2Pacalypse Now & Strictly 4 My Niggaz: Thoughts and Questions

[MOBNigga06]

I rarely listen to these two albums straight through, but I decided recently to play them in their entirety for the first time in a few years. Listening to them again left me with a few thoughts and questions:

1) Why is the sound quality and the mastering so bad on these albums? Many of Pac's unreleased tracks from this era sound cleaner than what was released. Representin' 93 is a dope song lyrically, but whoever engineered or mastered it should have been shot, it sounds so shitty.

2) Is Five Deadly Venoms the only song that Pac recorded with Treach? Strange that two guys who were so close recorded such little music together.

3) Stretch was a hit-or-miss producer who improved over time. The man made some classic beats - like Pain and It Hurtz the Most - but his early productions can be pretty lackluster and primitive.

4) I had almost forgot that Ice Cube was featured on Strictly 4 My Niggaz. It's weird how Tupac almost never talked about working with Ice Cube or being close with him. My guess is that they didn't really like each other, even before Pac spoke out against Bow Down. In fact, if you look at Pac's career overall, it seems he never really liked to work with rappers who were bigger stars than him. Most of the time he collaborated with virtual unknowns (Stretch, Outlawz, Nuttso, etc.) or relatively minor rappers (Richie Rich, E-40, MC Breed). And when he did work with rappers who were really on his level of superstardom, like Dr. Dre or Snoop Dogg, it always led to tension. Point being: Pac was the kind of guy who always needed to be the alpha male and the bigger nigga in a situation. He probably did not like feeling beneath Ice Cube when they collaborated in 93.

[123imagee]

2) Is Five Deadly Venoms the only song that Pac recorded with Treach? Strange that two guys who were so close recorded such little music together.

No, There´s One More: "Loyal To The Game OG" ft. Treach & Riddler Of DBG´z.Yeah It´s Strange.Same Wit Yo-Yo

3) Stretch was a hit-or-miss producer who improved over time. The man made some classic beats - like Pain and It Hurtz the Most - but his early productions can be pretty lackluster and primitive.

Agree.Beats On 2N & S4MN Weren´t (That) Good, Except Few Ones

4) I had almost forgot that Ice Cube was featured on Strictly 4 My Niggaz. It's weird how Tupac almost never talked about working with Ice Cube or being close with him. My guess is that they didn't really like each other, even before Pac spoke out against Bow Down. In fact, if you look at Pac's career overall, it seems he never really liked to work with rappers who were bigger stars than him. Most of the time he collaborated with virtual unknowns (Stretch, Outlawz, Nuttso, etc.) or relatively minor rappers (Richie Rich, E-40, MC Breed). And when he did work with rappers who were really on his level of superstardom, like Dr. Dre or Snoop Dogg, it always led to tension. Point being: Pac was the kind of guy who always needed to be the alpha male and the bigger nigga in a situation. He probably did not like feeling beneath Ice Cube when they collaborated in 93.

Like Ice-T Said: Pac Didn´t Need Big Names To Make It, Ice-T & Cube Being On S4MN Was Straight Out Of Respect, He Wanted To Have OG´s On His Album, Ice-T Also Said: "You Can Make A Song With Your Gardener And Make It Hot".

NOW MY QUESTION: Why There Were No Death Row Artists Mentioned On "Rep´93", Or On "Old School

[Hack Wilson - real]

2pacalypse is a perfect album but needs to be remastered

[Space RockStar SkyStalker Machine]

Id have to go with #3. I think Pac gets better with time and better beats. I listen to it and didnt like the beat. I never really listen to the lyrics which is what makes the song. It was actually a culture shock at first then when this 2nd n third album drip I became the biggest fan. It was really dope and worth the $$

[DeeezNuuuts83]

Ashes to Ashes is a rumored song that supposedly has Treach, if I remember correctly. Long rumored but never confirmed.

[CORREA]

Strictly i cant really listen to that anymore only couple songs same as 2Pacalypse Now beats too outdated

[123imagee]

Strictly i cant really listen to that anymore only couple songs same as 2Pacalypse Now beats too outdated

wack.

Ashes to Ashes is a rumored song that supposedly has Treach, if I remember correctly. Long rumored but never confirmed.

yep, supposedly a "iiconz" leftover, but never confirmed (someone get at treach),that´s why i didn´t mention it.

[johnnie360]

Treach was also featured on Loyal to the Game from the above the rim soundtrk. I would speculate also that Ashes to Ashes is Mourn till I Join you.

[TidyKris]

I dont really listen to 2Pacalypse Now that much..i only like a few tracks on there. That album is far too dated and has not aged well.

I quite like Strictly 4 My Niggaz and listen to it quite often but again the beats and musical styles on that album are very dated.
The first two albums really capture that early 90s sound and to be fair that sound from the late 80s and early 90s has not aged well like music from 1994 - 2000 has.
Strictly is a pretty cool album though and is a big leap forward from 2Pacalype Now.

Speaking of mastering and mixdowns does anybody notice how "Keep Your Head Up" is much louder and cleaner sounding then all the other tracks on the album?

[MOBNigga06]

I dont really listen to 2Pacalypse Now that much..i only like a few tracks on there. That album is far too dated and has not aged well.

I quite like Strictly 4 My Niggaz and listen to it quite often but again the beats and musical styles on that album are very dated.
The first two albums really capture that early 90s sound and to be fair that sound from the late 80s and early 90s has not aged well like music from 1994 - 2000 has.
Strictly is a pretty cool album though and is a big leap forward from 2Pacalype Now.

Speaking of mastering and mixdowns does anybody notice how "Keep Your Head Up" is much louder and cleaner sounding then all the other tracks on the album?

I noticed this about Keep Your Head Up. One of the annoying things about Strictly is how the songs seem almost all to be unequal in terms of loudness. Several times I had to adjust my speakers while playing it because one song will be quiet and the next will be much louder.

My impression is that both albums were cheaply mixed and mastered. Keep Your Head Up got special treatment cause they knew it would be a smash hit.

[TidyKris]

I dont really listen to 2Pacalypse Now that much..i only like a few tracks on there. That album is far too dated and has not aged well.

I quite like Strictly 4 My Niggaz and listen to it quite often but again the beats and musical styles on that album are very dated.
The first two albums really capture that early 90s sound and to be fair that sound from the late 80s and early 90s has not aged well like music from 1994 - 2000 has.
Strictly is a pretty cool album though and is a big leap forward from 2Pacalype Now.

Speaking of mastering and mixdowns does anybody notice how "Keep Your Head Up" is much louder and cleaner sounding then all the other tracks on the album?

I noticed this about Keep Your Head Up. One of the annoying things about Strictly is how the songs seem almost all to be unequal in terms of loudness. Several times I had to adjust my speakers while playing it because one song will be quiet and the next will be much louder.

My impression is that both albums were cheaply mixed and mastered. Keep Your Head Up got special treatment cause they knew it would be a smash hit.

Yeah thats true..also the album as a whole was mastered very quietly. I remember back in the day when i used to make mix tapes i would avoid putting songs
from Strictly on them as the volume was a lot quieter then the other tracks i was putting on them

[Soopafly DPGC]

I dont really listen to 2Pacalypse Now that much..i only like a few tracks on there. That album is far too dated and has not aged well.

I quite like Strictly 4 My Niggaz and listen to it quite often but again the beats and musical styles on that album are very dated.
The first two albums really capture that early 90s sound and to be fair that sound from the late 80s and early 90s has not aged well like music from 1994 - 2000 has.
Strictly is a pretty cool album though and is a big leap forward from 2Pacalype Now.

Speaking of mastering and mixdowns does anybody notice how "Keep Your Head Up" is much louder and cleaner sounding then all the other tracks on the album?

I noticed this about Keep Your Head Up. One of the annoying things about Strictly is how the songs seem almost all to be unequal in terms of loudness. Several times I had to adjust my speakers while playing it because one song will be quiet and the next will be much louder.

My impression is that both albums were cheaply mixed and mastered. Keep Your Head Up got special treatment cause they knew it would be a smash hit.

Early copies of SFMN has a different master of Keep Ya Head Up.  There's a few more synths during the chorus on the original album version.  The single version is much better and cleaner sounding and I think they inserted that version in future pressings of SFMN, which probably explains why it sounds like it is mastered differently. 

I agree 2Pacalypse Now is starting to sound dated, but SFMN is Raw and the lyrics are crazy.  Lots of songs about shooting cops and uprising and stuff.  Not so political as his first album, but more like taking the streets back.  I like that version of Pac.  That period from SFMN and Thug Life has some great songs.  The unreleased stuff around that time is great too, with so much stuff getting banned from the record labels

The Holler If Ya Hear Me OG is incredible, good beat, dope lyrics...talking about shooting and killing all the cops who beat Rodney King.  Insane when you think about it, a song like that today would never get made.  That's what's missing in rap these days.  Everyone has gone soft. 

[TidyKris]

I dont really listen to 2Pacalypse Now that much..i only like a few tracks on there. That album is far too dated and has not aged well.

I quite like Strictly 4 My Niggaz and listen to it quite often but again the beats and musical styles on that album are very dated.
The first two albums really capture that early 90s sound and to be fair that sound from the late 80s and early 90s has not aged well like music from 1994 - 2000 has.
Strictly is a pretty cool album though and is a big leap forward from 2Pacalype Now.

Speaking of mastering and mixdowns does anybody notice how "Keep Your Head Up" is much louder and cleaner sounding then all the other tracks on the album?

I noticed this about Keep Your Head Up. One of the annoying things about Strictly is how the songs seem almost all to be unequal in terms of loudness. Several times I had to adjust my speakers while playing it because one song will be quiet and the next will be much louder.

My impression is that both albums were cheaply mixed and mastered. Keep Your Head Up got special treatment cause they knew it would be a smash hit.

Early copies of SFMN has a different master of Keep Ya Head Up.  There's a few more synths during the chorus on the original album version.  The single version is much better and cleaner sounding and I think they inserted that version in future pressings of SFMN, which probably explains why it sounds like it is mastered differently. 

I agree 2Pacalypse Now is starting to sound dated, but SFMN is Raw and the lyrics are crazy.  Lots of songs about shooting cops and uprising and stuff.  Not so political as his first album, but more like taking the streets back.  I like that version of Pac.  That period from SFMN and Thug Life has some great songs.  The unreleased stuff around that time is great too, with so much stuff getting banned from the record labels

The Holler If Ya Hear Me OG is incredible, good beat, dope lyrics...talking about shooting and killing all the cops who beat Rodney King.  Insane when you think about it, a song like that today would never get made.  That's what's missing in rap these days.  Everyone has gone soft. 

Ahh ok cool, i must have one of the later pressings of the album. I think i got it around 1995 so that explains why Kepp Your Head Up sounds better then the rest of the album.

But i agree with you about SFMN...i still enjoy listening to it.

I love tracks like Something 2 Die 4, Peep Game, Representin 93, Souljahs Revenge 

[Blasphemy]

I rarely listen to these two albums straight through, but I decided recently to play them in their entirety for the first time in a few years. Listening to them again left me with a few thoughts and questions:

1) Why is the sound quality and the mastering so bad on these albums? Many of Pac's unreleased tracks from this era sound cleaner than what was released. Representin' 93 is a dope song lyrically, but whoever engineered or mastered it should have been shot, it sounds so shitty.

2) Is Five Deadly Venoms the only song that Pac recorded with Treach? Strange that two guys who were so close recorded such little music together.

3) Stretch was a hit-or-miss producer who improved over time. The man made some classic beats - like Pain and It Hurtz the Most - but his early productions can be pretty lackluster and primitive.

4) I had almost forgot that Ice Cube was featured on Strictly 4 My Niggaz. It's weird how Tupac almost never talked about working with Ice Cube or being close with him. My guess is that they didn't really like each other, even before Pac spoke out against Bow Down. In fact, if you look at Pac's career overall, it seems he never really liked to work with rappers who were bigger stars than him. Most of the time he collaborated with virtual unknowns (Stretch, Outlawz, Nuttso, etc.) or relatively minor rappers (Richie Rich, E-40, MC Breed). And when he did work with rappers who were really on his level of superstardom, like Dr. Dre or Snoop Dogg, it always led to tension. Point being: Pac was the kind of guy who always needed to be the alpha male and the bigger nigga in a situation. He probably did not like feeling beneath Ice Cube when they collaborated in 93.

Honestly believe it had to do with the fact He didn't record these albums in state of the art Facilities and he wasn't no where near the level of super stardom at that point in his career, at that point Tupac was just another rapper from Oakland. The thing with films like Tupac Resurrection or any of his docs is it gets skewed that when he got released he wasn't this huge major star in the west from the get go, that wasn't the case. Yeah he started in Juice and was doing movies, but it wasn't until Me Against The World that he really got big. Before that all the scrutiny he faced was no different then what all the other artist was going through, and his sells were basically the same, but now everyone is trying to rewrite history and make him the martyr and act like he was super big before 95.

The main thing I think is because when he died in 96 he really was the center of rap at that time, he just released what was and still is the biggest death row project, a double album that was on the fast track to reach Diamond Status the first for a real hardcore album, His was the center of the West/East beef which was and still is considered the biggest rap beef in the game.

But that was all later, in 93 it was all about Snoop Dogg, he was the biggest thing coming out in the west, but the thing is N.W.A in there solo forms still dominated the scene, and yes you had a few other Major acts (Cypress Hill for example), but Tupac wasn't on there level at that time.  IMO the reason Thug Life was mixed so good is because he was already a established artist who formed his brand in the game by that point, he had connected with a bunch of people by that point.

[⠀]

A lot of albums of that era have that muddy sound when it comes to the mastering, if you think Pacs albums was bad you obviously didn't cop the Wu's debut album