History Of The Outlawz

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December 3, 2015

Katari Cox and Malcolm Greenidge grew up together in New York. They knew each other through Cox’s mother and Greenidge’s father who were close friends. They and their families later moved to New Jersey where they became friends with Yafeu Fula. Cox’s cousin and Fula’s Godbrother, Tupac Amaru Shakur, used to look out for them and when he became famous he moved them out of the ghetto and bought them homes in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1992, Cox, Greenridge and Fula formed a trio. Cox’s alias was K-Dog, Greenridge’s was Big Malcolm and Fula’s was Young Hollywood. The trio went under several names including the Thoro Headz and the Young Thugs. Big Malcolm and K-Dog made their debut on “Flex” on Tupac’s “Holler If Ya Hear Me” single which was released on February 4, 1993. In 1994, Young Hollywood’s mother and Tupac’s aunt, Yassmyn Fula, told Tupac about Mutah Wasin Shabazz Beale, a 16-year-old who witnessed his parents being murdered when he was three or four-years-old. The story made Tupac cry. He decided he wanted to met Beale. They met and soon Beale joined the group. He didn’t go under an alias, just his first name, Mutah.

On November 30, Tupac was robbed and shot four times at Quad Recording Studios in New York. The next day he was arrested for sexual abuse. He was found guilty and on February 14, 1995, he was sent to prison to serve up to four and a half years. On April 5, his LP, Me Against The World, was released. The group now known as Dramacydal appeared on two songs, “Me Against The World” and “Outlaw.” On June 27, Tupac’s “So Many Tears” single was released. It featured “Hard To Imagine,” a song by Big Malcolm, K-Dog and Mutah.

Dramacydal almost signed with Interscope Records, but on October 12, Death Row Records, Interscope Records and Time Warner paid a $1.4 million bail to have Tupac released. In return he had to sign a three album deal with Death Row Records. When he was released, he and Dramacydal flew to Death Row Records in Los Angeles, California and started working on his double LP, All Eyez On Me.

When Tupac was serving time he planned to form a new group. He asked Young Hollywood to start searching for members. Of course him, Big Malcolm, K-Dog and Mutah would be members of it, but more were needed. Young Hollywood told Tupac about his friend, Bruce Washington. He said that once when Big Malcolm and K-Dog visited him in Montclair, New Jersey they were robbed of their hats so he went to Washington and asked him to get their hats back. Washington confronted the thieves and they returned their hats. Young Hollywood asked if he could bring Washington with him, Tupac agreed.

Young Hollywood told Washington that he’s helping Tupac to search for members for a group they were forming and asked him to be a part of it. Washington didn’t believe him and it wasn’t brought up again until Yaasmyn Fula mentioned it. At that point he realized that Young Hollywood had been serious. The next day, they visited Tupac. Before he had any chance to introduce himself Tupac asked Washington to drop a few verses. Soon he joined the group. Tupac’s brother Mopreme Shakur and Tyruss “Big Syke” Himes of Thug Life joined the group as well.

Tupac gave each member of the group an alias taken from an enemy of America. Big Malcolm’s alias was E.D.I. after Ugandian president Idi Amin, Big Syke’s was Moozaliny after Italian president Benito Mussolini, K-Dog’s was Kastro after Cuban president Fidel Castro, Mopreme’s was Komani after Iranian Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini, Mutah’s was Napoleon after French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, Washington’s was Hussein Fatal which was later changed to Fatal Hussein after Iraq president Saddam Hussein and Young Hollywood’s was Kadafi after Lybian colonel Muammar Al-Qadaafi. Tupac named himself Makaveli The Don after Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli.

Now all that was left was to come up with a name for the group. Tupac liked Lil’ Homies, but Fatal who was almost as old as Tupac didn’t want people to refer to him as a lil’ homie, instead he suggested Outlaw Immortalz which Tupac agreed with.. On February 13, 1996, All Eyez On Me was released. The group guest appeared on “When We Ride” and they made solo guest appearances on “All About U”, “Tradin’ War Stories,” “Thug Passion,” “Picture Me Rollin’,” “Check Out Time,” “All Eyez On Me” and “Run Tha Streetz.” After the release Komani and Moozaliny left the group for unknown reasons and female rapper Donna “Storm” Hunter joined the group who changed its name from the Outlaw Immortalz to the Outlawz.

Outlawz stands for Operating Under Thug Laws As WarriorZ.

On June 14, Tupac’s “How Do U Want It” single was released. It featured “Hit ‘Em Up” featuring the Outlawz. It’s the most notorious dis song in history. Bad Boy Entertainment, Chino XL, Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Mobb Deep is dissed on it. Tupac claimed he had sex with Bad Boy Entertainment recording artist The Notorious B.I.G.’s wife, Faith Evans. The video which was made for the song was the first Tupac video the Outlawz appeared in. Kadafi and Fatal had their friend, Rufus “Young Noble” Cooper, to join the Outlawz.

On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by-shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to University Medical Center where he died a week later. E.D.I. and Kadafi were in the car behind the one Tupac was riding in. E.D.I. said he couldn’t identify the murderer, but Kadafi said he might be able to. The police lead was never followed and Kadafi moved with the rest of the Outlawz back to New Jersey before the police could question him.

On November 5, Tupac’s LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. The Outlawz guest appeared on four songs, “Bomb First (My Second Reply),” “Hail Mary,” “Life Of An Outlaw” and “Just Like Daddy.” “Hail Mary” was the third single and video. Death Row Records didn’t credit the Outlawz for being on it and they cut them out of the video.

On November 10, after visiting his girlfriend, Kadafi was shot and killed.. He was found by the police in a third floor hallway of an apartment building in Irvington, New Jersey. He was taken to University Hospital where he died on the afternoon. Who killed him remained unknown to the public until September, 2000, when Napoleon revealed in The Source that it was his cousin, Roddy, who killed him. Roddy claimed it was an accident, Napoleon believed him, but not everyone did; Fatal was one of them.

All of the Outlawz with the exception of Fatal moved back to Los Angeles, California. Although Tupac told them serveral times not to sign with Death Row, the Outlawz signed a contract with Death Row Records. Between 1997 and 1999, you didn’t hear much from the Outlawz who were obviously wondering where to go from there. They appeared on other artists’ albums, compilations and soundtracks. They guest appeared on “Still Ballin’ (remix),” the first single and video of Yukmouth’s double LP, Thugged Out: The Albulation. In late 1997, Fatal signed a solo contract with Relativity Records who released his debut single, “Everyday,” on March 17, 1998 and his debut LP, In The Line Of Fire, on March 31. Former Kausion member Gonzoe joined the group, but left after three months due to beef with the rest of the members.

Death Row Records and Rap-A-Lot Records almost worked out a deal which would let the Outlawz sign with Rap-A-Lot. They even advertised their upcoming Rap-A-Lot album, Neva Surrenda, in The Source. But the Outlawz changed their minds at the last minute and never signed with Rap-A-Lot. Fatal however signed with them as a solo artist.

On December 21, 1999, their debut album, Still I Rise, was finally released. Tupac appeared on 14 out of 15 songs and Fatal was removed from the songs he originally was on due to beef with the rest of the group. The first single and video of the LP was “Baby Don’t Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II).” The LP suffered sales because Death Row Records’ CEO Marion “Suge” Knight ordered Interscope Records not to promote it because the Outlawz refused to sign with Suge Publishing. It still went double platinum.

On April 1, the Outlawz filed a $4.5 million lawsuit against Suge, Death Row Records, Interscope Records, Suge Knight Films and Suge Publishing claiming breach of contract, unfair business practices, intentional interference with prospective economic advantages, racketeering and others. They won the lawsuit. With Death Row Records behind them, they felt it was time for them to pursue a deal with another major label. But with each offer they got something would go wrong. So they came to the solution where there’s nothing else to do, besides starting their own label.

In February, 2000, the Outlawz were on Live From L.A. and stated they were starting their own label, Outlaw Recordz. They signed Noble’s step-daughter, Baby Girle, Dirty Bert, Napoleon’s little brother, Hellraza, and Lil’ D. Then they looked for distribution. Bay area rapper Spice 1 told his distributor, Bayside Entertainment Distribution, about this. They contacted the Outlawz and signed a distribution deal. On November 7, 2000, the Outlawz’s second LP and Outlaw Recordz’s first release, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us, was released. It debuted at the ninth position on the Billboard independent album charts and became the best selling independent rap album of 2000. The first and second single and video were “Black Rain” and “Thug With Me.”

In 2001, Napoleon made his film debut in Thug Life which also starred The Lady Of Rage and Willie D. New Child from Harlem, New York joined the group. Tupac always wanted someone from New York to be a member of the Outlawz and Fatal felt New Child was exactly what Pac was looking for before his death. On October 23, Big Syke’s label, RideOnUm Record Group, released Thug Law Chapter 1, a collaboration album between the Outlawz and Thug Life.

The Outlawz felt Bayside Entertainment Distribution was too small for them. They left and signed a distribution deal with Koch Entertainment (now Entertainment One) instead. On November 6, their third LP, Novakane, was released. It debuted at the 100th position on the Billboard 200 and third on the Billboard independent album charts. The first single and video was “World Wide” featuring Tupac and T-Low. The LP also featured “Loyalty,” a dis directed at Fatal. There had been beef between Fatal and the rest of the Outlawz for a long time, but it wasn’t known for the public until we interviewed Fatal in 2001. Fatal said he was angry at them for not being there for Tupac when he was shot and for “forgiving” Roddy for Kadafi’s killing, which Fatal may or may not believe was an accident but felt there was no reason to point a gun at Kadafi’s head, period. As Fatal said, accident or not, the outcome is the same. Fatal also questioned their judgement because they signed with Death Row Records although Tupac told them not to.

The future looks bright for the Outlawz. Next year, Fatal’s second album, Death Before Dishonor, and New Child’s debut album, S.O.G. (Son Of A Gangster) are coming out. Outlaw Recordz is releasing Napoleon’s solo debut album, Bonapartes, Noble’s solo debut album, Noble Justice, E.D.I. and Kastro’s collaboration album, Blood Brothers, and the fourth group album. Fortress Entertainment is releasing their homevideo, World Wide, and E.D.I. is writing a screen play. They’ve got Outlaw Films and O.G. (Outlaw Gear) coming soon. Let’s just hope they can squash their beef, like Tupac said, “Let no man separate what we create!”

There were 10 original members of the Outlawz, including Makaveli:

Makaveli (Tupac Shakur) was the leader of the group, and gave himself the name of Makaveli after the Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, whose writings inspired Shakur in prison.

Yaki Kadafi (Yafeu Fula), also known as Young Hollywood, Killer Kadafi and The Prince, was given the name Yaki Kadafi after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He was also Shakur’s godbrother and an original member of Dramacydal.

Kastro (Katari Cox), also known as K-Dog, was given the alias Kastro after Cuban leader Fidel Castro. He is also a blood cousin of Shakur and an original member of Dramacydal.

E.D.I. Mean (Malcolm Greenridge), also known as Big Malcolm, was given the alias E.D.I. (aka EDIDON) after Ugandan president Idi Amin and was also an original member of Dramacydal.

Hussein Fatal (Bruce Washington), introduced to Yildirum by childhood friend Yaki Kadafi, was given the alias after former leader of Iraq Saddam Hussein. Hussein left the group after the killings of Pac and Yaki. He felt that the remaining group members were going against Tupac’s wishes by signing contracts with Death Row. He more recently rejoined the Outlawz, which then comprised him, Young Noble and Edi.

Napoleon (Mutah Beale), childhood friend of Kadafi, was given the name Napoleon after French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte and was also an original member of Dramacydal. Napoleon left the group to be a Muslim motivational speaker.

Moozaliny (Tyruss Himes), also known as Big Syke who was in 2Pac’s previous group Thug Life, joined the Outlawz and Makaveli gave him the name Moozaliny after Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

Komani (Mopreme Shakur), 2Pac’s stepbrother, who was in 2Pac’s previous group Thug Life, joined the Outlawz under the alias Komani after the Iranian political figure Ruhollah Khomeini.

Storm (Donna Harkness), The only female member of the group, met Tupac during the shooting of a film. After he found out how well she could rap, he immediately signed her on the spot and added her to the group, which later became known as The Outlaw Immortalz. Storm was to be a solo artist for Tupac’s record label. She was introduced on the multiplatinum selling album All Eyez on Me.

Young Noble (Rufus Cooper III), the last official Outlaw member by Tupac himself. He was introduced to Tupac by Kadafi and Hussein Fatal in Los Angeles, a few months before his death. He appeared in many of 2Pac’s last recordings, and featured heavily on 2Pac’s last album and the now legendary The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. He was always known as Young Noble and was never given an alias from Tupac.

Code Of THUG LIFE

By

2PacLegacy

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December 3, 2015

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In 1992 at the ‘Truc Picnic’ in Cali, Tupac was instrumental in getting rival members of the Crips and Bloods to sign the Code Of THUG LIFE.

What do you think when you hear the word thug? A violent person maybe, or a criminal or a gangster? Well, Tupac Shakur came up with his own definition of Thug and sparked a whole movement from this vision.

Tupac was always for the underdog, the oppressed and the disadvantaged youth. In 1992, America was making out that most of the crime being committed was by the black community and calling them thugs and criminals.

In light of this and sick of his people getting blamed, Tupac came up with an an acronym for the word thug. “The Hate U Gave Little Infants F—s Everyone“. It was not just a catchphrase to Tupac, it was a movement. A way of life. In the same year, Tupac formed a group called Thug Life. The Group consisting of himself, Randy ‘Stretch‘ Walker, Big Syke, Mopreme, Macadoshis and Rated R. They would go on to release one album together, Thug Life: Volume 1.

Tupac would take it one step further and got the words ‘Thug Life’ tattooed across his stomach. Replacing the “I” with a bullet.

Tupac would come up with the ‘Code of Thug Life’. Pac grew up around revolutionaries and gangsters who would give up their lives fighting for what they believed in. He used this as inspiration to draw up a code of ethics for gangbangers, promoting unity and peace. He visited his stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, in prison for guidance and direction with the Thug Life code. He put in place 26 rules and ethics for a more peaceful community.

He and Mutulu Shakur had helped write up the ‘code’ , with help from other ‘og’s’.

The Code of THUG LIFE is listed here. It details do’s and don”ts for being a righteous thug and banger.

Code OF THUG LIFE:

1. All new Jacks to the game must know: a) He’s going to get rich. b) He’s going to jail. c) He’s going to die.

2. Crew Leaders: You are responsible for legal/financial payment commitments to crew members; your word must be your bond.

3. One crew’s rat is every crew’s rat. Rats are now like a disease; sooner or later we all get it; and they should too.

4. Crew leader and posse should select a diplomat, and should work ways to settle disputes. In unity, there is strength!

5. Car jacking in our Hood is against the Code.

6. Slinging to children is against the Code.

7. Having children slinging is against the Code.

8. No slinging in schools.

9. Since the rat Nicky Barnes opened his mouth; ratting has become accepted by some. We’re not having it.

10. Snitches is outta here.

11. The Boys in Blue don’t run nothing; we do. Control the Hood, and make it safe for squares.

12. No slinging to pregnant Sisters. That’s baby killing; that’s genocide!

13. Know your target, who’s the real enemy.

14. Civilians are not a target and should be spared.

15. Harm to children will not be forgiven.

16. Attacking someone’s home where their family is known to reside, must be altered or checked.

17. Senseless brutality and rape must stop.

18. Our old folks must not be abused.

19. Respect our Sisters. Respect our Brothers.

20. Sisters in the Life must be respected if they respect themselves.

21. Military disputes concerning business areas within the community must be handled professionally and not on the block.

22. No shooting at parties.

23. Concerts and parties are neutral territories; no shooting!

24. Know the Code; it’s for everyone.

25. Be a real ruff neck. Be down with the code of the Thug Life.

26. Protect yourself at all times..

“If the enemy is not doing anything against you, you are not doing anything”
-Ahmed Sékou Touré

“speak truth, do justice, be kind and do not do evil.”
-Baba Orunmila

“Cowardice asks the question: is it safe? Expediency asks the question: is it political? Vanity asks the question: is it popular? But conscience asks the question: is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular – but one must take it simply because it is right.”
–Dr. Martin L. King

Some other Interpretations:

Thug Life means – The Hate U Gave Lil” Infants Fucks Everyone.

NIGGA means – Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished.

OUTLAW stands for ”Operating Under Thug Laws As Warriors”

MOB stands for Member Of Bloods and /or Money Over Bitches

THUG LIFE : To This Day We Continue To Learn From Tupac

Using this code, Tupac was able to get members of the Crips and Bloods to agree to it in California and was used in the 1992 gang truce. On the other side of the country, in Brooklyn, a meeting of big time gangsters and thugs firmly agreed to adhere to the code. “I got people in the penitentiary, big‑time OG criminals, calling me, telling me they want me to lead their movement,” Tupac explained.

By looking at the code he came up with, you can tell he was always thinking and strategizing, coming up with plans to help better himself and his people. At the young age of 22, Tupac had the vision of having the OG’s who were living the street life and getting money to be more productive. Sponsor sports teams. Putting not only money but community spirit back into the ghetto. He had a vision of putting a community center in every ghetto in the country. A center which included pool tables and a library, so the people living in the community could have better access to knowledge.

“When I say thug I mean not a criminal. Not someone who beats you over the head. I mean the underdog. You could have two people. One person has everything he needs to succeed and one person has nothing. If the person has nothing succeeds, he’s a thug. Because he overcame all the obstacles. Don’t ask me why, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the dictionary’s version of thug. Sorry. I have a whole energy that represents not just black youth but white youth, Mexican youth. Youth,” said Tupac Shakur.

Tupac’s thought process was way ahead of his time, given that he was only 22 at this time. There are many stories of Tupac thinking differently to others. Take Molly Monjauze, a friend and assistant of Pac’s. Molly helped put together the book ‘Tupac Remembered’ with Tupac’s aunt Gloria Cox. In the book she tells a short story of how her and Tupac saw a story on TV about a teenage girl who had been gang-raped and left in abandoned house and set on fire by a group of teenage boys.

Molly, horrified with what she had just heard, says “What kind of animals would do such a thing?” Tupac then looked at her with tears in his eyes and said, “Imagine what kind of animal hurt a child so badly, it caused them to do something like that.” Tupac saw past what the rest of the world were so quick to pass judgement.

Big Syke: “Thug Life was never meant to be a group. It was just the life that we was living. Thug Life is the nobodies, white, black, brown, any color, and so Thug Life is then just the life we have to live in America, because of the situations we been born into or grew up around.”

Dr. Mutulu Shakur, Tupac’s stepfather explained the Code Of Thug Life. “The word ‘Thug-Life’ came from the word ‘Thuggie’. The British colonized India and it was a group with in India who resisted the British and they were known as ‘Thuggies’. They had similar tactic like the Mau Mau’s in Kenya. The British used the words ‘Thugs’ to refer to any group of Outlaws defying oppression. Since Tupac was confronted by exploitation and oppression he accepted the principle and evolved the meaning of it amongst the same lines. We built the code Thug-Life to respond to the street life here in America.”

Mopreme Shakur: Thug Life was always bigger than just the rap group. So, we, we still, we still out there, they’re all doing different things now. You know, Napoleon, is uh, Mutah is doing lectures and stuff. Um, i’ve been visiting, I’ve visited prisons out here talking to people in prison, you know? My father is still incarcerated out here. so still holding him down. Um, you know, we, we all try to address community issues still. The people, its all about the people.

A lot of people got the message but then a lot of people didn’t. So thats the reason why we keep pushing, you know? We don’t have the same visibility as we used to cause Pac’s not here. And that’s definitely gonna impact anybody. But you know, we carrying on his principles.

Tupac: Crowds were screaming Thug Life and I realized I started something. When I saw more and more people like me, it made me want to organize those thugs. We got power in numbers. If it’s me and a million more, you’d have to think about messing with us…”

History Of Digital Underground

By

2PacLegacy

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December 1, 2015

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Digital Underground helped usher in a new style of rap music during the late eighties, a style heavily influenced by the sound and attitude of seventies funk bands like George Clinton’s groups, Parliament and Funkadelic. Sampling from recordings by Clinton’s various “P-Funk” bands, the Underground also emulated the wild stage shows featuring bizarre and funny characters that were the other side of the P-Funk legacy. From its independent debut single, through hits like “The Humpty Dance” and “Doowutchyalike,” Digital Underground has broadened its appeal, continuing to live up to its self-description as an “all-Atlantic, all-Pacific, all-city, grand-imperial dance music and hip hop dynasty.” As Newsday commented in 1990, “Digital Underground looks like the new face of hip hop, as the music tries to make sense of its expanded range of possibilities.”

Shock-G Found Dead in a Hotel Room in Tampa

Before becoming a “dynasty,” Digital Underground was the brainchild of musician and rapper Shock G. whom Eric Weisbard of the San Francisco Weekly described as “a hip hop jack-of-all-trades: He plays drums, piano and other instruments; is a capable MC and disc jockey; produces his records; makes his own videos; [and] designs and choreographs his stage show.” Born Greg Jacobs in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, c. 1963, Shock G played drums in a band that only knew one song—the Commodores’ funk hit “Brick House.” Hip hop was a fledgling form, but the excitement of early rappers like Grandmaster Flash left an indelible impression on the young musician. Soon, Shock was asking his parents for turntables and a mixer, the main instruments of a rap DJ. In an interview with Weisbard, Shock G recounted, “We’d constantly spend time at 42nd Street Records, Downstairs Records, getting all the break beats.”

Founded by Shock G and Chopmaster J
Shock G’s family moved to Tampa, Florida, in 1980. He landed a job there disc jockeying on radio station WTMP and participated in a rap group known alternately as Spice or Chill Factor. He also picked up work recording demos for other rappers. His outlook changed, however, when his parents divorced; Shock dropped out of high school and became involved in various illegal activities, including pimping and selling drugs. He served a number of jail terms but after a few years went straight, got his high school diploma, and began pursuing music. While monitoring rap’s development, he took music theory classes at a neighborhood college.

Shock moved to Oakland, California, in the mid-1980s and began working in the keyboard and drum machine department of a music store in neighboring San Leandro. One day a customer named Jimmy Dright—an experienced drummer trained in jazz but determined to jump on the hip hop bandwagon—spent several thousand dollars on equipment. Sensing an opportunity, Shock struck a deal with Dright: he would teach him to use the new equipment if Dright would let him make a demo with it. That night, according to Weisbard’s article, the Dright and Shock recorded four-track versions of the two songs that would grace Digital Underground’s first single: “Underwater Rimes” and “Your Life’s a Cartoon.” Dright sent the tape to a producer friend in Los Angeles, who offered to oversee the re-recording of the tracks. A partnership had been created. Though Shock was leery of allying himself with an acoustic drummer who considered himself a hippie, he knew his new friend had business savvy. Shock was right; soon Dright became “Chopmaster J” and Digital Underground had a 12-inch single.

Unfortunately the song’s release was held up by a number of complications. Consequently the duo spent a couple of lean years without a record contract. At one point they were even living off of a $10,000 loan they received from a bail bondsman, but the money ran out before anything spectacular happened. Meanwhile hip hop was maturing into a multifaceted art form, and emerging artists like De La Soul were reaping praise and profit from a style that Shock G and Chopmaster J felt they had helped invent. Turnabout came in the fall of 1988 when Digital Underground’s new manager, Atron Gregory, finally got the record released on TNT/Macola Records. Daria Kelly of Leopold’s Records—described by Weisbard as “one of the guardian angels of Bay Area rap”—sent the 12-inch to the hip hop label Tommy Boy. Interested, the company signed Digital Underground in 1989.

By this time Shock G and Chopmaster J had recruited two new members—DJ Fuse, also known as David Elliot, and his friend and roommate Money B., also known as Ronald Brooks. Shock G particularly admired the new recruits because, as he told Weisbard, “Money B and DJ Fuse eat, sleep, and drink hip hop.” The revamped Digital Underground fell halfway between the hardcore Oakland rapping style that was Money B’s preferred mode and the extravagant strangeness of Shock’s P-Funk model. Trouble hadn’t strayed far, though; the ensuing album, Sex Packets, was not released until early in 1990 due to legal problems related to samples the group had selected.

Tall Tales and Sex Packets
Thematically Sex Packets juxtaposes sex, fun, and silliness with a few more serious subjects, most notably street life as in “The Danger Zone.” The album also spawned the infectious hit “Doowutchyalike,” a tune Billboard branded “a hilarious party record espousing personal freedom,” in addition to “The Humpty Dance” and “Underwater Rimes.” The latter songs showcased the rapping talents of two mysterious figures, Humpty Hump and MC Blowfish. Though Shock G never admitted to providing the voices for these two characters, his talent for different voices is legendary in the rap community. Stories circulated in press releases and interviews about Humpty’s former career as a soul singer and the tragic accident that deformed his face and ruined his voice—hence the necessity of his wearing a rubber nose in videos and other appearances. MC Blowfish, according to the band, pursued the group by swimming back and forth between the two coasts.

The yarns escalated; Shock even claimed in his interview with Musicmakers that the group formed when “we were all out eating pizza. The ground rumbled and opened up and this voice said ‘You are the chosen ones.’ We were sucked down into this underground recording lab and the equipment in that place was so fabulous that we didn’t even worry about what was happening.” The story continued: “This light blinded us, we lost consciousness, and two days later we had these master tapes in our hands and our name was Digital Underground.”

Perhaps the most controversial element of Sex Packets was the legendary—and, many claim, fictional—substance that gave the album its name. Shock told interviewers around the world that sex packets were a special drug originally designed for astronauts; “All they have to do is put a capsule on their tongue in order to have an orgasm,” he explained to Musicmakers. Given Shock’s flair for tall tales, the sex packets story was taken with a grain of salt by most reviewers. Though critics were skeptical about the existence of the drug, they were believers when it came to the record. Detour proclaimed, “This is one hyped up album.” Rolling Stone called it an “inventive debut,” and Sounds declared that “Sex Packets is consistently engaging in a way that many rap albums aren’t. It also shows there are no rules in hip-hop.” Billy Kiernan of the San Francisco Independent dubbed the effort “a concept album that will be considered a landmark in rap music for years to come.” Kiernan’s praise was modified only by his distaste for some of the album’s “sexist imagery.”

“The Humpty Dance” made its way into Billboard’s Top 100 with a bullet, dominating both radio and dance clubs, and helping propel the album to gold status. Another sales-pushing factor was the innovative sampling featured on Sex Packets. For example, “Underwater Rimes,” the self-described “Underwater Hip Hop Extravaganza” and sequel to Parliament’s deep-sea funk epic “Aqua Boogie,” sampled that Parliament tune as well as “Chameleon” by jazz-rock pioneer Herbie Hancock; the latter was a sly choice, given Shock’s chameleonlike character changes. “The Humpty Dance” nicked its large-nosed character’s groove from Parliament’s nasally fixated LP Trombipulation; “The Way We Swing” lifted a riff from “Who Knows” by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, looping it to emphasize the swing in its rhythm. “Doowutchyalike” and two other tracks sampled different parts of Parliament’s hit “Flash Light.”

Digital Underground toured the planet, discovering a worldwide audience that was mad for P-Funk-inspired hip hop. In Vienna, when a computer program lost all the group’s samples, a DJ loaned them all the records they needed to redo the program.

A World Tour, an EP, and New Personnel
1990 saw the advent of This Is An EP Release. The seven-track recording featured the single “Same Song” and marked the debut of rapper 2Pac, who would later release a hit solo album entitled 2Pacalypse Now. The Underground had also recruited rapper-drummer Big Money Odis and singer-musician-producer Ramone PeeWee Gooden. Digital Underground continued touring and reaching ever-larger audiences in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Tupac performing with Digital Underground, January 1, 1990

By 1991, as noted in The Source, the band had “sold more product, domestically, than any other Tommy Boy artist, including De La Soul.” That year Chopmaster J left the group to start his own project, Force One Network.

Backstage with 2Pac & Shock G at KMEL Summer Jam, 1991

In 1992 Digital Underground released Sons of the P. The new album sported a more ambitious batch of Funkadelic samples than either of its predecessors, and none other than George Clinton himself appeared on the record to hand the mantle of P-Funk over to the Underground. “Digital Underground is where Parliament left off,” Shock insisted to James Bernard in the New York Times. “Funk can be rock, funk can be jazz, and funk can be soul. Most people have a checklist of what makes a good pop song: it has to be three minutes long, it must have a repeatable chorus, and it must have a catchy hook. That’s what makes music stale. We say, ‘Do what feels good.’ If you like it for three minutes, then you’ll love it for thirty.” The joy-in-repetition argument certainly applies to the record’s first single, “Kiss You Back,” which Bernard described as “an irresistible, playful ode to cuddling and snuggling.” He further observed that the album “focuses attention on the ground-shaking bass, which seems injected with adrenaline.”

Yet Sons of the Palso takes up more sober topics. Even the relatively comical “No Nose Job”—narrated by Humpty, of course—makes some tough arguments about cosmetic surgery as a retreat from ethnicity. “Heartbeat Props” insists that too many people don’t get “proper respect” until they die; to remedy this, the song lists dozens of prominent African Americans, from Muslim minister Louis Farrakhan to rapper Queen Latifah.

Most of all, though, Sons of the Ptakes the legacy of P-Funk as its major focus; the recurring theme here is the legendary “DFLO Shuttle”—the mythical train that transports Clinton’s successors from the underground to the outside world. This concept, like the cover photo of the group members sleeping in glass pods, makes reference to Parliament’s 1976 album The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein. And yet Digital Underground didn’t merely pay homage to those funkmasters in efforts like “Tales of the Funky,” a song detailing the highlights of P-Funk tours over a sample of Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove.” “We’ve come out and declared that this isn’t a tribute to P-Funk, it is P-Funk,” Shock told The Source. “Instead of harping on how live everything that George [Clinton] did was, he’s on the album, doing it. It’s like the next step in funk.” New personnel included singer Schmoovy Schmoove and young rapper MC Clever. Shock emphasized that Digital Underground “is a liquid band,” and that the rotating personnel—and multiple MCs—reflect a desire “to bring fresh new perspectives into Black music. If we just sealed ourselves off and said ‘these are the members, ’ where would the opportunity be for other brothers? Plus, it keeps it fun.”

Fun, of course, has been the name of the game all along for Digital Underground—a band that, in New York Times contributor Bernard’s words, “make the kind of music that would make Scrooge laugh, if he were not too busy dancing.” As Shock G was quoted as saying in Spin, “We’re trying to break out of the normal modes of music. There’s no one out there like us.” Like Clinton, Shock expanded a band into a small musical industry, and the fluctuating musical talents of Digital Underground serve to get more solo projects onto the market while infusing Underground records and tours with fresh blood. Of course, into every hip hop dynasty a little rain must fall; “Humpty’s been on an attitude trip and doesn’t show up unless he has to,” Shock reported to Bernard. “He doesn’t do any interviews until ‘No Nose Job’ comes out.”

Selected discography
“Underwater Rimes”/ “Your Life’s a Cartoon” (single), TNT/Macola, 1988.
Sex Packets (includes “Doowutchyalike,” “The Humpty Dance,” “Underwater Rimes,” “The Way We Swing,” and “The Danger Zone”), Tommy Boy, 1989.
This Is an EP Release (includes “Same Song”), Tommy Boy, 1990.
Digital Underground, Tommy Boy, 1991.
Sons of the P (includes “Kiss You Back,” “No Nose Job,” “Heartbeat Props,” “Good Thing We’re Rappin’,” “The DFLO Shuttle,” and “Tales of the Funky”),

History Of Live Squad

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2PacLegacy

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December 1, 2015

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Live Squad’s career started as far back as 1988 when they had two of their first tracks featured on a very limited Percee P release called ‘BQ In Full Effect’. However Live Squad will always be more popularly known for their association and collaborations with 2Pac rather than their own work but even then, most 2Pac fans do not know the extent of their involvement and influence they had on 2Pac and his work so I’ve put this together with the hope of giving them the recognition they deserve and to give them their rightful place in hip-hop history.

Live Squad were Stretch (Randy Walker), his brother Majesty aka Maj (Christopher Walker) and their DJ K-Low.

Shock G first met Stretch and Maj in 1990 and, through Shock, Stretch was introduced to 2Pac in the summer of 1991 where the two instantly became best friends barely spending even a few minutes apart from that moment on. Stretch was a producer as well as a rapper and he became involved in a lot of 2Pac’s pre-Death Row work, and most of the tracks he produced he would have a verse on. Stretch makes his first guest appearance on the Digital Underground track “Family of the Underground” from the 1991 album “Sons of the P”.

Stretch was close friends with Ed Lover from ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ who got Live Squad signed to the record label “Tommy Boy” where in 1992 they released their first double A side single “Murderahh/Heartless” (from where Pac’s “Heartless” tattoo takes it homage).

Stretch started performing in shows with 2Pac, appearing in his music videos and he produced songs on the albums “2Pacalypse Now”, “Strictly 4 My Niggaz”, “Thug Life Volume 1” and the scrapped album “Troublesome 21” (from which most of the tracks were later used for “Me Against the World” and “R U Still Down?”).

In some of Pac’s early work a company called “Grand Imperial Thug Music” is credited whenever Live Squad appear on or produce a 2Pac record, although Stretch or Majesty are not named for any of the production in the “Thug Life” booklet this same company is credited for production for a lot tracks on the album and it is my understanding that “Grand Imperial Thug Music” is 2Pac plus Live Squad meaning Stretch and Majesty helped produce “Thug Life Volume 1“; “Grand Imperial Records” went on to become a record company co-owned by Majesty and Queens rapper E-Moneybags who recorded a few songs with Live Squad and 2Pac, most notably the track “Big Time” which was released in 2001.

In 1993 Live Squad released the ultra-violent mini-movie called “Game Of Survival” which was a showcase for 6 songs from the forthcoming soundtrack, the members of Live Squad only briefly appear in the movie in a music video at the start and in one skit, the rest of the movie is played by actors. Due to the movie’s graphic nature and Live Squad’s hardcore style, Tommy Boy were forced to drop them from their radio friendly roster and the soundtrack was never released.

In 1993 2Pac, Stretch and the Notorious B.I.G. starting hanging and performing shows together, during this period the three made several songs together which remain unreleased.
Stretch was with 2Pac when he was shot in New York on November 30th, 1994.

2Pac and Stretch were still friends until Pac was sent to jail on 14th February 1995 but their friendship quickly deteriorated after 2Pac learned that Stretch was still doing shows with the Notorious B.I.G. after he had accused him of being involved with the New York shooting, Pac felt like Stretch had sided with Bad Boy while he was locked up, In a Vibe interview 2Pac went on to insinuate that Stretch never tried to help him during the shooting which Stretch responded to in another Vibe interview. 2Pac sent a letter from jail and in the footer are the names of all people he considered his enemies struck out, Stretch’s name is last.

Stretch originally had a verse on 2Pac’s “So Many Tears” from “Me Against the World” but it was removed on the official release in 1995 while Pac was still in jail, he can still be heard (and is creditted in the booklets) for doing the backing vocals during the chorus.

During 1995 Stretch produced two tracks for Nas’s album “It was written“; “Take It In Blood” was on the regular release, “Silent Murder” was only released as the bonus track on the European version.

There is no evidence to show that Pac and Stretch ever met again when Pac was released from jail onto Death Row Records in October 1995, and on 30th November 1995 after dropping Maj off at his house, Stretch was shot twice in the back by three men who pulled up alongside his green minivan at 112th Ave. and 209th St. in Queens Village while he was driving. His minivan smashed into a tree and hit a parked car before flipping over. The murder happened nearly one year to the minute after Pac was shot in New York however the 2 shootings were not linked in any way and the timing is a total coincidence. It is believed that Pac visited Stretch’s grave to pay his respects.

The only time Stretch is ever mentioned by Pac again is on the song ‘Against All Odds’ from Makaveli when he says “and that nigga that was down for me, rest his head, switched sides, guess his new friends wanted him dead”.

Stretch features again on a 2Pac track called “God Bless the Dead” which was released on “Greatest Hits” in 1998, this appearance apparently slipped through Amaru’s radar as they have obviously been erasing Stretch from all of Pac’s work that is posthumously released for whatever reasons. This song is dedicated to “Biggy Smallz” which is mistakenly thought to be about the Notorious B.I.G or the producer Big D The Impossible aka Deon Evans, it was in fact a friend of Stretch’s named Drik who was killed.

The co-owner of Grand Imperial Records E-Moneybags was shot and killed in 2001, Majesty appears on a remake of the song “Regulate” which also has a music video in which he features.

A “Game of Survival” DVD and CD box set was released in 2001, the DVD contains the promo movie from 1993 plus a music video of the remake of E-Moneybag’s “Regulate” featuring Majesty and Prodigy.

Live Squad ‎– Game Of Survival

The CD contains various Live Squad unleaked material that is not available on any other releases including the phenomenal track “Daddy Bigtimers” as a bonus.

Majesty continues to drop the occasional verse on a mixtape, he also produced the track “The Reason” on Smif-n-Wessun’s album “Still Shinin’” in 2004.

The 2Pac album “Loyal To The Game” which was released in 2004 is further proof that Amaru have no intention of publicising Live Squad’s material; the booklet for the album shows that Stretch and Majesty have writing credit for a majority of the original songs however their verses, choruses, backing vocals, ad-libs and production were not used once.

Kim Walker, Sister from Majesty and Big Stretch — Tupac & Kim Walker (Sister from Majesty and Big Stretch)

12. 2Pac – Rebel of the Underground – 2Pacalypse Now

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December 1, 2015

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12. Rebel of the Underground

Producer : Shock G

Lyric :

Rebel.. rebel.. REBEL
Rebel.. rebel..

[2Pac]
They just can’t stand the reign, or the occasional pain
from a man like me, who goes against the grain
Sometimes I do it in vain, so with a little bass and treble
Hey Mister! It’s time for me to explain that I’m the rebel
Cold as the devil
Straight from the underground, the rebel, a lower level
They came to see the maniac psychopath
The critics heard of me, and the aftermath
I don’t give a damn and it shows
And when I do a stage show I wear street clothes
So they all know me
The lyrical lunatic, the maniac emcee
I give a shout out to your homies
And maybe then, the critics’ll leave your boy alone, G
On the streets or on TV
It just don’t pay to be, a truth tellin MC
They won’t be happy till I’m banned
The most dangerous weapon: an educated black man
So point blank in your face, pump up the bass
and join the human race
I throw peace to the Bay
Cause from the Jungle to Oaktown, they backin me up all the way
You know you gotta love the sound
It’s from the rebel — the rebel of the underground

Rebel he’s a rebel, rebel of the underground [4X]

[2Pac]
Now I’m face to face with the devils
Cause they breedin more rebels than the whole damn ghetto
And police brutality
shit it put you in the nip and call it technicality
So you reap what you sow
So reap the wrath of the rebel, jackin em up once mo’
Now the fox is in the henhouse, creepin up on your daughter
While you sleep I got her sneakin out
Tupac ain’t nuttin nice
I’ll be nuttin how I wanna, and doin what I’m gonna
Now I’m up to no good
The mastermind of mischief movin more than most could
So sit and slip into the sound
Peep the rebel — the rebel of the underground

Rebel he’s a rebel, rebel of the underground [4X]

[2Pac]
They say they hate me, they wanna hold me down
I guess they scared of the rebel — the rebel of the underground
But I never let it get me
I just make another record bout the punks tryin to sweat me
In fact, they tryin to keep me out
Try to censor what I say
cause they don’t like what I’m talkin bout
So what’s wrong with the media today?
Got brothers sellin out cause they greedy to get paid
But me, I’m comin from the soul
And if it don’t go gold, my story still gettin told
And that way they can’t stop me
And if it sells a couple of copies, the punks’ll try to copy
It’s sloppy, don’t even try to
I’m a slave to the rhythm, and I’m about to fly through
So yo to the people in the ghetto
When ya hear the bass flow, go ahead and let go
Now everybody wanna gangbang
They talkin street slang, but the punks still can’t hang
They makin records bout violence
But when it comes to the real, some brothers go silent
It kinda make you wanna think about
that ya gotta do some sellin out, just to get your record out
But 2Pacalpyse is straight down
So feel the wrath of the rebel — the rebel of the underground

Tupac is a rebel, rebel of the underground [8X]

Samples :

“Impeach the President” by The Honey Drippers
“The Pinocchio Theory” by Bootsy Collins

11. 2Pac – Tha’ Lunatic – 2Pacalypse Now

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December 1, 2015

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11. Tha’ Lunatic

Producer : Shock G

Lyric :

[Tupac]
Ohh shit! Jumped on my man’s dick
Heard he had a twelve inch, now the bitch is lovesick
Who’s to blame, the guy or the groupie?
Heard I was down with D.U., now she wants to do me
Oooh-wee! This is the life
New bitch every night, never tripped off a wife
It ain’t right, but it’s cool how they come quick
Don’t try to flip with the lip cause I run shit
Hip hip, hooray for the AK
Spray when I lay competition, what a great day
Make pay, next is the wet sex
Hexed with the vex now they wreck with the complex
I’m set, wonder what I tote, check
Bloody as a coat-check, snappin motherfuckers necks
Revenge so sweet when it comes from
niggaz get done with the drum, watch my foes run
Nigga keeps comin when they can’t slip
Full of that shit, another hit from Tha’ Lunatic

[Stretch]
Yeah, fuck that God! Word up
Blowin niggaz out the motherfuckin frame yaknahmsayin?
Constantly.. fuck that trick, we ain’t havin it

[Tupac]
Leave me the fuck alone, you gets none of this
It’s suicidal, you lose your title like Doug-las
Cause I’m nothin nice and, I’m icin like Tyson
I’m grippin the mic and, my DJ is slicin
I’m tired of motherfuckers steppin to me with the SAME OLD
Tryin to do me like Nintendo
How the fuck you think I ever got this far?
By bootin motherfuckers like a shootin star
Cause I’m out to show, that I’m a dope MC
Think crack had you fiendin, wait’ll they get a load of me
Bitches on my dick, like a motherfuckin ‘conda
Niggaz wanna flip, let em step, and I’ll bomb em
See somethin you want, why don’t you come and get it
And then get waxed and taxed, like the government
Then I leave you sittin there, wonder where your money went
While your bitch is callin me, tellin me to come again
Nigga I’m loc’ed, when I smoke, from the indo
But we can be friends though, after you get broke like a window
That’s what you provoked, and now you’re smoked out
Lookin like a bitch, cause your whole fuckin posse, broke out
Punk motherfucker couldn’t roll on
He couldn’t hold on, game is too strong, nigga
Leave me the fuck alone, you gets none of this
Feel the wrath.. and revenge of Tha’ Lunatic

[Stretch]
Yeah Tu’, tell them motherfuckers, word up
We ain’t havin it, NONE of that shit!!
Bitch ass niggaz, niggaz can’t fuck with us Tu’, word up
Ninety-one, we takin this WHOLE motherfucker over
Niggaz got PROBLEMS in ninety-one
Ninety-two, and ninety-three
and all that other shit, word up!

[Tupac]
Recognize game when it smacks your bitch I’m back to rip
Puttin this on the map with this mackin shit
Time will tell if it’s made well
Well I raise hell and excel cause it pays well
Jordan couldn’t dunk it any harder, pump it any farther
I’m funky, that’s word to the father
Act like you know ‘fore I thump, the bolo
Thought you was a pimp, now you’re simpin for my solo
Oh no, not another new jack, swearin that he’s ruthless
Ducked, and now he’s fucked and left toothless
I can hear the fear in your flow, you ain’t prepared
You’re scared and you’re bound to go
It’s somethin, I guess I let the beat keep bumpin
Stop trippin off these niggaz cause they ain’t about nuttin
Or should I say NAYthin
Punk put my tape in, fuck all the fake-in
I’m sick of the bullshit
Come equipped and get ready to rip
or get the dick of Tha’ Lunatic

[Stretch]
Ahhhh yeah! FUCK THAT! (the motherfuckin lunatic)
YouknowhatI’msayin? Yes Tu’!
Tell them niggaz what time it is knahmsayin?
(punk motherfuckers, get the dick of the lunatic)
Niggaz can’t fuck with us, word up
Bitch ass niggaz, FUCK EM!

[Tupac]
Fuck all them niggaz
I’m tellin these niggaz that they ain’t got..
NAYthin on a nigga like me
We squashin these punk motherfuckers in ninety-one
ninety-two ninety-three.. and SO on
So let the beat FLOAT on
While I spray these PUNK BITCHES
with these dope ass lyrics
Thanks to Poppa for supplyin the DANK
Now it’s money in the BANK
And all y’all niggaz shit STANK
compared to this shit..

Fuck y’all punk bitches!
Tha’ Lunatic [ echoes to fade ]

Samples :

“One of Those Funky Thangs” by Parliament

2Pac – 2Pacalypse Now – 10. Brenda’s Got a Baby

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December 1, 2015

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10. Brenda’s Got a Baby

Producer :The Underground Railroad

Lyric :

Brenda’s got a Baby
Brenda’s got a Baby

I hear Brenda’s got a baby
But, Brenda’s barely got a brain
A damn shame
The girl can hardly spell her name
(That’s not our problem, that’s up to Brenda’s family)
Well let me show ya how it affects the whole community
Now Brenda really never knew her moms and her dad was a
junky
Went in death to his arms, it’s sad
Cause I bet Brenda doesn’t even know
Just cause your in the ghetto doesn’t mean ya can’t grow
But oh, that’s a thought, my own revelation
Do whatever it takes to resist the temptation
Brenda got herself a boyfriend
Her boyfriend was her cousin, now lets watch the joy end
She tried to hide her pregnancy, from her family
Who didn’t really care to see, or give a damn if she
Went out and had a church of kids
As long as when the check came they got first dibs
Now Brenda’s belly is gettin bigger
But no one seems to notice any change in her figure
She’s 12 years old and she’s having a baby
In love with the molester, who’s sexing her crazy
And yet she thinks that he’ll be with her forever
And dreams of a world with the two of them are together,
whatever
He left her and she had the baby solo, she had it on the
bathroom floor
And didn’t know so, she didn’t know, what to throw away and
what to keep
She wrapped the baby up and threw him in the trash heep
I guess she thought she’d get away
Wouldn’t hear the cries
She didn’t realize
How much the the little baby had her eyes
Now the baby’s in the trash heep balling
Momma can’t help her, but it hurts to hear her calling
Brenda wants to run away
Momma say, you makin’ me lose pay, the social workers here
everyday
Now Brenda’s gotta make her own way
Can’t go to her family, they won’t let her stay
No money no babysitter, she couldn’t keep a job
She tried to sell crack, but end up getting robbed
So now what’s next, there ain’t nothing left to sell
So she sees sex as a way of leaving hell
It’s paying the rent, so she really can’t complain
Prostitute, found slain, and Brenda’s her name, she’s got a baby

Baby

(don’t you know she’s got a baby)
(don’t you know she’s got a baby)
(don’t you know she’s got a baby)
(don’t you know she’s got a baby)
(don’t you know she’s got a baby)
(don’t you know she’s got a baby)

09. 2Pac – If My Homie Calls – 2Pacalypse Now

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December 1, 2015

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09. If My Homie Calls

Producer : Big D The Impossible

Lyric :

[Verse One:]

Ever since you was a pee-wee, down by my knee with a wee-wee
We been coochie-coo all through school, you and me G
Back in the days we played practical jokes on
everybody smoked with they locs and the yolks on
All through high school, girls by the dozens
Saying we cousins, knowing that we wasn’t
But like the old saying goes
Times goes on, and everybody grows
Grew apart, had to part, went our own ways
You chose the dope gaaaane, my microphone pays
In many ways we were paid in the old days
So far away from the crazies with AK’s
And though I been around clowning with the Underground
I’m still down with my homies from the hometown
And if you need, need anything at all
I drop it all for y’all, if my homies call

[Verse Two:]

It’s a shame, you chose the dope game
Now you slang cane on the streets with no name
It was plain that your aim was mo’ cane
You got game now you run with no shame
I chose rappin tracks to make stacks
In fact I travel the map with raps that spray cats
But now I don’t wanna down my homie
No matter how low you go you’re not lowly
And I, hear that you made a few enemies
But when you need a friend you can depend on me, call
If you need my assistance there’ll be no resistance
I’ll be there in an instant
Who am I to judge another brother, only on his cover
I’d be no different than the other
H-to-the-O-to-the-M-to-the-I-to-the-E
I’m down to the E-N-D
Cause it’s a fall in no time at all
I’m down for y’all, when my homies call
Word, if my homies call

[Verse Three:]

Well it’s ninety-one and I’m living kinda swell now
But I hear that you’re going through some hell pal
But life making records ain’t easy
It ain’t what I expected it’s hectic it’s sleazy
But I guess that the streets is harder
Trying to survive in the life of a young godfather
My homies is making it elsewhere
Striving, working nine to five with no health care
We both had dreams of being great
But his deferred, and blurred and changed in shaped
It’s fate, it wasn’t my choice to make
To be great, I’m giving it all it takes
Trying to shake, the crates and fakes and snakes
I gotta take, my place or fall from grace
The foolish way, the pace is quick and great
Smiling face, to hide the trace of hate
But my homie would never do me wrong
That’s why I wrote this song, if you ever need me it’s on
No matter who the foe they must fall
Us against them all I’m down to brawl if my homies call

Samples :

“Let a Woman Be a Woman – Let a Man Be a Man” by Dyke & the Blazers
“Fat Mama” by Herbie Hancock
“I Don’t Know What This World Is Coming To” by The Soul Children
“Around the Way Girl” by LL Cool J
“Prelude” by N.W.A

08. 2Pac – Crooked Ass Nigga – 2Pacalypse Now

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December 1, 2015

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08. Crooked Ass Nigga

Producer : Stretch

Lyric :

“Suddenly I see, some niggaz that I don’t like” – [Ice Cube]
[machine gun fires] “Got him!” – [Dr. Dre]

[2Pac]
A smokin ass nigga robbed me blind
I got a tech nine now his smokin ass is mine
I guess I felt sorry for the bastard, he was broke
I didn’t know he smoked so I didn’t watch him close
He caught me on the sneak tip, now the punk’s in deep shit
Catch him on the streets, I’ma bring him to his feet, quick
Pass the clip, I think I see him comin now
Fuck the bullshit, posse deep and let’s run him down
Gots to be the first one to hit ya when we meet
Comin quickly up the streets, is the punk ass police
The first one jumped out and said, “Freeze!”
I popped him in his knees and shot him, punk.. please..
Cause cops should mind they business, when we rush
Now you’re pleadin like a bitch, cause you don’t know how to.. hush..
Now back to the smoker that robbed me
I tell you like Latifah, motherfucker give me.. body..
One to the chest, another to his fuckin dome
Now the shit can rest, yo tell him to leave me the fuck alone
Two very bloody bodies on the streets
A nosey ass cop and a nigga that robbed from me
Run from your backup punk, how you figure?
My finger’s on the trigger for you crooked ass niggaz

[Pac]
Crooked ass niggaz
[Eazy]
Criminal behaviour.. criminal.. criminal behaviour
[Cube]
Suddenly I see..
[Eazy]
Cri-cri-criminal

[Stretch]
Now listen to the mack of the crooked nigga trade
With the fine criminal mind, cold rips like a blade
It’s already quick steppin to the niggaz with the props
and any motherfucker with the flim-flam drops to the knot
Ten o’clock, is a motherfuckin gank move
Stretch is Uptown, clockin weight the shit is real smooth
A nigga’s tryin to play me like he know me but he don’t
Sittin on ten keys, I’ma get him, think I won’t?
My nigga 2Pac, got the fuckin Glock cocked, and he’s ready
When the kid, didn’t even bring the weight bag, instead he
welcomed us, into his apartment
Oh this even better, two to the head, he’s dead a clean get-a-WAY!
Niggaz got PAID!
And yet another sleepin ass nigga got slayed, word up
By a crooked motherfucker named Stretch
And the T-U-P-A-C, the police can’t catch..

[Pac]
The crooked ass niggaz
[Eazy]
Criminal behaviour..
[Pac]
Yeah.. ya don’t stop!

Crooked ass niggaz
[Eazy]
Criminal.. criminal behaviour
[Cube]
Suddenly I see, some niggaz that I don’t like

[2Pac]
Now I could be a crooked nigga too
When I’m rollin with my crew, watch what crooked niggaz, do!
I got a nine millimeter Glock pistol
I’m ready to get witcha at the drop, of a whistle
So make your move, and act like you wanna flip
I fire thirteen shots, and pop another clip
I bring luck, my Glock’s like a fuckin mop
The more I shot, the more motherfuckers dropped
And even cops got shot when they rolled up
Best to bring a knot, or get popped, I’m a soldier
I ain’t the type to fetch ya, ask Stretch, he’s my witness
Smoke til I’m blitzed, fuck a motherfuckin piss test
I’m trigger happy, try to ‘tack me and I’ll drop you quick
Long as I got a clip I got some shit to hit em with
The nigga killer I get iller when the shit gets thick
My brain flips, I start thinkin like a lunatic
I rip shit, came equipped with a bigger crew
I thought these niggaz knew, I’m a crooked nigga too

[Eazy]
Criminal behaviour.. criminal.. criminal behaviour
[2Pac]
Crooked

[2Pac]
Crooked ass niggaz come in all shapes and sizes
They wear disguises, backstabbin’s what they specialize in
They’ll try to getcha, they’ll sweatcha to get in the picture
And then they hitcha, son of a bitch! Now he’s richer
Crooked ass nigga..

[Eazy]
Criminal behaviour.. criminal.. criminal behaviour
[Cube]
Suddenly I see, some niggaz that I don’t like
[Eazy]
Criminal behaviour
Criminal, criminal, crim
Crim-criminal behaviour
Criminal behaviour, criminal behaviour..

[machine gun fires]
“Suddenly I see, some niggaz that I don’t like” – [Ice Cube]
[machine gun fires]
“Suddenly I see, some niggaz that I don’t like” – [Ice Cube]
[machine gun fires]
“Suddenly I see, some niggaz that I don’t like” – [Ice Cube]
[Eazy]
Criminal behaviour
Criminal, criminal, crim
Crim-criminal behaviour
Criminal beha.. crima-crima-crima
Crim-crim, criminal behaviour
Criminal behaviour..

“Suddenly I see, some niggaz that I don’t like” – [Ice Cube]
[machine gun fires] “Got him!” – [Dr. Dre]

Samples :

“Crab Apple” by Idris Muhammad
“Gangsta Gangsta” by N.W.A
“Fuck tha Police” by N.W.A

07. 2Pac – Something Wicked – 2Pacalypse Now

By

2PacLegacy

-

December 1, 2015

0

07. Something Wicked

Producer – Jeremy

Lyric :

Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come

More than an adversary I’m very quick
I’m ready to hit ’em with this gift
I’m equipped to kick
Grab you coat and you hat, cause I’m prepared to clamp
Scared the [???], and caught them mutha-fuckas damp
Oh shit, 2pacalypse is back and strapped
Attacking the pacs, I’m kicking the facts for stacks to rap
And those that max, relax and let the blacks get jacks
I’m getting taxed, my pacs is packed with angry blacks
I’m ready to go
I’m ripping the shows, hitting the dough
Getting the hoes [???]
Pumping the flow, gangster ho
cause the nose knows
Check the pose, froze, when you see me close
Punks you gonna roast, host, in a cloud of smoke
Broke, choked on a rope, and then smoked
wrote, crimes that’ll bring me bank notes
nope, I ain’t the type of fella that you use though
Kkkkkkicking the funky flava
Pumping [???] producers
Run for cover when you hear the bass drop
One verse is all it takes
Something wicked this way come

Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come

Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
Something wicked this way come
wicked wicked this way comes
wicked wicked this way comes
wicked wicked this way comes
Something wicked this way come

Samples :

“Welcome to the Terrordome” by Public Enemy

The Beefs – Tupac Vs. ?

By

2PacLegacy

-

November 30, 2015

0

Biggie Smalls aka Notorious B.I.G.

Tupac and Biggie were actually once friends, believe it or not. Before Biggie was famous Tupac used to let Biggie rap with him at concerts and gave him the start that he needed in the rap game, he even bought Biggie his first Rolex! Just before Pac was in shot ’94 B.I.G. said that the company ‘pac was keepin weren’t cool. These guys were King Tut and Jacques Agnant aka Haitian Jack, who were members of the Black Mafia which supposedly financed Bad Boy Records. Biggie said he’d talk to ‘pac later, which never happened. The next time Tupac saw him was when he was shot. When Tupac was in jail he was told how it was Biggie’s home boy who got him shot and Tupac stated this, but never actually said Biggie was responsible for the shooting. He thought Biggie held back info on the shooting. When ‘pac was in jail Biggie released an album which was exactly like Tupac’s so he had to re-write his. By now Tupac was really pissed with him, as Biggie was also rapping about his clothes, jewelery, parties and a live style he didnt have, Tupac knew he was rapping about his life. Tupac released many lyrics, humiliating and denouncing Biggie, a vicious attack on him and Bad Boy with ‘Hit Em Up‘, and claimed he slept with Biggies wife, Faith Evans.

Puff Daddy

Sean Combs, or Puffy, is the owner of Bad Boy Records. He approached Tupac in a bid to sign him to Bad Boy in 1994, Tupac declined the offer.

Tupac then signed for DeathRow records, run by Puffy’s arch enemy Suge Knight. Because of this, and the fact Bad Boy are reportedly funded by the Black Mafia, and that Sean Combs was also in the studio in NY where Tupac was shot, it is thought Tupac was shot because of this declination. Tupac was shot and robbed in the entrance of the building and then got himself into the elevator. He went up to the floor where everybody was partying. Tupac said that Puffy looked shocked when he saw Tupac, as if he had seen a ghost. Tupac thought that Puffy also knew about the set up and was angry because Puffy denied it. While Tupac was in jail, Puffy wanted to make peace with him by sending him a letter, giving him props like “Hey Pac, keep your struggle on”, when Tupac was released, he immediately began to diss Puffy. Aslo Tupac saw Puffy as a fake, he wasnt a Gangster, he didn’t write his own lyrics, his flow was weak, his beats were ripped, but he portrayed the opposite to the public!

Mobb Deep

Whilst in jail Tupac did an interview with Vibe where he claimed that Thug Life was dead and that he was giving it up. Mobb Deep felt as if they were tough enough to represent it, and in a song called “Survival of the Fittest”, they rapped about Tupac’s notorious Thug Life: “Thug Life we still livin it…”. Tupac didnt like this and sent homies to taunt Mobb Deep at a concert.

According to Tupac the duo were so scared they did everything they could to avoid a conflict. When Tupac was bailed out, he started to take shots at them publicly, again in songs such as “Hit Em Up” and in interviews with big radio stations. Tupac called them little kids and said that they were not on his level. But they had the courage to retaliate on their song “Drop a Gem on Em”. They are the only ones who dissed him in public, although the album the song was on came out after Tupac’s death. They have also taken to disrespectfully dissing 2pac again, well after his demise, to which Fatal of Tupac’s group, the Outlawz has retaliated too in Tupac’s defence.

Cynthia Delores Tucker

Miss C. DeLores Tucker was a U.S. politician and civil rights activist best known for her participation in the Civil Rights Movement and stance against gangsta rap music. Miss Tucker wanted Rap to not only be censored, but banned altogether. Tupac addresses her on the track “How Do U Want It?” on the album All Eyez On Me rapping ” C.DeLores Tucker you’s a motherfucker / Instead of trying to help a nigga you destroy a brother”. Tupac also disses her on the track ‘Wonda Why they Call u Bitch‘, again from his ‘All Eyez On Me’ album, saying “Dear Ms. DeLores Tucker,…., I figured you wanted to know, you know, why we call them hoes bitches,and maybe this might help you understand, it ain’t personal,strictly business baby, strictly business!” Tucker filed a $10 million lawsuit after Tupac had died agianst his estate, claiming the songs “ruined her sex life”, inflicted emotional distress, and that the were slanderous and invaded her privacy. This case was eventually dismissed. Tucker later went on to serve in the Advisory Board of the Parents Television Council until her death in 2005.

Dr. Dre

When Snoop Dogg was on trial for murder a witnesses in the trial said Dr. Dre was in the car, if he had appeared at court he could have testified, but instead he said that he was too busy. This pissed ‘pac off because he thought that Dre wasn’t showing his homeboy Snoop, and the Death Row camp, loyalty. Tupac also didnt like the way Dre because he was earning stacks from Death Row for doing nothing, since ‘The Chronic’. He disses Dre in many songs after Dre left Death Row, even questioning his sexuality, in the song “To Live & Die In L.A.” 2Pac claims that Dr Dre is homosexual and he does the same in “Toss It Up“. Tupac also dissed Dre for been a Gangster one minute, and not the next. In “Toss It Up” Tupac takes big digs at Dr Dre saying; “”No longer dre day, arrive derche, long and forgotten, gotten for plottin-child’s play, check your sexuality, as fruity as this alize quick to jump ship, punk trick, what a dumb move cross Death Row, now who you gonna run to? Like those other suckers cuz you similar, pretendin to be hard-oh my god-check your temperature, screamin Compton, but you can’t return, you ain’t heard brothas pissed cuz you switched and escaped to the burbs”. Tupac also claimed that Dr Dre cheated on his wife, “What’s down in the darkness, will come to light”. Despite all this Dr Dre still paid tribute to ‘pac in 2000 during ‘The Up In Smoke Tour’, saying that it was a pleasure to work alongside 2Pac.

Nas

Due to faults of his own, rapper Nas got caught up in the East vs Westcoast beef. Which of course Tupac wouldn’t of liked as it initially had nothing to do with Nas. Tupac and Nas met each other at the House of Blues, where Tupac and Nas talked about this whole beef situation. Tupac told Nas that he was in no way involved and that he should not get caught up in it because he and Death Row had nothing but love for him. But then, Tupac listened to Nas’ songs and he remarked that there was a song, “The Message”, in which Nas was talking about fake thugs and it sounded as if Nas was talking about Tupac. Nas also liked to talk a lot about Thug Life after Pac introduced it to the whole world, which pissed Tupac off because he was the man to represent it. Tupac accused Nas of biting his style and stealing his life for his songs. Nas even has a tattoo in the same place of Tupac’s Thug Life tattoo, and wore no shirt and his bandana in a similar way to pac in the video for ‘Hate Me Now’. Tupac dissed Nas on songs like “Against all Odds” and in interviews, such as the interview about Death Row East. But after Tupac’s death Nas claimed they squashed their beef, which issupported by the Outlawz, and Nas even featured on ‘Thugz Mansion‘ on Tupac’s posthumus album ‘Better Dayz’.

Chino XL

This all started when a small time New Jersey rapper, Chino XL, followed on from rumours, started by Wendy Williams, of Tupac been raped in jail. He says on his track ‘Riiot!’: “I’m trying not to get fucked like 2Pac in jail.” In a radio interview Tupac addressed him stating, “Off the air, I’m gonna beat this niggaz ass”, and also on the song ‘Hit Em Up‘ with “Chino XL, Fuck You Too!” Chino responded in some songs, including a several minute long freestyle on a New York radio. In my opinion Chino XL first said what he did to get his name known in the rap game, by dissing the biggest artist in it, Tupac. We all no beef can make you famous and sells records. After Tupac’s demise Chino stated: “I got a chance to see him on Venice Beach one time right before he passed and I let him know that if I would have known my lyrics would have upset him like that, I would have never said it. I mean I was a fan of his like everybody else was. Everything was straight though and The Outlawz are my peeps from Jersey so it was all peace.

LL Cool J

Tupac admired LL and even gave him a shout out on his song “Old School” in which ‘pac praises all the rappers that influenced him, and who helped rap. But it seems LL didn’t seem to be pleased with the whole Tupac situation and recorded a remix of his song “I Shot Ya”, which brings to mind a song by Notorious BIG called “Who Shot Ya“. Tupac thought this song was about him being shot in New York. Tupac retaliated in tracks like “My Little Homies“, saying “Say what nigga, I rock your motherfucking bells”, referring to LL’s song “I Rock The Bell”. The song was only released after pac’s death though! But still, like many rappers Tupac beefed with, LL took shots at him after he had passed away. On LL’s album “Phenomenon”, he says: “She says she loves Tupac but hates LL. Do you really want a Thug or do you want love”, not too distastefull, but in our view this is still dissing Tupac when he can no longer defend himself!

Jay Z

Unlike his Tupac’s beef with Nas, which was mutually ended before Tupac’s demise, this is a beef that was ongoing until Tupac died. Yet still Jay-Z wanted his piece of pac’s fame, by featuring on pac’s posthumus release ‘Better Dayz‘, which was going ahead until the rumours started by him, were quashed! Jay-Z was the first to diss Tupac when he released the track titled “Brooklyn’s finest” (alongside The Notorious B.I.G.). Jay-Z had a close relationship with Bad-Boy and with Mobb Deep. As a retaliation, 2Pac released “Bomb First (My Second Reply)” on his ‘Makaveli: The 7 Day Theory‘ album, dissing Jay-Z among others. Since Tupacs demise, various members of The Outlawz have continued this beef in some tracks, proving pac still had beef with Jay-Z until his death, and that as a result Jay-Z should never have been considered for ‘Better Dayz‘.

Wendy Williams

Williams started a rumor that Tupac was raped while he was in jail and he was all too willing to respond in “Why U Turn On Me.” ‘Pac was never one to hold his tongue. The lyrics are super explicit so we’ll refrain from quoting, but ‘Pac basically sent a big F you to Williams and called her fat. Rape accusations are serious and ‘Pac took his diss against her just as serious.

”Why U Turn On Me” : …”Said I got raped in jail, picture that? {*laughter*}
Revenge is a payback bitch, get your gat
Fuck {Wendy Williams} and I pray you choke
On the next dick down your throat, for turnin’ on me…”

”…I put Jenny Craig on your fat ass, you fat troll
Anybody ever seen {Wendy Williams} fat ass?….”

Haitian Jack

In the song released after his death called “Against All Odds“, Tupac tells the story of “a snitch named Haitian Jack”. The song says Jack is stocky, light skinned and has a Haitian accent, all of which describes Agnant. Agnant is on probabtion after pleading guilty to sexual misconduct in a 1994 incident in which Tupac was convicted of sexual abuse of a woman who came to his hotel room. Tupac believed Agnant made a deal with prosecutors at the rapper’s expense.

Fugees

Tupac said they just dissin’ you on the air on MTV. he said they didn’t personally dissed the west coast, but when he started saying California Love, and someone asked them about that, they said that’s not true, cause East Side is the best side. He said he seen them too. And they was talkin’ about how much they respect him and love him, but he HATE THAT, because he be serious. Tupac dissed them in the unreleased song called “When We Ride On Our Enemies” He said:
“Heard the Fuggees was tryin’ to do me, look bitch I got yo fate, this ain’t no muthafuckin’ movie… then we watch the other 2 die slow, castrated, entertainin’ at my muthafuckin’ side show…”

We he says he let them know this ain’t no movie, he was talking about their video for “Killing Me Softly“, where they are filming at a movie theatre.

Somethings You Didn’t Know About Tupac

By

2PacLegacy

-

November 28, 2015

0

Appeared in the Salt-N-Pepa video, “Whatta Man”
Died on a Friday the 13th
Kidada Jones, daughter of Quincy Jones and fiance of Tupac, has a tattoo of Tupac on her arm.
At the Baltimore School of the arts, Tupac met Jada Pinkett, who would become a close friend of his
While he was with Digital Underground, someone once shoved a 12 gauge shotgun in Tupac’s face because of a dispute over a woman at a Martin Luther King Jr festival.
Wrote a song about his mother called “Dear Mama” while in prison.
Renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur in 1972 by his mother after Tupac Amaru, an Inca who was sentenced to death by the Spaniards. Tupac Amaru, in the Inca language, means “shining serpent”.
Tupac’s first appearance ever was on Digital Underground’s Same Song where he raps wearing West African war clothes in the video.
When Tupac was 12 years old, his mother enrolled him in Harlems 127thSt Ensemble. He played Travis in “A Raisin in The Sun” in his first acting role.
Son of black panther Afeni Shakur; grew up in Harlem, Baltimore, and Marin County, California.
He had the words “thug life” tattooed across his abdomen.
Was engaged to Kidada Jones
Was going to play the role of Malik in Higher Learning (1995)
More of his music has been released since his death than was while he was alive.
Founding Member of the Outlawz
Used the name Makaveli which is an altered spelling of Machiavelli, about whom he read while in prison.
In the song “Life Goes On” from the “All Eyez on Me” album, he rhymes about his own funeral.
As a young man, Tupac also studied dance, including ballet.
Tupac is listed as the most successful gangsta MC in the “Guinness Book of World Records.”
Grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Was cast in the movie Woo (1998), but was shot five days before principal photography began.
He was offered a record contract at the age of 13. However, his mother refused to let him sign anything at such a young age. She felt he had a lot to learn about the world before joining the music industry.
He read for the part of “Bubba” in Forrest Gump (1994).
10 albums have been released after his 1996 death; all have gone platinum.
He was voted the 86th Greatest Rock ‘n Roll Artist of all time by Rolling Stone.
In November 1994, he was robbed and shot five times by a pair of muggers in the lobby of a New York recording studio. Tupac survived the attack, and afterwards frequently boasted of his durability in his lyrics.
Was originally cast in Menace II Society (1993) but was fired after a physical altercation with director Allen Hughes.
As a teenager, he studied drama at Baltimore’s School for the Arts, where he rhymed under the name MC New York.
When he was 12 years old, his mother enrolled him in Harlem’s 127th St Ensemble. He played Travis in “A Raisin in The Sun” in his first acting role
Started his career on Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records with Digital Underground.
As a young man, he also studied ballet and dance
His 1996 song “Ghetto Gospel” was released in 2005, with some vocals by Elton John, and went to #1 in the UK, despite the fact he had been dead for eight years.
Was a good friend of fellow hip-hop MC M.C. Hammer, who also was from Oakland, California, USA.
His albums have sold 38 million copies in the USA alone.
Has been rapping since 18 (1989).
Tupac studied drama at Baltimore’s School For The Arts, where he rapped under the name MC New York.
According to Guiness Book of Records 2004, he is the highest selling rap/hip-hop artist selling over 67 million copies worldwide
In a 2005 Rolling Stones Magazine Vote, Tupac was named #6 of the ‘100 immortal artists of all time’ behind the likes of Elvis and Lennon
He is the first rap/hip-hop artist in history to have a wax model of himself set to be placed in Madamme Tussaud’s in Las Vegas
Appeared on Forbes’ “Top Earning Dead Celebrities” list in 2002, 2003 and 2004 with earnings of $7 million, $12 million and $5 million in each respective year.
Wrote a song, but died before he could finish it. Rap artist Eminem finished the song with his own lyrics and released it shortly afterwards.
First music artist to have a #1 LP while being in jail
Biological Father Is Billy Garland.
The harmonica in “So Many Tears” is a sample from Stevie Wonder’s song “That Girl”, which spent 9 weeks at number one on the R&B charts in 1982.
His song “Hit ‘Em Up”, which Shakur considered a “classic battle record” is scathing attack on one-time friend Notorious BIG, Bad Boy Records, and Puff Daddy. In addition, Shakur claimed that he slept with Faith Evans (Notorious BIG’s wife) in the song’s lyrics.
Was a fan of actor Tim Roth and was delighted to learn he would work with him on “Gridlock’d”, released after Shakur’s death.
Read the article in “Entertainment Weekly” about his “Me Against The World” album’s debut at number one, while incarcerated. The album’s title song also appeared in Michael Bay’s 1995 film “Bad Boys”, which opened in March– while Shakur was behind bars.
Cited Prince as an inspiration and sampled his music on the “All Eyez On Me” album. Shakur mentioned in an MTV interview that “he [Prince] loves women like I love women.”.
Used an interpolation of the 1984 El Debarge song “A Dream” for his hit “I Ain’t Mad At Ya”. Tupac’s version, however, is at a faster tempo than the original.
Recorded much of his vocals of the “All Eyez On Me” album with a Neumann U87 microphone. In addition, entire album was recorded on analog tape. This was considered somewhat archaic by 1995 recording standards, as much of the recording industry had transitioned to digital recording. (However, it should be noted that Dr. Dre, who produced two songs for the album still uses analog tape to record his music, as of late 2006).
The song “To Live and Die in LA”, was called by Shakur (who recorded the song under the name “Makaveli”, for the “Seven Day Theory” album) “California Love, part 2– without gay-ass Dre.” It is unknown if “gay-ass Dre” is serious slur against Dr. Dre, who left Shakur’s label Death Row records shortly after producing two tracks for “All Eyez On Me”.
Shakur considered singer Don McClean (best known as the singer/songwriter of the 1972 hit “American Pie”) and Kate Bush as two influences in his life. Shakur also saw McClean’s hit “Vincent” (a tale of painter Vincent Van Gogh) as one particular inspiration. In addition, Shakur cited African-American poet Maya Angelou and William Shakespeare as being equally important to him.
Gang member Orlando Anderson, often cited as Tupac’s killer, was later murdered himself during an altercation at a LA car wash, on May 29th 1998. It should be noted that Anderson was never charged in the slaying.
Tupac is understood to have been offered a record deal at the age of 13, only for Afeni to turn it down as she thought he was to young for such a things.
Tupac listened to artists from various different genres of music such as; Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters and Jimmy Hendrix.
Biggie Smalls used to call Tupac ‘duke’.
When Tupac was young and living in Baltimore, he studied ballet and dance and the local performing arts school.
Kidada Jones, daughter of Quincy Jones and fianc? of Tupac, has a tattoo of Tupac on her arm.
Tupac was a huge fan of Jim Carrey.
Porn Star, Spontaneous XXXStacy, has a tattoo on her arm of Tupacs name along with the title of “Keep Ya Head Up”.
When Tupac first moved to California he was homeless for 2 years and was living in shelters.
Tupac’s favourite Food was Fried Chicken Wings with Hot Sauce.
His favourite drink was Orange Pop.
His favourite colours were Black and Gold.
Tupac intended for “R U Still Down?” to be released.
Before becoming famous Tupac was part of the local Baltimore TV news Special. The program, called “Saturday Night Specials,” was on a type of gun. Tupac spoke with great knowledge on the guns, speaking on how they were poorly and cheaply made.
The video tape named “Tupac and Jada Home video” which appears on Tupac: Resurrection, was recorded at King’s Dominion Amusement Park.
Herbie Lovebug, manger of “Salt-N-Peppa,” was once asked by Tupac’s group Born Busy to hear one of their raps. Herbie told them “Naw, I aint got time for this shit I gotta be on a plane in ten hours!” Years later when Tupac was at the opening of “Juice,” Herbie approached him and expressed a desire to work with him. Tupac’s reply wasn’t one Herbie was looking for.
Tupac turned up at a ball at the Baltimore School Of The Art’s dressed as Shaka Zulu. His roommate and close friend John Cole dressed as his white slave. Tupac and John won the best costume award.
As a child, Tupac’s friends often gave him clothes for Christmas and birthdays, because they were aware of the poverty in which he lived.
Tupac & Big Saccs both went looting together during the LA Riots. According to Sacc’s, he and Tupac went straight from the studio to the hood and started looting.
The Tupac poem “Nothing can come between us,” was written for his friend John Cole, whom Tupac nicknamed “White Boy John.”
For a short time Tupac lived with Linda Pratt, the wife of Gernimo Pratt, in Marin City.
Tupac’s favorite piece of music was from the play Les Miserables. He went to see the play with his then girlfriend Keisha Morris.
According to Suge Knight, the song “Never Had A Friend Like Me” was about their relationship because Suge once told Tupac “Your Enemies my Enemies.”
It was reported by Mike Dyson that the song “Vincent” by Don Maclean was played on repeat during Tupac’s last hours with us.
Tupac auditioned for the part of “Bubba” in the hit film “Forest Gump” starring Tom Hanks.
Tupac stood for the code of ‘THUGLIFE’, which stands for “The Hate U Give Lil Infants Fuck Everybody”, the term ‘NIGGA’ stands for “Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished”.
The ‘Outlawz’ group Tupac formed and was with stands for “Operating Under Thug Laws As Warriors”.
Tupac met Fredro Starr at the premiere of “Sunset Park.”
Tupac’s cousin Scott got him the role of Travis in “A Rasin in the Sun.” Scott was also in the New York School for the arts.
Tupac was planning to go on tour with Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound in October 1996. The name of the tour was going to be “All Eyez On Us.”
When Tupac and Keisha Morris got married, during the ceremony when the priest stated the line “with all your worldly possessions…,” Tupac interupted saying, “Well, Keisha can’t have my pool table or my big screen TV.”
Keisha Morris, when married to Tupac, came to visit him in his hotel room in Atlanta. The hotel-room caught fire and she tried to quickly escape. Tupac was disappointed in her and told her he couldn’t trust her because she didn’t stay with him to fight the fire.
The song “When Will You Learn” and “U Don’t Wanna Battle Me”, along with a few others, were recorded onto a disc which Tupac lost.
Tupac and Sanyika Shakur were good friends and Tupac wanted to play him in a movie about Sanyika’s life.
After Pac had released his debut solo album ’2Pacalypse Now’ he wanted to bring out a group called “Nothing Gold.” He was going to do production for them while they wrote their own lyrics, but it never happened. He was also working with a female artist called “A Sister Named Mister” but she never came out either.
Tupac and Sanyika Shakur were good friends and Tupac wanted to play him in a movie about Sanyika’s life.
Before he was famous, Tupac was paid $335 to appear in an advertisement for a local news channel. He used that money to pay for the months rent.
When Tupac got out of jail Suge arranged a private plane back to L.A, a limo, and five police officers for protection. Suge Knight also gave Tupac money to buy Afeni a house when he came to Suge’s Death Row Records label.
Tupac and Snoop were supposed to perform “2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted” on Saturday Night Live, an NBC TV-show. Snoop never appeared for the rehearsal, so Tupac and Ice-T performed “Only God Can Judge Me”, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (Barbara Streisand cover) and a little skit. Even though he didn’t look it, it is known Pac was embarrassed by the Streisand cover and was really mad at Snoop for not showing up.
Tupac was cremated by “Davis Mortuary” in Las Vegas.
Tupac met ‘The Assassin’ and ‘Dee Tha Mad Bitch’ in late ’93. He enjoyed the time he spent working with them so much that he booked a studio for the three of them for an entire week
Tupac and Sanyika Shakur were good friends and Tupac wanted to play him in a movie about Sanyika’s life.
Tupac bought Biggie Smalls his first ‘Rolex’ watch.

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Outlawz stands for Operating Under Thug Laws As WarriorZ.

There were 10 original members of the Outlawz, including Makaveli:

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