Deon ”Big D The Impossible” Evans was known widely for his production work with Tupac Shakur in crafting such timeless 2Pac tracks as “If My Homie Calls“, “Brenda’s Got A Baby” (co-produced with Underground Railroad), “Changes,”, “N.I.G.G.A,” “Crooked Nigga Too,” “Ghetto Gospel,” “Don’t U Trust Me?,” “Resist the Temptation,” “Dopefiend’s Diner,” and “Papa’z Song,” among others (See the list below).
Deon Evans was part of the East Bay hip-hop fabric and working with other artists such as Berkeley rapper/producer Clever Jeff. He also contributed to Digital Underground and was a part of the extended family. DJ Fuze and Money B used to live a couple of blocks away and were always hanging out. His older brother James ran with the DU crew. The two appear in Digital Underground’s “DooWutchYaLike” video. Pac was a part of that musical family too, and it is in hip-hop history books that Deon Evans’ legacy will be mostly forever interlocked with Tupac’s name.
The photo to the right is of Deon in the studio with 2Pac in 1992 while the recent photo below is culled from the late artist’s Twitter page that was updated as recently as two weeks ago. Condolences to Deon’s family and loved ones, including his surviving twin sister Dee Ann Evans.
Big D Evans also played an instrumental role in assisting Tupac’s mother and estate in releasing Tupac’s posthumous best-selling multi-platinum album: Tupac’s Greatest Hits which sold over 11 million copies worldwide, remaining the best-selling rap greatest hits album of all time. Evans also produced on both albums released by Tupac during his life, including 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
List of all Tupac’s songs produced by Big D The Impossible
1. Resist the Temptation 1990 *first song Deon produced for Pac according to Deon
2. 2Pacalypse Now (supposedly produced by Deon and stolen) 1990
3. Dopefiend’s Diner (piano played by Pee Wee Gold Money) 1990
4. Tears of a Clown 1990
5. Never Surrender (most likely produced by Otis Gold Money though, or perhaps never recorded, but I doubt it) 1990
6. Rebel of the Underground 1990
7. Funky Freestyles (co-produced by Gold Money?) 1990
8. Backstabbas (2Pacalypse Now recording) 1990
9. Revenge of tha Lunatic (Original) 1990
10. Use Me (if recorded, could possible be Deon or Shock or Gold Money or whoever else) 1990
11. N.I.G.G.A. 1990
12. Brenda’s Got a Baby (was originally for Debbie, and would’ve been released together with “Funky Freestyles”) 1990 – early 1991
13. Crooked Nigga Too (co-produced by Stretch?) 1991 *I believe the intro and the last verse were added later after Pac got beat up
14. Fade Away 1991
15. Young Black Male 1991
16. If My Homie Calls 1991
17. Soulja’s Story 1991
18. Part Time Mutha 1991
19. Papa’z Song (various versions) 1992 – 1993
20. Break ’em Off Something 1991-1992
21. Don’t U Trust Me 1991
22. Revenge of tha Soulja aka Soldier Like Me (co-produced by Stretch) = Late 1991
23. That’s Just the Way It Is aka Changes = December 25, 1991 (according to Deon)
24. What Goes On = Summer 1992
25. Black Cotton = August 23, 1992 (September 1992)
26. Wycked and the Mouse Man = September 26-27, 1992
27. Point the Finga = September – October 1992
28. Pac’s Theme = September – October 1992
29. Something 2 Die 4 = October 1992
30. Flex (co-produced by Stretch) = October 1992
Songs for Mysta/Kids:
31. Outta Richtown
32. Streetlyfe (in an interview he claimed it was a solo song)
33. Ghetto Gospel
34. Lovely Daze
35. Leave Us Kidz Alone
36. Bed Time Storiez
Big D posted this message in his Facebook in 2013
Well my friends I think it’s almost time for me to take that trip home. I don’t say this to get attention, or make people feel sorry for me, it’s bad enough I am putting my B.I on Facebook. So here’s the deal. Around 1998 I became ill with kidney failure for those who didn’t know.
I started dialysis that year and for a little more then 5 years I did that 3,4 and even sometimes 5 times a week I went having many procedures aka surgeries for shunts and fistulas, many of those surgeries either where not successful, or didn’t work long.
Many of them clotted my vain’s which start to alter the way i looked, and not only that dialysis was taking it’s tole on me and type of things started to happen, I remember one incident where I was at the barber shop and out of now where I became weak and my nose started to bleed and wouldn’t stop, and the homie Max Lux had to drive me home. Plenty of other incident’s of bigger circumstances have occurred.
I finally got a Kidney transplant in Nov 28 of 2003 almost had one in september of that year, but the doctors couldn’t get the incubation tube down my throat, they said it was because i eat four hours, believe that if you want to. How about waking up in the operating room with about 30 doctors in trying to figure out what to do, yelling oh shit he woke up put him back out, and they did and when I woke up had a tracheotomy performed on me and i was in I.C.U. for two weeks. If you think I’m lying you can probably go to the UCLA medical logs and type my name up and read all about no bull shit.
Anyway like I was blessed to receive a kidney on November 28 2003 from someone who died in Utah, I’m still so thank to that person because with them I would not be here today. If you didn’t know a cadaveric kidney last around 10 years, and living donations last possibly up to 14 to 20 years considering the shape of the kidney for those who do not know. Guess what everybody I am at ten years and the symptoms are starting to show.
Unfortunately dialysis may not be an option for me just because of the shit I went through, and I can clearly say I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, because for me It was becoming too much for me and those doctors knew it I truly believe that’s why I got those chances for those kidney’s, they knew if I didn’t get a kidney fast I would be out of here. Believe me in the name of jesus I do not want to part this world yet, but my options are slim to none, and I owe it to Akira and Kai my kids to stay around as long as possible. I am not selfish but I can’t do it to live my live miserable and all the shit that goes with being on dialysis, do not get me wrong it may not be this way for other people, I am just speaking from my point of view thats all, and I can only speak about my travels and experiences which I am doing.
Like I said before my options are slim to none and their is only one option that might work which is another kidney transplant, but I am shit out of luck because the transplant waiting list is now 10 or more years because so many people need them. So what does this mean for me that i am done for it is over, I had a great life, even though I made a lot of mistakes, and wish I could change them all and make them right. Am I scared of dying honestly I don’t know what to think at this point, this has been heavy on my mind for for about 8 month now,
I pray to the lord for forgiveness and hope he shell forgive my ways in which I behaved poorly and made bad judgement calls and do things which I put other people before my family, I’m sorry. Lastly I wrote this for all to read not for sympathy or make anybody mad or sad just to let folk know that I am a real person, and I do not try to hide anything, rather then just die and have people wonder I gave you the choice to know what is up with me.
Deon ”Big D The Impossible” Evans passed away on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 in Los Angeles at the age of 45. In recent years, Deon struggled to maintain his health after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2005.
Rest In Peace, Mr. Evans!
