2Pac - All Eyez On Me

[ImmortalOne]

Although Tupac was already a well known rap star, it wasnt until his first #1 album, Me Against The World, that he reached the upper echolon of the hip hop world. The album debuted #1 while he was incarcerated [the album to ever do so by an incarcerated artist] and became his first multi-platinum album. However, little did people know this was only a stepping stone for an EVEN BIGGER album that was to follow a year later. That album was a 27 track titan, known today as All Eyez On Me. All Eyez On Me is, quite possibly, the most well known, talked about, played, and bought rap album of all time, and it turned Pac from a mere rap star into a global icon. Is it the best of all time?? Well, thats up to the listener. But one thing that cant be denied is that its certainly one of the most influential. All Eyez On Me is an album almost as amazing, misunderstood, raw, respected, and hated as the man who recorded it. This is by far 2Pac's most complete work, and probably the most complete rap album ever made period. The album it an autobiographical documentation of Pac's life as a rap star, and the troubles, trials, tribulations, rewards, love, hate, and interaction with the people around him. It shows all sides of him, and almost every type of track imaginable is featured on this album. Almost all of today's rap albums are measured by this album. It was the album that rappers would go on to use as a formula for recording their own albums. Whether its club songs [How Do U Want It], thugged out songs [Cant C Me], story telling songs [Wonda Why They Call U Bitch], classic collaberations [Got My Mind Made Up], deep/heartfelt songs [Life Goes On], introspective songs [Only God Can Judge Me], battle songs [Holla At Me], or straight up raw songs [Ambitionz Az A Ridah], Pac covers it all.........In some ways, this album is similiar to Me Against The World, in that it is about Pac's life, though MATW was more about him at a younger age rather than as a rap star. This, however, is a far more uptempo and intense album than MATW is. This is the album where Pac's charisma became unmatched. He had always captured the attention of his listeners, but this album took it to a whole new level......another important aspect is that it started the double cd trend. Many other artists saw the incredible success of this album, and tried to duplicate it. However, this stands as the pinnacle of all double albums in rap. Today, its influence is still being felt, as many of its songs have been sampled by various other rappers, and its concept has been used as well....the album itself shows Pac improving as an MC, and the album has that classic west coast g-funk sound to it, but with more patterns and variations.....

7 years after its release, All Eyez On Me is still on the charts [making it one of the top 3 longest charting rap albums of all time, at over 350 consecutive weeks on the chart], and to date has sold an incredible 10 million in the USA alone. Here are the song descriptions/ratings:

Disc 1

1. Ambitionz Az A Ridah - the album opens immediatly with this classic song. Daz produced one of his finest beats ever here, and Pac drops 3 hot verses, basically a song about him coming up outta jail.....one of his best.....5/5

2. All About U - This was Pac's most commercial album, and its songs like this that prove so.....this is a nice laidback yet uptempo commercial song....this one is for the female groupies who couldnt get enough of him, especially once he signed to the row.....4.5/5

3. Skandolouz - Song for the shady women.....Daz produced this as well, and the song features a nice piano loop with a perfect bassline. Captures that Death Row sound very nicely. Pure G-funk, with classic Pac rapping over it.......5/5

4. Got My Mind Made Up - This is quite possibly one of the greatest posse cuts of all time. Daz, Kurupt, Pac, Meth, and Funk Doctor on the same cut? :eek:........Daz drops an ok verse, but Pac and Kurupt are the stars here......Daz also produced this track, though it has more of an east coast feel to it.....in any case, classic song.......5/5

5. How Do U Want It - Quite simply, one of the greatest club songs of all time.....Johnny J made himself a big name producer for this song. Despite it being commercial, there is also alot of "fuck u's" to the media.....Pac rapped about how he felt while STILL making you nod your head and/or dance. This song ruled the radio waves well into 98'..........5/5

6. 2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted - Another classic collab. Pac and Snoop both drop amazing verses here.....basically a song about the pressures of fame and living life fast......Daz produces probably his most recognizable beat ever here......5/5

7. No More Pain - One word to describe this song: Raw. Devante flipped RZA's beat perfectly, to turn a grimey east coast beat into pounding west coast thumper. Pac's lyrics here are pure venom, just raw.....there is alot of subliminal disses towards Bad Boy, but in general, I dont think this song was made for anyone......but its a banger nevertheless....5/5

8. Heartz Of Men - Quik produced this one. Nice sample, with some good scratching and a piano loop. Pac flows nice over this track, with lyrics about trust, loyalty, and betrayal.....4.5/5

9. Life Goes On - Emotion to the core. The beat itself is a banger, but has that tragic feel to it.....Pac's lyrics here speak for themselves.....5/5

10. Only God Can Judge Me - This is my fav song on the album. The beat is just fucking SICK, with the synthesizer and the electric violin like instrument. However, even more amazing are the first two verses Pac penned here. The lyrics are introspective and thought provoking....pure dopeness, pure Pac.......Rappin 4 Tay comes in as a nice guest too....5/5

11. Tradin War Stories - This has a nice concept to it, but I think they coulda done more with it. Each verse it supposed to be a story about something bad that happened to each rapper, but alot of it is just lyrics about nothing. The beat is sick though, and Pac's chorus is dope.....4/5

12. California Love - What is there to say about this song?? Classic club song, one of Dre's best beats ever......the lyrics arent great but they serve their purpose.....5/5

13. I Aint Mad At Cha - One of the most personal songs Pac wrote, no need to really explain this one.........5/5

14.  Whatz Ya Phone # - the weakest song on the album, at least on Disc 1.....the beat is super commercial, and the song is just about fuckin', and there's a break in the middle with him having phone sex with some broad.....I play it occasionally, but its not one of his better songs......3/5

[ImmortalOne]

Disc 2

1. Cant C Me - This song is just wicked....this is quite possibly Dre's best beat ever, and Pac's vocals are bananas. The song isnt very deep, but it isnt meant to be. Just pure, hardcore Pac rapping over a classic g-funk production....5/5

2. Shorty Wanna Be a Thug - This is kinda of story telling song about warning kids not to join gangs. Similiar concept to Lil Ghett Boy [from the Chronic]....The beat is again very nice, one of the best synths ive heard on a cut......5/5

3. Holla At Me - This song was for Biggie, and the woman who accused him of rape. Alot of subliminal shots are taken, but you can tell Pac was mad when he wrote this, but not in the same way as when he did Hit Em Up. This was more of an angry "surprised" Tupac here. The beat is again wicked......5/5

4. Wonda Why The Call U Bitch - Probably his most misunderstood song. Alot of people thought it was degrading to women, but its actually a very positive song, telling women to not sleep around. The beat isnt as strong as the first 3 songs on the disc, but the lyrics and story telling are great........4.75/5

5. When We Ride - This song COULD have been amazing, but Pac's verse is very short, and the Outlawz are inconsistant here. Some verses are dope, others not so dope. The beat is bangin though, courtesy of DJ Pooh....4/5

6. Thug Passion - Another song which had great potential, but was messed up a bit. The computer love sample is sick, but the song is filled with mediocre guest appearances. Its listenable, but certainly not one of the better songs on the album, even if Pac drops a nice verse.....3/5

7. Picture Me Rollin - Nice smooth song here. Pac and Syke have always done good duos, and this one is no different. Basically a song about him gettin out jail and stayin out.......4.5/5

8. Check Out Time - Another average song....its a good song to cruise to, but not one of the better songs on the album. Smooth production, with a hot verse from Kurupt......Pac and Syke are aight here, but they have done better......3/5

9. Ratha Be Ya Nigga - Finally, a dope commercial song! Very nice sample here, and Pac and Richie Rich trade verses about a woman they want a friendship/relationship with.......The chorus will stick in your head for days!!.........4.5/5

10. All Eyez On Me - Bangin. Pac rips this song to pieces, and Syke adds a hot verse himself. The beat is a banger [Nas even sampled it for Street Dreams].....this song is pretty much the entire concept of the album in a nutshell......5/5

11. Run Tha Streetz - Song about relationships, but giving your partner their desired space........Nice production, but the chorus is annoying.......the guest appearances are actually solid.....4/5

12. Aint Hard 2 Find - Dont like this song at all, my least fav song on the whole album.........filled with mediocre guest appearances. The only hot verse is Pac's. The beat is ok, but nothing great....definatly a filler cut....2/5

13. Heaven Aint Hard 2 Find - Another song for the ladies, but its not a bad song.....the beat sounds like something from the Makaveli album almost....maybe Pac wanted to give you preview .......4/5

Overall, a hip hop classic, and one of the most influential ones ever made. Even though Disc 1 is clearly stronger than Disc 2, the album is very consistant for a 132 minute double cd.....probably as consistant as a double cd can get. There's a few missteps, but the good far outweighs the bad, and if you combine that with the albums historical importance, you have a classic on your hands......almost 7 years later, all eyez are still on Pac......

5/5

[Lord Funk]

Another on-point review homie - I've enjoyed reading your reviews of Pac's back catalogue. I listened to this in one sitting on a long, early morning train journey last week, and was surprised. I've often written it off as far below the standard of either MATW or 7 Days, but it's much more cohesive and entertaining than I gave it credit for. True, I still don't think it comes close to either of those other albums, simply because I'd like some rawer, less poppy beats, but for the tough task of a double CD, Pac did good.

Only one disagreement really - 2/5 for Ain't Hard 2 Find? Pac and The Click is a dope combination IMO, and that beat is banging. You're right about Pac stealing that one with his verse though:  "I heard a rumour I'd died, murdered in cold blood, traumatised / Pictures of me in my final state, you know mama cried / But that was fiction, some coward got the story twisted / Like I no longer existed, mysteriously missing." Those are some dope lines right there!

[Twentytwofifty]

I think it's the best double album ever.  (Beats Wu-Tang Forever & Life After Death)

9/10

[KVB]

Dope review homie, props. More like 7.5/10 for me though, but it's all opinions...

[_That_Cracka_J]

Tight review.  I'd give "What's ya phone #" a 1/5 and "Ain't hard to find" a 4.5/5.  Everything else I pretty much agree with.

[verbalassaulta]

KVB can put his crack pipe down anytime now...7.5??  ...anyway

your review is right on point.except whats your phone number is a 4.5/5(why doesnt anyone else like this track) ....some of the younger ones must not understand how good this album was when it came out....im not playing when i say this...when i got this cd it was the ONLY cd i listened to for almost a year...my only rotation was book 1 &2...and i still listen to it today and sounds just as good

[smartass]

whatz ya phone number sucked. i remember reading somewhere pac said he should've left it off. ain't hard 2 find is at least 4/5.

[Disceptive AssAssin]

whats your phone number really did suck ballz...

i consider the cd over  the track before whats your phone number... cuz its the last track on the first disc... bizst

[TheSheriff]

A bit top heavy. This album is 9.5/10, not 10/10. MATW is better, Thug Life Vol. 1 is better, 7 Dayz is as good. And that's just Pac's.

However, Only God Can Judge Me is my favourite song ever, so I gotta give ya props for that.

[ImmortalOne]

Thug Life Vol.1 better than AEOM?? No way.......

Me Against The World and 7 Day Theory you could make an argument for.

[TheSheriff]

Thug Life Vol.1 better than AEOM?? No way.......

Me Against The World and 7 Day Theory you could make an argument for.

I prefer Vol. 1.

[T.J.]

i stopped listening to this album for ages, now i cant stop playing it again.
definitely a 5/5 album.

[King Tech Quadafi]

1. great review hellrazor
2. 3/5 for check out time?
3. whats ya phone number is bangin, i love that joint

IF YOU REALLY WANNA FUCK WITH MEEEEEEEEEEE , IM READY!

[TheSheriff]

1. great review hellrazor
2. 3/5 for check out time?
3. whats ya phone number is bangin, i love that joint

IF YOU REALLY WANNA FUCK WITH MEEEEEEEEEEE , IM READY!

Is that really you Tech? Are you sure your sister hasn't hacked your account?