Thank You For This Hits---- R.I.P.

As I came home today, I needed some emotional music. I was in really bad mood because 12th grade students finished with their educational years in my school. They are now grown men and women, there are some really special students and I dedicate this review to them. Generation 2002/2003-2006/2007, thank you for all of the special moments I've spent with you.



2Pac Shakur, some people say he's a best of all time, some say he's the most overrated rapper of all time. He released 5 studio albums ( 7 Day Theory came few days after shooting )before he was tragically killed in Las Vegas.
This CD has songs mostly from his body of work before his dead. 2Pac ( and Em ) is person who gave me love for rap music.
I'll always appreciate him as an artist, as a person and as a man who was a real leader. R.I.P.


This compilation consists of 2 CD-s, I'll review them one by one.




TRACK LISTING:

Disc 1:

1. Keep Ya Head Up ( 5 Stars )
2. 2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted ( 5 Stars )
3. Temptations ( 4 Stars )
4. God Bless the Dead ( 3 Stars )
5. Hail Mary ( 5 Stars )
6. Me Against the World ( 5 Stars )
7. How Do You Want It ( 5 Stars )
8. So Many Tears ( 5 Stars )
9. Unconditional Love ( 5 Stars )
10. Trapped ( 5 Stars )
11. Life Goes On ( 5 Stars )
12. Hit ‘Em Up ( 4 Stars )



Album opens with classic from Pac's sophomore release Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., Keep Your Head Up. Slow beat and well written 2Pac's lyrics give this song classic status. It's a some kind of ode to women but still there is another message which is very useful in a bad mood days. Life Goes On is another very introspective track, beautiful beat with another collection of well written rhymes. He raps about good friend he'd lost. He even mentions his wishes for his own funeral which sadly never happened.

Bury me smilin'
with G's in my pocket
have a party at my funeral
let every rapper rock it
let tha hoes that I usta know
from way before
kiss me from my head to my toe

Temptations is decent song which sounds good but isn't classic like previous two mentions. It's unique because this is the another time in which Shakur mentions opposite sex in a good way. Unconditional Love is really beautiful song. My favorite 2Pac's love song. Beat features women's voice sample, it's slow, emotional, and Shakur raps about his mom and delivers positive messages, no hate, no killings, just pure emotions on table, in my opinion it's classic.
So Many Tears and Me Against The World are last introspective tracks on first disc, they are both from his finest release Me Against The World from 1995. First one is considered as one of his best lyrical performances. He talks to God, and very interesting line is the one in which he says that is OK to cry even if you're man. That shows his level of humanity. Second song is one of his most known songs. G-Funk beat with characteristical Bee sound ( I don't know how to call it ), Dramacydal are guests, women voice is sampled in hook and he delivers classic verses which subject matter is revealed in song's title. At the end of song he tells us another useful thought:

I know it seem hard sometimes but uhh
Remember one thing
Through every dark night, there's a bright day after that
So no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out
Keep your head up, and handle it

It is one of those messages which everyone should write on the paper, put beside their bed and read it every time they wake up.


Now little bit from 2Pac's another persona, the gangsta one.
2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted is classic song. Dark beat and surprisingly good Snoop add a little bit of variety and what is most unbelievable in this track is the ability of this two artist to cooperate so they can switch lines in one verse, so we hear 2pac twice in one verse etc.
Hit Em Up is maybe the most known diss song of all time, it's directed at Bad Boy label, Chino XL, Mobb Deep. Well it is not that good lyrically but explosion of adrenaline and aggression save the show, because it's a very funny and unprofessional from today's artist when they make a diss song over a slow beat ( Funeral Music is example ).
How Do You Want It is a disrespectful piece of work according to opposite sex but it's hard to refuse yourself from nodding your head to it. A real party music.
And For The End I'll mention Trapped, this is the song from Pac's debut, it's militant as the almost whole album is, it talks about struggle of black men and police's corruption, it's a real classic and the hook is really addictable.




OK, let's head to disc two.



Disc 2:

1. Troublesome '96 ( 3 stars )
2. Brenda’s Got a Baby ( 5 stars )
3. I Ain’t Mad at ‘Cha ( 5 stars )
4. I Get Around ( 4 stars )
5. Changes ( 5 stars )
6. California Love (Original Version) ( 5 stars )
7. Picture Me Rollin’ ( 2 stars )
8. How Long Will They Mourn Me? ( 5 stars )
9. Toss It Up ( 3 stars )
10. Dear Mama ( 5 stars )
11. All About U ( 3 stars )
12. To Live & Die In L.A. ( 5 stars )
13. Heartz of Men ( 5 stars )


Same as the first disc, there are few introspective songs with emotions, messages etc.
First one of them is Brenda's Got A Baby. It's maybe the 2Pac's storytelling at it's best. It is about problem when teenage girls get pregnant too early and then they have no choice so they decide to throw baby in the trash, this one is the very sad story in classic track.
Another classic is I Ain't Mad At Cha, he touches a subject of friendship one more time. This time he mentions friend who made few changes in his life, but he forgives him. I think everybody should forgive their REAL friends if they make some mistakes because is hard to be alone and we're all human. ERRARE HUMANUM EST.
Changes is probably 2Pac's most known song and it's one of the deepest songs he ever made even if he had a many of them. It contains verse from I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto and sampling the melody and chorus of Bruce Hornsby and The Range's "The Way It Is", Changes nevertheless took a sharply different direction in mood and content from it's base. It talks about life struggle, police brutality etc.
How Long Will They Mourn Me is another great work. Combining Nate Dogg's crooning with Thug Life's lyrics resulted as a winning formula. You can feel the depression in the air when you listen to this track, they spit lyrics about their lost homies and pain.
Dear Mama is story for itself. 1000 reviews wouldn't be enough to describe the passion and beauty of this big cup of emotions which just fell off the table and revealed all of 2Pac's emotions and feelings for women who is responsible for his existence. I think there is no human which wouldn't love this rose in the flowers. This is the prime example which shows us that 2Pac was man like all of us and that he wasn't scared of letting his emotions go.
Before the end I'll mention two represent songs. California Love and To Live And Die In LA ( California Love Pt.II).
First one is his comeback single, and the first one for Death Row Records. That is one of those songs which you can call anthems. One of the biggest club bangers of all time, timeless song with incredible samples over D.R.E. beat, they both spit good verses about beauty of Cali.
Second one is tremendous too. In this one, women sings the hook but there are Pac's fresh rhymes describing why he loves Cali. Both songs have videos, I recommend you watching the first one which is inspired by Mad Max 3 movie.



So this was the 2Pac's greatest hits collection. What more can I say, I really think that this is the albums which can be listened even by non rap heads and I strongly recommend it. Even if there are a little bit of filler on disc 2 ( you noticed that I haven't mentioned some songs )I still think that they aren't affecting album's overall quality.

And now, if you own all of 2Pac's work there is no reason to buy this CD, you should buy singles Changes and Unconditional Love because they are beautiful songs.
But if you're new in hip-hop or you don't know Pac's work, go to the store immediately and buy this CD.

First Disc- 4,67
Second Disc-4,23

Overall-4,48=4,5

Rounded up to 5 STARS ( because it's a compilation )


Tupac Amaru Shakur ( 1971-1996 )
Rest In Peace


Thanks For Reading.

Sven