Reviews (page 2 of 8)
I'm not gonna lie, the production is pretty boring and it's kind of repetitive. Tupac is definitely a greatest hits artist for me.
J'avoue, j'étais parti pour mettre un 2. C'est pas que j'ignore l'importance et l'influence de 2Pac. Je sais que c'est une énorme référence et l'un des rappeurs les plus influents de l'histoire. Mais au premier abord, les instrus plutôt simples ne m'ont pas parlé. Je suis pas un grand fan de rap, j'apprécie surtout quand l'aspect musical est très travaillé ou quand l'aspect politique est très mis en avant. Tout en sachant que j'ai toujours du mal à suivre les paroles en anglais, surtout quand elles sont rappées. Donc forcément, tu me mets du 2Pac, je vais pas capter tout de suite l'intérêt. Je me disais que c'était vraiment pas pour moi. Et comme je laisse la place à un peu de subjectivité dans la façon dont je note ici, j'étais prêt à mettre une mauvaise note. Sauf qu'à un moment, j'ai fini par capter un peu les paroles. Et c'est là que j'ai compris ce qui aurait dû être évident : l'intérêt de 2Pac se trouve dans ses paroles. Alors j'ai pas tout suivi et je soupçonne que certains passages ont mal vieilli, mais je comprends mieux son statut culte. Bon, ça reste un truc pas fait pour moi du tout, donc je vais pas non plus mettre une note incroyable, mais ça mérite au moins la moyenne. EDIT : haha, mais j'ai vérifié un peu sur Wikipédia, le gars a été accusé de viol. Tiens tiens. Allez, ça sera un 1, faut pas déconner avec ces conneries.
Two things can be true at once. Tupac Shakur was a pretty reprehensible human being, and this album slaps hard
Not my thing, some tracks are OK.
Don’t fully get the hype.
Un álbum liricamente bueno. Algunas canciones se sienten repetitivas en cuestión de instrumentales, pero es un álbum solido.
Blech!
This really sucked. It was worse than anything similar i’ve listened to from the time. I guess he had a near death experience and thought a lot about dying
I guess it is my age in contrast with Dimery as I cannot imagine a list this long (1089 albums and counting) only containing one 2Pac album. To the list's credit it does contain his in my opinion best album even though it does not have his most commercially successful one "All Eyez on Me." This album so well represents hip hop music in 1995 and catches Tupac at a crossroads in his career. While still containing elements of the consciousness rap like "2Pacalypse Now" and "Strictly" but veering toward more gangster rap like the albums that would follow. I am too unbiased to properly rate this album I don't think it is a 5 Mic album on the Source scale but it is a great album by a very important if flawed artist.
NON DICO CHE TORNIAMO NELLA ZONA DI COMFORT CON QUESTO, MA ESPLORIAMO LE FONDAMENTA DELLA MIA CASA DI COMFORT. TROVO POCA SPERIMENTAZIONE, AVENDO LE 15 CANZONI LA STESSA STRUTTURA: TRE STROFE INTERVALLATE DA RITORNELLI R&B. PER QUANTO RIGUARDA LE PRODUZIONI NULLA DA DIRE, ALLUCINANTI. MI PIACCIONO LE CANZONI IN CUI EMERGE IL SUO LATO PIU' FRAGILE, COME "DEAR MAMA" E "SO MANY TEARS". LA MIA PREFERITA E' "HEAVY IN THE GAME" MIIIII BOOOOOMBOCLAAAT. 3 STELLE ALTE//4 BASSE. 4/5.
I listened a lot to thus one during my high school years. A lot of big hits, nice rhythms and lyrics. Especially "Dear Mama"
Pretty good. Never listened before and the music was nice. Felt like an all time classic rap album
Dear Mamma
In terms of pure musicality and lyrical technicality of this album, I really liked it. As for the meaning of the lyrics Lord forgive me I rarely really listen and encode that with any music; my weakness. I'm gonna give it a 4 for now for that reason. Nobody really gives a doink about this review anyway, probably
I think this is the first time I’ve listened to a 2Pac album in full? Engaging storytelling, great performance, and smooth, tight beats throughout. It’s a damn good record. To my ears, one of the better 90s gangsta rap albums I’ve heard from the list. It probably helps that he’s a massive influence on my favorite contemporary rappers working today.
I’ve always thought 2Pac was overrated, and *Me Against the World* didn’t really change that opinion. I don’t dislike him and I certainly don’t think he’s a bad rapper—I just don’t hear what puts him among the greatest of all time. I’m admittedly not the biggest West Coast rap fan; I lean much more toward laid-back boom bap, although there are exceptions like Kendrick and albums like 2001 There’s nothing particularly bad here, but a lot of it sounds very commercial and straightforward to me. Pac clearly has charisma and conviction, but I kept waiting for the rapping or production to really grab me and it never quite happened. At times it even reminded me of Ja Rule, and that is definitely not a compliment. 😂 I understand the appeal of 2Pac more than I personally connect with it. He has presence, emotion and something to say, but musically this just isn’t the kind of hip-hop I’m likely to reach for. A perfectly listenable album, but it still leaves me wondering what everyone else hears that I don’t.
Came away from this album feeling sadness for the guy. He was exceptionally talented but was so caught up in the gangsta lifestyle that he seemed to spend his whole life looking over his shoulder for when he was going to get popped. Several of the songs reflect that and the one that really gave me chills was "Death Around the Corner" that reflects on his past where finding meaning and one's place in community is less important than gaining respect in the eyes of others. There's a lot of that confessional quality in these songs and it makes for some powerful art. Very sad and such a waste of talent as both he and Biggie were extremely talented guys caught up in a cycle of violence and retribution.
Its hard not to compare 2Pac and Biggie post-mortem, as people did while they were alive. While both were technically skilled, Biggie probably more so, Biggie's lyrics were all about reveling in violence. 2Pac deals much more in struggle, whether he's grappling with his environment or himself, and it makes him much more interesting in my opinion. An entertaining record the whole way through, I also like his decision to usually prioritise live session musicians and singers over samples, it worked so well for his style. There's a direct line from 2Pac to Kendrick that is super evident listening to this one
Just a really solid album.
2Pac! Still don’t like rap but gets credit for being 2Pac
1. intro - 1 2. die - 2 3. uuorld - 2 4. tearz - 1 5. temptationz - 1 6. young - 1 7. heavy - 1 8. lord - 2 9. mama - 2 10. eazy - 2 11. auuay - 1 12. zkhool - 2 13. fuck - 1 14. death - 1 15. outlauu - 0
Super! Masterpiece!
I wanted to like it more than I did. There's better 2pac out there. Plus biggie is better anyway. 3/5
I love the instrumentals. I love his delivery. He’s such a talented musician and curator and lyricist but I don’t think anything on this album except Dear Mama cracks his top 20 songs. Curious about the addition of this on the list, assuming we’ll get all eyez as well. I hope this three is understandable until then.
So this is peak 90's rap and fits very into the 90's. I appreciate his smoother slower lyrics, but also I don't know if they would stand out in the music of today. He speaks a lot of his personal life experiences, social issues and doesn't just focus on how amazing he is. However, there is a lot of violence and he definitely has some problematic life events (accidently shooting a 6 year old and raping a 19 year old). Its hard here, because he is such a central figure to the rap world and important to what it is today, but in today's standards I am not sure how this holds up. I am also not sure I love the title, yes maybe at times it felt like it was just him against the world (racism, he was just shot, grew up in poverty, etc) but at this point in his life he was extremely high profile, adding a lot to the rap world feuds, sexual assault, and was highly connected with other high profile celebrities. It might be a little over blown to say it was him against the world.
Tupac was rather prophetic, he knew he was not long for this world. I really love his voice and rap style. You can really feel the life he lived through his music and there’s something next level about his sound. I’m a fan!
Some good songs, but nothing mindblowing
Such an iconic flow. It’s a real trip through a hard and violent life experience. The ode to his mom validates it. Sad to listen to knowing his ultimate fate. Side note: are they double recording him?
Neat
Never really listened to anything by 2Pac before this, but I really enjoyed this album. The beats on here are very cool and 2Pac’s flow is awesome. Lyrically the album deals with many of the same subjects, such as his difficult youth and hardship on the streets etc. Favourite songs: Me Against The World, Dear Mama, It Ain’t Easy
Deep and emotionally charged with some grest production. It's no wonder he's held in high regard.
I mean its 2Pac. 9/10
It without charms its was not.
Dayum
Good album, albeit a tad long, but 2Pac did pretty well with this one
very tropical! i liked some songs, vocals not for me
Beat, sampling, and storytelling are so good
Tupac has a depth and breadth of intelligence and artistic talent that I had deprived myself of experiencing for many years, having fallen into the ignorant trap of dismissing him as a “thug.” There’s way more going on here.
I agree with the sentiment, but the choices in execution keep me from really enjoying it.
It’s crazy how the autobiographical nature of this era of rap really feels like i know the guy. Sad but beautiful
Hard but actually jazzy. Tied Gfunk with old school boom bap and sampledelia. If anything a little to one note - but like Biggie that flow and attitude are unmatched.
★★★½☆ (3.5/5) I've never been much of a Tupac fan. I've always gravitated more toward East Coast hip-hop, especially the Notorious B.I.G., and Pac's vocal cadence has just never fully clicked with me. That said, Me Against the World is hard to deny. The production is excellent from start to finish, filled with warm, soulful beats that still sound great decades later. The tracklist is consistently strong, and while I still don't love Tupac's delivery, his songwriting is undeniable. He weaves together introspective, emotionally charged rhymes with confidence and sincerity, making this one of his most compelling performances. What really sets the album apart is its balance. It has the expected toughness, but it's also surprisingly reflective and vulnerable, giving it more depth than many of its peers from the era. If you're someone who's never quite connected with Tupac's style like I haven't, this is still an album worth hearing. Along with The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (released under the Makaveli name), Me Against the World stands as one of the essential Tupac records and is absolutely worth your time.
It's fine
east v. west beef wasnt even close
Defining sounds of west coast hip hop, much more chilled than the east coast
Awesome old school album
Wasn’t too into it during the first half but it took off after Dear Mama
First time listening to 2pac for me. Overall a decent listen. Interesting to hear some of the words of struggle, but also mixed with some more self-indulgent stuff. I’d listen again.
I don't care for what a lot of gangsta rap devolved into, but this one has some great depth. And that 90s G-funk synth is instant mood-setting.
Really not as good as I thought I remembered. Has better albums.
Disappointing to be honest
1021 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming."
A very good rap album that perhaps serves as a “what could have been” reminder as much as a solid rap listening experience. Pac is in top form here and it may be his best record. I feel he had his best ahead of him before his life was cut short, but his output in the time he had is still spectacular and puts him in the GOAT discussion, even without (in my opinion) a magnum opus album to his name. I like the think his spirit lived on through Kendrick Lamar, who has certainly had multiple masterpieces to make up for it.
So I mean, on the one hand the beats are pretty slick and some of the topics are very real and serious. He’s skilled at what he does. That being said, his lyrics also have him perpetrating the cycle of violence at least as much as being a victim of it, so he doesn’t lend himself to being sympathetic. I’m no stranger to profanity, but the sheer amount is wearing (typically why I’m not huge on hip hop in general) and I grew less interested as it wore on, especially as the album clocks in at over an hour. I don’t care to listen to it again. Tupac has some cool songs, I like some of the messages he has, but overall I have no interest in listening to most of his work, especially this album.
Me gustan algunos ritmos, nada más. Lo demás se escuchaba igual.
aikansa tuotos tämäkin. Ikävä mitä kävi mutta näitä lyriikoita kuunnellessa hankki verta nenästään.
I'm a middle aged white guy, I don't listen to rap the way I did when I was in high school and college. I listened to this a fair amount back in the day, all my friends had it. So, it's a 3...a really strong 3 for me. I respect it a lot, I just probably won't ever come back to this on my own. There's just too much to listen to. But Tupac's voice is like a 12 gauge shotgun blast. The conviction in everything he says never lets up. Highly respect it. Absolutely love this: With all this extra stressin' The question I wonder is after death, after my last breath When will I finally get to rest through this oppression? They punish the people that's askin' questions And those that possess, steal from the ones without possessions The message I stress, to make it stop, study your lessons Don't settle for less, even the genius asks questions Be grateful for blessings Don't ever change, keep your essence The power is in the people and politics, we address Always do your best, don't let this pressure make you panic And when you get stranded And things don't go the way you planned it Dreamin' of riches, in a position of makin' a difference Politicians and hypocrites, they don't wanna listen If I'm insane, it's the fame made a brother change It wasn't nothin' like the game It's just me against the world
I've never listened to 2Pac before, even though I'm a fan of rap music. This was enjoyable. I feel like I need to do more research on him - like the opening track - was that before or after he died? Was it prophecy?
Moi aussi ce n'est pas mon préféré.
Quel personnage antipathique... On va essayer de s'en tenir à la musique... mais encore là, des histoires de c'est hot faire de la prison, bang bang, violence et pussy... bof très peu pour moi. Dommage parce que les prods sont bien, les synths de west coast ça me parle quand même. Moment de doucer avec Dear Mama.
Autant j’aime le vieux rap, autant j’ai jamais trop embarqué dans 2pac. Bien aimé la belle sensibilité de Dear Mama
Actually haven't heard much 2pac bar the mega famous stuff he was largely added to posthumously. Definitely a talented rapper and have to concede he was writing about what he knew when making gangsta rap. Wouldn't say I really enjoyed it though, beats never really interested me and I think the bars mostly weren't good enough to rise above the subject matter (unlike someone like Nas say). Not terrible though, it's okay.
Didnt like the more R&B-focused elements - felt like over half the songs had some chill chorus or refrain that took away from the impact of the lyrics. Dear Mother the best song. Fun to listen to though. RIP Biggie.
Ashamedly don't think I've ever listened to a 2pac album before. Know all of his hits, none of them are here though. He sang about dying or being dead a lot on this album. Also very reflective on how he was as a kid. Think him and Biggie both share this,, which I find interesting. They both seemed to think it was only a matter of time before an early end..... He can rap, that's for sure, so much alliteration I noticed in the first few tracks. But, I really don't like the backup kinda RnB singing which features on a lot of tracks. I hope there's another album of his coming up, as this wasn't it for me but I reckon there's more. After finishing this, I would almost call it RnB largely.... Bit disappointed tbh 2.5 3
2,2/5
This is the album where Tupac began to go supernova. It also was released in the midst of a flurry of criminal charges and just after getting shot, allegedly by associates of Puff Daddy, or so he believed at least. All of this explains the album's title and the title track. By this point you're getting peak Tupac, with the dichotomy between someone trying to emulate the kind of thug life that wasn't really part of his character growing up and an intellectual rapper who could rhyme expansively about the deep problems facing black people in America. What makes Pac a great rapper isn't so much that he's the best at flow or rhyme schemes, though he's certainly competent at both--just listen to the first verse of If I Die 2nite, for one example. Pac's greatness lies in his ability to tackle large societal issues with empathy and consciousness. Anyway, on this listen I really focused on a lot of the deep cuts, ones that don't ever show up on playlist. There is a lot to like here in the production, rapping. If I Die 2nite is an excellent track. Heavy in the Game classic E40 style West Coast beat of the time. Love Old School, complete with the Biggie sample. Great beat there. F the World is a great one too. Also love most Johnny J-produced tracks--he's by the far the best Tupac producer--and Death around the corner has all Johnny's hallmarks. Super important album for hiphop. Probably not as good as All Eyez On Me, at least for me, but a classic. 5/5
Listens: 2.5 Standout Tracks: If I Die 2Nite, Dear Mama, Death Around The Corner I've got to be honest... I was not particularly impressed by this album. Now, don't get me wrong, the subject matter is good. It's introspective. It's personal. I certainly seems sincere. He's looking at his life and life in the streets, the card he's been dealt and he's expressing those things though this album. Poverty. Complex emotions like not knowing how to show appreciation, but being appreciative. Mortality. The intro is particularly powerful to me, because it illustrates pretty clearly the "fascination" the mainstream new cycle seemed to have taken on Tupac. I can't know this for sure, but I assume those are genuine news clips. Not being able to get any privacy; being judged for every decision you make. It's a tough situation all around. But anyways, the music... I'm not particularly a fan of the heavy emphasis of the R&B elements. I might be more impressed if there was actual instrumentation involved in the production of the album. I listen to rap music for the hardcore lyrics, the sick rhymes and the awesome DJng and relentless unique beats. Oh, and dope-ass samples. Tupac is an adequate rapper, but when I think about my favorite rap albums, he just doesn't stack up against Nas or Biggie or Wu Tang. There's almost nothing in terms of quotable lyrics. Samples are sparse. The beats aren't remarkable. There's no record scratching. So yea, 3. Fine, but I'd rather listen to other rap albums.
..
classic
Extremely overrated - people write about him like he was the first rapper to ever have a feeling, but he's overserious, self-absorbed and despite the credit he gets, it's more self-pitying than actually reflexive. The songs are all a verse and a minute too lond and the album could be great at 20 minutes shorter. He has a very compelling flow though, a distinctive voice, and the beats are high-end g-funk with 90s RnB touches and its makes for some great fun at times, the reggae toasting on Heavy in the Game especially.
I get the mystique, I get the cultural importance, but poetic though some of it may be, I've never found it to be great music.
67
Love Tupac’s flow. Definitely one of the best rappers of his generation. The production of the tracks hits the sweet spot for me too, laid back and funky (though the more overtly G funk sounds would be in his next album)
Wow. I was honestly a little intimidated when I first went to put this one, just knowing the legacy of Tupac and his career and untimely death. This album blew me away. Tupac’s ability to tell the story of his life and his reluctant acceptance of being a drug dealer and gang member has maybe the truest radical acceptance of one’s situation that I’ve ever heard put to music. At the same time, he’ll be damned if he allows any of the young boys growing up in the streets to take the same route that he did. It’s truly a captivating story to tell that had me glued to the lyrics throughout the entire listen. The music is quintessential g-funk hip-hop, it sounds perfectly of the time but also fresh and lively. Both the beats and Tupac’s voice have real grit, but enough focus on polish that these songs would fit well on the radio as gangsta rap continued its reign on mainstream music. This was an incredible listen. Truly a timeless record.
production is straightforward but strong, hook writing is quite good, lyric writing and delivery are fine but not really doing much for me
Gangsta rap is weird for me. I enjoy the music and flow, but lyrically it's pretty depressing. I don't know shit from shinola about hip hop but I'm sure this is a masterpiece of the genre. One thing I do know, Thug Life chose 2Pac and Pug Life chose me.
I just can't do gangster rap, and this didn't change my opinions at all. Never again.
As a child of the '90s I definitely appreciated hip hop in that decade. And I can't wait for the 36 chambers as an album to come up on this list. But I never really understood Tupac. The weird dichotomy of gangster rap and strangely sentimental schmaltz never sat well. And now all these years later it still doesn't. It's okay. But it's not that great.
his voice is so smooth but i dont listen to rap much
It's been a while since I listened to this album. He was one of the best. His lyrics hit home, he is smooth in his delivery, and the music fits. Damn I forgot how good this album is. Do the lyrics hold up decades later? They do for me but the kids might have a different opinion.
Biggie Smalls for the female gaze. The way he says "pleeeaaasee" flirtily when talking to a woman on the phone in a skit - I should not be allowed to see that interaction. It would be less intimate to watch him have sex. He's got a great voice though.
R&B, soulful rap.
Classic, a great vibe Rating: 7/10 Favorite Song: It ain't easy
album goes hard as fuck. hard to believe this is over 30 years old, it still sounds super fresh 4/5
3.36 for 2Pac's Me Against the World. A lot more introspective and it's almost like he was foretelling his death a year later from this album. It lacks a lot of the "pep" and funk that his earlier albums had, and that's really what held me back from going higher with the rating. A lot of the songs are similar in composition. Banger off this album is "Can U Get Away" featuring an insanely smooth Maze sample. Good stuff there. It's Ain't Easy and So Many Tears are solid as well. Not my favorite 2Pac album but important.
Beats were much more trad 90s R&B than I expected. Tupac - such an unforgettable presence.
it’s okay
This is super smooth with just just enough funk to keep it interesting. Surprised how well this has aged, it still feels surprisingly modern, despite some lyrical choices that show their age. I felt like at face value this seems maybe overly simple and that it follows the same overused format as so many similar albums, but I feel like it's done to a higher standard and deserves much of the credit it gets.
I came into this project knowing that hip-hop was hit or miss for me. Through this project, I’ve learned that the misses are almost always gangsta rap, so I was pleasantly surprised listening to 2PAC this morning. This has the west coast flow, which I like, but 2PAC feels like he has something to say rather than sticking with the standard gangsta rap cliches. There are quite a few songs that feel introspective, but that said, he doesn’t fully avoid gangsta rap cliches, and it’s a bit hard to take songs like Me Against the World, It Ain’t Easy, and Fuck the World seriously when he was clearly associated with a lot of violence in his life.
He has such an amazing rapper.
You see, if shit like Endtroducing... was popular, we wouldn't have this shitstain. 2/5
I've read " It is objectively bad music." in the comments of this album. That's a thing that an objectively dumb person would say. nevertheless I liked it but ther are songs by 2Pac that I like more and I wouldn't consider myself a 2Pac Fan
I really did enjoy this
It's a great rap album, the first song that really stood out to me was It Ain't Easy. I really dig the beat on Old School, it bounces and flows really well. Me Against The World is incredible too, I paid more attention to it during the second listen through.
2Pac was a great artist and super influential and this was definitely a prime example of him at his height. I hesitate to say he was an objectively great lyricist or rapper and a lot of his success was tied to his persona and swagger. I'm gonna go 3+ on this one... I could easily have done a 4 on another day.
Good for what it is.
Although my appreciation for rap and hip hop has increased through listening to albums on this list, the sound and content of this are both not something I will ever enjoy. It's very serious and heavy, and while being able to express the things he expresses is something that people rightly celebrate, it will never be something I enjoy listening to.
I'ma lose at this age lol.
This is one of those albums that makes me thankful for 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, because if it wasn't for that list, I never would have listened to it. Obviously we've all heard of 2Pac, but he's one of those artists I never cared to listen to because the name has always given me negative vibes based on the memories I associate with him. I'm obviously a white boy from the suburbs of Denver, and back in the early and mid 90s I was in my early teens. That was when gangsta rap was the coolest trend in the world. All the kids from white, conservative Christian families who were raised in upper middle class, gated communities suddenly wanted to be thugs and acted like they had it so bad. One of our neighbors was a girl a few years older than me who hung out with that crowd. Every weekend when her mom left town, she'd throw a party, and every weekend it was the same thing. They'd be blasting bass from their car stereos, every party ended with a fight, and eventually the cops would get called. They all had baseball bats in their trunks and were desperate to show them off, but they never actually used them because they knew the police would show up. As soon as they heard the sirens, they'd all jump in their cars and speed off. Those were the same kids I'd see wearing 2Pac shirts at school all week long. I've always been pretty good at spotting things that feel fake, phony, or inauthentic, so if that's what those kids were listening to, it was the last thing I wanted anything to do with. Now, putting all of that aside and coming back to this album 30 years later, it's actually a really good record that has stood the test of time. 2Pac was obviously a great lyricist, but what I really like is the overall production. The album has a nice laid back vibe, and 2Pac flows so smoothly over the beats that he really adds to that relaxed atmosphere.
Comprendo la importancia histórica y reconozco un montón de samples pero tampoco es un disco que me vaya a poner mucho más, es un estilo de rap que no me llama mucho.
man I think I just dont like Tupac all that much. Great writer, dont get me wrong. But I have been oversaturated by his music in my friend group, and I have to agree he is always going to be one of the greats, he just seems really one-note in this album. I cant relate to his struggles, so I'm sure that doesnt help, but the guy could write a verse. I wish All Eyez On Me was here instead, I think that would've been the better choice.
Great production, Tupac sounds great and the songs are varied enough. I found myself skipping a lot of songs after the first half just because I was getting tired of the subject matter
A classic. So completely captures a time in America, with the West Coast vibe.
2 - TERRIBLE
I don’t really click with this genre at all, I did listen however and yep, it’s not for me. Sorry.
4/5
I like the more introspective nature of it. I like some of the subject matter, the paranoia, the political stuff, talking about the artists who came before. However, the “me against the world” “am I about to be sent to prison” stuff is soured by the reason for his prison sentence. Musically there are some tracks I really enjoyed and some that were just too repetitive for me – plus a couple where I just really didn’t like the singing style. Can’t get past the “I’m about to go to prison for sexual assault what if I released an album complaining about the world being against me” thing for the rating though. Won’t be listening again. Fav track: Old School Least fav: Outlaw
An album full of paranoia about being killed by someone who would be murdered the year after it was released. As a concept it's fascinating. But there's quite a few cringey moments and it goes on too long so overall I was very underwhelmed. Honestly, I'd probably have given it 2 or 3 stars, there were a few songs I really enjoyed, but listening to this album meant I had to hear a man who was convicted of sexual assault (and was in prison for it when the album was released) say "if you tell me you don't want it, that's a lie". Disgusting, I'm team world. Favourite song: Old School (or Death Around The Corner) Least: Temptations
4/5. A lot more chill and introspective than I would have expected. The beats here are all pretty great, they are simple on the surface but there’s a lot of cool little details, like the short looping guitar line on “Death Around the Corner.” Thematically, this album was made in a time where a lot was happening in 2Pacs life between jail-time, an attempt on his life, and always being in the eye of the media ecosystem. And that paranoia/exhaustion can definitely be felt all over this album. Great listen.
Great album. Good lyrics and tells a story. Hard to not judge it based on his other albums but 3.8
One of the greatest. Some may argue the greatest. I don’t know enough to say, but I know this is that stuff. Said it, say it again, the greatest era of rap. There’s something about 90s hip hop thats so engaging. So easy to listen to, and you can feel the storytelling. Tupac is, as known as he is, one that I haven’t done a deep dive on, along with several other of the big rap names from the 90s, but I still don’t skip whenever he comes on. This was excellent, I want it on vinyl, and I’ll listen a whole lot more.
I didn't know this album, and I really enjoyed listening to it!
Classic.
sehr angenehme background musik aber holt mich nicht soo krass ab wie ich’s gerne hätte
Tupac’s just such a mid pretty boi with his (self-)conscious self-mythologizing lyrics and his nose ring. I feel like he’s lucky he got the THUG LIFE tattoo when he did because it was probably the least silly in his plausible range, like on a whim he coulda just veered into the median and decided to get, like, DEAR MAMA or BIGS UCKS or … FREE DUMB
This one seemed a bit on the dark side, and I wasn't as into it as previous Pac I have heard, but still pretty great. 4.9
One of my favorite Pac albums.
Never really warmed up to 2Pac. Bit repetitive. And that gangster shit gets a bit tiring.
(Light 8/10) Pac shows he is well and capable to create an album that is not only full of bangers, but that is also deep and profound. Turning the lens inward, he waxes poetic about his mental struggles, his upbringing, and his life in general. This record contains some truly phenomenal tracks in it that make for one hell of a beginning and middle of the record. "So Many Tears" and "Dear Mama" being the first two that come to mind. The 90's style production can be a bit corny sometimes but it's all part of the charm. The record does lose steam towards the end though, but the songs are still good on their own. "Outlaw" ends Things on a bit of a somber note though, as it seems to portray that the cycle of gang living moves on through the generations. Even still, great album. Definifely one of Pac's best.
It’s hard to comprehend how much we’ve lost because of gun crime. Tupacs lyrics are introspective, aware. He could see the gap between the wealthy and the poor, and could tell the world all about the experience about being black and poor in a country that systematically exploits black and poor people
Too mellow of a rap album for me.
Liked dear momma, but not much else.
F*ck yeah.
Conscious hip hop and West Coast rap built from soulful samples, restrained beats, and a constant flow of apathetic vocals feels like being read a diary written in a locked room—but from my perspective, the person reading it is so emotionally detached that I struggle to believe the writer is being fully honest, which keeps me at a distance instead of drawing me in. Semantically, the album clearly aims for emotional weight and vulnerability, while the vocals lack a sense of lived experience and presence that would make that vulnerability convincing.
Not for me, I can respect the lyrics and the context where it comes from but, meh, it’s not for me
As far as rap, a genre I don’t like, goes, this is pretty solid. I can see why he was so huge.
honestly it's fucked up that the only 2pac music i'd heard til now was "all eyez on me", and only in the context of it being mashed up with "bittersweet symphony" and "change clothes" for dj hero. i been missing out big time. genuinely a personal failing on my part..... i've always been more of an east coast hip hop enjoyer but the production here is way more interesting than i'd come to associate with west coast, and for gangster rap the lyrics are a lot more nuanced, the themes more complex. obviously the whole genre is about being a hard lad runnin with a street gang, and this could just be me talkin shit, but i feel like a lot of it glazes over the main point 2pac was tryin to make here: that being stuck in that life fuckin sucks actually. i really respect what he was doin on this album. and like, the song about how awesome his mom is too.... i love it. shouts out to moms. real glad this lives up to the hype. his voice is fuckin great too. i gotta start filling out the west coast shaped hole in my music collection.
eh, uglavnom ili blago ili dosta nepodnošljivo. semplovi nekad budu okej, no ni oni nisu baš dobri. stvari »dear mama« i »it ain't easy«, koje dolaze jedna za drugom, mogao bih odrediti kao prolazne. ostatak zanemariv
gut. 4/5 i guess weil 2pac.. aber also.. wrsl bin i biased weil idk ob is wirklich soo gut gfunden hab. denk hiphop is nit soo meins? aber iwie wars scho cool. dear mama hat ma gfallen. ja 4/5 wird scho passen
Not bad.
i just adored listening to this. 2Pac’s charisma as a rapper is unmatched, the 90s g-funk beats are excellent, and the lyrics captures the pain and romance of being 2Pac so well. Old School, the tribute to the forefathers of hip hop, is perhaps the best version of this type of song. even the intro track is a bit of a highlight; a lot of heavy aura farming there. deserves to be one of the 1001? tbh i think having only one 2pac album feels a bit sacrilegious. this obviously does, but i’d argue that All Eyez on Me and 2Pacalypse Now are also pretty deserving
I always knew about 2pac as being one of the best when it comes to hip hop. This album has ups and downs though. I liked some of the songs. Dear Mama is a very good one that I knew about already, and there were some good songs. But there were some that I couldn't stand. Overall, it was an ok experience.
Not my favorite 2Pac album
Yeah, this was really good. Love the 90s West Coast beats, and 2Pac's flow is super smooth. Such an easy listen even when the subject material is pretty challenging.
He's trying so hard to sound like a tough guy. I get he was probably involved in some real criminal stuff, and did get murdered over his rap beefs, but he was also a theatre kid who liked poetry. It all comes off as kind of corny.
Could probably trim some songs from this album. It’s filled with good vibes but can feel same-y after a while.
Tupac (2pac?) - me against the world. Hmm rap, not my thing unless doing a challenge like this…but of the G funk variety which I used to quite like. I was expecting this to be a slog, but it was actually pretty good all the way through. Some very prescient stuff here. Death really was around the corner for this guy. A strong 3, so I’ll give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yo lloraba con dear mama
Even if it's a few songs too long, it's still so good track by track that I gotta give it the highest marks.
incredibly smooth and well produced. i know this will grow on me
Like me rating this album
I am not super into rap and this is just boring and repetitive to me. I totally understand people love this but it's just not for me. I couldn't get through the whole album, every song sounds the same to me.
I was hoping this project would be able to match up to 2pac's magnum opus of All Eyez On Me, but unfortunately this project feels like a whole other kind of sound and honestly left me a bit underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong 2pac can rap his heart out and surely does on this project, but I can't be the only one who thought this album was extremely back-sided. The beats here are very different than the 2pac I was used to and maybe that is just a personal preference thing but I thought the beats here were lacking a bit in quality. I think 2pac does really great with what he is given but needed a bit of time to really fall into place with this project as everything after Heavy in the Game really started to show why he is the West Coast goat of 90s Rap. I know people have strong feelings towards this project but I am not going to sugar coat my opinions to conform. Me Against The World is pretty solid but not much more in my eyes.
Found it quite dull
feel so cringe, but I did quite enjoy that
I hate feeling like that white person who's too into 90s hip hop but I liked it a lot
This was great
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
A classic, but feels a lot of its time.
Peak
Decent but none of the tracks stuck with me. The West Coast style of production always ends up leaving a lot to be desired in my eyes.
This is #day668 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is the kind of record and artist you can put on without worrying about the quality. I mean, it's '90s hip-hop, aka the Golden Age. Can it ever really be bad? I believe this was my first-ever full 2Pac album experience. A thoroughly enjoyable listen on a half-sunny Sunday afternoon on my Technics SU-7300. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day669.
271125 13:47 4 / highlights: me against the world, so many tears, lord knows
Nope
I miss these days when rap artists told stories. I don't care if that makes me seem old. The thing about this album, is you can hear Tupac list all of his self destructive tendencies, he even predicted an early death because of them, yet he didn't change. He's like a real human being and I feel sorry for him.
lightweight album from a lightweight artist
Biggie was better
like yeah! really eerie Intro, considering
The instrumentals and rapping were smooth; loved it.
little needs to be said! it's great and its reputation well precedes it. I don't have anything new to add to the conversation. I didn't actually listen to this album until I was in my early 20s, and I remember wondering what happened in the 2000s that took the soul out of rap. fortunately, this one has plenty of heart and will always be worth revisiting
I consider myself well versed on rap history, but this is an album that I had little knowledge of, at least compared to his others. It didn't hit quite as hard as All Eyez On Me, but you simply cannot discount these foundational works in West Coast Rap. Very good overall.
Although I think it’s the wrong choice, I understand why this album is the one Pac album that made it to the list. It’s a little more straightforward lyrically and accessible. There’s a bit of everything that makes Pac such a great artist on here. “So Many Tears” and “Can U Get Away” are always stand outs for me. “Dear Mama” is a classic. My ranking of Pac albums even though no one asked: 1. Strictly 4 My… 2. All Eyez On Me 3. The 7 Day Theory 4. Me Against the World 5. 2Pacalypse Now 6. Posthumous albums
I didn’t recognize any of these songs, so I got to listen to this record fresh. My exposure to 2pac is just the hits and Kendrick’s reverence for him, so I’m glad I to finally get a full album in. Really enjoyed this.
I recognize a few of these tracks by name, but have never listened to this album start-to-finish. I enjoyed the beats more consistently than the lyrics. Overall, it's okay, but not terribly special.
There are better ones, but it is ok
Once upon a time I would have probably called 2Pac one of my favourite artists. Those days have long passed and I rarely find myself reaching for his albums. Even this one, despite having some great tunes on it became a bit tiring at times. 2Pac was a man of contradictions and this album demonstrates that well. Not quite as angry as his later work, there are some wild swings here.
This one won me over, even if I'm not a huge fan of 2Pac's flow (it gets a bit monotonous with not a lot of change in delivery), the songs have great beats, melodies, and hooks.
Essential.
I'd never listened to 2pac before... incredible
It's an album I know well, I bought it on vinyl when it was released. It's full of great tracks, and there are several era-defining tracks on there as well. It stands the test of time too, my eldest son wasn't even born where this album was released and I've heard him listening to it.
I understand why this album is important, but it isn't for me. Rip 2pac
Teeters between 2 and 3 for me. I'm biased in that it's a genre not to my tastes, but it was still well put together.
I don't listen to rap consistently but growing up near LA I am familiar with Tupac and the influence he had on the music community. Some of the tracks on this record don't connect with me and feel grating. There are other tracks that do connect and add a dimension to musical prose that is quite impressive. The underlying music on nearly every track has a swagger to them. And I never knew Tupac used harmonica in his songs. More R&B sounding than I expected. Controversy surrounding him aside, there's something here to still be talked about.
Well well well, this journey has really brought out what I like and don't like in music. Whereas before, I thought I would say I'm much more of a rock/pop type person. But a lot of the rock albums on here, i've hated. haha. While I might not listen to this on repeat, the first couple of tracks were interesting. I know Tupac was shot, but I thought he died? Maybe he got shot multiple times? Maybe I'll ahve to look that up. But enjoyable!
Love me some Tupac. His flow and beats harken of a simpler time 😂 … but will say some of the harsher lyrics are a bit off putting in a weird way (where as in high school I was all about it 🤷) . Man I would old. Dear mama is an absolute gem. I’m going to go 4.4.
Ooh look, another over-long rap album! And, unlike some of the others, I came away from this with literally nothing interesting. He sounds like a shitbag, so I guess I don’t feel bad. 2/10 Marginal
What happens when an art student decides to play the roll of a gangster... thug life? I listened to Eazy E.
Fairly solid, barely gets a 4...
Very good album. A lot of tracks are introspective and regard the feeling of being trapped in a situation that will result in your death, eg gang and drug related issues. There’s a feeling of resolution toward that end, which is considered inevitable. Interesting considering just a few years later he was murdered in a drive by shooting.
If was good but didn’t really stand out too much.
It’s just not for me but I’ve heard worse on this journey.
Not my thing. Nothing interesting going on in terms of beats and rhythms so just left with rapping I'm not very interested in.
I’m always impressed with rappers. There’s so many words! I wish I could give this a 3.5. I guess I’ll give it a 4. It’s pretty good.
Built upon itself in a really great way. West coast best coast and all that. Love the interesting melodies and samples. At the risk of sounding like the Boss Baby meme, it was fun to go back to see and notice how it influenced GNX, which I really enjoyed.
really good rap album, temptations was a banger
Interesting
El 2paccc💋 esta bueno pero siento q debe tener mejores
I respect the author picking this album over "All Eyez on Me". Sure that album has better hits in my opinion, but this album is just so damn consistent and overall the better record. Pac wasn't fucking around here. Favorite track: Me Against The World
The Generator gave me the third Rap Record in a Row, that's too much. Didn't listen.
High school me would have given this a 5
How fucking cool is it to use audio clips of television news stories about how you got shot 5 times in manhattan, taken to hospital, and then checked yourself out of the hospital less than 24 hours later? Absolutely bonkers. This is one of those albums, and artists, where it feels like an exercise in futility to try to write anything novel. I think anything I have to say about this one has already been said by others before me. This record is more of a poetry record than anything else. It’s truly a remarkable achievement. The goosebumps were plentiful while listening to “Me Against The World”, particularly during the track “Dear Mama”. I really struggle to find adequate language to explain how powerful and beautiful this whole album is. 5*
It’s easy to take for granted Tupac’s introspective and confessional writing style and the influence it had on music only having grown up in a media world on the other side of it, but just having reviewed Cypress Hill, for example, makes a strong contrast. While there is still no shortage of gangsta rap braggadocio on this album, Tupac pulls back the curtain and reveals its source from a short and hard childhood that presented no other apparent path to survival. On this album we hear expressions of conflicted feelings for loyalty to the people and the life that brought him success and resentment that more opportunities aren’t accessible to, or taken advantage of by, the black youth around him, as well as rumination on his impending prison sentence and a feeling that the lifestyle he lives can only lead to imprisonment or an early grave. This last point is made especially affecting by his premature death the following year in a drive-by shooting. All of these themes make this album far more interesting and engaging for me than the shoot-em-up smoke-em-up style from Cypress Hill, to continue the comparison. Whereas the earlier album from CH doesn’t offer much of substance to those not entwined in that scene, in my opinion, ‘Me Against the World’ approaches its ultimately niche subject matter through a lens that almost everyone can relate to or at least empathize with, if they choose to. It is a deeply human and vulnerable piece of work. Also, the production slaps.
A quick look into Tupac’s trying times. Excellent album
Falls into the good (ish) rather than anywhere near great category for me. Not a fan of his rapping over slowed down soul searching tracks - don’t get why Dear Mama gets such love. See also It Ain’t Easy. Overrated album (which tbh is what I feel about 2 Pac himself) - 2.8.
I had no idea 2Pac was so lame and awful
Meh..also I am way too much of a Biggie-stan to even consider going above 3 starts here...
Enjoyed this. Solid if not spectacular throughout, goes beyond the bitch ho gangbanging mofo bollocks where a lot of its contemporaries (and most likely some of his work) gets caught in a violent misogynistic rut. Separate the man from the music and you’ll find a well made album which bags a high 3/low 4. I’m being kind to balance 2pacs obvious flaws.
Everything I could think of that I might want to say just doesn't feel right. His rapping ability. The influence he had. The real shitty things he did. The shitty things he got accused of doing. The difficulty there is to distinguish between those two. I'm not equipped to talk about any of it. All I know is that, in general, I wasn't really a fan.
I do love me some 90s rap.
I really like 2Pac
So much about 2Pac walks the line between legend and just another era rapper. This album is a good album and reflective of the era. What I appreciate about this album is it balances the west coast lifestyle (obviously not my lifestyle) with classic R&B. It’s not quite as hard-hitting as later work, but it does keep the listener engaged. There are some classic ballads on here like Dear Mama, and Ain’t It Easy. He definitely has talent as an artist, though I wonder if his star would burn as bright if he wasn’t killed in such mysterious circumstances.
Random thoughts: * I was never much of a 2Pac guy as I always gravitated towards Dre and Snoop. * I was definitely missing out as this album and I assume most of the 2Pac catalog had more R&B instead of the Dre/Snoop funk. * the lyrics and subject matter sounded more mature than other rappers. * I will need to listen to more Pac.
Yksi parhaimpia hip hop-levyjä, mitä tämä haaste on tarjonnut tähän mennessä. Dear Mama oli ainoa biisi jonka olin kuullut aiemmin tältä levyltä.
Great slice of 90s hip-hop. Me Against The World was my fav song and first listen. Dear Mama and It Ain't Easy were my other highlights
Solid introspective rap album Fave track: Me Against the World
Listened to plenty of rap/hip hop but somehow listened to very little 2Pac. His ability to switch between gangster rap and genuinely thoughtful/heartfelt conscious rap comes off as effortless. By the time you get to Dear Mama, this fact is confirmed. Crazy to say, but I don’t think I’d actually listened to this album in its entirety yet. Despite this fact, it’s a 5. Reassessing a few things. 5/5
not what i usually listen to but not bad
Starting to like rap more and more Playlist add: "Lord Knows"
Being such a 90s East Coast devotee, going to listen to this felt like a small betrayal, but it was about time I heard something full from Tupac. I gotta say, I really loved this. The production on this is a lot sleeker and smoother than the East Coast stuff I love (stack this up against Wu Tang or Mobb Deep in terms of production quality... it makes The Infamous sound even creepier), Pac's lyricism and flow is unparalleled, and there are a lot of vulnerable and beautiful moments on this thing that sorta go against the hardened image that Pac's reputation created ("Dear Mama" stopped me in my tracks; what a track, man).
everybody reviewing these like they're reviewing the person himself. yeah pac might've been a shitty guy but you're reviewing the music dawg. context matters but you can't let it override the music
Gangsta rap - specifically hip hop beats with soul samples/loops and dense raps. I've never heard 2pac before. Seems decent for the genre. Compared to say Snoop Dogg, this takes itself more seriously, less humour. It's fine, but hearing about, early death, dead homies and glocks for so long is a bit of a buzzkill. The electro/synth instrumentation in e.g. Young Niggaz is interesting, I would have thought it from 5-10 years later. I guess many people replicated this sound later on (I think I know the style from comedy rap tracks). Can U Get Away.. am I imagining it or is it a love song mixed with escaping domestic abuse? Best track - If I Die Tonight, Young Niggaz 3 stars - good sound and good rhymes, but the focus on killing and dying is a real downer over 1hr5min
When my granda died, my mother and I didn't have any family support. Years of poor mental health had left her with few friends as well. It was, as she reminded me implicitly, if not explicitly, me and her against the world. Just the two of us. It's not a great mindset: a little paranoid, a lot of pressure, frequently dispiriting. In my mother's case, it was also meant she didn't take any shit from anyone. She worked hard - too hard probably - and she loved me a lot. I loved and appreciated her unresevedly. I recognise the mother in Dear Mama easily. But, then my problem with Dear Mama is precisely that. Anyone could recognise this vague sketch of a woman holding up a family, sacrificing everything for her children. And all she gets for it is "appreciation." This is the standard tough guy's consideration of his mother, seeing her only as a sacrificial layer in the shaping of the self. It is no more sophisticated than getting the word mom tattooed on his forearm. There is no emotional cost to me in "appreciating" everything my single mother did for me. If anything, "appreciation" only reifies the expectation that a mother should harden and diminish herself for her child. The emotional challenge in thinking about my childhood is in recognising the price my mother was forced to pay by the circumstances in which we found ourselves. Years of loneliness, hopes and dreams unfollowed, social and familial judgment, ingratitude from a child who, to be fair to me, didn't know much better. It wasn't her and me against the world, because the world was indifferent, it wasn't even taking part of the fight. Really, it was just me and her and it is tougher work for the child to recognise the humanity in their parent than the other way around. If Dear Mama represents the pinnacle of 2Pac's reflection and introspection on Me Against the World, as most of the reviews her suggest, then it is poor work. It isn't reflection - it is navel-gazing. It incorpates his mother into the self-aggrandizing and myth-making of his ego-project. She is a mere avatar of the good mother, with none of the interiority that 2Pac indulges for himself over and over again. If he can't consider real humanity and full personhood for the mother he "appreciates," should we be surprised when he extends no humanity to anyone? No, because this is grandstanding, not art. 1 R.E.M’s album ‘Reveal’ (not on this list) turns 25 today. The same age that Tupac Shakur was when he died. 25 years is so little time really. It seems like only last week I was giving Reveal a first listen, wondering what the hell had happened to R.E.M. Absolute shite. The fall off is largely accounted for in Bill Berry’s absence I’m sure but there are other glaring issues. Something like a lack of confidence in Michael Stipe’s delivery (this would only get worse on subsequent albums). An all-too-blunt thirst for public approval - sniffing round for the Automatic sound on All the Way to Reno, and mugging for the stadium crowds on I’ll Take the Rain. The chorus of Imitation of Life is R.E.M sunniness by numbers - almost a joke that someone might make about Out of Time R.E.M. The music is a terrible clutter; lots of mucking around with keyboard voices and effects, no identity, no conviction in the material. What is going on at the start of ‘The Lifting’? That cheap synth strings sound flailing around for a theme under the clunk clunk clunk of the piano. It sounds like kids in a practice room. And then in comes Stipe with a retread of the lyrics of ‘Daysleeper’. Here was a pathetic, pitiable R.E.M that I had simply never heard before. What was going on? 1/5
I’ve never properly listened to much Tupac, and I didn’t care for this at all. So dull and repetitive. I enjoyed New School. Other than that i got much more enjoyment from reading about his and his mum’s lore tbh.
Probably love “All Eyez On Me” more, but most would say this is Tupac‘s best album.
we're continuing the trend of 1990s rap today with music by another famous name in the world of hip-hop hall-of-famers, 2pac. or tupac. or however you write that. a personal album of his, he wrote lots of rhymes while being in prison. with so much shit happening in his life, it makes sense he wants to express his spiraling thoughts in rap form. compared to yesterday's listen by dr. dre, me against the world is a little more diverse in sound. and it sure sounds sadder, even with those same groovy g-funk beats. it's just interesting, growing up, hearing from family and other people when you're younger about how 2pac is the most vulgar of the vulgar and his music is so violent and shocking... and yet when i turn the cd on, all i hear is the dusty diary of an intelligent man trying to survive a very hostile environment.
Not feeling this one at all. Disappointing. Honestly I found it pretty boring. In fact second time around I was getting annoyed it was still going as of course it’s over an hour long. There wasn’t anything that stood out for me to grab on to. Next
Ts fye
Nope - not for me.
Meh. Not his best work. All sounds the same.
There were a few goon ones on here
I still don’t fully understand why 2Pac is held in such legendary status, even after hearing albums like this. 𝘔𝘦 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 is definitely more reflective and personal than I expected, and there’s a constant sense of paranoia and pressure running through it that gives the album its identity. That atmosphere probably hits harder when you place it in the context of the growing East Coast–West Coast feud that would later turn deadly. At the same time, the album itself doesn’t completely grab me. The production is solid and Tupac’s presence is undeniable, but across a full listen it doesn’t leave as strong an impression on me as its reputation suggests. I can appreciate the context and influence more than the music itself.
херь
There are so many people on here triggered by gangsta rap. I guess I can understand it, but to overlook EVERYTHING else this record has to offer just baffles me. Among the 1001 albums we come across here, at lest half of them are made by artists that have some kind of really problematic controversy. I think in order to write lyrics like this, you have to have lived through some shit. I'm not trying to justify what he ALLEGEDLY did, but you can feel his pain on this album. Don't disregard any music because of an artist's life. You are robbing yourself of greatness. That being said, so far in my life, I always said 2pac is overrated. His later work blends into the kind of hiphop that i just don't really like, closer to the 2000s style. Mostly knowing his hits, i never dug deep enough. After listening to this one, I fully get it now. His rapping sounds soo effortless, I really can not compare it to anyone else. He was born to glide on these beats. Incredible writing, aand to my surprise, perfect beats too. As i found out, Easy Mo Bee is the producer on some of the songs, and he produced a lot of biggie's Ready to die, so it's not really surprising that i like it. I was scared of the double lp length, but this might be one of the few rap records, where it really is justified. To sum it all up, this probably is a top 100 album of all time. Super influential, and deeply personal.
Production wise, this album sounds extremely outdated. But I can see why some might call him a poet. It’s so sad that he had to die for such silly nonsense like an East/West feud. Imagine all the music he ( and Biggie ) could have made. Sad.
Not for me 1/5
Very good but not my genre
Murder, rape and life coaching... is perhaps what Tupac's business card reads. The beats are great at times, some of the R&B elements are so weak, when he's in conscious rap mode he could be generational, when it comes to the gang stuff, it sounds performative and contrived. He is like a method actor that went too deep. I never buy it, it's just a cultivated drama that the masses bought in droves. This is neither a classic for hip hop or Tupac, I love the genre, but don't get the hype.
One of the most undeniable flows
not my favorite Tupac but hey it's Tupac
bom
Rap
even slaapverwekkend als alle andere rap... shoot me!
Garbage music, by a garbage human, for garbage humans. Some people have difficult upbringings; but 2Pac had done well enough through his music career to have escaped the lifestyle he was caught up in, and the fact he was murdered doesn't magically wipe his slate clean. In terms of the actual music: - It's boring, and extremely repetitive. Quite a few of the songs are largely just the song title repeated for ~80% of the track. - The samples are uninteresting, mostly just a drum beat with maybe a couple of electronic instruments playing ~2 notes over the top. - The lyrics are a mixture of cringe, and trash about guns, niggas, and smacking bitches. There's definitely some introspective lyrics about losing friends etc. but it seems that came too late. I didn't listen to 2Pac at the time, but I remember the news about his death (as well as references to his murder/career etc. in the years that followed). He was always framed as this innocent young guy who got caught up in gang violence and was unjustly murdered. It was this hugely tragic loss that people genuinely seemed to mourn for a long time... Maybe I "had to hear this album before I die" because it made me read up on 2Pac and realise he was a terrible person.
I was surprised to find myself enjoying this at the start. Unfortunately the repetitive beats and monotone voice got to me in the end and I wanted to move on to the next album after 3 songs. If this album was significantly shorter it'd be a higher rating. Lyrics are of it's time and haven't aged well. I feel like I've listened to the same song for an hour Relegated to a 2
2pac's delivery is excellent and the backing tracks are smooth, reminiscent of the gangsta rap era. The content is gang-banger stuff, which I'm not into, though I give him credit for being introspective and talking about the relationships in his life. I read through the lyrics for some of the songs and I think it's OK but other rappers are more creative with their rhymes.
Feels very much of it's time, but not always in a bad way. There's a lot of talent on display, even when the songs aren't always memorable. Reading his Wikipedia entry is a... journey.
Kind of like the Snoop Dog album, this is surprisingly dated. Unmistakably 90s samples and backing vocals aren't bad but definitely aren't timeless - and I don't know that the lyrics are so mind-blowing that they rise above it. Ready to Die and Straight Outta Compton are definitely more timeless entries on the list that remain haunting for their gritty lyrics. I really want to put more respect on Tupac's name given, you know, he's dead and all, but I don't think this album justifies more than a mid rating.
This album was really good, thought every song was very good
Icon. One of the biggest in my formative years, probably an accident of circumstance that I followed a different path. Of course I knew the hits & get down on some to this day. Respect to his stature & influence. This was a fkn chore. Just so dated. This is definitely my era, but not at all my subgenre. So much mellow drama. We'll put it down as a 2, but that's rounded up from a 1-point-sthg.
I found this album really spoke to my childhood and upbringing. Helped me feel seen and validated. But seriously, great album, really enjoyed it!
Stunning. Having only recently gotten into hip hop this is a big puzzle piece to fit in and it’s just brilliant. Addictive.
Rapper - Crapper.
ON the positive side, 2Pac is among the most convincing rapper to have ever lived, painting vivid portraits over straightforward grooves and beats. On the negative side, as seems par for he course in the genre, it is overly long and there is little variation in style throughout. I can see why the record is lauded, but this kind of thing just isn’t for me.
I respect it *slightly* more than I actually enjoy it, but I still do enjoy it. 3.5/5
no es mi tipo
2 pac. 2 stars
ya l’havia escoltat topp
My preference in the 2Pac vs. Biggie debate changes frequently. After listening to this album I am very firmly on the 2Pac side. This album effortlessly combines great beats with incredibly thoughtful lyrics (see "Dear Mama" and "Lord Knows"). I know this has kind of always been 2Pacs thing but this is the first time I've experienced it in a full album context and not just from a greatest hits album. 4/5
Pac was probably 20 percent better a rapper than B.I.G., but the problem is B.I.G. was about twice as good at making coherent albums, and that’s why he produced two masterpieces while Pac only made several extremely good records. Pac is rapping his ass off here, but the production and sequencing on this one is merely a little bit better than okay. Best track: “If I Die 2Nite”
12/1001 Me Against The World - 2Pac (1995) I try not to give context too much weight when rating an album, because ultimately all I'm rating is how much I enjoyed it. The context of this album is unavoidable, it's the vulnerable introspective standout of his discography next to the aggressive and defiant characteristics of '7 Day' and 'All Eyez'. Luckily, the aforementioned enjoyment factor is not a problem. This is an album without a single skip, with rock solid writing throughout, and with absolutely beautiful soulful production. It may be a West Coast G-Funk classic, but I'd be remiss if I didn't say I saw the fingerprints of Blues on this album; I suppose a near-death experience will do that to you. Absolute classic. ★★★★★
My parents didn't care if I listened to Dre or Snoop growing up, but they did have a problem with 2Pac... yeah, I don't know either. This was a really strong album. I think if I have any critiques, it did seem like the subject matter was very similar on many of the songs. He could tell the story in creative ways, but it was still the same basic story. I did appreciate the emphasis on mental health.
Отакої))) Це доля))) Ну таке, хоч це і Тупак)
It’s Tupac, what more can I say? Shit is fireee
not for me but not bad
Some good writing but musically not my favorite
Honestly very solid!!
Quando era mais novo, eu ouvia uma boa quantidade de 2pac, mas sempre fiquei apenas nos álbuns de Greatest Hits. Uma coisa que me pegou de surpresa nesse disco foi sua temática. As letras constantemente falam sobre mortalidade, a própria Intro menciona a vez que Tupac foi baleado e quase morreu, e esse tema retorna em diversas canções, com algumas letras falando até sobre ideações suicidas. Deste modo, esse disco é bem diferente do esperado de álbuns de Gangsta Rap da década de 90. Fora a temática inusual, o álbum conta também com um estilo de produção agradável, repleto de samples bem colocados e instrumentais legais. Há canções mais lentas e reflexivas, mas há também algumas mais animadas. Possui variedade suficiente para não cair na mesmice, e também não sofre dos pecados comuns da época. O único defeito mesmo é a duração, que poderia ser encurtada um pouco. Mas ao todo, é um disco bom. Gostei. 4/5
Hip hop/Rap has evolved a lot in the last 30 years, but my rule of rhythm and rhyme was forged by this album.
I got this album straight after The Blueprint by Jay-Z. I don't think I can help comparing them.
The internet considers this to be 2P’s best album. It did exceed my low expectations, as it seemed to be sort of a mellow rap album for the most part. But overall two stars.
Sorry 2Pac, but this is a hilariously bad album cover. I get why this is on here, of course, 'cause 2Pac and Biggie loomed very large over the pop culture landscape in my formative years, but I have never listened to this album because I'm not about that scene. Slur count = 91ish. He sounds more like Ja Rule than I expected. The album is not terrible, but not quite a 3 for me personally. 'Intro' is wild, because this is NOT a posthumous album, but give it ~2 years and it would be. Highlights: 'So Many Tears', 'Dear Mama' (me: "aw, that's nice") Language Observation: "conversate" (on this album) is AAVE but "orientate" (not on this album) is British! How 'bout that!
It's not that it's bad, because it's not. 90s hip hop doesn't do much for me.
Asi by som to nemal hodnotiť, pretože rap nepatrí medzi moje obľúbené žánre...aj keď je Tupac legenda... Preto len 1. Sorry
I was recently recommended his next album, All Eyes On Me, but this one was easier to appreciate. It's shorter, at just an hour with 6 minutes it could still be considered long, but rap when it's done well has the tendency to extend itself. It feels like a cohesive project, but more importantly, Tupac is flexing his lyrical capabilities. Even during my initial background listens, his rhyme schemes would pop and call my attention. I find his style shows the transition from choppy vocals to a more musical cadence, that together with some overly-classic beats makes this sound a little dated. I've heard efforts where the "classic" feel is much more overwhelming, I find it tollerable here. The talent is always stronger. I saved a couple of of songs to my liked collection, and to a few playlists. I don't know if I feel the need to replay this album, but I respect it. 4.1/5
el flow reconocible a kilómetros de este hombre, su forma de contar historias, los samples... yo soy muy fan del hip hop de la costa oeste y 2pac es la máxima representación de ese estilo, decir que este álbum es malo o repetitivo es no entender su propósito y contexto. Un 9/10 muy merecido
4.5
I’m preferential to All Eyez on Me but this is still a solid album. It is, however, too long. Pac should have trimmed the fat a bit in my opinion. Still some classics for sure, just too many songs for one album.
Kind of a tough one to rate. Got pretty sad listening to this. It really feels like he knows his days are numbered and he’s confronting death throughout.
He has a great rhythmic feel and a cool voice. All the beats are sick. Kinda repetitive but still fun to listen to
Thematic lyrics are really repetitive and lose some of the punch because of that. I wish the beats had changes. I like his voice
Couple ok songs. The language is offputting.
Gangster rap album whose lyrics are borne out of tumultuous time that Shakur was going through in his personal life. Favorite is "Lord Knows", also enjoyed "Dear Mama" and "If I Die 2Nite".
A child murdering violent rapist telling me how bad he’s had it. Go fuck yourself cunt! Anyone idolising this piece of shit need to give their heads a wobble. Shit album as well
some good... some not so good. RIP.
GREAT ALBUM! Hit after hit
5 shots out of 5
Despite being a big Digital Underground fan, Tupac has always been kind of a blind spot for me - his heyday happened right around the time I cut way back on the hip-hop I was listening to and also stopped paying much attention to MTV/radio. So while everyone else was learning what a genius Tupac and Biggie were, I was off listening to more stuff with guitars. It's a shame, because I was clearly missing out. I had of course heard "Dear Mama" but had not listened to the rest of this album. It's good but just doesn't hold the nostalgic value for me that it probably does for everyone else. Listening to it for the first time at 51 years old, I would probably give it a 3.9. Close to 4 stars, but not quite.
I’m not a hip hop fan, but I’ve never really listened to Tupac, so I’m excited to listen. If I die tonight felt very tied into the intro. Again, I don’t know enough about this style of music to really comment on it. Some standout tracks were: So Many Tears, Lord Knows. Overall the lyrics in this album are phenomenal!! I found myself just sitting and listening to what he was saying. I’m still not a huge fan of hip hop, but I can see why Tupac is one of the greats. His lyrics are so deeply personal to his story. 3.5/5 ⭐️ 96/1089
a truly beautiful album. such an honest piece of work by someone who passed way too soon.
Another instance where I know all the best songs already and the ones I don't know are just fine
Classic hip hop.
me sorprendió mucho, tenía una mirada distinta de 2pac
I didn't expect the smooth R&B vibes to work with the lyrics, but it worked better than I anticipated.
2Pac, 2Stars, 2Long. I think if I listened to any of these songs in isolation I would like them more, but when every track is 5 min, the repetition wears on me. I’ve always liked 2Pac, but I’ve never liked a 2Pac album.
Nothing especially stood out but it wasn’t bad.
Boring hiphop
Personally, I’ve always thought 2Pac was overrated. That said, it’s not bad. Just not the 5 stars I’m sure it gets.
Great lyrics but I’m not a fan of every beat.
Overall pretty solid, good rhythm and backing tracks nothing stands out too much though to me.
Nope
Some decent beats on this, but the lyrics and overall vibe ain't really for me.
Very problematic stuff, yes, but have you considered how hard it bangs??
Heavy In The Game
Glad to have finally listened to one of his albums in full Saved songs: Temptation, Dear Mama
Honestly pretty entertaining. The rap is of a time for me, which is nice. If I had not grown up with this style everywhere, I may not jave enjoyed it as much as I did.
Album #60, Tupac Shakur, Me Against the World ⭐⭐⭐ Another gangster rap album two days in a row. This one is far superior to 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Tupac is a proper MC with a great voice, great intensity, and he’s a much better lyricist. I swear I am a hip hop fan, but I never really listened to Tupac. He’s just one of those artists I never got around to, so this is my first time hearing this album. I don’t love it. It’s a real mixed bag. When it’s good, it’s very good. In a weird way, even though this is a West Coast hip hop album, I don’t really like the more West Coast elements of it. The meandering synths and some of the production choices just don’t do much for me. At times it sounds a bit rough, like the samples and backing vocals aren’t particularly well chosen or performed. It’s when he leans away from that style and into more old school 80s hip hop that I like it most. “Old School” is easily my favourite track on the album. That’s the kind of sound I gravitate towards. The best song on the album is “Dear Mama”. It’s genuinely touching, even if I think it runs out of lyrical ideas a bit towards the end. The worst song by far is “Temptations”. For someone with his history, that song just doesn’t sit right with me at all. I’m not against sexy hip hop, but this one feels off, and some of the lyrics are just poor. I don’t fully get the hype around Tupac. I understand the mystique and his importance culturally, and a lot of what he stood for is admirable, but purely as an artist, I’m not completely sold. That said, this is a solid album overall. Not amazing, but definitely not bad either. If you’re going to include a Tupac album on a list like this, this is probably a fair shout.
Started out strongly, but A side a lot better than B. Really liked the bass playing and thought it added a lot. Drumming solid but basic. Rhythm was good. Generally solid but not consistent
Less into this now I’m older. Not his best
Not the best from Pac
Chill