting "rib cage" and other vital locations on each target). In the final scene, Tupac and company have left, and the young boy is seen standing alone at the shooting range. He takes off his baseball cap and reveals himself to be a girlthe cap concealing her long hair. She reaches into her coat to retrieve her gun and, now aiming at the target, fires a round.

Keep Ya Head Up: is a 1993 hit by Tupac Shakur. It addresses issues concerning lack
of respect toward the female gender, especially poor black women. It has a very positive message, and is often used as an example of Shakur's softer side. Many fans and critics consider it to be one of the deepest rap songs ever made and is often referenced by other artists in their work, building Shakur's persona as a very conscious and influential rapper. It features Dave Hollister and is dedicated to Latasha Harlins. It reached #11 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs, with "Dear Mama" voted #4.[1] The song has since sold over 4,500,000 copies. Video: The video opens up with the words "Dedicated to the memory of Latasha Harlins, it's still on", in reference to the L.A. Riots. The video has a basic format with Shakur rapping in the middle of a circle surrounded by a crowd of people and in some scenes seen holding a young child. At times the video shows scenes of what Shakur is rapping about. The music video also features Shakur's childhood friend Jada Pinkett Smith.

I Get Around: is the second single from 2Pac's second album Strictly 4 My
N.I.G.G.A.Z., and features Shock G and Money-B of Digital Underground, the group that introduced him. It was produced by Shock G[1] and Allmusic notes that in the song 2Pac "brags about his sexual conquests".Some vocals of "I Get Around" are sampled from the 1985 Zapp song Computer Love and the instrumental samples "Step in the Arena" by Gang Starr. Shock G recalls how the track was written, in the book How to Rap, mentioning that 2Pac wrote the lyrics to the beat after hearing it for a while (rather than with no beat), and that 2Pac also ghostwrote Shock G's verse. The song sold well and became 2Pac's first Top 20 single. It peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song was re-released on 2Pac's Greatest Hits album in 1998. The music

video reached #1 on XXL's and MTV2's "25 Greatest West Coast Videos". The song is ranked #14 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. It was also selected as one of many songs you must hear & download in the musical reference book, 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die: And 10,001 You Must Download.

Papa'z Song: is a song on 2Pac's second solo album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. A

video was made for the single. The song peaked at #24 on the U.S. Rap chart, #82 on the Hip Hop/R&B chart and #87 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song featured Mopreme Shakur, Tupac Shakur's older stepbrother and son of Mutulu Shakur.

Me Against the World: is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Tupac Shakur. It was released March 14, 1995 on the Interscope Records label. The album was composed of un-used tracks from the Thug Life era, and from other studio sessions from 1993 to 1994. It was his impending prison sentence, troubles with the police and Shakur being poor, which many believe might have contributed to Shakur's artistic re-emergence on record, as his material is believed by Steve Huey of Allmusic to have become markedly more "confessional", "reflective", and "soul-baring".Me Against the World, released while Shakur was imprisoned, made an immediate impact on the charts, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. This made Shakur the first artist to have an album debut at number one on Billboard 200 while serving time in prison. The album served as one of Shakur's most positively reviewed albums, with many calling it the magnum opus of his career, and is considered one of the greatest and most influential hip hop albums of all-time. Me Against the World won best rap album at the 1996 Soul Train Music Awards. Background: In 1993, Tupac Shakur was already a success in the hip hop industry, with two gold-certified singles that reached the top twenty on the pop charts ("I Get Around", "Keep Ya Head Up"), and a platinum-selling sophomore album that would peak just inside the top twenty-five of the Billboard 200 (Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.).

However, the 22 year old artist had a series of incidents and charges of breaking the law. In the summer of 1993, Shakur was charged for assaulting director Allen Hughes while filming Menace II Society; Shakur was later sentenced to fifteen days in jail. Later, in October 1993, Shakur was charged with shooting two off-duty police officers in Atlanta, though the charges would eventually be dismissed. In November, Shakur and two members of his entourage were charged with sexually assaulting a female fan, for which they were found guilty and sentenced to 4.5 years in jail. According to Shakur, the album was made to show the hip hop audience his respect for the art form. Lyrically, Shakur intentionally tried to make the album more personal and reflective than his previous efforts. The musical production on the album was considered by several music critics to be the best on any of Shakur's albums up to that point in his career. Steve "Flash" Juon at RapReviews gave the production on the album a perfect 10 of 10 rating, particularly praising tracks like "So Many Tears" and "Temptations". Jon Pareles of the New York Times remarked that the production had a "fatalistic calm, in a commercial mold". He compared the album's production and synthesized hooks to that of Dr. Dre's G-funk style, stating that "while 2Pac doesn't sing, other voices do, providing smooth melody".James Bernard at Entertainment Weekly was not quite as enthusiastic about the album's production, remarking that Shakur's "vocals are buried deep in the mix. That's a shameif they were more in-your-face, the lackluster beats might be less noticeable." The album's recording sessions took place at ten different studios, while it was mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering.Although the album was originally released on Interscope. Amaru Entertainment, the label owned by Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur, has since released the album twice. Composition: It was like a blues record. It was down-home. It was all my fears, all the things I just couldn't sleep about. Everybody thought I was living so well and doing so good that I wanted to explain it. And it took a whole album to get it all out. I get to tell my innermost, darkest secrets I tell my own personal problems. (Tupac Shakur). Some of the album's main themes concern the loss of innocence, paranoia, and occasional self-loathing. Much attention is paid to subjects such as the pain of urban survival. Not all of the music deals with such extremely bleak subject matter, however. Some tracks, such as "Old School", lean more to the nostalgic, though somewhat bittersweet side in Shakur's remembrance of his youth and the early days of hip hop music. The album is also well known for the more sensitive tracks "Dear Mama" and "Can U Get Away", which are both directed towards and reveal Shakur's devotion to the women he loves. On "Dear Mama", Shakur pays tribute to and expresses his undying affection for his own mother, continuously reminding her that though his actions might sometimes seem to state otherwise, "you are appreciated". On the track "Can U Get Away", Shakur attempts to impress a woman who has managed to gain his affections, away from the woman's abusive relationship. Four of the most eerie and revered tracks on the album are "If I Die 2Nite", "Lord Knows" "Outlaw" which directly references the shooting that Tupac went through before it happened, and "Fuck The World" Throughout the entirety of the album Shakur employs various poetical deliveries, ranging from alliteration ("If I Die 2Nite"), to the use of paired couplets ("Lord Knows"). Singles: "Dear Mama" was released as the album's first single in February 1995, along with the track "Old School" as the B-side. "Dear Mama" would be the album's most successful single, topping the Hot Rap Singles chart, and peaking at the ninth spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was certified platinum in July 1995, and later placed

at number 51 on the year-end charts. The second single, "So Many Tears", was released in June, four months after the first single. The single would reach the number six spot on the Hot Rap Singles chart, and the 44th on the Billboard Hot 100. "Temptations", released in August, was the third and final single from the album. The single would be the least successful of the three released, but still did fairly well on the charts, reaching number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100, 35 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, and 13 on the Hot Rap Singles charts. Reception: The album debuted at the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart with 240,000 copies sold in the first week, and became certified double platinum by the end of the year. Likewise, it also debuted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, thus giving 2Pac the first number one album on both R&B and Pop charts. While Shakur was in prison, the album over-took Bruce Springsteen's Greatest Hits as the best-selling album in the United States, a feat which he took pride in. Shakur became the first artist to have a number one album while serving a prison sentence. In a contemporary review, Cheo H. Coker at Rolling Stone called the album Shakur's best, giving it three-and-a-half out of five stars. Of the overall effect of the album, Coker said it was "by and large a work of pain, anger and burning desperation [it] is the first time 2Pac has taken the conflicting forces tugging at his psyche head-on". Jon Pareles of The New York Times called Shakur the "St. Augustine of gangster rap" due to his ambivalence towards the behavior and nature of the gangster lifestyle. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice was critical of the album, saying "the subtext of [Shakur's] persecution complex is his self-regard".In a retrospective review, Allmusic editor Steve Huey dubbed the album "[Shakur's] most thematically consistent, least selfcontradicting work", and stated, "it may not be his definitive album, but it just might be his best".Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReview seemed to feel differently, remarking that the album "is not only the quintessential Shakur album, but one of the most important rap albums released in the 1990s as a whole". Piero Scaruffi cited it as his "most powerful album" and stated, "Both gloomy and explosive, it covered a vast spectrum of styles, from homicidal to sensitive, while remaining true to the gangster persona." At the 38th Grammy Awards, in 1996, Me Against the World was nominated for Best Rap Album and the single "Dear Mama" was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance. [28][29] In 2008, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, in conjunction with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, recognized Me Against the World as one of the "most influential and popular albums", ranking it number 170 on a list of 200 other albums by artists of various musical genres.

So Many Tears : is the second single from, and the fourth track on, Tupac Shakur's
third studio album Me Against the World. It is known as one of Shakur's saddest and most soulful songs, as he was rapping about pain and suffering. The song's harmony is a sample from Stevie Wonder's "That Girl". The song peaked at #1 on the U.S. Rap chart, U.S. Hip Hop/R&B chart and the Billboard Hot 100. The song has since sold over 1,500,000 copies. "So Many Tears" was included on 2Pac's Greatest Hits album in 1998. "So Many Tears" was used in the documentary Bastards of the Party, a documentary about the rivalry between the Bloods and Crips.

Temptations : is a song by rapper Tupac Shakur, released as the third single from his
third album, Me Against the World. The song was produced by Easy Mo Bee. Its music video featured cameos from fellow West Coast rappers, Ice-T, Coolio, Shock-G, B-

Real and Warren G, as well as Salt-N-Pepa, Treach, Bill Bellamy, Marcus Chong, Isaac Hayes, Crystal Waters, Jasmine Guy, and Jada Pinkett Smith. Tupac couldn't be in the video for the song because he was incarcerated. The song was moderately successful in the United States, peaking at #13 on the U.S. Rap chart, #35 on the U.S. Hip Hop/R&B chart and #68 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Temptations" was included on 2Pac's Greatest Hits album in 1998. The song can also be heard in the movie "8 Mile", starring Eminem, after the first battle, towards the end of the movie. As insinuated by its title, the song is about being faced with numerous temptations while making commitments to others. The song's lyrics also deal with infidelity.

Dear Mama : is a song by American hip hop artist 2Pac. The track was produced by
Tony Pizarro for 2Pac's third solo album, Me Against the World, which was released in 1995. "Dear Mama" was released on February 21, 1995 as the first single for the album. The single was the most successful of all the singles released from the album. The song was written by 2Pac as an ode to his mother, Afeni Shakur. The song is considered by critics, fans, and purists as one of the greatest hip hop songs of all-time, and one of 2Pac's best songs in particular, being ranked number four on About.com's "Top 100 Rap Songs" list. It was announced on June 23, 2010, that the Library of Congress was preserving "Dear Mama", along with 24 other songs, in the National Recording Registry for their cultural significance. "Dear Mama" was written in homage to his mother, Afeni Shakur. Record producer Tony Pizarro, explained that: Pac used to make references to 'Dear Mama' in a lot of different songs and I'd always be like 'You know thats a songs in itself.' And one day he was like 'I got somethin' for that.' And he was like 'Man, you have In My Wildest Dreams by the Crusaders and I was like 'Yeah.' He was like 'Yeah, I got something for that.' So I got the track ready. Pac just came through and just dropped it and blessed it with them vocals. Critical, commercial success and impact: The song topped the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart for five weeks, the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles for one week, and peaked at number 9 on the Hot 100. It also topped the Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles sales chart for 4 weeks. The single was certified Platinum by the RIAA on July 13, 1995. It is considered by many to be 2Pac's most emotional and most respected song, and is praised by many artists (Eminem mentions it as his favorite song), even by many artists who are not involved in the hip-hop business. It was selected as one of many songs you must hear and download in the musical reference book 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die: And 10,001 You Must Download. In 1998, the song appeared on 2Pac's Greatest Hits. The official remix is produced by Nitty and features Anthony Hamilton on the 2006 release Pac's Life. Snoop Dogg said in an interview that this song displayed an introspective side of 2Pac, which made him different from other rappers, because "he went inside", something other rappers were hesitant or unable to do. Music video: The "Dear Mama" music video was directed by Lionel C Martin while 2Pac was incarcerated; thus, a Tupac look-alike had to be used for certain moments in the video. Afeni Shakur was also featured, shown flipping through pages of a photo album containing pictures of a younger Tupac. The video also shows snippets of articles relating to the Black Panthers, alluding to her history as a member of this political organization.

All Eyez on Me: is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released February 13, 1996 on Death Row Records and Interscope Records. The album is frequently recognized as one of the crowning achievements of 1990s rap music. AMG stated that "despite some undeniable filler, it is easily the best production 2Pac's ever had on record".It was certified 5 Platinum after just 2 months in April 1996, it was later certified 9 platinum in 1998. The album featured the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles "How Do U Want It" and "California Love". It featured 5 singles in all, the most of any 2Pac album. Moreover, All Eyez on Me (which was the only Death Row release to be distributed through PolyGram by way of Island Records) made history as the first double-full-length hip-hop solo studio album released for mass consumption. It was issued on two compact discs and four LPs. Chartwise, All Eyez on Me was the second album from 2Pac to hit number-one on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/HipHop Albums charts. It sold 566,000 copies in the first week of its release, and was charted on the top 100 with the top one-week SoundScan sales since 1991. The album won the 1997 Soul Train R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year Award. Shakur also won the Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist at the 24th Annual American Music Awards and is also commonly referred to as one of the greatest hip hop/rap albums of the 1990s. Recording: All Eyez on Me was released after Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records, bailed 2Pac out of jail in exchange for signing to Death Row, fulfilling part of 2Pac's brand new contract. This double-album served as the first two albums of his three album contract. The songs on All Eyez on Me are, in general, unapologetic celebrations of living the "Thug Lifestyle". Though there is the occasional reminiscence about past and present friends, it is a definite move away from the social and political

consciousness of 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.. The hit single "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" is a collaboration with Snoop Dogg. The album features occasional guest spots from 2Pac's regulars, such as former-Thug Life members and the Outlawz, as well as Snoop Dogg, George Clinton, Rappin' 4-Tay, Method Man, Redman, and other guests. The song "Heartz of Men" samples a portion of Richard Pryor's comedy album "That Nigger's Crazy". Most of the album was produced by Johnny "J" and Daz Dillinger, with help from Dr. Dre on the songs "California Love", which he himself appeared in also as an album guest spot, and "Can't C Me", which was Clinton's appearance. All Eyez On Me is 2Pac's second best selling album (behind only his Greatest Hits album). The album was certified 5x Platinum in the United States after just 2 months and was later certified 9x platinum. It was re-released in 2001 as enhanced CDs containing the "California Love" music video. Both discs contained the same data track. It was also re-released as a Dual-Disc in 2005.

All Bout U: was a single released by American Rapper Tupac Shakur from his album
All Eyez On Me. The song features Dru Down ad-libbing the intro, labelmate Nate Dogg singing the Chorus, as well as Snoop Doggy Dogg, & Outlawz members Yaki Kadafi, and Hussein Fatal. The song focuses on how each of the artists seem to keep seeing the same woman in each of their music videos and parties, assuming that she is a goldigger and Groupie, only wanting to be around them because of their wealth and status. It was released exactly one month before Shakur's death. The song was also performed live at the House of Blues during Shakur's last concert on July 4, 1996.

How Do U Want It: is a hip-hop song performed by Tupac Shakur. It features K-Ci
& JoJo and was the third single from his album All Eyez on Me. The song debuted June 16, 1996. It was a Double A-side single to "California Love", and the song reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #17 in the UK in 1996. The song has since sold over 3,406,000 copies.

2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted: (sometimes referred to as "Gangsta Party") is a West

Coast hip hop song written by 2Pac, Snoop Dogg and Daz Dillinger for 2Pac's 1996 double album All Eyez on Me. The song is a duet performed by 2Pac and Snoop Dogg. "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" was released as promotional single and was the album's second single, after "California Love". The song peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" was later included on 2Pac's Greatest Hits in 1998. Music video: The video was directed by one of 2Pac's production partners, Gobi M. Rahimi and was filmed four months prior to September 1996 shooting. The prelude for the song shows a parody of Biggie Smalls ("Piggie") and Puff Daddy ("Buff Daddy") in discussion with Shakur about the November 1994 shooting. The beginning of the scene where Tupac is speaking to Biggie is in reference to the movie Scarface where Tony speaks to his alleged killer before shooting him.

California Love: is a hip hop song by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman.
The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single upon his release from prison in 1995. A popular remix version of the song appeared on his 1996 double album All Eyez on

Me. This is perhaps 2Pac's best-known song and his most successful, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks (as a Double-A side single with "How Do U Want It"). The song was nominated for a posthumous Grammy Award as a Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (with Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman) in 1997. The original version of the track was not available on any of Shakur's studio albums due to it being intended for Dr. Dre's shelved album The Chronic II: A New World Odor (Poppa's Got A Brand New Funk). But it can now be found on Shakur's compilation of Greatest Hits and on the United Kingdom version of All Eyez on Me. The tune was taken from Joe Cocker's song "Woman to Woman". The line, "California knows how to party", and mention of Los Angeles, the neighborhood of Watts and the city of Compton are sung by Roger Troutman, which in turn are taken from Ronnie Hudson and the Street People's "West Coast Poplock". Ronnie Hudson and The Street People released a song entitled West Coast Poplock that is set to be re-released as a remix from Ronnie Hudson (Executive Producer Dj Flash) featuring Snoop Lion, E-40, as well as Too Short. Chad Richards and Coach Ray Lilley are producing the DVD documentary of Ronnie Hudson's story and those closely related to the era and those influenced in music and culture with Ronnie Hudson called California Love Movie (The Making Of California Dreamers/ Studio City's very RedEye Animation, etal) as a promotion for the Dj Flash Ronnie Hudson West Coast Poplock release set for April 1, 2013. Director Jay Segura from RedEye Animation with Shabba Doo Entertainment, and Executive Producer Alexis Nelson with HOAX Films Animation Department are currently in production on the CG animated film, "California Dreamers," for which West Coast Poplock is the theme. Street dancer, and founders of the dance style commonly known as locking, original Soul Train member and star of "Breakin'", Shabba Doo (Adolfo Quinones), is assembling a dance team for this animated feature film (California Dreamers) that will be narrated by Ronnie Hudson. With street dance as a driving force, motion capture technology will record dance moves from Shabba Doo, Timothy Popin' Pete Solomon of the Electric Boogaloos and Richard "Crazy Legs" Coln of Rock Steady Crew, which will be translated into animation data for CG characters. Hip-hop legends Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, King Tee, DJ Joe Cooley, and Chris "The Glove" Taylor, The Force MD's, and J.J. Fad have been enlisted to represent the roots of hip-hop for voiceovers and soundtrack material in California Dreamers. "California Love" was Shakur's only entry on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, ranked #346, and #51 on VH1's countdown of the 100 Greatest songs of the 90s. The song has sold over 5,800,000 digital copies despite being released almost a decade before the digital era. Writing and background: "California Love" was one of two songs produced by Dr. Dre on All Eyez on Me -- the other one being "Can't C Me". The first session of the song has three verses featuring Dr. Dre's rapping. The only copy of this session is now in the possession of DJ Jam, Snoop Dogg's personal concert DJ. Dr. Dre's first session was unedited and home-studio recorded, and therefore differs to the version later included in 2Pac's Greatest Hits as well as the "How Do U Want It".2Pac first heard Dr. Dre's session while at Dr. Dre's in-house studio and asked Dre to put him on the song. Dre did an additional mix for All Eyez on Me as Dre wanted to use the original on his album, so All Eyez on Me received the remix version while the original was going to come on Dre's album. Videos were shot at the same time for both versions and released and played seamlessly on MTV in late December 1995. The original version was produced Hype Williams with a Mad Max Theme (Part 1 of the video), the remix version starts

out with Pac waking up from a dream, which is the Mad Max themed original video and is a house party celebrating 2Pac's welcome to Death Row. Music videos: Two versions of music video exist. The first video (directed by Hype Williams) was inspired by the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, and takes place in a desert in the year 2095. The casting includes actor Chris Tucker[4] (then-known only for his role in the 1995 film Friday) playing the evil tribal chief's yes-man, Tony Cox as the dwarf soldier and Roger Troutman (formerly with the band Zapp) carrying a talk box. The shooting took place in the Thunderdome set[4] known from the movie. It ends with a cliffhanger cut by a "To Be Continued" closing. An alternative version, featuring the remix song re-cut, removes the final caption and features 2Pac and Dr. Dre naming West Coast towns. The second video is based on a remix version of the song from the album All Eyez on Me and is a continuation of the video's story. The premise is that the desert scenes of the previous videos were merely a nightmare 2Pac was having. When he wakes up, he finds himself in his bed beside a woman. He calls Dr. Dre, who tells him to get over to his summer house because he's throwing a party. The rest of the music video takes place as if it were a home video and features several cameos, notably Roger Troutman who is now playing the piano, and guest appearances from DJ Quik, Big Syke, Danny Boy, Jodeci, Deion Sanders, B-Legit and E-40. The video was made for the remix of the song. The first video was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video in 1996. It achieved #9 of the top 10 on MTV's 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made list in 1999. In April, 2005 it reached the Bronze medal spot on MTV2 and XXL's 25 Greatest West Coast Videos. It also achieved #1 on the French MTV's 100 Greatest Rap Music Videos in 2006 (featured from 23 till 30 of July). The first video can be found on the DualDisc of All Eyez on Me and the second video can be found on Tupac: Live at the House of Blues DVD.

Hit 'Em Up: is a diss song by rap artist 2Pac (Tupac Shakur), featuring his group the
Outlawz. It is the B-side to the single "How Do U Want It", released on June 4, 1996, from the album All Eyez on Me. The songs lyrics contain vicious insults to several East Coast rappers, among them, Shakur's former friend and rival, The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls. The song was produced by long-time collaborator Johnny "J" and samples the bassline from "Don't Look Any Further" by Dennis Edwards. The video, itself described as infamous, includes impersonations of Biggie, Puffy and Lil' Kim. "Hit 'Em Up" is said to have played a part in exacerbating the East CoastWest Coast hip hop rivalry. Following its release, the East Coast rappers insulted in the song responded through tracks of their own. The controversy surrounding the song is due in part to Shakurs murder only three months after its release. Background and lyrics: "Hit 'Em Up" was written, as well as recorded in Can Am Studios in Los Angeles, California in May 1996. Shakur recruited three members from the former group Dramacydal whom he had worked with previously, and was eager to work with again. Together with the three New Jersey rappers and other associates, they formed the original lineup of the Outlawz.The first and third verses are performed by Shakur, who during the takes was accompanied in the recording booth by a woman named Tiffany, who grew close to him during that time. The ferocity of Shakur's raging vocals, as said by long time collaborator and producer of "Hit 'Em Up" Johnny "J", was entirely authentic. He stated that he had never seen Shakur so angry and that the words he rapped were in no way an act. He explained that Shakur was initially fueled by his anger against Biggie and used this adrenaline, which he

described as "superhuman", to attack the other East Coast rappers. The second verse is performed by Hussein Fatal, the fourth by Yaki Kadafi and the fifth by E.D.I. Mean. Shakur's anger stemmed from the belief that Biggie, as well as other members of Bad Boy Records, had a role in the November 30, 1994 shooting. He claims that Biggie and his crew knew of his shooting and wanted him dead. He also felt that Biggie carelessly released the song "Who Shot Ya?" only months after the shooting incident, and although it did not mention Shakur's name, he felt it was mockingly directed towards him.[9] Shakur admittedly released "Hit 'Em Up" as a response to "Who Shot Ya?", almost two months after the shooting incident. Lyrically, "Hit 'Em Up" was aimed primarily at The Notorious B.I.G. and Sean "Puffy" Combs. Shakur viciously insults Biggie throughout, the first line by Shakur is "that's why I fucked your bitch you fat motherfucker", and threatens retaliation in "Hit 'Em Up", saying "Now you're about to feel the wrath of a menace." He also used the song as a platform to express his belief that Biggie was guilty of stealing his style of rapping, and was merely imitating his lifestyle. This notion is addressed in the verse in "Now it's all about Versace, you copied my style." He also touches topically on their early friendship with the line "Biggie, remember when I used to let you sleep on the couch?" and their subsequent fallout. Faith Evans, who at the time was Biggie's estranged wife, was reportedly seen with Shakur after a public breakup with Biggie. According to Shakur she had given him gifts of clothing, which he offered as proof of a relationship in an interview. Using this against Biggie in "Hit 'Em Up", Shakur continued to fuel the rumors of a sexual relationship with Evans in the line "You claim to be a player, but I fucked your wife." Claims of an affair with Evans appear three times in the song. Shakur also attacked many other people associated with Bad Boy Records and with Biggie, such as Lil' Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A., and most notably Lil' Cease. He exclaimed that their lifestyle and what they rapped about were fraudulent, and that they were not from the streets. He believed that they were only perpetuating the drama and did not understand the situation they had gotten themselves into. Chino XL was also insulted, as well as Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy, who was mocked for suffering sickle-cell disease with the line "Don't one of you niggas got sickle-cell or something?" In "Hit 'Em Up", the word "fuck" and "motherfucker" were used explicitly over 35 times. Johnny "J" stated that the recording of "Hit 'Em Up" was the most "hard-core he had ever done." Although he was very happy with the work he had put into it and the resulting song, he went on to say that he had no desire to work on anything of that magnitude again. Releases: Upon finishing the recording, Shakur felt very positively about the track, saying "...this song is going to be playing in every club. Deejays are calling from everywhere, wanting to get a piece of this." "Hit 'Em Up" appeared first as a B-side, on the single "How Do U Want It", by Tupac featuring The Outlawz. On June 4, 1996 under the label Death Row Records, "Hit 'Em Up" was released on compact disc, 12-inch, and a 45 RPM. The original cover for the single had Puffy's head on a snake body, and Biggie's head on a pig's. It also appeared posthumously on several compilations, including the 2004 release of Shakur's last recorded live performance, Live at the House of Blues. "Hit 'Em Up" was also remixed on Nu-Mixx Klazzics. Upon its release, "Hit 'Em Up" received frequent radio airplay, which was attributed to the public interest in the ongoing feud and radio stations' desire to garner high ratings. However, some radio stations, such as the Los Angeles-based KPWR, refused to play it. The follow-up to "Hit 'Em Up" was the song "Bomb First (My Second Reply)".

Music video: The music video for "Hit 'Em Up" was filmed in a warehouse off Slauson Avenue near Fox Hills Mall in Los Angeles in May 1996. It was filmed by the production company Look Hear Productions. Shakur raps in a white room with The Outlawz, as well as in purple-caged room and a black room with bullet holes in the background. TV monitors in the background show clips of Shakur, Puffy, and Biggie Smalls, and even clips from the video "Made Niggaz." The video featured actors who were recalled from their prior roles in the music video for "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" to impersonate some of those who were attacked in "Hit 'Em Up." This included Biggie, whose stand-in stares dully into the camera and sports a Kangol and jacket, similar to one Biggie would wear. During the moments where Shakur raps about his claimed affair with Evans, Biggie crouches near the camera while Shakur yells in his face. Puffy is also impersonated, appearing with a high-top fade and leaning towards the camera, lowering and raising his sunglasses. During the shooting of the video, Shakur was engaged in an argument with someone, who was heard telling him "You'll get shot." His armed bodyguard ensured that he had nothing to worry about. Shakur had also broken up a fight his friend Muta had gotten into during the filming, and fired a production assistant on set. The assistant was answering Shakur's pager and returning his personal calls without his consent. Some of those calls were to women who became either confused or angry that a female assistant was answering Shakur's calls. The assistant had even mistakenly lost the pager, but by the time she found it Shakur had grown wary of her, so he fired her. Like the song, the video for "Hit 'Em Up" has also been called "infamous". It surpassed the song and video for "New York, New York" in popularity, which was a pro-West Coast track by Tha Dogg Pound whose video featured the members crushing buildings in Manhattan. The music video for "Hit 'Em Up" can be found on Tupac: Live at the House of Blues DVD. Response:

1.From Biggie: After hearing "Hit 'Em Up" Biggie continued proclaiming his innocence in the shooting incident. He also remarked that the song "Who Shot Ya?" was written before Shakur was shot and thus, was not about him. Regarding the lyrics aimed at his wife Faith, Biggie expressed an inability to find merit in what Shakur had claimed. He believed that Shakur intended to attack him through Faith, although he remained unsure of whether or not an encounter between them had occurred. Ultimately, he thought that if something had occurred it was none of his business, and that Shakur should not have publicly disclosed this information in a song. Biggie did respond to this matter in a similar fashion, rapping in a joint release by himself and Jay-Z in the song "Brooklyn's Finest",where he says "If Faye have twins, she'd probably have two Pacs. Get it? Tupac's?" Shortly after the release of "Hit 'Em Up", Evans went on the radio, denying that she had been with Shakur. 2.From other artists: Puffy had trouble understanding the sheer rage Shakur had expressed for Biggie in "Hit 'Em Up". He also responded by reinforcing his and Biggie's innocence regarding the shooting and went on to say that prior to the incident they "were friends", and that they "would have never done nothing to hurt him." In an interview with Vibe Magazine concerning Shakur's allegations of Biggie and Puffy having prior knowledge of the ambush, Puffy stated: He ain't mad at the niggas that shot him; he knows where they're at. He knows who shot him. If you ask him, he knows, and everybody in the street knows, and he's not stepping to them, because he knows that he's not gonna get away with that shit. To me, that's some real sucker shit. Be mad at everybody, man; don't be using niggas as scapegoats. We know that he's a nice guy from New York. All shit aside, Tupac is a nice, good-hearted guy. Lil' Kim responded on her song "Big Momma Thang", which was aimed at Biggie's wife Faith Evans and Tupac Shakur. Lil' Cease had said after the release that Biggie still had love for him, and even respected Shakur. The attack on Prodigy came as a surprise to him, and together with the rest of Mobb Deep they responded to 2Pac and Death Row with the track "Drop a Gem on 'em". It was first released as a promotional single, and later appeared on their album Hell on Earth. Lyrically, it did not specifically name Shakur, but it did allude to the shooting incident. It has also been noted for erroneously stating the amount of money the jewellery was worth that Shakur had taken from him during the shooting incident.

Reception: "Hit 'Em Up" has been called "controversial", "infamous", "disturbing", and "brutal". Shakur's insults against virtually the entire East Coast scene of rappers were said to be ferocious, and it has been viewed as one of Shakur's songs that resonated with and was spoken of the most by young people, the other being "Dear Mama". XXL magazine has slated it as the greatest diss song of all time. Some felt that "Hit 'Em Up" showcased Shakur ranting and raving like a fool, and J.R. Reynolds of Billboard called it horrendous, noting that Shakur revealed his true colors upon recording the song. He also went on to say that although sympathetic to the shooting, "Hit 'Em Up" had "fan(ned) the flames of hatred.. ..and affects an entire black culture's psyche"; he called the song "repugnant and unacceptable." Among associates of Shakur, it had been called a "bad-luck song." Los Angeles radio director Bruce St. James called the song "the beall, end-all, curse-word, dirty-lyric, violent song of all time." The Game's manager has called it the best diss record. Documentary filmmaker Carl Weston believed that "most people in Biggie's shoes would have wanted to at least hurt Tupac" in a Spin magazine interview. Among musicians, the song drew criticism from singer Dionne Warwick,

and disapproval from Kool Moe Dee and Chuck D, who felt that although Shakur was one of the most substantive rappers of that period, he had gone too far with "Hit 'Em Up". It also may have caused some of Shakur's fans to turn on him. Aftermath: In retrospect of the events which ensued only a few months afterward, the song has been viewed as the turning point in the feud between Shakur and Biggie, where things were said and sung which could never be taken back during the remainder of Shakur's life. This has led to it being dubbed as the beginning of the war between the East Coast and the West Coast, and the centerpiece in what became the most venomous battle in rap history. Shakur and the Death Row crew attended a boxing match in Las Vegas, where he was murdered in 1996. Discussions began as to the cause, and as to whether "Hit 'Em Up" may have angered Biggie enough to the point of desiring to kill Shakur. The song has appeared in numerous compilations of Shakur's and has been sampled several times as well. "Hit 'Em Up" has been studied by academics, and it has been used as a part of a series of lessons for building the means to communicate with younger people. Its main role in these lessons is to define anger in rap music. The truth of the allegations from Tupac will never be known. Popular belief is that Faith did have an affair with the rapper, and it was later stated by some accounts that she was seen sitting on Tupac's lap prior to the release of the "Hit 'Em Up" song.

The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory: (commonly shortened to The 7 Day Theory and sometimes called Makaveli) is the fifth and final studio album by Tupac Shakur. Released under the new stage name Makaveli, it was his first studio album to be posthumously released. The album was completely finished in a total of seven days during the month of August 1996. The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four days. These are among the very last songs Shakur recorded before his fatal shooting on September 7, 1996. In 2005, MTV.com ranked The 7 Day Theory at #9 on their greatest hip hop albums of all time list and, in 2006, recognized it as a classic. The emotion and anger showcased on the album has been admired by a large part of the hip-hop community, including other rappers. Ronald "Riskie" Brent is the creator of The 7 Day Theory cover painting. George "Papa G" Pryce, Former Head of Publicity for Death Row, claimed that "Makaveli which we did was a sort of tongue-in-cheek, and it was not really to come out, [but] after Tupac was murdered, it did come out... Before that, it was going to be a sort of an underground." The album peaked at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and the Billboard 200. The album generated the second-highest debut-week sales total of any album that year, selling 664,000 copies on the first week. This album was certified 4x Platinum on June 15, 1999. The 7 Day Theory is widely considered a classic by numerous hip hop fans and critics. Concept: Though Shakur had been using the name Makaveli as far back as All Eyez On Me, the Makaveli album was conceived as a sort of introduction for Shakur's alternate stage name. Thus, the albums sleeve contains the text, "Exit 2Pac, Enter Makaveli", referring to the exit of the Shakur of the past and the entrance of a new person, Makaveli. The album cover, which features Shakur on the cross in an attempt to convey his crucifixion by the media, is intended to imply an artistic resurrection and according to some of his fans a literal one after his death. While All Eyez on Me was considered by Shakur "a celebration of life" he claims that Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is a much darker

album Makaveli's style of rapping is still emotional, but is intensified throughout this album. Some songs on the album contain both subtle and direct insults to Shakur's rivals at the height of the East Coast-West Coast feud. Rappers insulted on the album include Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, Mobb Deep, Jay-Z & Dr. Dre . Although Shakur insulted rapper Nas on "Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply)" and "Against All Odds", rapper Young Noble, who appeared on several songs on The 7 Day Theory, stated in an interview that the Nas song "I Gave You Power" served as a main inspiration for Shakur's "Me and My Girlfriend".[17] Nas was to appear on Makaveli: 7 day theory, due to his and Shakur's reconciliation in 1996; Shakur was murdered before any collaboration could occur. The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory was recorded and mixed in a mere 7 days in August 1996. It was released November 5, 1996 and debuted at number one on both the pop album and R&B/Hip-Hop album charts, with 663,000 albums sold in its first week. Recording sessions: Only six months after the release of his successful double-opus, All Eyez on Me, Shakur began work on Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. The album was written and recorded at the Can-Am Studios in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California over 3 days in the month of August 1996. During those three days 21 songs were completed, 12 of which made the final product. The album did not feature the star-studded guest list that All Eyez on Me did. Most of the guest verses are supplied by Shakur's group The Outlawz. The only verse that was not from one of the Outlawz was from Bad Azz. Young Noble of the Outlawz recalled: We had started writing the shit and we was taking long. 'Pac was like, "Who got something? Bad Azz you got something?" and it fit perfect, so it was meant for Bad Azz to be on that song. We had already been on a million 'Pac songs. That was his way of motivating us like, "If y'all ain't ready, then you don't make the song." Production: Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory has also gained praise for its production. Although many of Shakur's usual producers were not involved in the project, the producers still managed to come through for the project. The only producer with whom Shakur had worked prior to this album was QD3, the son of Quincy Jones and brother of Shakur's girlfriend Kidada Jones. Shakur also co-produces three tracks on the album. The other two producers were Hurt-M-Badd and Darryl Big D Harper. E.D.I. Mean of the Outlawz recalls: At the time Hurt-M-Badd, who was just an up-andcoming producer at Death Row, and Darryl Harper, who was an R&B producer - Suge had him working on all the R&B projects - they had a green room up in Can-Am [Studios] which everybody around Death Row called the "wack room" because they said "Ain't nothing but wack shit come out of there." But we was up in the studio one day and we trying to get music done - ain't none of us producers - we see them two niggas in the "Wack room" and 'Pac like, "Go get them niggas." So niggas go bring them, 'Pac just putting niggas to work like, "I need a beat here, I need y'all to do this, do that." And these are niggas that nobody at Death Row was fucking with. They'll tell you themselves.

Hail Mary : is the final single by American rapper 2Pac from his final album The Don
Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. The song features rap verses by Kastro, Young Noble and Yaki Kadafi of The Outlawz and Prince Ital Joe. A music video was shot for the song and can be found on the DualDisc of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. The song took 2Pac 30 minutes to finish.

In popular culture: This song was played as a tribute to 2Pac at the Up In Smoke Tour, in 2000. Rap artists Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg played this song as one of 3 songs they did, for and a tribute to 2Pac, with the crowd singing the chorus. On April 15, 2012, this song was played as part of a performance incorporating a projection of 2Pac alongside live performers Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The song was played in the film Baby Boy, in which 2Pac himself was supposed to play the lead. The film was released in 2001 by John Singleton, but because 2Pac was no longer alive, he had Tyrese Gibson replace him. The song was played when Jody, the lead, had a dream about being gunned down by the police or being locked up in prison with his girlfriend and son visiting him. While the song is playing, 2Pac's picture is seen in Jody's room. In 2001, rapper Ja Rule remade 2Pac's song "Pain" from the Above the Rim sessions, retitled the song "So Much Pain", and left in 2Pac's second verse as it was in the original song. Numerous others, especially his rivals, took offense to Ja Rule trying to emulate 2Pac. As a result, 50 Cent, Eminem and Busta Rhymes did a remix of "Hail Mary" in 2003. The lyrics were reworked to feature numerous shots at Ja Rule, including several lines aimed at his "imitation" of 2Pac.

Toss It Up: is a song by rapper 2Pac from the album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day
Theory. It was recorded the day before he flew to Las Vegas to watch the Mike Tyson/Bruce Seldon fight at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, and was fatally shot. Originally, Dr. Dre was going to use the beat from No Diggity, a song by Blackstreet but when Dre left Death Row Records he sold the beat to Blackstreet which angered rapper 2Pac. He even states at the end of the song, "Yeah we took y'all beat, 'cause you wasn't rockin' it right." It samples Bill Withers "Grandmas Hands". A music video was shot for the song, being noted for the last video shot by 2Pac before his death caused by his fatal 1996 shooting. In the song, there are several verbal onslaughts aimed at various rappers and musicians. Shakur dissed Dr. Dre in the song during the whole second verse stating: "You crossed Death Row now who you gunna run too?" and "Screamin' Compton but you can't return". 2Pac made an indirect reference to the song Straight Outta Compton of Dr. Dre's former rap group N.W.A. On the outro of the song, Puff Daddy was dissed.

To Live & Die in L.A.: (also known as California Love Pt. 2) is the second single from
Tupac Shakur's final album he worked on during his life, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. It was recorded July 7 of 1996 and was produced by QD3, son of producer Quincy Jones. The radio edit was recorded the same day and a video was shot on July 23, 1996. The album version contains a Dr. Dre diss at the end of the song.

R U Still Down? (Remember Me): is the second posthumous album by 2Pac, released in 1997. Although it is the second album release after his death, it is the first to be finished without the creative input of 2Pac. Having left a large body of work behind, this was the first release from his mother's new imprint Amaru Entertainment, set up to control his posthumous releases. It spawned two hit singles, "Do for Love" and "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto", the former of which ("Do for Love") has been certified Gold by the RIAA. The album eventually reached multi-platinum status, a trend that some of his subsequent posthumous albums would follow. The album opened up with 549,000 copies on the first week. Album information: This album contains previously unreleased material coming from the time period of his albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., Thug Life: Volume 1and Me Against the World. The first release on his own Amaru Records, R U Still Down? (Remember Me) was overseen by 2Pac's mother, Afeni Shakur. This album, and it airs his views on life from a time before he became involved in the controversial east coast/west coast rivalry. His lyrics foreshadow his death in songs like "Open Fire" and "Thug Style." The art work shows a letter from 2pac saying the following "Keep the faith in me. I will not let u down! love 2pac".The album cover was previously used on Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. R U Still Down? is 2pac's first album released after his death without the rapper's input. A few songs in the album Tupac mentions his life in the streets of Oakland, California in songs such as "Nothin' But Love" where he started his career, and how he started his "Thug Life" mentality in those streets. As more of the original songs are leaked it has become evident that many of the album's tracks were kept true to the originals by mastering and perfecting the original instrumentals and vocals. Songs like: "Hold On Be Strong", "Nothing To Lose", "Only Fear Of Death", "When I Get Free", "Open Fire" are kept true to original. Some with

fundamentally similar compositions include: "Lie 2 Kick It", "I'm Gettin' Money", "Thug Style". On the other hand a few tracks with completely new instrumentals include: "Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto", "Hellrazor" and "Enemies With Me"."Definition of a Thug Nigga" also appears on the soundtrack of the 1993 film, Poetic Justice.

I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto: is the first posthumous single by 2Pac. It

appears on his album R U Still Down? (Remember Me). The original was also released as the B-side on the "Keep Ya Head Up" single. There are two versions of the song on the R U Still Down? (Remember Me) album. One is an OG Vibe (remake of the original, using the same sample); the other is a "hip hop remix" version which was recorded while he was on Death Row and intended for the album. They are both different from the original version that was featured on the "Keep Ya Head Up" single. The song title originally came from the lyrics of fellow West Coast Rapper Spice 1, of the 1992 song "Welcome to the Ghetto." Portions of the lyrics were later re-used and remixed for the single "Changes" which appeared on 2Pac's Greatest Hits compilation released in 1998. Video: In the Lionel C. Martin directed music video from July 14-15, 1997, the perspective is a first-person viewpoint of Shakur. After being shot, he stumbles to a nunnery in fictional Rukahs, New Mexico. ('Rukahs' spelled backward is 'Shakur'.) The license plate of the car that Shakur gets in with the older man reads "61671", which references Shakur's birthday on June 16, 1971. The room he goes into with the girl is room number 7. The clock in the background at the end is set to 4:03, the same time Shakur officially died. At 4:03 Tupac appears also. At the end, he goes into Amaru Diner, Amaru being his middle name. In the first 5 seconds "...rapper Tupac Shakur shot multiple times" is heard from the helicopter. The video also features several notable figures. Mother Teresa is seen getting on a bus, and already on the bus are Jimi Hendrix, Martin Luther King Jr., a Black Panther Party member, and Elvis Presley. In the bar, Ray Charles is playing the piano.

Do for Love: (originally titled 'Sucka 4 Luv' in its unreleased form) was the second
posthumously released single by Tupac Shakur from his second posthumous album R U Still Down? (Remember Me). The vocal sample is from "What You Won't Do for Love" by Bobby Caldwell. It charted at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #12 in the UK.

Until the End of Time: is the fourth posthumous studio album released from the late rapper Tupac Shakur. This album consists of a collection of unreleased material and remix end songs from Tupac's "Makaveli" period while signed to Death Row Records. This album was the second album released without Shakur's creative input. Until the End of Time was very highly anticipated and ended up being the best selling hip hop album in 2001. As of 2011, the album has been certified 3x platinum in the US. The single "Until the End of Time" features Richard Page and contains a sample from the song "Broken Wings", a 1985 song by Mr. Mister (from which Page is lead singer). The video for this song featured a compilation of unreleased footage of Tupac Shakur. Suge Knight and Afeni Shakur were the executive producers of this album, with ten of the songs being produced by longtime Tupac producer and friend Johnny "J". Most of the tracks were remixed from their original master tape versions and were censored of any references to Death Row Records or its artists (for example, the track "This Ain't Livin" has a shout out to Snoop Dogg, but due to him being a Death Row artist, it was censored to prevent Amaru's association with the label, although this was a joint release between the two labels). Songs like "Fuckin' with the Wrong Nigga", "Ballad of a Dead Soulja", "Good Life", "LastOnesLeft", "Runnin' On E" and "Thug N U Thug N Me" are the only tracks known to have been kept true to the original mixes, albeit "Ballad of a Dead Soulja" is missing a couple of instruments to keep from registering the original C. Mayfield sample.

Letter 2 My Unborn: is a song by Tupac Shakur, released as a posthumous single

from his album Until the End of Time in 2001. The accompanying music video received moderate airplay though it was less successful than the lead single from the album, the title track. The song samples Michael Jackson's 1989 hit "Liberian Girl" (from Bad, 1987), but is set at a higher tempo and features a female vocal backing track by Tena Jones (formerly of 4th Avenue Jones. In the song Tupac speaks to his hypothetical unborn child, relating stories of his own life and advising the child to avoid the troubles that he himself has faced.

Better Dayz: is the fifth posthumous studio album by late American rapper Tupac Shakur, the fourth to be released without the artist's creative input and the last so far to be a double-album. It was released on November 26, 2002, debuting at number 5 on the Billboard 200. This album consists of a collection of previously unreleased material by way of remixed songs from Tupac's "Makaveli" period while signed to Death Row Records, and was produced by Johnny "J", Jazze Pha, Frank Nitty, and E.D.I. of Outlawz. Tracks include "My Block (remix)," "When We Ride on Our Enemies," "Catchin' Feelins" and "Never Call U Bitch Again". It also includes "Military Minds" which features Boot Camp Clik members Buckshot and Smif-n-Wessun (credited as Cocoa Brovaz) which was supposed to be part of a collaborative album between Shakur and BCC titled One Nation but was never officially released due to Shakur's death. It features 23 unreleased recordings including remixes from the period of 1994-1996, with appearances by Nas, Outlawz, Ma, Jazze Pha, Ron Isley, and Tyrese, among others. The hit single, "Thugz Mansion," comes in two versions: the Nas acoustic version, on which the music video is based, and a hip hop version featuring Anthony Hamilton. On January 31, 2003, it was certified 2x Platinum in the U.S. The album was also certified 3x Platinum in Canada May 2003. The track "Ghetto Star" has appeared on the soundtrack to the video game 25 To Life.

Thugz Mansion: is a song by 2Pac, released as a posthumous single with two known
popular versions both released on the 2002 album Better Dayz. The original acoustic version was rapped over two acoustic guitars and features singer J. Phoenix, it can found on the Life part of the greatest hits compilation album "Best of 2Pac". The other acoustic version features fellow rapper Nas as well as singer J. Phoenix. Thugz

Mansion is the second-to-last track in Disc 1 of Better Dayz. The official remix to the acoustic version, the "Outlawz Remix", features Young Noble of the Outlawz, Nas, & J. Phoenix. The 7" Remix version, featuring singer Anthony Hamilton, included as track 2 on disc 2 of Better Dayz, is the only song from the album to feature a music video. It charted at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. The original acoustic version is also found on Nas' God's Son under the name "Thugz Mansion (N.Y.)", with Tupac's second verse and Nas's verse switching places and Tupac's first verse replaced with an original Nas verse. Thugz Mansion was 2Pac's depiction of heaven. One of the most introspective and spiritual songs by 2Pac, this song talks about how he would rest in peace, and that he would eventually find happiness when he is in a place where all the troubles and pains of his life come to an end, and that he would want to end up in that place of peace after he dies; he also name-drops various figures of African American cultural history (namely: Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Malcolm X, Miles Davis) and recent political events (i.e., Latasha Harlins[1]), all of whom he believed to be in heaven.

Loyal to the Game: is the sixth posthumous studio album by Tupac Shakur. It contains remixes of previously unreleased music recorded by Shakur before his death in 1996. Released in the United States on December 14, 2004 (December 12 in the United Kingdom), Loyal to the Game was produced by Eminem. History: According to an interview with MTV, Eminem was so moved by Tupac's life and work that he wrote a letter to Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, asking her to consider letting him produce the album. Shakur agreed, giving Eminem the go ahead. The album featured two singles- "Thugs Get Lonely Too" and "Ghetto Gospel".Eminem used various unusual production techniques during the creation of this album, namely modifying the pace and pitch of Tupac's voice to better suit the beats produced. There was also various uses of the cutting and pasting of vocals to produce new words

synonymous with current rap culture, such as saying "G-Unit", "Obie Trice" and "Em" instead of "LG", the original producer of "Out On Bail".The original title track was recorded in 1993 by 2Pac, Treach and Riddler for the film Above The Rim (1994) and was produced by Reginald Heard. DJ Quik made a remix, the tempo of which is the same as the original, that was added as a bonus track; DJ Quik also suggested to Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, that the title track be known as "Loyal to the Game".

Ghetto Gospel: is a song by rapper Tupac Shakur, which was originally released as
the second single on his posthumous 2004 album Loyal to the Game. It samples Elton John's 1971 hit, "Indian Sunset" and reached #1 in John's native United Kingdom. The song was written by Tupac Shakur as an outcry to "end the war on the streets", addressing the futility of racial difference and dissidence, particularly under the unifying banner of poverty. The Loyal to the Game version was produced by Eminem, but the original was leaked a couple of years later. It has a faster tempo, extra 3rd & 4th verses and about 4 and a half minutes long. It also doesn't contain the "Indian Sunset" sample. "Ghetto Gospel" was the only song on Loyal to the Game with an accompanying music video. At the very end of the video there is a message from his mother, Afeni Shakur, saying "remember to keep yourself alive, there is nothing more important than that".The original version of the track was produced by Big D The Impossible, a regular producer from 2Pac's first two albums: 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. sessions.

Thugs Get Lonely Too: was 2Pac's first single from his posthumous album Loyal to
the Game. It featured the late Nate Dogg singing on the chorus and was produced by Eminem. It only charted at #55 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at #98 on the Billboard Hot 100. No official music video for the song was ever created. In 1997, Tech N9ne recorded a verse for the song, while living with QDIII, who at the time was putting in work on R U Still Down? (Remember Me).

Thug Life: Volume 1: is the first album by the group Thug Life, started by rapper Tupac Shakur, and was released on September 26, 1994. The album was originally released by Shakur's label Out Da Gutta Records. Due to heavy criticism on gangsta rap at the time, the original version of the album was scrapped and re-recorded with many of the original songs being cut. It has been said that 2Pac created two other versions of this album, with many of the songs still remaining unreleased. The group featured Big Syke, Macadoshis, Mopreme, The Rated R and Tupac Shakur. Among the notable tracks on the album are "Bury Me a G," "Cradle to the Grave," "Pour Out a Little Liquor" (which also appears in the soundtrack to the 1994 film Above the Rim), "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" and "Str8 Ballin'." The album only contains ten tracks because Interscope Records felt many of the other recorded songs were too controversial to release. Although the original version of the album never came to fruition as the album went through a number of changes, Tupac performed the planned first single from the album, "Out on Bail" at the 1994 Source Awards. Although the album was originally released on Shakur's label Out Da Gutta, Amaru Entertainment, the label owned by the mother of Tupac Shakur, has since gained the rights to it. Thug Life: Volume 1 was certified Gold. The track "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" appeared later in 1998 from 2Pac's Greatest Hits album.