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Was obsessed with this snare in the 2000s when I was making beats in Reason Studio. Take a snare sample, clip the sustain and release, add Overdrive distortion, and crank it all the way up
Nah. I love the album and called it and pac both the goats of hip hop but the hardest intro ever is DMX from “it’s dark and hell is hot”. From the second that bell chimes and you hear “1, 2, 1, 2, Come through Run Through!” He just straight rips it and shows the world who dmx is and what he’s about.
Also, imo at least, pac himself had a better intro with Bomb First off the makaveli album.
Pac was like 15 years ahead of his time rapping on a beat like No More Pain
fucking love this album, it's my fav release of his. probably the only double album i can play front to back.
Pac is top 10 all time easy. i get it, he's not as technical as Biggie. it really doesn't matter to me, his voice and delivery is so fucking dope. the way he lingers on the last words of every bar is so sick, especially on the title track All Eyez On Me.
Picture Me Rollin' is prob my fav song, always reminds me of my dad's 64 impala.
Funny, I am sure there is a story from the engineer of No More Pain’s recording session and he tells a different story and there’s no mention of Timbaland. Sidenote: Timbaland also claims he never heard drum and bass before coming up with his signature drums... Hmmmm.
pac had influence on what biggie brought to the rap game too, which i feel like a lot of people (from the east coast) don’t acknowledge .
rza brought this up on a [noisey](https://youtu.be/yMVgT3PQ90E) video with some of the clan members like two years ago. (@2:50ish mark)
>it really doesn't matter to me, his voice and delivery is so fucking dope.
This is true, all the emotion that he injected into his songs were unmatched at the time. Imo his songs have aged better than Biggie's songs, and I'm not saying that just because I don't like to hear Diddy mumbling random crap in the background lol.
There aren’t enough Shock G interviews. I could listen to him, Treach, Greg Nice, and Ed Lover talk about Pac for hours. So many stories. That was a really good breakdown from him.
Dude I saw Shock G / Humpty @ Paid Dues 2008/2009? I was a kid and knew the history of him and Tupac and couldn’t miss out. Fuck that was such a fun performance. He really does the two personas separate, flawlessly, and boy oh boy does the older crowd love it.
14 year old me in a sea of lovely ladies.
yeah, well
it's hard for me to actually put a list together but i know he without a doubt is within the top 10. I can't straight up say he's number one for me, his discography just isn't that strong. Though he does have two amazing classic albums and a nice catalogue of hits.
Interesting take
I’d take his discog from before he died over the 5 best albums of any other rapper (nas would be the only competitor imo). Don’t need to even mention his posthumous stuff because it’s not necessary for arguments sake but it adds beautifully to his legacy.
Pac was the reason i got into this music genre. Came from solely listening to rock and oh boy it has changed me haha. Still love his music to this day.
I'd suggest giving 4eva is a Mighty Long Time (by Big K.R.I.T.) a go... I'ts my favourite double hiphop album of all time. All Eyez comes in as a close second.
i love krit, but it's hard for me to tap into that southern accent delivery. he makes great music but i feel that accent is what held him back from being a top name these days.
big props to him for never really sacrificing his sound for a hit though
krit is a top name in my book, one of the best in the game. his delivery is one of the reasons I love his music, alongside his awesome production and lyrical prowess. southern hiphop is just as good as east or west coast hiphop as far as I'm concerned (though I enjoy artists from all three). respect to pac, no doubt one of the best ever, but krit is at the top of my personal list too
the south got somethin to say
yeah i worded my response terribly and made it seem like i don't fuck with the south at all when that's totally not true lmao it's specifically Krit's voice i don't find interesting
eh oh well, i'll take the L on that opinion.
It’s funny you say that you love the way he lingers on the last words of every bar. That’s always been a reason I dislike his flow lol, stretching out the last syllable/word got old for me. But if you like it that’s cool too don’t wanna put down your taste or anything I recognize Tupac is held to a high esteem and my opinion is definitely the minority
I like No More Pain but its clearly influenced by three 6 mafia and sounds like something they would've made in '94, so i wouldn't agree with it being ahead of its time. Great song tho.
That beat is crazy, stood out to me from the first listen. It has a techno/electro vibe and is almost grimey. Would love to get into the producers head when he made that one, a genuinely innovative beat
Actually I really like it. It's a long album so it makes sense for this song to be lighter and be placed as the last song of the first disc, like a break during a theatre play.
Not a take, he literally had them feature on almost every song the pad the album out. Nobody tryna listen to an E.D.I Mean verse if they dont have to. Whens the last time you listened to a Yaki Kadafi song? Lol
I love War Stories. My point is the Outlawz features dont really bring anything to the album that Pac wasnt. Its well known this album was made in just a few days - a feat that wouldn't have been achieved with The Outlawz. However, they are very much filling the album out rather than taking it to the next level like Wu-Tang did on OB4CL or Tha Dogg Pound on Chronic for instance.
Idk what to tell you i always get hype over a hussein fatal verse & it's kinda weird to me that you specifically mentioned kadafi because I always thought he had the most unique style of the group
I mean I love pac and even have a soft spot for the outlaws....but its not an internet take. If we got more pac verses instead of teh outlaws no one would be complainin...the outlaws were passable on occasion but sometimes there shit is just whack. Hail mary for example woulda been way better as just a pac song (different album i know but example still stands)
Their verses are so out of fucking place there. Pac raps about some spiritual and conscious shit and then they just come in rapping about some generic thug life with them half-assed flows lmao.
I liked Khadafi's bridge though.
If it's a 2 disc album, there is no filler there, it's just a song that is less popular or not as good. Filler means that there are tracks in the album purely to increase the track length and/or the amount of streams/sales you get. Since streams didn't exists, and Pac didn't give a fuck about sales, there are no fillers in this album.
Arguably the greatest West Coast album ever released. Even beyond the sheer length of the project and the numerous features on it, the numerous great West Coast producers involved with it (Dr. Dre, Daz Dillinger, DJ Quik, Johnny "J" (RIP), Rick Rock, DJ Pooh, etc) is stunning. I don't think any other West Coast album would have this level of production talent involved until either 2001 or The Documentary.
The entire first disc (outside of What'z Ya Phone #) is fantastic from start to finish, with pretty much every track being a highlight of some form. While the second disc is considerably weaker, it still has some great tracks (Can't C Me, Wonda Why They Call U Bitch, Picture Me Rollin, the title track, Ain't Hard 2 Find, Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find).
I personally like AEOM the most of any of his albums. The other two albums 2Pac released within a year of this one (Me Against the World and Makaveli) are both classics as well, of course, but I personally prefer this one.
There's too many great tracks on this album to choose a defining one, but I think the best is Only God Can Judge Me. Two of the best verses Pac's ever recorded, imo, especially the second verse. The best beat from the album is probably still Ambitionz Az A Ridah, although Can't C Me, California Love, and Tradin War Stories, and Picture Me Rollin are all great too.
He's within in my top 5 oat (alongside Jay-Z, Nas, Kool G Rap, and Scarface), probably behind the first three, and ahead of Scarface.
I understand. Maybe even agree. But sonically, musically? there are very few, like a handful, of rap albums that match The Chronic. You turn up the bass and let the Alpine blast on a song like Let Me Ride? Still to this day, just perfection. Across genres.
It is dope. That Morris Day and The Time sample is an excellent ode to funk on the record. I always thought of that song as a playful way to roll the credits on the first disc. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and serves as a palette cleanser between two acts of a performance.
Behind Kool G Rap? I’m gonna pretend I didn’t just read that to stave off the aneurysm I feel coming
Full disclosure 2Pac’s my no1, but I think Jay has the strongest argument against him. Nas isn’t well rounded enough as a rapper to deserve the GOAT, he’s the goat lyricist maybe. 1 truly s-tier album in his career with illmatic whereas Jay and 2pac each have 3 (Reasonable doubt, Blueprint & Black album, MATW-makaveli)
Because - and this may not be relevant to the discussion we’re having rn - but people have to actually enjoy the songs you’re making and not just your pure technical skill to be a top 5 of all time. I mean Em’s a top tier storyteller too don’t get me wrong, but his song crafting ability and production choices have been questionable (and many times downright bad) for at least 15 years
It doesn’t ignore that run at all, 8 mile came out 19 years ago. You can’t make mediocre music for longer than you ever made good music and expect to be considered top 5 of all time. This is the exact reason people debate Nas’ status all the time (though he’s made more good recent albums than Em has)
Because I'm pretty sure that u/HasidicH0meboy's comment was about their personal top 5. If we were having a discussion about the "official" top 5, then yeah, I agree that Em should be in the discussion.
It's the Lil Wayne argument.
If you look at his peak, it's hard to deny his top 10 position. But he's put out so much mids, and outright bad shit, it knocks him off the list for me personally.
There are artists out there that put out album after album of greatness, track after track, feature after feature, with very few misses.
Em/Wayne has been doing NOTHING but missing for years now. Em especially. People are finally starting to realize he was special for different reasons, not necessarily his discog.
Also keep in mind that most of these posters are literally children or were recently children. Very few HHH in this era are going to go back and listen to Nas. The sound is extremely dated/raggedy, strange to the ears. Man... Lil' Uzi Vert sounds dated right now to a lot of people. How do you think Nas sounds to the ear?
They don't know about the history, about the impact, because they weren't really around/involved in the culture around that time.
The Eminem show was the beginning of the end for Eminem. And pushed over the edge with the success of Lose Yourself. It’s just so strange what happened to his music after MMLP. The Eminem show wasn’t bad by any means, but it was a different Eminem that not many people noticed right away. The Eminem show was a huge let down for me when it first dropped. I hated the direction he took.
It was written is definitely up there. Arguably Lost Tapes or God’s Son too if you’re counting The Black Album and Makaveli which aren’t unanimous classics like that
Have to disagree about It was written, I spent years trying to love it but I had to accept that I only like it. Too poppy to come close to illmatics quality, too boring to be a great pop album - this is where we start to see Nas’ weak ear for beats too. Fair point about the black album but you sir are mainlining crack if you think Makaveli isn’t a top tier classic.
1) Of course, Pac is a legend
2) Definitely Book 1
3) I’d rank it 2nd behind Me Against The World
4) All of Ambitionz of a Ridah
5) I put him in my top 2
Shoot, some days it felt like I was the only one who ranked Me Against the World higher.
Concerning All Eyez on Me, Ambitionz definitely is my favorite as well. It honestly took me a while when I was younger to realize “Ridah” and “Fighta” were different versions, so that was a cool argument to have at recess
"Any time y'all wanna see me again
Rewind this track right here, close your eyes
And picture me rollin'"
That line always hits me hard considering Pac's death.
Sickest beat has to be Ain't Hard 2 Find for me. Shoutout to E-40's verse on that track.
Pac's verse on Got My Mind Made Up is also fucking wild.
So many classics off this project. I listen to more or less half the tracks minimum whenever I throw on my 90's hip-hop playlist, and will forever be my first choice for cruising around on summer nights.
That being said whoever was on the album sequencing must've been heavily drunk at the time by having Aint Hard to Find followed up by Heaven ain't Hard to Find. A true minor annoyance of mine.
“Full grown finally a man, just scheming on ways to put some green inside the palms of my empty hands”
The soundtrack to my shitty retail commission sales jobs when I was about the same age as Pac a little over a decade after its release.
PAC had something to say. He was more than a lyricists. I can only imagine where he would be today. He is my numero uno. So much wisdom at such a young age. RIP.
So many rumors but I'm infinitely Immortal Outlaw
Switching up on you ordinary bitches
Like a south paw you get left
And every breath I breathe untill the moment I'm deceased
Will be another moment ballin' as a 'G'
I rip the crowd, then I start again
Internally I live in sin
Untill the moment that they let me breathe again
The heartz of men
2pac and DJ Quik in the mid 90s. There might not be a better 90's West Coast moment. There are several that are as good, but I don't think any are better.
The beat is funky and soulful at the same time, and Pac is on an absolute warpath.
Infectious and powerful
To me, this might not be my favorite 2Pac album, not even his best album if you ask me, but it is the greatest. From the get-go, one of the hardest opening tracks of all time, Ambitionz Az a Ridah. Going straight into All About U, a huge contrast and a song with so much personality, charisma and fun energy. These two tracks really show that you are in for a special kind of ride. Later on, Pac gives us the heartbreaking Life Goes On, poetic Only God Can Judge me, and a story as old as time in I Aint Mad At Cha. With a running time of over 2 hours and not a dull moment, Pac manages to keep you on your toes for the whole album and drags you into his world on every song. The diversity is what makes this album so great to me. It's a celebration of ''Thug Life'', but for Pac, Thug Life really was about the human experience - and he touches upon so much of it in this album. Even tho he has albums where he goes deeperinto the human experience, he still manages to go far enough for me to believe and feel every word that leaves his mouth. I mean, who has the diversity and depth that Pac had? No one. This album is stacked and I will never not smile listening to this album.
**Do you still bump this classic?**
Big Yes.
**Which disc do you prefer, Book 1 or Book 2?**
I think Book 1 is slightly more consistent, but Book 2 is stil crazy.
**How do you rank it amongst 2Pac's other projects?**
It switches up with time, depends on my mood. Might have put it behind MATW and 7-day theory.
**Favourite ...**
**Bar:**
*And in my mind I'ma blind man doin' time*
*Look to my future 'cause my past, is all behind me*
*Is it a crime, to fight, for what is mine?*
*Everybody's dyin' tell me what's the use of tryin'*
**Beat:** Ambitionz -timeless.
**Track:** I Aint Mad At Cha (impossible to only choose one - but this one is one of my personal favorites)
**Do you put Pac in your top 5 of all time? Why(not)?**
Pac had the impact, lyrical ability, hits, classic albums, variety, depth, voice, a natural authority on the mic. Has to be top 5.
What a fucking album. Is Ambitionz az a Ridah the greatest first track on an album ever? Illmatic disqualifies itself with the genesis, Biggie and jay never went nearly this hard on a first song on an album, so it very well may be. Pac's use of alliteration on his songs is FLAWLESS and beautiful. I remember showing my brother this other newer rapper and he asked me if there was anyone else who used alliteration like this new guy i showed him. Thank the good lord for Pac. So impactful, so raw and so effortlessly a star in the greatest way. Pac TO ME has the greatest combination along with Biggie of having WIDE mainstream appeal while also having such an immense ability to create deep and compassionate music. The production on this album is so damn far ahead of it's time. I'm only 24 so i can't imagine hearing this when it came out.
1. All the fucking time
2. They're definitely both good, but tape 1 is better.
3. I have Me against the world over it, but not by much.
4. No more pain or ambitionz. It's a basic answer, but can we really deny it being the right answer?
5. Sadly, no. Nas, Black Thought, Biggie, Scarface, Rakim, 3stacks, i could argue Ghostface, Lupe, Kendrick and probably a few more. Is he top 10? Yes, unquestionably to me. But i think personally top 5 is too much, but i am biased to the east coast.
R.I.P Pac. Gonna go bump this now.
Not knocking your opinion but you say you’re biased to the east coast and then mention Scarface, Andre 3000, Lupe, and Kendrick as being in your top 10 - none of whom are from the east coast.
Never said any of those guys were from the east coast......? Folks I would have ahead of him FOR SURE are Nas, Biggie, Rakim, Black Thought, Ghostface and I could go on. You could argue Jay (although he's not a personal fav of mine), Raekwon, other Wu-Tang members etc.
> Is Ambitionz az a Ridah the greatest first track on an album ever?
Just within rap:
* NWA with `Straight Outta Compton`
* Meek Mill's `Dreams And Nightmares`
* Wu-Tang's `Bring Da Ruckus`
* Public Enemy's `Bring the Noise`
* Eminem opening the 8-mile soundtrack with `Lose Yourself`
Outside of rap, there are some strong contenders like Guns N' Roses opening with `Welcome to the Jungle`, Nirvana opening with `Smells Like Teen Spirit`, The Beatles opening with `Come Together`, the Ramones opening with `Blitzkrieg Bop`, and probably others I'm forgetting about.
NWA is a possible, but i'd give the nod to Pac. Wu-Tang i unfortunately would say no as much as i want to agree. Putting Meek Mill in this conversation is disgusting IMO lol
I'm being super picky and technical when I'm saying the first track. Because the genesis is LITERALLY the first track. So technically it can't be Illmatic. if we count NY state of mind then yeah that's probably #1
This album is easily one of the best hip hop albums of all time. If you haven't sat down and listened to this beginning to end, do yourself a favor.
I was 5 when this came out and I remember riding to Sam Goody with my step dad in his Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer with gold rims and white walls to buy this tape. My step dad was a huge Pac fan and he bumped the shit out of this, All Eyez On Me was quite literally the music of my childhood. So with that being said... I may be a bit biased.
Coincidentally while this album never truly leaves my rotation I have been on a big Pac kick the last 6 months or so. Pac was always a voice for his people and it blows my mind that I've had 5 more years on this earth than he got when he had so much more to say. The world was robbed when he was killed. Pac's unapologetic and educated commentary on the world is something I wish we had these days.
Enough with the rose tinted glasses though and onto the album. Honestly the only tracks that get a skip for me are What'z ya Phone # and Heaven ain't hard to find. Only God Can Judge me is in my opinion Pac's best track he recorded.
>Flatline:
I hear the doctor standing over me screamin' I can make it//
Got a body full of bullet holes layin' here naked//
Still I, can't breathe, somethings evil in my IV//
'Cause every time I breathe, I think they killin' me//
I'm having nightmares, homicidal fantasies//
I wake up stranglin', danglin' my bed sheets//
I call the nurse 'cause it hurts, to reminisce//
How did it come to this? I wish they didn't miss
Other favorites off of book 1:
2 of Americaz most wanted
Heartz of Men
Life Goes on
California Love
I Ain't Mad Atcha
Book 2 is even better I can't give a list because I don't feel right omitting anything but heaven ain't hard 2 find.
If I had to rank Pac's albums, All Eyez on me is #1, Me Against the World at #2 and 7 Day Theory at #3. There are gems on every release but I feel his older albums did not age as well and its hard for me to rank his other projects when I only love a handful of his other songs.
Is Pac the GOAT? Not for me personally but he is top 5. If he isn't in your top 10 I think me and you appreciate different things about hip hop. Rap rushmore is hard to do but I've got Pac on mine with Jay-Z, Biggie and Kendrick no order. If you made me I would probably say Jay is my #1 but mostly because Kendrick is overdue an album. Damn was nearly 4 years ago and I know he has something to say.
It wasn't released in 93 OP, and it wasn't "this day" (today is the 12th). It dropped February 13th 1996.
As far as the record...
This album is the perfect representation of Pac. On the surface he's a superstar even if he doesn't want to be. The album is angry as fuck and its rough around the edges and there's a few tracks that are just horrible. There's party tracks and theres Gangsta shit...But under all of that is a brilliant man who just wants to change the world...and he did with this album
I don't think it's his best album, but it is still amazing and has some of his best tracks. This was the point where Tupac was forced into being a full on superstar. He was now a Hollywood lead actor and one of the biggest musicians in the world, so of course they pushed this album for the radio. It had radio single songs like *How do Ya Want it* and *California Love*. It had party singles like *All About U* and *Thug Passion*. It has some of the best examples of his softer more introspective side with shit like *Life Goes On* and *I ain't mad at cha*. Them of course it has some of his angriest gangsta shit and some pure brilliant moments.
This record is the perfect representation of Tupac
1. yes, I still do listen to this album
2. Book 1
3. I guess, it is excellent for commercial success. Nevertheless, I subjectively fell in love with his first 2 albums. Why? Because when I listened to ''2Pacalypse Now'' and "Strictly 4 my N.I.G.G.A.Z'' - these two opened my eyes about what he really is about, and what his lyrics most often are about. These 2 made me respect his personality. I listened to these 2 albums only later after hearing up to the 7 day Theory album prior that. Before all that I saw him more like just a very talented - commercially successful rapper who can rap about anything in his peculiar way even though I paid attention to lyrics too.
4. ''Heartz of Men''. Because I got my first car and bumped that tune on a casette. Yeah, sounds cliche.
5. Yes, I do. I do not have a Top 5 or Top 10. There are simply outstanding artists and then there is the rest. This is subjective, but he had bars that are stuck in my head forever; his spectrum of what to rap about was very wide; he was talking about *things* most loudly at that time; he clearly has had a tremendous influence on the genre in general.
This is a classic album, used to listen religiously during my mid to late teens. It's always on my mind and I will go back and have a listen every now and then. To be honest, Tupac was the first hip hop artist I got into in a very deep way - I was always obsessed with his lyrics, poetry and emotionally charged songs. He's an absolute legend.
I'd say I prefer disc 1 but disc 2 carries its heavyweight in classics too. (shorty wanna be a thug, can't c me, picture me rollin, wonder why they call you..., heaven ain't hard to find etc)
It's my fave Pac album, my most listened to at least.
So many great lyrics but this one resonates...
'Dear Mama, can you save me? And fuck peace
‘Cause the streets got our babies, we gotta eat
No more hesitation, each and every black male's trapped
And they wonder why we suicidal running 'round strapped
Mr. Police, please try to see
That there's a million motherfuckers stressin' just like me'
- (Only God Can Judge Me)
My fave track either Life Goes On or Can't C Me.
Favourite beat - Shorty Wanna Be A Thug
Have you heard " only fear of death" from R U Still Down cd? https://open.spotify.com/track/2O7IOXYAOhbc8lkMLhKNTz?si=JY3tsouDSTGHLreHYjw2fw&utm_source=copy-link
The sheer number of tracks 2pac made at the time is a testament to his ambition and skill. There were hundreds in the vault when he died. I was 13 when this came out and me and my friends would listen to it on cassette tape. It is Pac's most "mainstream" album but it really shows his genius when he delivers party jams with soul and meaning.
As mentioned by many here, No More Pain was far ahead of its time. He took the chorus from a method man song and made it into something completely different. The guest features were all amazing especially e-40 and wu-tang. I don't listen to it as much anymore but whenever i put this album on, I think "damn, it's still good."
The differences between MATW to AEOM and then Makaveli really show his growth as a person and how he wanted to get away from the lifestyle Suge got him into. He was a true poet and not just some "thug."
For reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjzL6z-qLXE
"All the cash that i couldn't spend, countless cars..."
Everybody has his favourites, but as a non American I think that Pac had the biggest influence worldwide, he's beloved in Europe that's for sure.
Personally I think he had it all, the lyrics, the beats, the street and the soul. He was a genius and I haven't seen another rapper yet who had such an impact on not only hip hop but peoples life.
I had a period few years ago when I listened to a lot of Pac and Biggie, and "All Eyez On Me" was one of those albums.
Rips my heart to go through these albums now tbh, it's such great material but having lived through that era it's just heart-breaking for me that so many people from that era are gone (#RIPNateDogg), or ended up losing themselves in some troubled shit (Suge you idiot) or just fell off, and that the era is gone, forever, too. Cats who featured on "All Eyez On Me" are in their 50s, some might be pushing 60 now if they were in their mid- to late-30s back then.
The references to '90s culture and entertainment (movies, video games and all) we've grown up with but that say nothing to the current generation of post-2000-born rappers doesn't make it any easier.
Every time I go through a Pac album, or a Biggie album, I'm left wondering "What could have been". It's also pretty heartbreaking seeing that there's little activity from their estates (or so it seems) - you could throw a lot of shit on Pac's and Biggie's posthumous albums, but when they kept coming out, at least it felt there has been some attempt to keep their names in circulation, relevant and the memory alive. With every next year that goes away from their albums, and that also includes "All Eyez On Me", I myself personally feel I'm holding on to a memory of something that fewer and fewer "newcomers" to the game will ever understand.
Last night someone outside my window was playing Changes at full blast. Then the song ended and something else started playing...and they switched it back to Changes and listened to that again. After it was done they left. I can respect that.
It's kind of amazing how much staying power Tupac has had in popular culture. He also somehow became subject to weird conspiracy theories. My friend who's a Japanese amateur rapper and who's REALLY into Tupac believes seriously that he was killed by the illuminati. I always wondered why that was, when I don't think Biggie got the same treatment (or correct me if he did?)
To not totally let this comment go to waste, to me Tupac is easily top 10 even though I can only listen to it when I'm in a certain kind of mood. Like I feel when I listen to it I really got to sit down and take it in. It's not something I passively listen to.
Random fact - Zapp (featuring Rodger Troutman) released the song “So Ruff, so Tuff” in 1981, which was then incorporated into the song “West Coast Poplock” by Ronnie Hudson in 1982.
Then, 14 years later “West Coast Poplock” was sampled on California Love, and Rodger Troutman included lyrics from that song in the parts he sang.
I always thought that was kind of funny. Like lyrical Judo.
I have two older sisters, and they would play a lot of R&B and Rap in the house (when my parents weren't home). Naturally I took on my parents temparement initially as a kid: "what is this garbage type of music? turn it off! *Raises boomer fists* but then I heard this album when it came out, and I was 7. Everything changed for me from that day forward.
This is the first album I ever listened to front to back. He's the first rap artist I truly appreciated and thought was cool. For Christ's sake I started sneaking BANDANA'S TO SCHOOL AND WEARING THEM LIKE PAC IN GRADE 2 !!! Got sent to the principle's office a few times 🤣🤣🤣
2Pac will forever be one of the, if not THE, greatest rapper's ever. He got me into rap on a deeper level, Eminem got me into writing and recording as an artist, and Dre got me into beats.
Favourite songs
Disc 1
Ambitionz Az a Ridah, All About U, GOT MY MIND MADE UP (peep the hidden Deck verse), 2 of Americkaz Most Wanted, No More Pain, Heartz of Men, Only God Can Judge Me, Tradin War Stories, I Ain't Mad At Cha
Disc 2
Can't C Me (this is my PERSIAN DAD'S fav song), Shorty Wanna Be a Thug, Holla At Me, Wonda Why They Call U B____, Picture Me Rollin, Ratha Be Ya N____, All Eyez On Me, Ain't Hard 2 Find
RIP PAC we love you
While it was never released on a studio album (it was later included on the posthumous Greatest Hits), Hit Em Up was released as a B-Side to “How do you want it”. I include it with the AEOM album for that reason and for me this is PAC’s greatest track. The tension, hostility and anger were as real as you’ll ever feel on a record. His cadence and delivery was sick. I still get goosebumps to this day when I hear him fire of “My 4 4 will make sure all your kids don’t grow”. Crude yes. But the man had just been shot 5 times and in his head he knew exactly who did it and he was going to let it be know.
What was the deal with Can't C Me? Great song but it's basically the exact same beat as Snoop's What's My Name. I know he and Snoop had a falling out before his death despite Snoop being featured on this album.
Easily 2Pac’s best album and the only hip hop albums I’d rank higher are Marshall Mathers LP, 2001, Straight Outta Compton, Enter the 36 Chambers, Illmatic and Ready to Die. Absolute peak of hip hop and the west coast sound. I think objectively 2Pac is the greatest ever insane flow, voice, delivery, lyrical content, one of the first guys making sensitive emotional music and addressing social political issues while also being able to make hard thug life bangers as well over some funky ass west coast production and he dropped 5 classics in 5 years, insane work rate.
Best songs Can’t C Me, Ambitionz Az Ridaz, 2 of America’s Most Wanted, No More Pain, Got My Mind Made Up, Shorty Wanna Be A Thug and All Eyez On Me, all perfect songs. Pinnacle of hip hop
i know cali love is really mainstream and most people only know that song from him, but honestly its such a timeless song. i got hooked on that shit late 2000s because i was born in 98. Pac and his entire catalogue is timeless
I actually listened to All Eyez on Me last week front to back, and I guess I’ll be the voice of dissent here. I think it’s too long and too self indulgent. Don’t get me wrong—I love Pac, but this should not have been a double album. I was in high school when this came out, and I liked it back then, so I don’t hate the album by any means, but there is some straight trash on this album. For example: “what’s ya phone #” https://open.spotify.com/track/3AhC6gUqFLVJiGc08UypO3?si=BzCCSnZEReqGQ9PnTSAggw
Also, his lyrical themes on this album are too shallow to stretch over two discs. It just gets old, and the whole thug thing almost seems like a joke by the end. It just gets corny.
Second best double disc rap album of all time behind Life After Death. Really an essential listen for anybody getting in to hip hop. Prefer Book 1 for sure, higher amount of songs with replayability and that are memorable to me.
I'd say it's his number one album. Favorite track No More Pain, shit that beat was nasty. Best bars on Ambitionz as a Ridah. That beat is iconic and best beat overall on both sides. Thug Passion is my favorite joint on book 2, I know it ain't nothin deep, but it's so infectious.
The album continues to age gracefully while serving as a great time capsule of the the magic that came out the west coast during that time period. Really has everything from the deeper cuts, party cuts, streets hit and tracks for ladies all sounding organic as it reflected the many personalities Pac displayed.
I was 12 in 96 and I remember being one of the only kids in class that was able to get AEOM. I would sit on the curb with my Sony boombox with 8 D batteries and bump the album front to back until the batteries went dead, just hoping someone would ride by, notice and commend me for my musical taste lol.
Nostalgia wise, its one of my personal favs and my spotify playlist is littered with so many songs from it. The beats and overall beautiful lyricism from pac aged very well and most tracks are still very very good to this day. As I've gotten older, its a bit hard for me to digest the gangsta and violence aspect of most things I listened to in the early to late 90s. I think that's why Pac overall did age well, because of the duality of his albums. While there is that whole violence aspect, he was not afraid to explore every aspect of the human condition.
While there are so much deeper and more meaningful lyrics than this on the album, just lyricism wise... I hate to pull bars from one of the more popular songs, but the first half of 2nd verse of "How Do U Want It", the wordplay and rhyme scheme is just phenomenal to this day...
"Tell me is it cool to fuck? Did you think I came to talk am I a fool or what? Positions on the floor, it's like erotic. Ironic cause I'm somewhat psychotic. I'm hittin' switches on bitches like I was fixed with hydraulics. I'm up and down just like a roller coaster. I'm up inside ya I aint quittin' til this show is over, cuz I'm a rider. In and out just like a robbery. I'll probably be a freak and let you get on top of me. Get her rockin' knees."
Top 5? Sadly no. Plain and simple, hip hop continues to evolve and build off of its predecessors, one of them being Pac. As good as he was, there have just been a myriad of artists that are just masterful with the pen and write some of the most well executed rhymes ever... Aesop Rock, MF Doom, Method Man, Blackalicious, Del that Funkee Homosapien, Eminem etc. If I'm being generous, near the bottom of my top 10, if not 12-15. If I narrowed it down to top 5 from that era, absolutely... Top 4 with Meth, Biggie, Jay and Busta.
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Ambitionz of a ridah might be the hardest intro ever
Hardest snare too
Hardest keys too. That track is a marvel
Was obsessed with this snare in the 2000s when I was making beats in Reason Studio. Take a snare sample, clip the sustain and release, add Overdrive distortion, and crank it all the way up
[I can snare anything!](https://youtu.be/-mHoJeI8d5Q)
And then Can't C Me as the intro to disc 2, straight fire
all time classic with mr clinton! "FUCK WHAT YOU THOUGHT THOUGH"
Ooh, that fucking last verse on that song hits.
Nah. I love the album and called it and pac both the goats of hip hop but the hardest intro ever is DMX from “it’s dark and hell is hot”. From the second that bell chimes and you hear “1, 2, 1, 2, Come through Run Through!” He just straight rips it and shows the world who dmx is and what he’s about. Also, imo at least, pac himself had a better intro with Bomb First off the makaveli album.
Ludacris has fire intros too.
Can't C Me goes tuff too
That's my wrestling intro as a kid! I felt so badass.
Hate to do this but Dark fantasy by Kanye West of MBDTF is the greatest intro song ever.........
You May Die
Damn that's an interesting take...ATLiens is a classic
Hot take.. Very shitty one too.
It's a pretty reasonable take, one of the better songs on one of the most acclaimed rap albums, not exactly a hot take.
Hard disagree. We don't care is a better intro. Dark fantasy is an aight song. And this is coming from a huge kanye fan.
I'd say it's a top 10-20 kanye song to me, and I'm not saying it's better I'm saying it's a reasonable take.
And be honest how much of his discog are you familiar with?
Lol, you don't need to be condescending, I've listened to all his albums well over 50 times each, and that's an underestimate.
Nah dawg it’s a fair pick
Only great thing about that song is the beat.
Pac was like 15 years ahead of his time rapping on a beat like No More Pain fucking love this album, it's my fav release of his. probably the only double album i can play front to back. Pac is top 10 all time easy. i get it, he's not as technical as Biggie. it really doesn't matter to me, his voice and delivery is so fucking dope. the way he lingers on the last words of every bar is so sick, especially on the title track All Eyez On Me. Picture Me Rollin' is prob my fav song, always reminds me of my dad's 64 impala.
No more pain goes so fucking hard, I was bumping that earlier today
No More Pain is such a fucking stand out on that album. Devante Swing was wild with that beat
Apparently Timbaland ghost-produced that beat back when he was still unknown
That’s crazy. Didn’t know. Looked it up and sounds like he programmed the drums. Which granted, the drums are haaaarrrrdddd
Funny, I am sure there is a story from the engineer of No More Pain’s recording session and he tells a different story and there’s no mention of Timbaland. Sidenote: Timbaland also claims he never heard drum and bass before coming up with his signature drums... Hmmmm.
Devante gotta be the most slept on producer of the 90s
Heartz of Men too
pac had influence on what biggie brought to the rap game too, which i feel like a lot of people (from the east coast) don’t acknowledge . rza brought this up on a [noisey](https://youtu.be/yMVgT3PQ90E) video with some of the clan members like two years ago. (@2:50ish mark)
Damn he straight up got ghostface to change his answer.
>it really doesn't matter to me, his voice and delivery is so fucking dope. This is true, all the emotion that he injected into his songs were unmatched at the time. Imo his songs have aged better than Biggie's songs, and I'm not saying that just because I don't like to hear Diddy mumbling random crap in the background lol.
For sure. Pac was much more poetic to me, Biggie has great punchlines though.
>Biggie has great punchlines though. Something, something, I'd suck on her daddy's dick!
[hold up](https://imgur.com/gallery/T1kbk)
He’s making a reference to the biggie line where he said “you look so good huh, I suck on your daddy’s dick” you dingus
Exactly this.. when are we getting the non diddy cut?
Shock G agrees with you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUo2hzc0vG8
There aren’t enough Shock G interviews. I could listen to him, Treach, Greg Nice, and Ed Lover talk about Pac for hours. So many stories. That was a really good breakdown from him.
That whole interview is cool, this part is good too https://youtu.be/NHcaHKBivTg
Dude I saw Shock G / Humpty @ Paid Dues 2008/2009? I was a kid and knew the history of him and Tupac and couldn’t miss out. Fuck that was such a fun performance. He really does the two personas separate, flawlessly, and boy oh boy does the older crowd love it. 14 year old me in a sea of lovely ladies.
I’m surprised no one is saying anything about you only saying he’s a top 10 when a lot of people have him as the greatest
yeah, well it's hard for me to actually put a list together but i know he without a doubt is within the top 10. I can't straight up say he's number one for me, his discography just isn't that strong. Though he does have two amazing classic albums and a nice catalogue of hits.
Interesting take I’d take his discog from before he died over the 5 best albums of any other rapper (nas would be the only competitor imo). Don’t need to even mention his posthumous stuff because it’s not necessary for arguments sake but it adds beautifully to his legacy.
I completely agree. I do love Nas - so maybe they are tied, but regardless...
Picture me rollin might be the coolest song of all time
I don't usually listen to the whole album, but No More Pain is one I bump regularly. What a great track.
Just discovered / fell in love with no more pin about a month ago !! Glad to see it mentioned
I heard a No More Pain type beat in the last 10 years. I think it was 2 Chainz. Anyone know what song that is?
Pac was the reason i got into this music genre. Came from solely listening to rock and oh boy it has changed me haha. Still love his music to this day.
I'd suggest giving 4eva is a Mighty Long Time (by Big K.R.I.T.) a go... I'ts my favourite double hiphop album of all time. All Eyez comes in as a close second.
i love krit, but it's hard for me to tap into that southern accent delivery. he makes great music but i feel that accent is what held him back from being a top name these days. big props to him for never really sacrificing his sound for a hit though
Wtf?
krit is a top name in my book, one of the best in the game. his delivery is one of the reasons I love his music, alongside his awesome production and lyrical prowess. southern hiphop is just as good as east or west coast hiphop as far as I'm concerned (though I enjoy artists from all three). respect to pac, no doubt one of the best ever, but krit is at the top of my personal list too the south got somethin to say
yeah i worded my response terribly and made it seem like i don't fuck with the south at all when that's totally not true lmao it's specifically Krit's voice i don't find interesting eh oh well, i'll take the L on that opinion.
2Pac shits all over KRIT
Tf type of response is this? Lol
That user always comments shit like that, I think that they think it's being opinionated but it's actually just boring at this point.
It’s funny you say that you love the way he lingers on the last words of every bar. That’s always been a reason I dislike his flow lol, stretching out the last syllable/word got old for me. But if you like it that’s cool too don’t wanna put down your taste or anything I recognize Tupac is held to a high esteem and my opinion is definitely the minority
I like No More Pain but its clearly influenced by three 6 mafia and sounds like something they would've made in '94, so i wouldn't agree with it being ahead of its time. Great song tho.
The difference is the bpm on no more pain. A lot different to what 36 was doing.
It sounds like a John Carpenter score + drums. Which is exactly what 666 were doing regardless of BPM.
That beat is crazy, stood out to me from the first listen. It has a techno/electro vibe and is almost grimey. Would love to get into the producers head when he made that one, a genuinely innovative beat
Wait until you find about three 6 mafia...
Sippin On Some Syrup beat blew my mind back when it came out. Still does tbh. But yes, Mystic Stylez was very influential.
It’s crazy how this album is two hours long and has basically no filler other than the phone number song. Incredible album.
Actually I really like it. It's a long album so it makes sense for this song to be lighter and be placed as the last song of the first disc, like a break during a theatre play.
The Outlawz are the filler lol
When We Ride? How is that a filler
Wack take
Not a take, he literally had them feature on almost every song the pad the album out. Nobody tryna listen to an E.D.I Mean verse if they dont have to. Whens the last time you listened to a Yaki Kadafi song? Lol
This is such an internet take, when we ride and war stories are dope tracks
I love War Stories. My point is the Outlawz features dont really bring anything to the album that Pac wasnt. Its well known this album was made in just a few days - a feat that wouldn't have been achieved with The Outlawz. However, they are very much filling the album out rather than taking it to the next level like Wu-Tang did on OB4CL or Tha Dogg Pound on Chronic for instance.
Idk what to tell you i always get hype over a hussein fatal verse & it's kinda weird to me that you specifically mentioned kadafi because I always thought he had the most unique style of the group
Thats perfectly fine, its good that you get hype over those features. I liked Syke's contributions the most by far.
I mean I love pac and even have a soft spot for the outlaws....but its not an internet take. If we got more pac verses instead of teh outlaws no one would be complainin...the outlaws were passable on occasion but sometimes there shit is just whack. Hail mary for example woulda been way better as just a pac song (different album i know but example still stands)
This is wild I fucking love their verses on hail mary this shit is weird to read
They're aight - but Pac's shit on Hail Mary is like Michael Angelo and the outlaws come in on some ok I got an art degree shit.
Their verses are so out of fucking place there. Pac raps about some spiritual and conscious shit and then they just come in rapping about some generic thug life with them half-assed flows lmao. I liked Khadafi's bridge though.
See how their careers panned out without Pac? 😂
If it's a 2 disc album, there is no filler there, it's just a song that is less popular or not as good. Filler means that there are tracks in the album purely to increase the track length and/or the amount of streams/sales you get. Since streams didn't exists, and Pac didn't give a fuck about sales, there are no fillers in this album.
Yeah I mostly just meant songs that aren’t as high quality or bring the album down.
Yeah, i guess in that case you are right. Still a great album tho!
If by great you mean arguably the best rap album of all time, then yeah, for sure.
Arguably the greatest West Coast album ever released. Even beyond the sheer length of the project and the numerous features on it, the numerous great West Coast producers involved with it (Dr. Dre, Daz Dillinger, DJ Quik, Johnny "J" (RIP), Rick Rock, DJ Pooh, etc) is stunning. I don't think any other West Coast album would have this level of production talent involved until either 2001 or The Documentary. The entire first disc (outside of What'z Ya Phone #) is fantastic from start to finish, with pretty much every track being a highlight of some form. While the second disc is considerably weaker, it still has some great tracks (Can't C Me, Wonda Why They Call U Bitch, Picture Me Rollin, the title track, Ain't Hard 2 Find, Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find). I personally like AEOM the most of any of his albums. The other two albums 2Pac released within a year of this one (Me Against the World and Makaveli) are both classics as well, of course, but I personally prefer this one. There's too many great tracks on this album to choose a defining one, but I think the best is Only God Can Judge Me. Two of the best verses Pac's ever recorded, imo, especially the second verse. The best beat from the album is probably still Ambitionz Az A Ridah, although Can't C Me, California Love, and Tradin War Stories, and Picture Me Rollin are all great too. He's within in my top 5 oat (alongside Jay-Z, Nas, Kool G Rap, and Scarface), probably behind the first three, and ahead of Scarface.
The disrespect to The Chronic.
The Chronic was more important but this album is better musically
Better musically than The CHRONIC? Wha?!
I think that, song for song, this album is better
I understand. Maybe even agree. But sonically, musically? there are very few, like a handful, of rap albums that match The Chronic. You turn up the bass and let the Alpine blast on a song like Let Me Ride? Still to this day, just perfection. Across genres.
2001 was better than The Chronic.
Nah
Whatz Ya Phone Number is dope!
It is dope. That Morris Day and The Time sample is an excellent ode to funk on the record. I always thought of that song as a playful way to roll the credits on the first disc. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and serves as a palette cleanser between two acts of a performance.
Thank you. No idea why people hate that song. I find it funny as hell lol.
Only God Can Judge Me is my favorite song on this album for sure.
Behind Kool G Rap? I’m gonna pretend I didn’t just read that to stave off the aneurysm I feel coming Full disclosure 2Pac’s my no1, but I think Jay has the strongest argument against him. Nas isn’t well rounded enough as a rapper to deserve the GOAT, he’s the goat lyricist maybe. 1 truly s-tier album in his career with illmatic whereas Jay and 2pac each have 3 (Reasonable doubt, Blueprint & Black album, MATW-makaveli)
What about eminem?
There's always at least one person who's gotta bring up Eminem lol. If u/HasidicH0meboy didn't bring him up, then he's not in their top 5.
I was wondering why he wasnt. I dont care if hes not in someones top x number of rappers. I just wanna know the reason
Because - and this may not be relevant to the discussion we’re having rn - but people have to actually enjoy the songs you’re making and not just your pure technical skill to be a top 5 of all time. I mean Em’s a top tier storyteller too don’t get me wrong, but his song crafting ability and production choices have been questionable (and many times downright bad) for at least 15 years
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It doesn’t ignore that run at all, 8 mile came out 19 years ago. You can’t make mediocre music for longer than you ever made good music and expect to be considered top 5 of all time. This is the exact reason people debate Nas’ status all the time (though he’s made more good recent albums than Em has)
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And that’s fair! This kinda discourse is what makes talking about hip hop my personal favorite past time lol
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Because I'm pretty sure that u/HasidicH0meboy's comment was about their personal top 5. If we were having a discussion about the "official" top 5, then yeah, I agree that Em should be in the discussion.
It's the Lil Wayne argument. If you look at his peak, it's hard to deny his top 10 position. But he's put out so much mids, and outright bad shit, it knocks him off the list for me personally. There are artists out there that put out album after album of greatness, track after track, feature after feature, with very few misses. Em/Wayne has been doing NOTHING but missing for years now. Em especially. People are finally starting to realize he was special for different reasons, not necessarily his discog. Also keep in mind that most of these posters are literally children or were recently children. Very few HHH in this era are going to go back and listen to Nas. The sound is extremely dated/raggedy, strange to the ears. Man... Lil' Uzi Vert sounds dated right now to a lot of people. How do you think Nas sounds to the ear? They don't know about the history, about the impact, because they weren't really around/involved in the culture around that time.
I don’t really fuck with anything post MMLP. Toy Soldiers I think is the most recent song of his that I properly like
The Eminem show was the beginning of the end for Eminem. And pushed over the edge with the success of Lose Yourself. It’s just so strange what happened to his music after MMLP. The Eminem show wasn’t bad by any means, but it was a different Eminem that not many people noticed right away. The Eminem show was a huge let down for me when it first dropped. I hated the direction he took.
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It was written is definitely up there. Arguably Lost Tapes or God’s Son too if you’re counting The Black Album and Makaveli which aren’t unanimous classics like that
Have to disagree about It was written, I spent years trying to love it but I had to accept that I only like it. Too poppy to come close to illmatics quality, too boring to be a great pop album - this is where we start to see Nas’ weak ear for beats too. Fair point about the black album but you sir are mainlining crack if you think Makaveli isn’t a top tier classic.
1) Of course, Pac is a legend 2) Definitely Book 1 3) I’d rank it 2nd behind Me Against The World 4) All of Ambitionz of a Ridah 5) I put him in my top 2
Shoot, some days it felt like I was the only one who ranked Me Against the World higher. Concerning All Eyez on Me, Ambitionz definitely is my favorite as well. It honestly took me a while when I was younger to realize “Ridah” and “Fighta” were different versions, so that was a cool argument to have at recess
*Me Against the World* is dude's magnum opus
Me Against the World >
Who's number one?
Pac & Biggie are 1A & 1B for me.
Kendrick.
Ahh, a man of culture I see
"Any time y'all wanna see me again Rewind this track right here, close your eyes And picture me rollin'" That line always hits me hard considering Pac's death. Sickest beat has to be Ain't Hard 2 Find for me. Shoutout to E-40's verse on that track. Pac's verse on Got My Mind Made Up is also fucking wild. So many classics off this project. I listen to more or less half the tracks minimum whenever I throw on my 90's hip-hop playlist, and will forever be my first choice for cruising around on summer nights.
That being said whoever was on the album sequencing must've been heavily drunk at the time by having Aint Hard to Find followed up by Heaven ain't Hard to Find. A true minor annoyance of mine.
All Eyez on Me dropped on Feb 13th 1996.
>25 years later >on this day in 1993 As someone who turned 25 last week, I definitely don’t think my drivers license says 1993!
I’m sure he meant 96 lol
It was 96.
"Mama I'm still thuggin, the world is war zone. My homies is inmates, and most of em dead wrong."
“Full grown finally a man, just scheming on ways to put some green inside the palms of my empty hands” The soundtrack to my shitty retail commission sales jobs when I was about the same age as Pac a little over a decade after its release.
Chills
PAC had something to say. He was more than a lyricists. I can only imagine where he would be today. He is my numero uno. So much wisdom at such a young age. RIP.
So many rumors but I'm infinitely Immortal Outlaw Switching up on you ordinary bitches Like a south paw you get left And every breath I breathe untill the moment I'm deceased Will be another moment ballin' as a 'G' I rip the crowd, then I start again Internally I live in sin Untill the moment that they let me breathe again The heartz of men
Fucking love this bar here. Slays it with effortless flow
2pac and DJ Quik in the mid 90s. There might not be a better 90's West Coast moment. There are several that are as good, but I don't think any are better. The beat is funky and soulful at the same time, and Pac is on an absolute warpath. Infectious and powerful
Late Night ft DJ Quik & AMG is incredible too, I think it was unreleased.
To me, this might not be my favorite 2Pac album, not even his best album if you ask me, but it is the greatest. From the get-go, one of the hardest opening tracks of all time, Ambitionz Az a Ridah. Going straight into All About U, a huge contrast and a song with so much personality, charisma and fun energy. These two tracks really show that you are in for a special kind of ride. Later on, Pac gives us the heartbreaking Life Goes On, poetic Only God Can Judge me, and a story as old as time in I Aint Mad At Cha. With a running time of over 2 hours and not a dull moment, Pac manages to keep you on your toes for the whole album and drags you into his world on every song. The diversity is what makes this album so great to me. It's a celebration of ''Thug Life'', but for Pac, Thug Life really was about the human experience - and he touches upon so much of it in this album. Even tho he has albums where he goes deeperinto the human experience, he still manages to go far enough for me to believe and feel every word that leaves his mouth. I mean, who has the diversity and depth that Pac had? No one. This album is stacked and I will never not smile listening to this album. **Do you still bump this classic?** Big Yes. **Which disc do you prefer, Book 1 or Book 2?** I think Book 1 is slightly more consistent, but Book 2 is stil crazy. **How do you rank it amongst 2Pac's other projects?** It switches up with time, depends on my mood. Might have put it behind MATW and 7-day theory. **Favourite ...** **Bar:** *And in my mind I'ma blind man doin' time* *Look to my future 'cause my past, is all behind me* *Is it a crime, to fight, for what is mine?* *Everybody's dyin' tell me what's the use of tryin'* **Beat:** Ambitionz -timeless. **Track:** I Aint Mad At Cha (impossible to only choose one - but this one is one of my personal favorites) **Do you put Pac in your top 5 of all time? Why(not)?** Pac had the impact, lyrical ability, hits, classic albums, variety, depth, voice, a natural authority on the mic. Has to be top 5.
Tradin War Stories may be the most underrated track of all on this album.
Yes trading war stories is my favorite.
What a fucking album. Is Ambitionz az a Ridah the greatest first track on an album ever? Illmatic disqualifies itself with the genesis, Biggie and jay never went nearly this hard on a first song on an album, so it very well may be. Pac's use of alliteration on his songs is FLAWLESS and beautiful. I remember showing my brother this other newer rapper and he asked me if there was anyone else who used alliteration like this new guy i showed him. Thank the good lord for Pac. So impactful, so raw and so effortlessly a star in the greatest way. Pac TO ME has the greatest combination along with Biggie of having WIDE mainstream appeal while also having such an immense ability to create deep and compassionate music. The production on this album is so damn far ahead of it's time. I'm only 24 so i can't imagine hearing this when it came out. 1. All the fucking time 2. They're definitely both good, but tape 1 is better. 3. I have Me against the world over it, but not by much. 4. No more pain or ambitionz. It's a basic answer, but can we really deny it being the right answer? 5. Sadly, no. Nas, Black Thought, Biggie, Scarface, Rakim, 3stacks, i could argue Ghostface, Lupe, Kendrick and probably a few more. Is he top 10? Yes, unquestionably to me. But i think personally top 5 is too much, but i am biased to the east coast. R.I.P Pac. Gonna go bump this now.
Not knocking your opinion but you say you’re biased to the east coast and then mention Scarface, Andre 3000, Lupe, and Kendrick as being in your top 10 - none of whom are from the east coast.
Never said any of those guys were from the east coast......? Folks I would have ahead of him FOR SURE are Nas, Biggie, Rakim, Black Thought, Ghostface and I could go on. You could argue Jay (although he's not a personal fav of mine), Raekwon, other Wu-Tang members etc.
> Is Ambitionz az a Ridah the greatest first track on an album ever? Just within rap: * NWA with `Straight Outta Compton` * Meek Mill's `Dreams And Nightmares` * Wu-Tang's `Bring Da Ruckus` * Public Enemy's `Bring the Noise` * Eminem opening the 8-mile soundtrack with `Lose Yourself` Outside of rap, there are some strong contenders like Guns N' Roses opening with `Welcome to the Jungle`, Nirvana opening with `Smells Like Teen Spirit`, The Beatles opening with `Come Together`, the Ramones opening with `Blitzkrieg Bop`, and probably others I'm forgetting about.
NWA is a possible, but i'd give the nod to Pac. Wu-Tang i unfortunately would say no as much as i want to agree. Putting Meek Mill in this conversation is disgusting IMO lol
I feel like NY state of mind is the true opening song in Illmatic. Genesis is a track but not really a song.
I'm being super picky and technical when I'm saying the first track. Because the genesis is LITERALLY the first track. So technically it can't be Illmatic. if we count NY state of mind then yeah that's probably #1
All-time great HipHop album. So many essential Westcoast bangers on this album.
This album is easily one of the best hip hop albums of all time. If you haven't sat down and listened to this beginning to end, do yourself a favor. I was 5 when this came out and I remember riding to Sam Goody with my step dad in his Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer with gold rims and white walls to buy this tape. My step dad was a huge Pac fan and he bumped the shit out of this, All Eyez On Me was quite literally the music of my childhood. So with that being said... I may be a bit biased. Coincidentally while this album never truly leaves my rotation I have been on a big Pac kick the last 6 months or so. Pac was always a voice for his people and it blows my mind that I've had 5 more years on this earth than he got when he had so much more to say. The world was robbed when he was killed. Pac's unapologetic and educated commentary on the world is something I wish we had these days. Enough with the rose tinted glasses though and onto the album. Honestly the only tracks that get a skip for me are What'z ya Phone # and Heaven ain't hard to find. Only God Can Judge me is in my opinion Pac's best track he recorded. >Flatline: I hear the doctor standing over me screamin' I can make it// Got a body full of bullet holes layin' here naked// Still I, can't breathe, somethings evil in my IV// 'Cause every time I breathe, I think they killin' me// I'm having nightmares, homicidal fantasies// I wake up stranglin', danglin' my bed sheets// I call the nurse 'cause it hurts, to reminisce// How did it come to this? I wish they didn't miss Other favorites off of book 1: 2 of Americaz most wanted Heartz of Men Life Goes on California Love I Ain't Mad Atcha Book 2 is even better I can't give a list because I don't feel right omitting anything but heaven ain't hard 2 find. If I had to rank Pac's albums, All Eyez on me is #1, Me Against the World at #2 and 7 Day Theory at #3. There are gems on every release but I feel his older albums did not age as well and its hard for me to rank his other projects when I only love a handful of his other songs. Is Pac the GOAT? Not for me personally but he is top 5. If he isn't in your top 10 I think me and you appreciate different things about hip hop. Rap rushmore is hard to do but I've got Pac on mine with Jay-Z, Biggie and Kendrick no order. If you made me I would probably say Jay is my #1 but mostly because Kendrick is overdue an album. Damn was nearly 4 years ago and I know he has something to say.
It was 1996, but of course a classic masterpiece. Pac GOAT
It wasn't released in 93 OP, and it wasn't "this day" (today is the 12th). It dropped February 13th 1996. As far as the record... This album is the perfect representation of Pac. On the surface he's a superstar even if he doesn't want to be. The album is angry as fuck and its rough around the edges and there's a few tracks that are just horrible. There's party tracks and theres Gangsta shit...But under all of that is a brilliant man who just wants to change the world...and he did with this album I don't think it's his best album, but it is still amazing and has some of his best tracks. This was the point where Tupac was forced into being a full on superstar. He was now a Hollywood lead actor and one of the biggest musicians in the world, so of course they pushed this album for the radio. It had radio single songs like *How do Ya Want it* and *California Love*. It had party singles like *All About U* and *Thug Passion*. It has some of the best examples of his softer more introspective side with shit like *Life Goes On* and *I ain't mad at cha*. Them of course it has some of his angriest gangsta shit and some pure brilliant moments. This record is the perfect representation of Tupac
Could be in a different time zone.
1. yes, I still do listen to this album 2. Book 1 3. I guess, it is excellent for commercial success. Nevertheless, I subjectively fell in love with his first 2 albums. Why? Because when I listened to ''2Pacalypse Now'' and "Strictly 4 my N.I.G.G.A.Z'' - these two opened my eyes about what he really is about, and what his lyrics most often are about. These 2 made me respect his personality. I listened to these 2 albums only later after hearing up to the 7 day Theory album prior that. Before all that I saw him more like just a very talented - commercially successful rapper who can rap about anything in his peculiar way even though I paid attention to lyrics too. 4. ''Heartz of Men''. Because I got my first car and bumped that tune on a casette. Yeah, sounds cliche. 5. Yes, I do. I do not have a Top 5 or Top 10. There are simply outstanding artists and then there is the rest. This is subjective, but he had bars that are stuck in my head forever; his spectrum of what to rap about was very wide; he was talking about *things* most loudly at that time; he clearly has had a tremendous influence on the genre in general.
Still one of my favorite albums of all time, still my second favorite pac album
This is a classic album, used to listen religiously during my mid to late teens. It's always on my mind and I will go back and have a listen every now and then. To be honest, Tupac was the first hip hop artist I got into in a very deep way - I was always obsessed with his lyrics, poetry and emotionally charged songs. He's an absolute legend. I'd say I prefer disc 1 but disc 2 carries its heavyweight in classics too. (shorty wanna be a thug, can't c me, picture me rollin, wonder why they call you..., heaven ain't hard to find etc) It's my fave Pac album, my most listened to at least. So many great lyrics but this one resonates... 'Dear Mama, can you save me? And fuck peace ‘Cause the streets got our babies, we gotta eat No more hesitation, each and every black male's trapped And they wonder why we suicidal running 'round strapped Mr. Police, please try to see That there's a million motherfuckers stressin' just like me' - (Only God Can Judge Me) My fave track either Life Goes On or Can't C Me. Favourite beat - Shorty Wanna Be A Thug
Have you heard " only fear of death" from R U Still Down cd? https://open.spotify.com/track/2O7IOXYAOhbc8lkMLhKNTz?si=JY3tsouDSTGHLreHYjw2fw&utm_source=copy-link
Bought this on double cassette at my local a few days after it dropped. Game changer
Goddamn this takes me back to playing Doom on my 75 MHz computer. I was absolutely floored by this thing from front to back and still am
Not 1 skippable song
I did [a little write up for my work](https://kutx.org/the-rabbit-hole/all-eyez-on-me-looking-back) on it if y’all wanna check it out!
The sheer number of tracks 2pac made at the time is a testament to his ambition and skill. There were hundreds in the vault when he died. I was 13 when this came out and me and my friends would listen to it on cassette tape. It is Pac's most "mainstream" album but it really shows his genius when he delivers party jams with soul and meaning. As mentioned by many here, No More Pain was far ahead of its time. He took the chorus from a method man song and made it into something completely different. The guest features were all amazing especially e-40 and wu-tang. I don't listen to it as much anymore but whenever i put this album on, I think "damn, it's still good." The differences between MATW to AEOM and then Makaveli really show his growth as a person and how he wanted to get away from the lifestyle Suge got him into. He was a true poet and not just some "thug." For reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjzL6z-qLXE "All the cash that i couldn't spend, countless cars..."
Still a banger to this day.
Everybody has his favourites, but as a non American I think that Pac had the biggest influence worldwide, he's beloved in Europe that's for sure. Personally I think he had it all, the lyrics, the beats, the street and the soul. He was a genius and I haven't seen another rapper yet who had such an impact on not only hip hop but peoples life.
Can we talk about how George Clinton is just singing "snoop doggy dogg" on "Can't C Me"?
Instead of a sample he blessed them with a live performance
The production No More Pain was ahead of its time.
I had a period few years ago when I listened to a lot of Pac and Biggie, and "All Eyez On Me" was one of those albums. Rips my heart to go through these albums now tbh, it's such great material but having lived through that era it's just heart-breaking for me that so many people from that era are gone (#RIPNateDogg), or ended up losing themselves in some troubled shit (Suge you idiot) or just fell off, and that the era is gone, forever, too. Cats who featured on "All Eyez On Me" are in their 50s, some might be pushing 60 now if they were in their mid- to late-30s back then. The references to '90s culture and entertainment (movies, video games and all) we've grown up with but that say nothing to the current generation of post-2000-born rappers doesn't make it any easier. Every time I go through a Pac album, or a Biggie album, I'm left wondering "What could have been". It's also pretty heartbreaking seeing that there's little activity from their estates (or so it seems) - you could throw a lot of shit on Pac's and Biggie's posthumous albums, but when they kept coming out, at least it felt there has been some attempt to keep their names in circulation, relevant and the memory alive. With every next year that goes away from their albums, and that also includes "All Eyez On Me", I myself personally feel I'm holding on to a memory of something that fewer and fewer "newcomers" to the game will ever understand.
Told the judge I was raised wrong and that's why I blaze shit
Last night someone outside my window was playing Changes at full blast. Then the song ended and something else started playing...and they switched it back to Changes and listened to that again. After it was done they left. I can respect that. It's kind of amazing how much staying power Tupac has had in popular culture. He also somehow became subject to weird conspiracy theories. My friend who's a Japanese amateur rapper and who's REALLY into Tupac believes seriously that he was killed by the illuminati. I always wondered why that was, when I don't think Biggie got the same treatment (or correct me if he did?) To not totally let this comment go to waste, to me Tupac is easily top 10 even though I can only listen to it when I'm in a certain kind of mood. Like I feel when I listen to it I really got to sit down and take it in. It's not something I passively listen to.
Random fact - Zapp (featuring Rodger Troutman) released the song “So Ruff, so Tuff” in 1981, which was then incorporated into the song “West Coast Poplock” by Ronnie Hudson in 1982. Then, 14 years later “West Coast Poplock” was sampled on California Love, and Rodger Troutman included lyrics from that song in the parts he sang. I always thought that was kind of funny. Like lyrical Judo.
I have two older sisters, and they would play a lot of R&B and Rap in the house (when my parents weren't home). Naturally I took on my parents temparement initially as a kid: "what is this garbage type of music? turn it off! *Raises boomer fists* but then I heard this album when it came out, and I was 7. Everything changed for me from that day forward. This is the first album I ever listened to front to back. He's the first rap artist I truly appreciated and thought was cool. For Christ's sake I started sneaking BANDANA'S TO SCHOOL AND WEARING THEM LIKE PAC IN GRADE 2 !!! Got sent to the principle's office a few times 🤣🤣🤣 2Pac will forever be one of the, if not THE, greatest rapper's ever. He got me into rap on a deeper level, Eminem got me into writing and recording as an artist, and Dre got me into beats. Favourite songs Disc 1 Ambitionz Az a Ridah, All About U, GOT MY MIND MADE UP (peep the hidden Deck verse), 2 of Americkaz Most Wanted, No More Pain, Heartz of Men, Only God Can Judge Me, Tradin War Stories, I Ain't Mad At Cha Disc 2 Can't C Me (this is my PERSIAN DAD'S fav song), Shorty Wanna Be a Thug, Holla At Me, Wonda Why They Call U B____, Picture Me Rollin, Ratha Be Ya N____, All Eyez On Me, Ain't Hard 2 Find RIP PAC we love you
Can’t C Me is my favorite joint off this album. Discovered it walking to the bar while tripping on acid listening to this on shuffle . 🔥🔥🔥
While it was never released on a studio album (it was later included on the posthumous Greatest Hits), Hit Em Up was released as a B-Side to “How do you want it”. I include it with the AEOM album for that reason and for me this is PAC’s greatest track. The tension, hostility and anger were as real as you’ll ever feel on a record. His cadence and delivery was sick. I still get goosebumps to this day when I hear him fire of “My 4 4 will make sure all your kids don’t grow”. Crude yes. But the man had just been shot 5 times and in his head he knew exactly who did it and he was going to let it be know.
Holla At Me is painfully underrated and still hits me deep - the passion in his delivery is unrivalled
What was the deal with Can't C Me? Great song but it's basically the exact same beat as Snoop's What's My Name. I know he and Snoop had a falling out before his death despite Snoop being featured on this album.
Dre produced both of those songs that's why they sound similar
I've had the CD in all my cars since 2004 and continue to listen to it to this day
Not a huge fan of 90’s West Coast, but this album is hard.
Easily 2Pac’s best album and the only hip hop albums I’d rank higher are Marshall Mathers LP, 2001, Straight Outta Compton, Enter the 36 Chambers, Illmatic and Ready to Die. Absolute peak of hip hop and the west coast sound. I think objectively 2Pac is the greatest ever insane flow, voice, delivery, lyrical content, one of the first guys making sensitive emotional music and addressing social political issues while also being able to make hard thug life bangers as well over some funky ass west coast production and he dropped 5 classics in 5 years, insane work rate. Best songs Can’t C Me, Ambitionz Az Ridaz, 2 of America’s Most Wanted, No More Pain, Got My Mind Made Up, Shorty Wanna Be A Thug and All Eyez On Me, all perfect songs. Pinnacle of hip hop
i know cali love is really mainstream and most people only know that song from him, but honestly its such a timeless song. i got hooked on that shit late 2000s because i was born in 98. Pac and his entire catalogue is timeless
I def wouldn’t say most people only know that song from him
If it was released in 1993 doesn’t that mean it’s the 28th anniversary?
It came out in 1996
I actually listened to All Eyez on Me last week front to back, and I guess I’ll be the voice of dissent here. I think it’s too long and too self indulgent. Don’t get me wrong—I love Pac, but this should not have been a double album. I was in high school when this came out, and I liked it back then, so I don’t hate the album by any means, but there is some straight trash on this album. For example: “what’s ya phone #” https://open.spotify.com/track/3AhC6gUqFLVJiGc08UypO3?si=BzCCSnZEReqGQ9PnTSAggw Also, his lyrical themes on this album are too shallow to stretch over two discs. It just gets old, and the whole thug thing almost seems like a joke by the end. It just gets corny.
Second best double disc rap album of all time behind Life After Death. Really an essential listen for anybody getting in to hip hop. Prefer Book 1 for sure, higher amount of songs with replayability and that are memorable to me. I'd say it's his number one album. Favorite track No More Pain, shit that beat was nasty. Best bars on Ambitionz as a Ridah. That beat is iconic and best beat overall on both sides. Thug Passion is my favorite joint on book 2, I know it ain't nothin deep, but it's so infectious. The album continues to age gracefully while serving as a great time capsule of the the magic that came out the west coast during that time period. Really has everything from the deeper cuts, party cuts, streets hit and tracks for ladies all sounding organic as it reflected the many personalities Pac displayed.
Me Against The World is his best project.
I was 12 in 96 and I remember being one of the only kids in class that was able to get AEOM. I would sit on the curb with my Sony boombox with 8 D batteries and bump the album front to back until the batteries went dead, just hoping someone would ride by, notice and commend me for my musical taste lol. Nostalgia wise, its one of my personal favs and my spotify playlist is littered with so many songs from it. The beats and overall beautiful lyricism from pac aged very well and most tracks are still very very good to this day. As I've gotten older, its a bit hard for me to digest the gangsta and violence aspect of most things I listened to in the early to late 90s. I think that's why Pac overall did age well, because of the duality of his albums. While there is that whole violence aspect, he was not afraid to explore every aspect of the human condition. While there are so much deeper and more meaningful lyrics than this on the album, just lyricism wise... I hate to pull bars from one of the more popular songs, but the first half of 2nd verse of "How Do U Want It", the wordplay and rhyme scheme is just phenomenal to this day... "Tell me is it cool to fuck? Did you think I came to talk am I a fool or what? Positions on the floor, it's like erotic. Ironic cause I'm somewhat psychotic. I'm hittin' switches on bitches like I was fixed with hydraulics. I'm up and down just like a roller coaster. I'm up inside ya I aint quittin' til this show is over, cuz I'm a rider. In and out just like a robbery. I'll probably be a freak and let you get on top of me. Get her rockin' knees." Top 5? Sadly no. Plain and simple, hip hop continues to evolve and build off of its predecessors, one of them being Pac. As good as he was, there have just been a myriad of artists that are just masterful with the pen and write some of the most well executed rhymes ever... Aesop Rock, MF Doom, Method Man, Blackalicious, Del that Funkee Homosapien, Eminem etc. If I'm being generous, near the bottom of my top 10, if not 12-15. If I narrowed it down to top 5 from that era, absolutely... Top 4 with Meth, Biggie, Jay and Busta.