2Pac – The Way He Wanted It (Vol. 1–5): The DJ King Assassin Collection
For the dedicated Tupac Shakur collector, "The Way He Wanted It" (Volumes 1 to 5) stands as a monumental underground release. Curated and produced by the West Coast figure DJ King Assassin, this comprehensive 5-volume saga offers a deep dive into the vault, presenting the music through a raw, street-oriented lens.
The Music: Custom Beats & Hidden History
It is essential for listeners to understand the unique nature of this project. The five "Books" offer a blend of two distinct types of recordings:
DJ-Made Remixes: A significant portion of the collection features production by DJ King Assassin himself. Using the high-quality acapellas at his disposal, he created original West Coast instrumentation to carry Pac’s verses. These tracks are custom-built interpretations, showcasing how a DJ with respect for the material envisioned the songs.
The Original Versions (OGs): Interspersed within the tracklists of all five books, astute listeners will discover several songs presented in their Original (OG) forms. These specific tracks are not remixes; they are the genuine recordings, preserved and presented as they were originally laid down in the studio.
Who is DJ King Assassin?
The West Coast Connection & The Keeper of the Vault
In the vast world of Tupac Shakur's posthumous catalog, few names carry as much weight in the underground circuit as DJ King Assassin. While mainstream producers handled the retail albums, DJ King Assassin established himself as a vital figure for the streets, dedicated to preserving the raw, unpolished energy of the West Coast legend.
Origins & Legacy Ties
Hailing from the Bay Area, California, DJ King Assassin (often simply referred to as Assassin) is a DJ, producer, and audio engineer deeply embedded in the West Coast hip-hop scene. Unlike standard mixtape DJs who simply blend existing songs, Assassin is known for his direct connections to the extended Tupac Shakur legacy.
Through his proximity to Shakur’s circle and the recording studios of the mid-90s, Assassin secured access to one of the holy grails of hip-hop: original 2-inch studio master reels and pristine vocal acapellas.
The “Assassin” Sound
What sets DJ King Assassin apart is his role as a producer. He did not just leak songs; he reconstructed them. With the original vocal tracks in hand, he crafted new instrumentation designed to match the specific era of Tupac’s recording sessions.
Production Style: His beats are heavily influenced by the classic G-Funk and Mob music sounds of the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
Collaborations: Beyond his work with Shakur’s vocals, Assassin has worked with numerous West Coast staples and affiliates, further solidifying his credibility in the industry.
The “The Way He Wanted It” Series
DJ King Assassin is perhaps best known to the global fanbase for the The Way He Wanted It (Books 1–5) series. This collection is his magnum opus—a project where he utilized his archive of studio masters to present Tupac’s music without the commercial interference of major labels. By blending his own custom production with rare, untouched original versions found on the reels, he created a legacy series that remains a definitive listen for purists.
Collection Overview
This series is a testament to the depth of Tupac’s catalog. It allows fans to experience the verses over custom DJ production while hunting for the rare original cuts hidden throughout the five volumes. It remains one of the most extensive unofficial projects to surface from the West Coast underground.
Tupac – Makaveli The Don The Way He Wanted It (vol. 1)
| # | Track Title | Featuring / Guests | Producer |
| 1 | Intro: The Way He Wanted It | — | — |
| 2 | Get Money | Kyle Rifkin | Mike Mosley |
| 3 | Under Pressure On My Block | Assassin | Assassin |
| 4 | What's Up Wit Tha Luv | Digital Underground | Shock G |
| 5 | Ghetto Gospel | Kyle Rifkin | Mike Mosley, Versa Tyle |
| 6 | Black Cotton | — | Assassin |
| 7 | My Enemy'z | Silverback Guerillaz | Brooklyn Bound Productions |
| 8 | Life's So Hard On A G | — | Randy "Stretch" Walker (Co-prod: Assassin) |
| 9 | Never Be Peace | C-Bo | Crash |
| 10 | Death B4 Dishonor | 2Side, Big Syke, Mopreme, Assassin | Assassin |
| 11 | We Do This | Goldy, MC Breed, Too Short | Ant Banks |
| 12 | Love Letterz | Rappin' 4-Tay, Shock G, Assassin | Assassin |
| 13 | Niggaz Done Changed | Richie Rich | Rick Rock |
| 14 | The Life Of Danga | — | Assassin |
| 15 | I'd Rather Be Yo Luva! | Madonna | Assassin |
| 16 | All Out (Bonus Track) | The Outlawz | Assassin |
Tupac – Makaveli The Don The Way He Wanted It (vol. 2)
| # | Track Title | Featuring / Guests | Duration |
| 1 | The Killuminati | — | 0:48 |
| 2 | Livin The Thuglife | Assassin | 3:27 |
| 3 | Throw Ya Gunz Up | Redman | 3:14 |
| 4 | Thug Style | — | 4:12 |
| 5 | Hotel California | — | 0:47 |
| 6 | Watch Me | Big Daddy Kane | 2:52 |
| 7 | Cradle 2 The Grave | Thug Life | 6:15 |
| 8 | Sucka 4 Luv | Kyle Rifkin | 4:05 |
| 9 | Thugz Get Lonely 2 | Assassin | 3:13 |
| 10 | Shock Gz Interlude | — | 2:10 |
| 11 | World Wide Dime Pieces | Nice & Smooth, ODB | 2:22 |
| 12 | Thug 4 Life | Havikk (South Central Cartel) | 4:18 |
| 13 | West Coast Gangsta Team | Ice-T, MC Eiht, SCC, Spice 1 | 5:28 |
| 14 | Big Tyme | Live Squad | 4:51 |
| 15 | Gotta Get Mine | MC Breed | 4:00 |
| 16 | F**k 'em All | The Outlawz | 4:25 |
| 17 | Untouchable | Left Eye | — |
Tupac – Makaveli The Don The Way He Wanted It (vol. 3)
| # | Track Title | Featuring / Guests |
| 1 | The Resurrection | — |
| 2 | When We Ride On Our Enymyz (Part 2) | Assassin |
| 3 | Late Night | AMG, DJ Quik |
| 4 | Throw Ya Handz Up | — |
| 5 | Freindz | — |
| 6 | Don't "Ya" Trust Me? | Keyshia Cole |
| 7 | One Day At A Time | Assassin |
| 8 | Shedding More Tearz | Stretch |
| 9 | Wordz 2 My First Born | Nuttso |
| 10 | Temptation "2" | — |
| 11 | Is It Cool 2 F**k? | Macadoshis, Rated R, Thug Life |
| 12 | Tomorrowz New Day | Candyman, Roniece |
| 13 | The House Of Pain | Biggy Smallz, Stretch |
| 14 | Real Bad Boy Killaz | Assassin |
| 15 | The Lyrikal Murda | The Lady Of Rage |
| 16 | Bonus Cut | — |
Tupac – Makaveli The Don The Way He Wanted It (vol. 4)
| # | Track Title | Featuring / Guests | Duration |
| 1 | Kriminal Minded | Assassin | 4:48 |
| 2 | Slipping Into Darkness | Funky Aztecs | 4:01 |
| 3 | There U Go (Phonkey Dee Remix) | — | 4:07 |
| 4 | God Bless The Dead (Double K & Hakaveli Remix) | Mike West | 4:27 |
| 5 | Uppercut (Hakaveli Remix) | Hittman Da Menace | 4:11 |
| 6 | Fuck All Yall (Hakaveli Remix) | — | 3:47 |
| 7 | Hold On Be Strong (Speedy of Cynical Prod. & Hakaveli Remix) | — | 3:54 |
| 8 | Only Fear Of Death (Lil Prophet Remix) | — | 3:41 |
| 9 | All Day (Sonofsam Remix) | Assassin, Celly Cel, Spice 1 | 4:58 |
| 10 | Holla If You Hear Me | — | 3:56 |
| 11 | Can U Get Away | — | 4:10 |
| 12 | Judgement Day | Dee, Mopreme, Stretch | 3:35 |
Tupac – Makaveli The Don The Way He Wanted It (vol. 5)
| # | Track Title | Featuring / Guests |
| 1 | Intro | — |
| 2 | Just The Way U Want It | Assassin |
| 3 | I Drink | Money B, Scott Knoxx |
| 4 | Let's Ride | Kurupt, Rappin' 4-Tay |
| 5 | The Struggle Continues | Thug Life |
| 6 | Burning Heart | — |
| 7 | Gotta Survive | Mac Mall, Young Lay |
| 8 | U Can Be Touched | — |
| 9 | Never Be Peace | Marvaless, Storm |
| 10 | High Til I Die | — |
| 11 | Pac's Life O.G. | — |
| 12 | All Out | Outlawz |
| 13 | Throw Ya Handz Up (Westside) | Storm |
| 14 | Secretz Of War | Outlawz |
| 15 | U Don't Have To Worry | Storm, The Outlawz |
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