2pac - Stricly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z RETROSPECT

[_TLD_]

info:

Discs 1

Orig Release Date: 02/16/1993

Label: Jive


01. Holler If Ya Hear Me
02. Pac's Theme (Interlude)
03. Point The Finga
04. Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)
05. Last Wordz
06. Souljah's Revenge
07. Peep Game
08. Strugglin'
09. Guess Who's Back
10. Representin' 93
11. Keep Ya Head Up
12. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
13. The Streetz R Deathrow
14. I Get Around
15. Papa'z Song
16. 5 Deadly Venomz


This probably was one of his most overlooked albums because radio refused to play anything off this damn album until he decided to release "I Get Around" & "Keep Your Head Up" months after releasing "Holla If Ya Hear Me" which MTV, BET, radio and other media outlets couldn't say no to because of demand by the audience.
Though "Holla" was typical angry PAC, the radio had pretty much been on ignore PAC status.

By this time also PAC had already incurred the wrath of our then Vice President Dan Quayle, was being accused of
shooting two State Police Officers, and was being blamed for an individual killing a cop in Texas who said listening to
this CD made him do it.

So obviously, radio, corporate america and even all of white america made 2PAC to be villain number one on a level that P.E. nor Luke from 2 Live Crew or even N.W.A. could reach.

If you have the Vice President of the U.S. calling you out by name, you must really really struck a wrong nerve :-).
Though that helped this lp sell records, a lot of bangin tracks never got played like it should have. "I Get Around"
and "Keep Your Head Up" was just something for the club, radio and video but the real head banger that got lost was the LP title "Strictly 4 My Niggaz". That joint just straight rocked and was lyrically tight.
Eventhough Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys may have started that Rock n Roll and rap fusion, with that track, PAC took it to new levels.

Strictly Representin '93 was definitely tight, Soulja's Revenge was a tad bit disappointing compared to
Soldier Story pt 1, but then that's a lot to ask to follow up that classic track from 2PACOLYPSE NOW.

"Holla If Ya Hear Me" started the album nicely "Something To Die 4" wasn't really a single (sadly, cuz the music to
the track was nice) but more of a ghetto introspective on life was deep,

"Last Wordz" with ICECUBE and ICE-T(sadly, ICE-T was lyrically challenged on this song but PAC wanted to work with
both ICE's) was hype.

"Papaz Song" for anybody who didn't have a real pops in their life, was deep and heartfelt and got much airplay in my rotation at the time.

"The Streetz R Deathrow" w/ the ICECUBE hook in the chorus was just simply classic.

5 Deadly Venomz w/Treach and a weak azz Apache (could have left Apache off) had the potential to be much better without Apache.

Overall, this was a GREAT sophmore album that should have done much better sales wise. Fuck a sophmore slump, many "not me" but many argue this is the greatest 2pac album made, or their favorite. I know 3 artists who this album directly effected their drive and want to be a hip hop artist in which they achieved that. Lyrically, pac was just on a different vibe on this cd, which I think he personally tried to do on each album. This one tho, stands out somehow in a different way than the rest. I think it trumps all work previous to all eyez on me.


TLD

[thugged out]

man i love this album this was my fav pac era pretty much pre-death row pac is my fav. when i first heard this album i was really ready 2 b a rapper so who r the 3 rappers?pac is always gon b the greatest i love that nigga.

[darqawa]

By this time also PAC had already incurred the wrath of our then Vice President Dan Quayle, was being accused of
shooting two State Police Officers, and was being blamed for an individual killing a cop in Texas who said listening to
this CD made him do it.

It wasn't this CD it was 2pacalypse now and the song was Soulja's Story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Ray_Howard
This dude, says cuz got the needle in 2005.

"Cops on my tail, so I bail til I dodge 'em
They finally pull me over and I laugh
"Remember Rodney King?" and I blast on his punk ass"

[OG Hack Wilson]

I prefer 2pacalypse, Thug Life, MATW, AEOM, R U Still Down and Makaveli over Strictly.

[Smackdog]

2pacalypse is a much better album than this.......



but the title track to this album is actually better than any song on 2pacalypse.......

[MontrealCity's Most]

I like it good record, lots of good jams i like on there.

[Hatesrats™]

I prefer 2pacalypse, Thug Life, MATW, AEOM, R U Still Down and Makaveli over Strictly.

Same here..
& I have been a Pac fan since his appearance on DU's "Same Song"...
(Obviously a DU Fan first)

That said, S4MN was always the least heard of all the Pac albums in my rotation.
I hated the voice effect he used on most songs, Didn't feel it at all.

Granted it had 2 of his biggest hits.
Don't get me wrong I like this album, Just in a rank of top Pac LP's, It defo still get's the Middle.

[_TLD_]

I can understand his later work completely blankets this cd. But up until this point, and still to this day, the sophmore album makes or breaks an artist. Also, this album was super important because of the dan quail issue. It might have occured on 2pacalypsenow but was deff a mainstay and in the news more during this album's time. Either way, This is probably the most overlooked pac release, and its unique in its own right just like most of pacs work its great and you can press play and go all the way through without skippin around. I just think this album deserves more credit than its given.

[OG Hack Wilson]

i bought Strictly before 2pacalypse, AEOM or thug life


if i remember correctly my order of purchasing Pac albums was:

RUSD
Still I Rise (the day it dropped...was right before Xmas '99)
MATW
Makaveli
Strictly
2pacalypse
AEOM
Thug Life

[Nutty]

Stole a copy of S4MN from a bargain bin back in high school, years ago, was in heavy rotation. Thought the voice affects were great.

I haven't even listened to AOEM from begining to end, lol.

[_TLD_]

as far as pre death row, its his best album I think.

[darqawa]

I prefer Strictly to 2pacalypse.  I can listen to Strictly all the way through where I gotta skip a few on 2pacalypse.

[weedhead]

I prefer 2pacalypse, Thug Life, MATW, AEOM, R U Still Down and Makaveli over Strictly.

Mw against the world to me was his best lp...he really had brothaz thinking on that album...yet i like all pacs albums.

[Jimmy H.]

This probably was one of his most overlooked albums because radio refused to play anything off this damn album until he decided to release "I Get Around" & "Keep Your Head Up" months after releasing "Holla If Ya Hear Me" which MTV, BET, radio and other media outlets couldn't say no to because of demand by the audience.
Though "Holla" was typical angry PAC, the radio had pretty much been on ignore PAC status.

I love how as West Coast fans we always tend to create a bigger controversy out of things than they actually tend to be. Radio wasn't refusing to play his music, he just wasn't on the mainstream radar yet. Keep in mind that 2Pacalyspe Now wasn't a massive hit and none of the singles off that had gained crossover success. Pac was just starting to find his audience when this album came out.

Also, Jive didn't put out "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.". Interscope did. Jive handled the re-releases of his old catalog when Afeni got the rights to his music after his death.

[Native American]

good read, i was just talking about this album a few weeks ago, we was tryn to bounce ideas off of each other on this album with out internet in arms reach. concluded we need to get the album, still havent got it moneys been tight but i will. classic album, Pac before Hit Em Up !