Me Against The World

Man, time has a weird way of changing the way thinks look. I mean, as far as mid-90s rap goes, this is probably as good as it gets if your name isn't De La Soul. I didn't listen to this back then, but I knew it was a big assed deal. But today, listening to this and reading about Tupac... I mean... I feel like I would hate this dude automatically if he was a bearded white guy. 1992 he dropped his gun, it discharged and killed a 6-year-old. He beat another rapper with a baseball bat. He raped a 19-year-old and went to prison for it. So I mean... sure, it's you against the world, I guess. You sound like an asshole.

I might be biased because I am a huge Kanye West fan, but most indicative is the difference between Late Registration's "Hey Mama" and "Dear Mama" from this record. The lyrics on 2Pac's version made me wince, the rest of the album is devoid of creative samples and clever wordplay and I am having a hard time remembering the differences between most tracks. This might be due to the generic and repetitive style in most songs, which gives more reason to the fact that this type of rap has aged terribly to my ears. Only song memorable to me is Death Around The Corner, and that is mostly because of the hard-hitting instrumentals. Overall score is a 2(Pac) out of 10.

Fitting that this album is by 2pac, not Tupac, cause it stinks like a big ol' number 2!

You know about 2Pac's mom, right? If not, look her up. Pretty fascinating family. Anywho, I found this really incredibly easy to listen to, which seems like an odd thing to say considering the image that followed this dude back in the day. Not gonna lie, "Old School" completely worked for me and also made me feel like there was a millennial right behind me with their arms crossed thinking, "Of course it did, DAD." Whatever. I would listen to this again and I don't have that reaction a ton with the stuff on this list.

The most overhyped and over-esteemed artist of the 90's. He was unjustly martyred when he died and has become a false idol for morons to worship. Sorry, not sorry. His music sucks and I'm not into it and he sounds like he was an absolute garbage human to boot.

Some of the smoothest sounds and engaging, emotional, and aggressive lyricism I've heard in a while! 2Pac was truly one of the greats.

This is not the first album I think of when I think of 2pac, but it is perhaps his most personal and reflective album. Arriving between a shooting incident (to which the opening track makes reference in a skit) and an impending prison sentence, this album deals with feelings of paranoia, gangster violence, and the state of not only being an artist but also a black man in America. He reflects on the cycle of gangster life, the prison system, and the hopelessness of the situation when one is simply trying to survive with the cards they've been dealt. 2pac asks the listener to be sympathetic towards those who live this lifestyle as it is born of economic insecurity and paranoia. Paper keeps you alive and out of trouble, but it's a lot of trouble to get that paper. The standout tracks are "If I Die Tonight" seriously some of 2pac's best rapping, the alliteration is insane, "Dear Momma", "So Many Tears"

This is peak 2Pac and the pinnacle of introspective/conscientious hip hop in the heyday of gangsta and dance hip hop. Lyrics are poetic throughout and I love the contrast of the vividly painted stories of urban struggles against generally calm and chill beats and bass lines. Really not any misses here despite a somewhat long album. Dear Mama and the title track are classics but temptations, death around the corner, and others are underrated. I'm really not even the biggest 2Pac fan but it's hard to not respect and appreciate this album in it's context. Probably a 4.5 because of a bit of a lack of replay value overall, but gets a bump up for historical and cultural significance, and that it's still enjoyable and a classic work, even outside of it's narrowly targeted demographic.

I'm middle aged, white, non-American. I'm not the target market for 2Pac. I listened to this with my 13 year old son. He liked the rude words. I liked it only when there were no words.

Having listened to what feels like a lot of hip hop/rap in this project, I hadn't yet (or ever, really) listened to Tupac Shakur. I haven't every really known much about him, beyond his being killed violently. A lot of the violent gangsta rap is distressing to me for many reasons. This felt a little like someone was finally explaining it all to me—the background and the context and the emotions of someone finally trying to process his life experience as he reached adulthood. It goes beyond the protective bravado to, for me, a more interesting place. Beyond being interesting lyrically, a good album has to be good musically, and I think this is high up there in the hip hop genre. Good beats that make your body move. This one made quite an impression on me overall.

As I was listening to the intro, I was thinking, this isn't so bad. I was wrong. I get that it may be a prophetic look into a world that I will never experience. But that doesn't make it an album that I have to hear before I die. There has to be noteworthy rap albums better than this.

This sounds like a Will Smith album if it was made by the ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth’ Will Smith.

Did not enjoy this album at all. I guess the primary quality is in the lyrical content (especially with 2pac's backstory in mind), but the music just does not appeal to me enough.

It seems to just drone on, i really do not like it

Not my cup of tea

Dull as mud from start to finish. Mono toned, mono rhythmic and mono paced.

Legendary. His storytelling, emotion, and fearlessness about his content is why he is unanimously considered one of the greatest rappers ever. In my opinion this is his best work. I knew i loved it going in, but it’s always nice to revisit a classic. Must listen for everyone in my opinion, but especially fans of hip hop.

This was the album that convinced me that Tupac truly desires the praise/status he’s achieved in his legacy. As a youth, his rapping and style wasn’t immediately clear to me, but as soon as you hear “They say pussy and paper is poetry, power, and pistols,” followed by an assault of lyrical alliteration, I was sold. I don’t love his beat selection 100% of the time. His G-Funk/West Coast beats are typically the most bland, watered-down version of the style, his soft songs are really grating, especially if he’s not doing the hook. There are exceptions (“Hey Mama”) but I think Pac is at his best when he’s doing gangsta rap, if only because his tone fits it so well, and he’s really not the greatest at it until this record, when his own game is undeniable. But all his albums are a mix of styles and tonal shifts. Some people love that, and even argue it’s why he’s so great. I disagree; to me, it means he doesn’t have a flawless album. But of his 5 albums, I’d have to say this is the closest he has to a legitimate classic. I’d say all his other albums have higher highs (my favorite track here, “Old School,” is my least favorite of my favorite Tupac songs), *but* this record also has quantitatively the most highs in his discography. Maybe if 7 Day Theory wasn’t posthumous, or if All Eyez on Me was one disc, I’d prefer it, but Me Against the World is the tightest of all Tupac records imo, so therefore my favorite, and the one I’d say is his definite classic. Honestly, though, while the first half is all gold, I don’t think Side B gets good until “Old School,” and even then, all those final tracks are notably weaker. High water marks for sure, but not on the same caliber as Side A/any of his best tracks that released after this album. I don’t know - I’ve always felt odd about Pac. On the one hand, when I like him, I love him. But when I don’t, I really don’t. Maybe that dichotomy is why people love him. Idk - I was always a Biggie fan first. But my distaste for Pac still isn’t distain - bad 90s hip-hop is still an A- for me, so while this isn’t like my favorite album ever, it’s still my favorite Tupac record, and therefore 5 stars.

2pac is easily the most popular 90s rapper that tragically lost their life due to violence, and the only one that can even have the same title in the conversation is his rival, The Notorious B.I.G So, I hadn't really heard many 2pac tracks before listening to this album. The only 2pac track that I had heard was "California Love", plus that interview that Kendrick Lamar sampled on "Mortal Man". I was super excited to listen to this album, and the reason was because of the main artist. A lot of Rap fans and rappers have stated that 2pac is one of the best rappers ever, this being an album from the 90s also made me look more forward listening to it. Holy fuck, this album is amazing. I'm not gonna lie, I did also think that this was gonna be the same situation as the N.W.A. album, where it's an album that many love that I disliked, but it was the exact opposite for this one. The first thing that I'll speak about is the production, it's so good. Boombap is easily one of my favourite styles of productions ever, but that being mixed with the quiet background vocals on tracks like "Might Die 2nite" was even fucking better. It might be kinda simple for today's standards, but 2pac's writing was just perfect for it. 2pac is a lot like someone like J. Cole, where the rhymes are super impressive and shit while not having the tracks be super complex. Now I'm not saying if I think that 2pac is worse than J. Cole since I haven't really listened to many 2pac tracks, but I was just using him as an example. The intro and the title for this album perfectly describe the situation that 2pac was in. He was basically getting blamed for shit that he didn't even have a part in, which must've felt horrible. It was basically a me against the world situation, and 2pac made sure that he would prove the press wrong. Album art is so fucking good, with 2pac leaning at the wall with he black, white and yellow blending together. Maybe people think that it’s basic, I think that it’s dope. FAV TRACK would have to be "Dear Mama". Tracks about loving your mother is always positive, and the stuff 2pac says in this track is super interesting. LEAST FAV TRACK: N/A 10/10

90s gangster rap isn’t in my wheelhouse. I was starting to resent having to listen to bombastic denigration over catchy beats. It’s tiresome. I’ve run out of giving passes to horrific lyrics because they are delivered with great talent. Being unfamiliar with 2Pac’s music, I was bracing for another endurance session that couldn’t end soon enough. Instead what I found is an incredible moving, vulnerable, introspective album by a rapper of great talent. Here is a rap album that was illuminating, moving, and real. Totally unexpected, it has made me reconsider a sub-genre I was ready to walk away from. This is an unflinching, hard hitting slice of life that respects its subjects. What an incredible album!

I was quite well-taken with this one. It was thoughtful and poignant, emotionally deep. Well done.

Buttery smooth production and performance. Social commentary. Expressing his perspective on the life he lived up to this point. I'm into it.

I did not think that my white as marshmallow fluff ass would like this as much as I did. F-cking brilliant!

You know what, this album is about 2Pac against the world. Yes, in case you were not aware, Me Against the World is about 2Pac against the world. And it is amazing. Some of the best G-Funk I have heard. While this album isn’t as hardcore as some of his other work (I really wouldn’t consider it hardcore to be honest), it’s one of his more introspective. The songs are usually slower and follow themes related to his past and the concept of death. And this album does detail 2Pac’s fear of death. Even though on a lot of songs he says he isn’t afraid of death and knows he will die eventually, I think this can be seen as him trying to make it seem that he isn’t afraid, even though death is a major theme of the album. Mostly how he’s paranoid of others and other’s deaths. He truly does fear death. But that’s not all. The album also discusses his past like the excellent Dear Mama, where 2Pac thanks his mother for all the she has done. It’s very easily his best song. 2Pac also discusses poverty and gang violence a lot. And all of this ties into death. It’s really a showcase of 2Pac’s fears and worries, something that would, sadly, ring true in the end. This album also has some other bangers like So Many Tears, Lord Knows, and It Ain’t Easy. Speaking of which, the sound is pretty good. It’s kind of the thing holding back the whole record but G-Funk is kind of outdated as a whole so it’s not really a fault for the album. If it means anything, I kind of like the sound, especially the synths (I find the synths during this era to just hold up really well). The more stripped back beats are better though. Despite that, 2Pac’s lyricism really brings the album home. 2Pac is interesting in the discussion of the greates rappers of all time because he doesn’t have the best word play unlike some of the greats, but this album sort of taught me why he is in the running for the best. His performance. He pours out all of his heart into a performance. That is why he is the best. It’s not because he has the best bars, but because he puts a level of heart and personality into it that really makes him stand out. That is why he is the best. He still stands out today when there is a million rappers out there. There is truly nothing else like 2Pac. I won’t tiptoe around it; this album is amazing. Truly fantastic. While the sound may not hold up the best, everything else about the album is truly phenomenal and just goes to show why 2Pac is the best. May he truly rest in peace. 10/10.

Great old school hip hop album, melodic, poignant lyrics and some beautiful soul moments

Pretty damn introspective, thematically strong. Very confessional and raw, probably was a bit uncommon to show vulnerability in hip hop at this time. I probably wouldn't listen to a lot of it, but I can respect it.

This album has all the best parts of west coast rap. Great listen all the way through

I hardly ever listen to rap or hip hop, but I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It was easy to listen to and had a nice flow. The lyrics are interesting, because he sounds very honest and open about his struggles. Lots of clever lines as well.

2pac had a way of telling stories to make you feel like you were there. and he had flow. there is a strange duality within this album that, depending on the song, he either seemed like he was glorifying life on the streets or cautioning against it. almost as if he was trying to escape his past, but it kept pulling him back in. fascinating listen. i had never listened to any 2pac before (i’ve never considered myself much of a fan of rap music), but i totally understand the allure of this artist.

Good, not great. Not like “this album doesn’t deserve to be here”, just feels like something I don’t hate but also don’t care if I hear again. I can hear his talent in the flows but I found the album dragging on a bit. Not a ton of variation to my ear.

I didn't want to like this, as he seems such an insufferable prick and the themes are both juvenile and tediously serious, as opposed to e.g. Snoop/Dre where it sounds like they are at least enjoying themselves. However, you gotta admit he's a skilled rapper, has a quality production team, and it's good to hear some Lady Levi in the background on Heavy In The Game. Dear Mama is cringeworthy. 3(Pac)

The opening burst of morbidity, the I’ll-die-in-a-hail-of-bullets-(no-big-deal) spree, arrests attention with its clever play against the luscious production, dark chuckle material for grimmer types with hindsight. After that, pretty sounds, forgettable tunes, nothing hooked me. The title track’s delivery of “Kill kill kill, murder murder murder” is nifty and funny. I won’t linger over why this is the one line that’s stuck to my lips as I drive to the nursery pick-up.

nope

Boring

not my jam 1/5

No gusta

Normaly, I don't like this kind of music.

I'm a gangsta, kill, kill, kill. Murder, murder, murder. Dead.

When the opening song used the N word three words in and then motherf**ker, at which point I knew this was not for me. In general, rap just sounds like crap to me.

Already in my collection. Obviously a banger of an album.

Hands down classic! One of 2Pac’s best works.

If the song about his momma doesn’t make you cry then you don’t love your mama

Classic. So good. Very solid.

Some of the best music ever made

Love "Can U get away" and "So Many Tears"

Yes

didnt know that before

dated and simplistic 90s, but this hit me in the feels. genuine emotions packaged within old school beats

Nice

Great flows and fun production

you can hear how personal this one seems. I don't listen to Tupac, nor do I know much about him but you can hear how raw he tried to make this one.

El mejor rapero de la historia.

Legendary

Never knew some of the deeper cuts on this were so good! Really enjoyed it though!

Mutha fuckin 'Pac

One of the most fun hip-hop albums I've ever heard. Fantastic beats, lyrics and no filler make this one of the best in the genre.

Achei legal demais o título. Tudo a ver com a proposta do rap. Gostei das canções e da maneira envolvente das letras. Não domino o inglês, mas quero ler as músicas para entender o que foi dito. E ouvir, é claro, mais 2Pac.

Super enjoyable with some classic tracks. Final verse of Me Against the World is incredible. Falls into the 90s album trap of being just a bit too long. 9/10

9/10 great

Só fado

Classic.

Listened Before? N This is one I've been wanting to listen to, and putting off since literally the 90's. I've always been a fan of 2pac's style but never listened to a full album. Pros: This is an amazing record. The subject matter ranges from typical gangsta faire to personal therapy sessions. 2pac was a special talent. He makes the unrelatable relatable. Cons: Nothing much. Some terminology didn't hold its relevance, but this is a great snapshot of the mid-90s. Added to Library? Y Songs added to Library: Me Against the World, Dear Mama

He’s a favorite of mine so this was an easy sell to me.

A true original. This album feels like it has an aged a day

Well. That was a surprise. Everyone knows 2Pac is a legend but I've personally never just sat down and listened to a whole album. I was utterly blown away by the lyricism, creativity, and delivery that he brought to the table. But the real surprise was the depth of the content. I expected the same ol' shallow gangsta rhymes that you get from 2Pac's contemporaries in the genre. What I experienced, however, was incredibly self-aware social commentary. 2Pac comes off more like a really cool older brother dispensing heavy wisdom than a hard-ass, bragging gangster. This album was just great. 2Pac really was one the greats. R.I.P.

Poet

It was you against the world… wasn’t it Tupac, RIP

Klassiker. Kannte ich zwar schon, hatte aber die Gelegenheit noch einmal ein paar Lieder einzuspeichern.

This album sees Tupac expand his lyrical content to the philosophical. This is not to say that Tupac leaves behind the g-funk, but to say that he looks at the violence with a sense of maturity that seems to conclude that the lifestyle is part of him, and is glorified, but that he can look at it critically and understand how desensitized to it he has become. He muses on the devastating consequences of poverty and being exposed to so much death and chillingly discusses his own death. There's a tension here between the lure and necessity of life on the streets and the desire for things to be better. In the closing track, Tupac seems to recognize that something is wrong here, and the death is too much.

Love that we are finally getting a Tupac album. This is one of his records that I didn't listen to too extensively but he's so prolific that I know I can go into it with high expectations. It's got everything you want from a rap hip hop album and everything you would expect from one of the greatest if not the greatest to ever do it. Lyrics are on point and touch upon many varied and interesting themes as Tupac introspects his life, music, relationships. This album is so good to just put on and enjoy track to track. It's so EASY to listen to. Love Tupac. Love Tupac as not only a rapper and artist but also an actor.

Wowow equally heartbreaking and artful. I never gave this a full listen-through before today, and I'm glad I did.

2Pac has such a great, distinct voice and his bouncing flow is so much fun to listen to. I love these funky beats too. Occasionally, the musical style pushes toward G-funk but I wouldn’t call most of this gangsta rap. 2Pac generally avoids glamorizing violence. He’s more soulful and introspective. He describes the awfulness he sees around him and tries to promote positivity at every turn. “Old School” is a personal favorite. I used to love putting that one on party playlists. This is one of those albums that’s talked about as a classic and I think it holds up really well. It’s over an hour long but there’s no filler, which is rare for a 90’s rap album. Even some of the classics will have a dud track here or there. This is solid. (Side note: I always love finding connections between albums on this list. On “It Ain’t Easy,” 2Pac raps about not wanting to get locked up in San Quentin, the prison Johnny Cash sings at for his second live prison album.)

Great classic album. Still prevalent.

Hey this guy is pretty talented

WOW! Rap perfected. The lyrics just keep rolling so smooth. Beats you can bob your head to.

2/pac rip

I didn’t expect to see this album on the list, but overjoyed to have gotten to listen in full. It’s crazy how many lines 2Pac seems to predict misfortune for himself, still calling out men for trying to be hypermasculine, still criticizing his own choices on his rise to stardom. I wish I could’ve seen what rap would’ve been like if he’d been able to stick around.

Really got into this one.

Love 2Pac, and this is my favorite album from him. Love the less aggressive sounds from this versus his next album.

Great album. Lord knows

Love this voice, love the lyrics. Dear Mama the best

Ground breaking!

Fucking awesome album. Every song was a great listening experience that focuses on an incredibly foreign life to me. The song intro was cold as all hell. Opening an album bragging about surviving an assassination attempt is darkly ironic and badass.

What should I say? That album is just fucking great. Cool beats, more on the dark side of the mood, minimalistic music support and outstanding texts as well as melodies.

I'm a simple west coaster. I hear Tupac, I like.

I think I get 2pac now. The man really knew how to put words together.

Tremendo disco, muchos classi pac, el disco lo termino justo antes de que le disparan y se nota la diferencia de como encaraba sus letras respecto a all eyez on me. Back to back classic, 9/10

He just like me fr

Just great, flows easy and sweet (“Dear Mama,” “Old School”) and melancholic enough (“It Ain’t Easy,” “Young N’z”) to add resonant depth and poignance. One must look up samples. Distinct vocal tone and excellent use of backing vocals. Oh, does the g-funk work wonders.

👍

Amazing!!!

I have to say, I thought this was pretty good. The lyricism, the emotion, the catchy bangers. Really one of the better 90s rap albums I've heard so far, with some real funk, soul and R&B moments. I don't really think my opinion on Hip-Hop has flipped yet, I still don't care that much for it in general, especially not the state of it nowadays, but this classic 90s Hip-Hop album is great. Favourite: Me Against The World

One of the best poet rappers to do it.

five brilliant stars

yo! some old school bangers on here!

Not a bad song on this album, I like that this album takes a deeper dive into 2Pac's life like in Me Against the World and Desr Mama.

Stunning. This was a really pleasant surprise, and exactly the reason I joined this project; to discover masterpieces like this that I otherwise would never have listened to. This young man was so wise, so humble, so angry, so insightful and thoughtful, with a truly incredible voice and take, and the beats are just so soulful. Think that a lot of today's 'rappers' could learn a lot from going back and listening to this again and remembering what they forgot. Absolutely stellar, and perfect summertime listening (listening in June '23). Rest in power, 2Pac.

"Me Against the World" is 2Pac's best album. It best focuses all of the different sides of his personality on one album, with the social commentary, the pleas for kids to get off the streets, the mournful losses of his friends and, of course, songs about his potential immediate death. If 2Pac had cut "All Eyez on Me" down to one album, then it would have been the superior album, simply due to how he expands his sound on the album and tries new things. The album is too bloated though and "Me Against the World" contains fewer guest appearances, less focus on beats and lyrics that focus more on his mental health struggles. Even the "lesser" songs on the album tackle heavier issues, like "Lord Knows" where 2Pac talks about how he feels hopeless and the grief of seeing his friends die. He knew the life he led could lead to his death and he felt it was inevitable.

this is a hard listen knowing what happened to pac about a year later. it’s so personal, so intensely about his experience getting shot. regardless, it’s (of course) technically perfect lyrically and production-wise, and emotional on top of that. really excellent album

2pac is awesome. Really tender while remaining cool. 2pac has a great sense of melody, 66 minutes just vibes on by.