Me Against The World

Not really my thing but I saved some songs that I liked to look back to one day

2Pac bears all. This turns out to be a deeply vulnerable album without 2Pac coming across as weak. He speaks about personal struggles and the struggles of those around him. Incredibly deep album from a guy who was made to rap. He's a natural, no doubt.

Intro-good set up If I die 2nite- this music is definitely not my vibe. But I like background, found outro a bit strange Me against the world- slick production, powerful lyrics, all around great song👍 So many tears- another powerful personal song, with great sample. Don’t think the hook is as good as me against the world. Temptations-swerve into song about potentially settling down. Just alright for me Young n*****- WOW 👍 Heavy in the game- like chorus Lord knows-such an alien song to me. Another powerful song with great hook.👍 Dear mama-so heartfelt👍 It ain’t easy- bit of a self pity song lol but still very enjoyable to listen to. Can U get away- catchy chorus, slow in parts Old school-nostalgia foreign to me Fuck the world- just okay Death around the corner- I like this song except for the hook Outlaw- closing song, just okay for me This album is very much the opposite of what I listen to. Pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was, but I know nothing about this type of music. 4

Hate that i liked this so much. Smooth as West Coast silk

2pac was one talented person and it is horrible that his life was cut so short. How can something be so smooth and so angry at the same time?

Again, not really into this genre but I liked this better than the previous album from here (Dr. Dre debut album). The beats were very 90s hip hop and the lyrics were well performed. The song about his mother was touching. Pretty good album.

I was a little skeptical with the beginning being all about how tough he was for not staying in the hospital and etc, but I actually thought this was kind of haunting and sad, his brush with death clearly shows through and I liked this more than I expected

I've listened to very little 2Pac and really enjoyed this. Loved the feel and groove of it.

He's the most authentic rapper that ever was. It's not posturing or braggadocios. He's just laying out things as he sees them, for better or worse. I don't know that I can compare one of his albums to another. To me, they're all pretty great. Solid all the way through.

Great album, easy listen thug rap

Added If I Die 2Nite, Me against the world, dear mama, old school. first full 2pac album I listened to, just knew other single songs before

My street cred went up two points listening to this album

Tupac at his finest. Great album

The title track is a huge hit. Too Many Tears is also really introspective and fresh sounding. Heavy In The Game and Lord Knows are both songs I enjoy. This album is a no holds bared look into Tupac, similar in vision to Biggie's Ready To Die. Outlaw I am not too enthused about.

Well produced and softer than it's follow-up, this is very listenable album that showcases what was best about Tupac; his lyrics and handling of melody.

2Pac molting a watershed moment, changing the game. Sounds like he knew his shooting death was only a matter of time. That synth sound gets a flogging, and it’s great

Classic rap and probably 2Pac's peak. Mixing his style with G-funk works so well.

This may not be the best rap album I've listened to on the list so far, but it's probably my favorite. But I mainly want to know more about the friendship Tupac had with Alanis Morissette. Especially the alleged restaurant they were going to own together.

05/27/22 He's an icon for a reason.

Classic 90s rap. Always a favorite. I always hate when these guys die young, but at least it counts for one less comeback tour.

Really enjoyed this, only knew a couple of songs beforehand. If I die tonight, fuck the world and, of course, dear mama are standouts. 4 🌟

i was surprised by how much i liked this. not a bad song on this one.

Surprisingly good. Maybe it was just pre holiday excitement ...

Seamless transitions. Some vulgar language tbh. So Many Tears is really good. I like the intro to Temptations. They all sound pretty similar though. Very good lyrical flow. Death around the corner is really good

Eén van de weinige artiesten en tijdperken van de hiphop/rap die ik goed kan waarderen

Pas aussi bon que All Eyez On me, mais quand même un album très solide.

2pac’s position as a rapper, cultural icon, myth, legend are undeniable. A wordsmith who can rap about anything on any track. The G-Funk sound and R&B vibes aren’t my taste generally, but this is a good album and his talent is the major selling point.

I liked most of it. 2pac is an amazing rapper.

First full listen-through of this album for me. Really interesting stuff here. Some very cool instrumentation -- I'm not skilled enough to know what was created digitally and what parts were played by people on musical instruments (I see a ton of "composer" credits under the Personnel section of the Wikipedia entry, with only one non-vocal instrument, a guitar, so it's reasonable to assume most everything on the album is digital). I like the sound a lot, and there are some great grooves. I also am struck by 2Pac's sense of melody. Works so well here. My next task is to re-listen whilst reading along with the lyrics. I'd like to get to know that element as well. Impressive album.

2Pac is obviously one of the most influential rappers of all time. I think because of this, I've always though 2Pac is too good for me. Now saying that it sounds completely ridiculous, I just always felt he was too serious and above me haha. As a result, this may be my first time listening to an entire album purposefully. I'm actually surprised by the huge bluesy-jazz influence in there but it really makes sense when I read what this album was all about. He artfully expresses how he was feeling after everything he had been through at this point in life and I think it's a bit of a journey to correct the thinking that he was wealthy and doing extremely well. I have no idea if the allegations were true or not, but I can appreciate this album as a separate story. Mostly, listening to this album makes me grieve for all of the reams of people that society has completely let down... That's pretty powerful.

Really enjoyed this, an excellent album

A pretty important album for me during my exploration of rap music. Dear mama will forever stand out to me as an important song for the genre, and to me personally. Add in If i die 2nite, it ain't easy, and heavy in the game and it's a really solid piece of work.

Definitely a great album to dive into the genre with. Fantastic lyrics and beats without being over the top.

Nice in fact

I am not familiar with 2PAC or his third album ME AGAINST THE WORLD at all. I’m not into Hip Hop, except for PUBLIC ENEMY. 1001 Albums introduced me to ICE CUBE’s AMERIKKKA’s MOST WANTED which I liked a lot. After listening to ME AGAINST THE WORLD, this album is decent, but it is lyrically very repetitive and musically becomes uninteresting. It started out strong, then dipped. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, 2PAC - ME AGAINST THE WORLD, is one only album listed. Rate Artist: 2PAC (4.0) Rate Album (Year): ME AGAINST THE WORLD (US 1995 Original) (4.0) Ranking of 2PAC - ME AGAINST THE WORLD songs No. Title Length Ranking 01. "Intro" 1:40 10.0/10 02. "If I Die 2Nite" 4:02 10.0/10 03. "Me Against the World" (featuring Dramacydal) 4:41 10.0/10 04. "So Many Tears" 3:59 10.0/10 05. "Temptations" 5:01 08.0/10 06. "Young Niggaz" 4:53 07.0/10 07. "Heavy in the Game" (featuring Richie Rich) 4:24 08.0/10 08. "Lord Knows" 4:32 08.0/10 09. "Dear Mama" 4:40 08.0/10 10. "It Ain't Easy" 4:54 07.0/10 11. "Can U Get Away" 5:46 07.0/10 12. "Old School" 4:41 09.0/10 13. "Fuck the World" 4:14 08.0/10 14. "Death Around the Corner" 4:07 09.0/10 15. "Outlaw" (featuring Dramacydal) 4:33 07.0/10 US 1995 Original Release 126.0/150 = 8.40 / 2 = 4.20

The lyrics to this album (for the most part) are so... hopeless. 2Pac knows he is "born to die." Songs like "Death 'Around The Corner" are just so... nihilistic. It really got depressing after a while, I mean it seemed like there was no point. Although "Old School" made me smile, to know that he honors those that came before him. 2Pac's rhyming skills are definitely there for all to hear, no doubt. Although listening to "Can U Get Away" he sounds a little... cartoony. I didn't take it as seriously as he wanted it to be. All in all, I thought it was a good album, really reflected the hopelessness of the streets. I don't know if I would listen to something so bleak, but I'm glad to have done so.

Tupac was always a solid lyricist, definitely shines through on this album. If I Die 2Nite was pretty powerful, as was Lord Knows. The latter showed some different perspective too, which he really took to new heights on Dear Mama. That was a hell of a song. Breadth and depth of ability right there. Death Around the Corner was prophetic (though not as much as Changes a few years later). I thought some of his samples were tired, that was maybe one thing holding this album back. The mixes and beats were just alright.

This is 2Pac's best album. The musical production is very good, the choice of samples and the list of colaborators are great. The beats are well crafted and songs like "Me Against the World", "Dear Mama" and "It Ain't Easy" are among the biggest classics of the West Coast hip hop subgenre.

I won't claim to know much about rap, but I know 2Pac is good. I enjoyed the gangsta hip hop sound. It's clearly an album from a dark place - some of the lyrics were pretty hard hitting. My top pick is 'So Many Tears', an almost prophetic track sadly (And fuck the world 'cause I'm cursed/I'm havin' visions of leavin' here in a hearse)

It's kind of crazy that it's taken me this long to sit down and listen to a Tupac album. His lyrical style really makes this album. The beats are good, but very subdued. His charisma is what makes this album a classic

One of the best albums so far 😎

Always keep my eyes on the prize, watch the police Seen so much murder, neighborhoods gettin no sleep But still, I get my money on major, continuously Great Album, not Pacs best, Dear Mama is an alltime song good to listen with the lyrics 4/5

Fantastic album

It does truly feel like 2Pac is fighting alone “Against the World.” Maybe more than any other hip hop album, this one captures the trap and the cycle of hood life and culture. The womanizing and objectification of gangsta rap is mostly missing here, and the focus stays squarely on the drugs and violence that consumed Pac and his peers, enveloping them and leaving them with seemingly no way out. He wants to resist, but can’t find the way. And he holds nothing back in telling the listener about it.

This is the most emo rap album I have ever heard. So much self-loathing, anger, and hopelessness. The bleakness was actually kind of refreshing in a way. He definitely has an opinion on the nature vs. nurture debate.

While I'm more of the Biggie camp, totally respect 2Pac and his impact upon the genre. Missed out on a lot of great music with the death of those 2 icons. And 'Fuck All Y'All is one of my all time favorite songs, not just from 2 Pac. A lot of solid tunes on this album; the title track, So Many Tears, Temptation, Lord Knows, Dear Mama, Old School, Death Around the Corner...heck, I guess most of the album! Glad a revisited, been a while since I listened to is and has been added to my library

pretty good album, not a huge 2Pac fan but I liked this, 7/10

2back

i'm white as hell, and while i never really cared much one way or the other about cali gangsta rap, i've always kinda loved pac. go figure. this is another fun time capsule, in that it feels like it could only have happened then and there - there's just no other time or place that would've produced this. but also, death around the corner goes HARD

Picked up steam as it progressed. Enjoyed it. Didn't add but glad I listened. Old school rap is always great.

271125 13:47 4 / highlights: me against the world, so many tears, lord knows

4/5

Probably my favorite 2pac album. I think this is his most reflective and poetic album. Even though it doesn't have the hits he released later, it's probably his best work. 4.5/5

Wie super, dies hier wiederzufinden. Soundtrack endloser Abende auf den Freiplätzen um Bochum. Duftbaum-geschwängerter Golf 1. Sonnenuntergänge wie Tequila Sunrise. Und auch wenn‘s nur Streetball war, sollte es doch eines befeuern: das Gefühl, Teil einer Gang zu sein. Doch ist diese Bande lang zerfleddert, Geschichte, ausbleichende Erinnerung, ganz schön angelaufen wie auch dieser G-Funk. Beats oft oll. Mit Ausnahmen: „Dear Mama“, „Oldschool“,„Fuck the World“ & „Death Around the Corner“ ragen da nämlich so monumental heraus, dass der Sitz in der Bahn genauso hart wirkt, wie im Golf. Shakurs Stimme so unnachahmlich, Rough-Smooth. Unsterblich 3.5

I'd left this for when I could listen through & read up on 2Pac's life. You can sense the real introspection in this - talent shines through in every track. But now i've done that, i'll probably never listen again, so that says everything.

Really enjoyed this, only knew a couple of songs beforehand. If I die tonight, fuck the world and, of course, dear mama are standouts.

Don’t know how to feel bout this one it’s got a few that I like but non worth saving not boring exactly but for me not really anything special. 3.6/5

2Pac on aina ollu yks lemppareista. Eniten tuli penskana popitettua kokoelmaa mutta tämä toimii varsin hyvin omana levynäkin.

3.75

Great album. Amazing and reflective lyrics at a crucial point in his life.

4.5, really good I thought

Nobody comes close to Shakur when it comes to verses and prose. But his hooks need work. The choruses felt almost disposable for the most part. Some of his later stuff (California Love & All About You) had better choruses. But with verses this good, and lyrics this honest you can’t complain Fave Tracks: “If I Die 2Nite” “Dear Mama”

2pac is so ubiquitous but listening to this makes me realize how little I know his music. "Lord Knows" really caught my attention and I was fully invested from that point on. As an aside, he and Pop Smoke sound eerily similar.

Weirdly never given 2pac much of a chance, never gone out of my way to listen to his stuff. Initial thoughts after a few tracks aren't that great! 😭 It's easy a 3 cos I love hiphop but it's not bowled me over yet. Lord Knows is a tune, decent sample. Think this is worth a 4 actually. Classics. Still, didn't love it quite as much as I was hoping to 🙏

Excellent album, consistent, cinematic, no surprises

Intro to 2Pac, pretty good stuff

Great album. It had a different feel to it than All Eyez on Me

This is a solid hip hop album…. Extremely prophetic and close to home for 2pac. Gone too soon!

Not his best but a good album 4 four our rating system but probably closer to a 3.

Really good rap music, some really cool instrumental hooks in the background. The album stayed interesting throughout. I don't usually listen to rap music but this is by far the best rap I've ever listened to!

This exercise may just yet turn me into a rap/hip hop fan. Another fine album that I very much enjoyed. Not white the quality and menace and diversity of Eminem Marshakk Mathers but pretty f'ing good. 4 🌟

Dear Mama is still the #1 classic Tupac song.

really good

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Dear mama, Outlaw, Old school, Fuck the world

Standard Tupac - lovely beats, often heartfelt lyrics with the odd bit of rubbish thrown in.

Incredible how relevant the lyrical work still is today. This 2Pac album is impeccably written by one of raps greatest writers. It's solid production is the only thing holding it back from being a 5 for me. It's fine production, but nothing jumped out to me to really elevate that part of the album. The writing and 2Pac's flows though almost get it there on their own. That's how great of a writer he was.

Great shit but not 5/5 because its not an album I'd just throw on

very cool

Enjoyed it

Tuesday Haiku: The rhythm is there ### Flowing prescient proven words ### Many will follow ###

always enjoyed 2-pac, but never went beyond radio/MTV hits. Darker than I expected. Lots of talk of suicide and depression. Good listen from start to finish.

Groovier than expected. Emoji Monday: 🤴🏿

Sehr nice

A strong badass rap album. I'm better with his use of colorful language than Sly & the family stone. It has gut, authenticity and Dear Mama is a great song.

Incredible

a classic that doesn't age

Obvious genius within it's genre but I find it difficult to look past the sadness of his pointless violent young end, so confidently predicted in these lyrics.

When rap was good!

Very great.

The ballads get a lot of attention, and for good reason, but for me the angry braggadocio is where Tupac shines. Best track: Death Around The Corner

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.

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.

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.

sehr angenehme background musik aber holt mich nicht soo krass ab wie ich’s gerne hätte

Never really warmed up to 2Pac. Bit repetitive. And that gangster shit gets a bit tiring.

Too mellow of a rap album 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.

Not bad.

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

Could probably trim some songs from this album. It’s filled with good vibes but can feel same-y after a while.

Yo lloraba con dear mama

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.

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

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.

lightweight album from a lightweight artist

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

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!

What happens when an art student decides to play the roll of a gangster... thug life? I listened to Eazy E.

If was good but didn’t really stand out too much.

Interesting

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.

Meh..also I am way too much of a Biggie-stan to even consider going above 3 starts here...

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.

Yksi parhaimpia hip hop-levyjä, mitä tämä haaste on tarjonnut tähän mennessä. Dear Mama oli ainoa biisi jonka olin kuullut aiemmin tältä levyltä.

Solid introspective rap album Fave track: Me Against the World

not what i usually listen to but not bad

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

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.

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.

Very good but not my genre

Rap

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.

not for me but not bad

Some good writing but musically not my favorite

Honestly very solid!!

It's not that it's bad, because it's not. 90s hip hop doesn't do much for me.

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.

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.

some good... some not so good. RIP.

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

Another instance where I know all the best songs already and the ones I don't know are just fine

I didn't expect the smooth R&B vibes to work with the lyrics, but it worked better than I anticipated.

Personally, I’ve always thought 2Pac was overrated. That said, it’s not bad. Just not the 5 stars I’m sure it gets.

Heavy In The Game

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

Honestly for rap I didn’t mind this. Didn’t listen crazy closely which is probably why but it sounded melodic.

Ok rap

Over a third of the way through the project currently (album 445) and apparently the 1990s are my least favourite decade, which I attribute to the colossal amount of hip hop.

Notable Textzeile: I see death around the corner, gotta stay high while I survive In the city where the skinny niggas die If they bury me, bury me as a G, nigga, no need to worry Mir gefallen die staubtrockenen old school Beats am Anfang. Die Hooks sind allerdings nicht so sehr innovativ finde ich, manches übertrieben poppig, vieles zu lang. Und letztendlich kann ich mit dem Gewalttheme auch nur wenig anfangen. Aber natürlich irgendwie ikonisch weil prophetisch. War zumindest ein Anlass nochmal nachzulesen wie das alles abgelaufen ist und warum Leute glauben, dass er nicht Tod ist und dann festzustellen dass viele der Argumentationen eher erst Recht dafür sprechen das er es ist.

Great album. The beats go crazy, I love how smooth everything is. I think lowk tupacs flow over a whole album can get a little repetitive, but the old school vibe is always fun to revisit.

More classic 90s hip-hop. Not bad but this wasn’t my favourite of the genre. It’s a bit long too, and the lyrics about being a gangster etc etc. do get a bit grating after a while.

Okay

Dude is so tough that he put a song about how much he loves his mama on his album, and still nobody said anything against him. Crazy how many times he got shot or shot at before they finally got him. He knew his time was short, and like Biggie’s albums, the lyrics feel eerily prescient. Now, the question- who’s better, Biggie or 2Pac? I’m a New Yorker and far more familiar with Biggie, but I have to say, I enjoyed this 2Pac album quite a bit (as much as I can enjoy gangster rap, that is). It’s a bit smoother musically. That being said, some of the refrains are laughable, like that one where he’s trying to avoid the penitentiary. Jesus Christ. I can tell you that the easiest way to avoid going to jail, and easiest way to stop getting shot at is to stop glorifying the lifestyle, I mean… sike! The easiest way is to fake your death and to disappear completely! Which is what 2Pac must’ve done. Oh my god, 2Pac’s still out there, isn’t he? Just smokin roaches.

Not as shocking as it used to be and all things gangster have lost what glamour they had. The overall impression is as narcissistic as Morrissey but with man-child thug mindedness instead of the white supremacy bollocks. Tupac is still the outstanding example of his era 2.6

The sampling work is smooth as butter. It doesn't have the same energy as east coast offerings from around the same time period, Native Tongues it is not. But that's not a detriment, it's just definitely more laid back and less reliant on the sample(s) to make a track bump. The way the samples are incorporated I think is proof of that, track 4 for example has its own groove and uses That Girl by Stevie Wonder to compliment it as opposed to the groove being made up almost entirely of the sample. As far as the lyrical content, most of it is 90s west coast bravado for sure. It's crass and harsh. Not something that I connect with really at all, but I can also accept that I don't and never have had the kind of life experiences that would lead me to feel the need to participate in said bravado and perpetuate the life experiences as a result. That said, I think it's disingenuous to interact with art as if it's only valuable when it matches you in terms of individual experience or culture, which plays a lot into shared experience. I don't even doubt that Tupac sucked as a guy, and I'm not a hyper fan that saw him as some kind of angelic martyr, but I do think there's a lot of despair on display in this album that would have to come from a halfway troubled life. Dude was raised by the Black Panthers, essentially. Geronimo Pratt was his godfather, and Afeni and Assata Shakur were his mom and godmother respectively. Read the latter's decades spanning accounts of govt persecution of the Black Panthers for info on how being raised in that environment probably isn't an incubator for an easy, difficulty free time on the planet. Now, obviously despair doesn't offer excuse for poor behavior towards oneself or others, or poor life choices. However, I think there is context to be found in the despair and frustration that coats this album and I think that context is important in understanding/acknowledging why things were as they were in 1995 for Tupac and the world around him. I also think that context is important if we're to judge an album like this, which I'm taking as the purpose of the list as opposed to judging the moral failings or superiority of people away from their art. Failing to acknowledge the context of certain pieces is kinda failing to interact with them in a way that isn't a waste of your own time, imo. So I guess if you're not gonna do that, this album would be a waste of your time. That decision made during a project revolving around listening to albums reeks of a certain mountain range, though. All that said, it's good. It isn't great or masterful on the whole, and I don't directly interface with a lot of the lyrical content (even Dear Mama, the feel good song about mothers, has a lot of verses that are out of my realm of experience). What IS great or masterful on this album is the sample work and composition. G-Funk cranked up to 11, complete with creative usage of sampling and clever interpolation when not using direct samples. That shit is nice. It's a 3.

In a word, yes. Smooth voice, meaningful lyrics with a clean delivery, beats that just make you want to groove.

2Pac had one of the best voices in hip hop history. His voice was deep and carried the weight of his words, and his flow was buttery smooth. He had a real knack for rhyming too, and while he didn't have the wordplay many of his peers did, he was able to tell stark tales of his life in creative ways. What this album shows though is that these things alone aren't enough to make a memorable hip hop album. As good as Pac's flow is here, it's also not all that adventurous. The G-funk influenced beats are pretty good, but they also don't really stand out for the time. Those things, combined with the fact that there are no true standout songs here - "Dear Mama" or "Lord Knows," with its incredible imagery, are the closest - make the album drag a bit by the end. Nothing here is bad or boring, there's just too much very good without enough great.

It's a really smooth and laid back album in this genre, and it is very well produced and has stood the test of time. It's not as shocking as someone would expect from a rap album. I don't think I will relisten it soon but he was an important rapper in the mid 90s.

not my cup of tea but go 2pacc

Again got to say I'm not the target audience. Like all, this is a product of its environment and really this music is my only exposure to said environment. I didn't really know about the rational behind the cult like status except its there and he crops up on-shirts. So it was just about the music today, 1st impression was his vocals are a bit, well monotone and low on expressive styling, very conversational if being positive, and by end of album had quite gotten into it. I presume the main focus, it's all about the lyrics, and the songwriting, and thats good. So overall it was ok to as said my nontarget ears, think my expectations were higher from all the praise it gets. But it was from the outside, alright and likely to revisit, are expect to get better. But at the first 3 Star

eh tupac, hard to listen to an hour of it tho

Still not a fan of 90s rap but can admit it’s decent for its genre

Not my style of music but I see the appeal. Sound quality was really good and the vocals were crisp with decent backing beats. Very repetitive in the lyrical content though. My fav track was Can U Get Away.

Found this to be a decent listen, although didn’t like it as much as some of the other rap albums on here

Very good album. Well produced but I don’t think this album was his strongest work

Enjoyed this. Flows nicely and some great sampling. Like Tupacs vocal style as well

I prefer All Eyez On Me. This album is fine, but its not his best and it sounds pretty repetitive at points. And call me crazy, but the Death Around The Corner beat sounds nearly identical to Picture Me Rollin.

Didn't do a lot for me. Definitely not bad. Raw, deep, and emotional stuff, but not my favourite hip-hop.

A somewhat difficult one to review. I'm fully aware of Tupac's reputation and life, but I'd never heard a track that really blew me away. Having listened to this, i'm still somewhat on the fence. Pros - going chronologically, you can totally see the step up in technical ability from the people before - Digital Underground, De La, ATCQ etc. The use of rhyme is way beyond a simple AABB structure. His voice has a clear character, and you can see why he became a celebrity. Cons - it's poetic, but it's really bad poetry. I have no problem listening to Kendrick, NWA, Ice Cube etc, but so much of this just felt like gangsta bragging and has not aged well. A few lines saying 'hey, don't live this gangsta life, go be an accountant or a lawyer' balanced against track after track of boasts about how cool his life is...it just had me rolling my eyes. Even the g-funk production just felt like it had been done better elsewhere. A lot of music clashes come down to style over substance. Do you prefer acts who focus on presentation (Elvis, Madonna, post-Bad MJ) or those who put music first (Beatles, Pink Floyd, Nirvana). On this basis, Tupac very much feels like the former. Finally - I have to put his voice alongside Bob Dylan and Morissey as one which can instantly be parodied. There is such a reliance on a weird bragging EMphasis on CERtain syllaBLES. I think its part of the macho vibe, but it just makes me think of Dave Chappel's impersonation A 3 - worth a listen and a great example of how rap moved from simple rhymes to complex structures, but I dont think it aged well

Pretty cool album. I was bobbing along to most of it

Pac was a master of flow. He always sounded good on any track. The instrumentals here are a different story- they vary quite a bit on the entire thing and make the entire experience feel a bit dull and repetitive at times. That being said, there are quite a few classic 90s hip hop tracks here. The entire thing is produced well and his excellent mc skills elevate it. I think he's better-suited for a compilation, though.

Why was there so much beef with 90s rappers. All singing about popping caps in peoples asses. Dumb. I wanted to like this but it didnt do anything to me.

I was never really a big 2Pac fan but this was pretty good.

It's not a bad album at all.

2Pac went to prison for this record but I still don't have a ton of words about this record. I enjoyed it 😁

The flow is so smooth, the tales are heartfelt, and the beats fit just right. Dear Mama

not the type of music I put on everyday but can appreciate if

Great storytelling throughout the album. The intro using news clips of 2Pac getting shot and leaving the hospital really helped set the tone. Another song in which he raps about death, his mother and the world being against him were all great too. Really liked his rapping style aswel. Looking forward to more 2Pac albums

Album 91. Me Against The World (https://open.spotify.com/album/3OrucS4sHv6Bl9GS4rafEk?si=jJjFx49pRUuoQGy4EoB1Gg) — 2Pac (1995) Finally, more and more hip hop for the last days. It's such a gift. Me Against The World is a classic west coast hip-hop album. Important, respectable, good, but quite old and feels outdated. Tupac Shakur is like a median for me. I've tried to listen to him a lot, but I get tired of it quickly. His music is probably overhyped, but his cultural influence is tremendous. I just can't deny that. I like to rate some rap or artists as "is it better or worse than 2Pac?". It's just a little fun. 2Pac is like a baseline, it's not great, especially nowadays and not bad either. Probably because for me, hip hop is firstly about technique, flow, wordplay. And just secondly about emotion, passion and storytelling. Sometimes it reverses, but usually it's not. The album is smooth, sometimes aggressive, sometimes very generic and repetitive. Samples are amazing. And I have to admit the high level of introspection in the album. Ironically, it was released when 2Pac was in prison for sexual assault charges. 3/5 —————————————— Liked: — If I Die 2Nite — So Many Tears — Old School

It was alright. Classic hiphop

RnB Hop mit Gangster texten

Not my favourite from him

I love all Tupac but All Eyez On Me would have been my preferred album.

3.5 stars

I like the up-tempo tunes.

Really feel I would need at least another listen to accurately rate. I like aspects but I would need more time with it for the lyrics to fully appreciate

too long

This is going to sound INCREDIBLY STUPID but I never realized how west coast g-funk Tupac was. I've never listened to more than one of his songs at a time and I guess most of my focus is on his unmistakable voice/cadence. Anyway, this was pretty good even though I've never really been a Tupac guy.

Etwas lang, wie die meisten Hip-Hop Alben, aber gut gemacht.

Smooth and lyrical. There are a bunch of songs here that still are in my rotation, but compared to All Eyez On Me, it is definitely a weaker album

I haven't done enough of a deep dive into 2Pac, so I feel bad giving this a score at all. I am not really into this album, but I understand that this remains Important Music for many people. There's clearly good writing here, I think the music has age badly.

I’ve always heard of 2Pac as a rap legend but never actually listened to pretty much any of his music. Excellent production, super smooth and rhythmic. Can’t relate to lyrics or themes at all. Feels pretty same-y after a few tracks. Very 90’s. Feels a little dated. I appreciate the artistry and the talent, but not really for me.

Enjoyed listening

TUPAC!!!

A good album, I liked Dear Mama the most.

Decent 3,5

I liked this. It didn’t captivate me enough to demand me to replay. A neutral grade seems appropriate

More of a Biggie girl myself (East Coast Beast Coast) but this was cool

I have very little interest in, or knowledge about Rap but this was one of the better albums I have heard. 3 stars or C.

Pues la verdad es que me ha sorprendido 2Pac. No me gusta nada el rap, pero he podido escuchar todo este álbum sin ponerme de los nervios. Obviando lo distante que me encuentro del submundo del que habla (y del que le mató), musicalmente el disco tiene su mérito, ya que esperaba algo duro e indigerible y esto es bastante “blandito” para el oído. Pues mira, lo voy a aprobar, sin que sirva de precedente.

Some great backing tracks but seems mostly from other artists. The rapping itself was consistent and clever but fairly repetitive. And not a lot in the way of hooks. Interesting listen.

The first half, more or less, was what I was expecting, i.e. gangster rap, rap feuds, posturing, but the album broadened out, and there are quite a variety of themes here. Hood life in If I Die 2Nite, then the very sweet Dear Mama and gentle Can U Get Away. Unexpected and interesting stuff.

*Me Against The World* The only thing I can really get behind on this album as I do kind of like the Beats behind it it's kind of like a bit of the P Funk influence, coupled with some laid-back California vibe. And I don't think Tupac's flow is inherently hateful or aggressive. I'm still not very gravitated towards this album. Definitely one that I don't really dislike but I don't particularly find myself drawn to it. (6.25) ★★★

The beats get a little repetitive, but quite cool. 3.5 stars

It was fine.

I'll admit it... I kinda skimmed this one. I heard enough, though, to recognize that I need to come back and give it a more serious listen.

There's the intro And than an amazing 3 song run. Some of the smoothest production you can imagine, and great flow. This is exactly the kind of record I don't want to see in my filter. But so far so good. 5 is less exiting. 6 better. 7 not wrong but I guess it hit different in the 90's. Dear mama is great. 11 has smooth as hell production. Super funky. In the latter half of the record the songs stop to surprise me, I must say. The closing track is cool, though. I think my expectations here were very low, so I enjoyed it much more than I expected. But, still, it's not 'really' my thing. I get the legacy in some way. He is an icon for good or bad. But, is it an essential listen to every music fan? Not in my opinion, no... It still can be a three. It's solid enough for that.

I am so not the audience for this one but I can absolutely see the talent there. My main issue with this style of rap is that the backing tracks are rarely interesting. Will probably have another listen at some point.

It’s been quite a while since I listened to hip hop I wasn’t already familiar with, it’s been quite a while since I’ve listened to Pac. And it’s been since never that I’ve actually sat down and listened to a Tupac album all the way through (maybe I did in college, but I have no recollection). While I’m thoroughly of the west coast persuasion personally, I suppose unintentionally I’ve always favored the New York scene in the 90s and really haven’t given much thought to Los Angeles in the 90s, or Los Angeles ever, for obvious reasons. So I think all of that is to say that I don’t have a background in Tupac or west coast rap more generally, and that intimidates me. This has been a difficult album to listen to, largely because I think to give it an honest assessment requires attentive listening, reading along, and a better understanding of context than my cursory education entails, thus requiring some extracurricular reading. This is one of the most acclaimed albums of all time, one that stakes a political position, and is muddled in layers of context. I naturally fear underrating it out of ignorance or overrating it out of ignorant deference. Ultimately, this is an exercise for myself and myself alone, so here it goes. This isn’t an album built on the strength of its standout tracks, in my opinion. That’s not to say that it lacks good songs. I mean that the flow of the album seems to be much more built around the whole rather than fleshing out core tracks. And that leads to an album that feels intentional, one that is exceptionally written, but also one that lacks the sort of song-to-song changes or even transitions that make certain tracks stand out. Dear Mama is the exception as the production and lyrical delivery completely change, creating the album’s most memorable song. I think the obvious comparison here is GangStarr’s Moment of Truth and, while it’s entirely likely a case of familiarity, I much prefer moment of truth. I prefer Premier’s production and guru’s lyrics, and I think Guru has a more lyrical and, honestly, more catchy style than Tupac does on this album. If I’m being totally honest—it’s a great album, one I probably won’t listen to again unless a specific situation compels it. Perhaps if I steeped myself in it more and willed myself to like it more, the strength of the writing would ultimately shine through. But I just don’t feel compelled to do that, and a large part of that is just an entirely subjective categorization of what I come back to and what I appreciate, but leave in the closet.

Ok album. Was listenable but not my cup of tea. Overall don't really have a lot to say about it. Wasn't bad, wasn't great, just ok.

What a waste of a talented human being. I mean his death, not the album, but I’m not crazy about the album.

It's actually surprisingly chill. The instrumentation is nice, and he has quite a laid back style of vocal delivery. It's not great, by which I mean it just isn't for me, but I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I might.

Dear Mama is a jam

did not expect to enjoy this so much

It’s good solid west coast rap - but I can’t take an album seriously in a society where a word can literally be said 100s of times during the playing of the album but they censor it when printing the title. It’s a word - stop giving it more power than it deserves. Ridiculous

Attempt #5 of trying to get into rap. Really surprised me with the variety. Incredible adlibs. Love how hes melodic with the vocals instead of just gangsta (sorry for wrong terminology). Pretty promising experience. Of course, not enough of a click to get me into the genre but its hope for future. If I was a rap fan this would definitely rank high in my list.

At times it is a mature/introspective album from a man who has just been shot 5 times. 2Pac is a polarizing figure. His lyrics tackle some very personal and societal issues, but he didn’t always live what he preached. It’s a good album, but definitely has some weak points. 3/5 Might listen again

Someone should check on Tupac, I think he’s suicidal and wants an early death. I don’t know though, the lyrics are so subtle. 6/10

Jesus, I wish I hadn't read the context to this album. Anyway, the album is fine, pretty chilled, but overrated, 3.5*, and the guy who made it is a serious asshole, 1*.

an important person in the evolution of music, for sure, but i was never a huge fan. EAST COAST!!

I can see why 2Pac is influential -- and it's not because of his music

Man I was not expecting to be writing a review like this one thats coming up. I usually say I like Tupac and biggie equally but from this display I would pick biggie all day every day. There are alot of things to like about this record to be fair. The beats and production are all great. Every song has a sick backing track. And the features and background singers are amazing, each and every one. But sadly pac himself is my main issue. The guy has the lyrics and and insanely iconic sound, but he never does anything to stray from his flow. Every single bar here has identical cadence. Its maddening in a way. He could do so much more. But we get thr same structure for a whole hour. Thats my number 1 complaint. Its too samey. Another thing that isnt his fault at all to be fair, is its just such a downer. The whole tracklist is about people dying anf poverty and just the shit of shits. Making a pointed record is fine but id just like to hear about couple good times along with the bad. Don't gotta go too crazy but turn up once or twice and it would break up the tracklist considerably. I didnt hate this record far from it, but there are issues here that ive never seen before and maybe its better on other records. But this one was just decent sadly.

Realize I didn’t know what 2Pac sounded like..

I appreciate the live instrumental backing tracks and the beats, and I can appreciate 2Pac's skills, but I'm just not into this. Liked Songs Added: Can U Get Away

not my favourite 2Pac album but still got some heat

Faut arrêter les albums de plus d'1h quand c'est pas du prog

Better than I assumed, but not my favourite.

I don't think I'll ever fully understand the Tupac hype, it's just not really my style and that's OK. I think the album is alright, but I don't really find a need to listen to it again and probably won't Standouts Intro Young Niggaz Death Around The Corner 3/5

listening when: after pilates on the drive home thoughts: i mean everyone knows who tupac is but id never listened to a full album. he was so young when he died its wild. album is good just so much more rnb than i would have expected rating: 4/10

Good stuff, probably a harsh 3.5 rounded down

The opening of Me Against the World, with its weird glorification of being shot rubbed me up the wrong way, but in the end I didn't hate this. It's too long, but the music is fun enough to just about get a three.

The title led me to expect something way more defiant, but he actually sounds pretty resigned to the fact that he's not going to beat the world. So many of these songs are about how he'll probably die early! I'm not super impressed by it, but that approach is pretty interesting.

My first impression of this album is that it's highly likely to be awful. It's not awful. The production is good. but the album is brought down by laughably trite and cliche gangsta rap lyrics. The backing vocals are bad, but 2Pac's flow and tone works well. There is a definite soul influence here, but the lyrics are still exactly what you'd expect. "Dear Mama" was a nice change of pace that showed off heartfelt lyrics instead of the typical gangsta rap cliches that permeate a lot of the album. It's a little too long, but the lack of skits helps it keep a consistent quality.

I really enjoyed the soul notes behind his excellent rap. Just solid music. 3.5/5

Fine nothing special really

I like it. Still prefer more modern beats and samples. This is still early-ish hip-hop with that LA high synth featured heavily.

Tupac's voice is deeper than I expected. Not sure why I expected something different. Some of it was alright and enjoyable lyrics. The other songs weren't bad lyrics or beats, they just were not my style and therefore not captivating to me.

There's some great stuff here and a pretty good share of mediocre stuff too. I do like 2Pac, but this just isn't focused enough.

I dismissed 2Pac as just another angry hardcore rapper back in the day without ever giving him a listen. Probably owing to the feuds and violence and death that became the hallmark of his life. So when I fired this up today, I was very surprised to hear a soulful, jazzy, smooth, hip-hop style of music instead of what I was expecting. It really wasn’t bad.

Just out of music historical reasons i agree that 2pac deserves a place on the list... but the 90s hip hop scene was so oversaturated that everything sounds the same. The beats and sampling are a bit better than other albums i heard on this list and sound really crisp. his voice is nice and has it unique sound, smooth yet agressive. Even though im not remebering any of the songs as a first listener of this album. Sure i had remebered songs if i listened to this as kid. It's way better than allot of other albums here atleast and works as background music too.

Pac was an undeniably talented and charismatic performer who died way too young at 25 years old. This album, a year before his death - tho after being shot five times in a first attack - finds him prophetically obsessed with his death. His deep voice, tough rapping and at times poetic or thought-provoking lyrics are unfortunately undercut by repetition and single-mindedness. Tupac’s topic was Tupac, an autobiography that leans heavily on gangbanging and drug dealing and may not be fully true. I grew tired of the redundancy, even if delivered with new verses, and I haven’t yet seen what makes him such a revered figure 30 years on. It ends up teetering between a 2 and a 3 and is pushed up by some great production.

It's got groove, swagger. Production is good.

No private session used with Spotify. I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would. It's not as angry as I thought it would be, yes, some use of the N word but it didn't rub me to much.

Solid album.

Ive recently had albums by gang starr and ll cool j from the early 90's that i really didnt enjoy and i was concerned this would be more of the same. I was very wrong. This sounds like a real watershed in terms of hip hop. The production, the complexity and the vibe are all streets ahead. The lyrics have light and shade and it was much more enjoyable. Still too many rnb slow tracks 'for the ladies' and missing a proper banger or three to elevate it but a real step forward in rap.

While I appreciate Pac's honest and raw lyrics and don't deny his rapping ability, I could never get into his music.

Decent enough album, doesn’t have the hits the previous two albums had. Like a broken record, younger me would have probably rated it higher.

I thought this was gonna be a hard listen given it's not something I'd ever put on - but this was not bad. Listened to the whole thing easily.

not the right tupac album, should've been all eyes on me. that being said, enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to, I don't remember enjoying this as much as I did

3.5 almost a 4, great hip hop album, maybe a little long but very fun enjoyed all of it.

Not really listened to any of his stuff before other than those you can't ignore. Some of the beats here are nice. The lyrics move between glorifying and being self pitying about his lifestyle, sometimes in the same track. Not much other than that, the American obsession with guns is in full effect. Drags on if you get bored with that shit.

i didnt feel like taking notes cause im lazy. it was fine

Tupac is overrated. He was nowhere near as talented a rapper as many of his less-esteemed contemporaries. Most of the backing tracks are just generic 90’s rap background music, and Tupac’s rapping all sounds exactly the same for over an hour. And “Dear Mama” is cheesy and lame. *holds up three fingers and turns them sideways to make an ‘E’*.

it's good it just isn't for me

This is aight. Some of these songs just sorta go by, and it also suffers from the CD era length issue. Favorites were Me Against The World, Dear Mama, and Old School

I had hight hopes and was disappointed

Introspective, reflective lyrics even though I'm not a fan of 90s hip hop. It was an interesting experience but would not listen to it again. Tracks to Track: Dear Mama

Yeah its alright

Certainly iconic but not that interesting musically i don‘t think

3.75 Meh? Just did not age as well as I expected.

The voice and the rhythm give good flow. Testament. 3 stars listenable.

Not my favourite 2Pac record, but it was pretty good. Favourite Track(s): Me Against The World, Dear Mana, Heavy In The Game Least Favourite Track(s): Temptations, So Many Tears

See Jay Z review. However I appreciated this one more as I felt like there was a lot more nuance and depth behind the lyrics than Jay-Z.

Ahh yes, back when hip hop was compromised of talent and character. I’ll die on that hill. The issue I have with this album is 2pac’s delivery is quite similar song to song. If the music didn’t stray from the previous track, it would be very confusing. But with that to the side, this is good but not great. Not as good and dark as All Eyez on Me. I’d probably listen to this album again in a few years when I forget what the album sounds like. No knock to it in that sense. I guess that’s a good thing? Not great enough to always remember but good enough to want to give it a listen. Choice cut: Can U Get Away

I think this is another example of me knowing the artist more than their work. I finished this and didn't recognize a single song. I went to his top songs and didn't recognize any of them except for California Love. I liked it more than the Ghostface Killah album I had yesterday. It seems like a cautionary tale more than a boast.

Pretty good, the atmosphere of paranoia and despair is interesting and makes this feel less ridiculous than a lot of other gangsta rap that's come up on this list. It runs a little long

7/10 - very 90s hiphop with good ol 2Pac, some lyrical genius in the songs, I enjoyed it

Not my favorite Tupac. Second half is pretty generic and the album’s a little too long. First eight are pretty good though

It’s good, but it’s a very mixed bag. There are some tracks that are really great, but then there are some that are just corny, like he’s trying to be some kind of ghetto motivational speaker. But Pac is like that. A lot of his stuff is great, but he can also get on to some corny shit real quick.

Don't know why, but I'm just not a big 2Pac fan.

Nice to listen to in the background but rap is still not my kind of music.

Certainly feel like this has dated a bit since it's release 3*

Not a bad album, just too long and too much of the same. Not really my kind of rap either

Hiphop, som vanligt svårtillgängligt för mig, men Dear Mama och hans flow gör mig lite mer intresserad. En trea.

I quite liked the laid back “funkiness” of most of it but at times the verbal ‘hook’ was repetitive and overall it was a touch overlong and samey. I can never really follow the lyrics to hip hop on a first listen but most of them didn’t seem particularly dexterous to me although there were good moments. My overall gripe with guys like BIG and Tupac remains valid- rapping about gangs and guns loses its lustre after that life has killed you dead- and for nothing. Rather lifts the veil on the tawdriness of it all. I did enjoy it more than Ilmatic or notorious BIG but not as much as Be by Common.

Good poetry but I never was a big fan of his style.

Idk what to think about this one really. It's full of bad messages (Outlaw) but also good ones? (Young N******z, Dear Mama, Can U Get Away). The flow is great, the beats are consistently excellent, his more "philosophical" stuff is eye-opening, but every other word is the N or F word...

Never actually listened to him before. Pretty good.

..wow... this is actually pretty good! Did not realize his poetic lyrics. Pretty damn good - this Outlaw! Wish he would come out of hiding, he, Elvis and Jim Morrisson...

6/10

HE MADE ME MAD TRYING TO STEAL SOMEONE'S GIRL ON THIS but i can't stay too mad at someone this sexy

he's fine as hell and i know that has nothing to do with the album but i just can't believe how fine he is. anyways i really liked some, really disliked others

Rap wie er gefällt

I appreciate but don’t particularly like the music

Biased review. East Coast, beast coast bitches

At my age and background, I mainly just knew Tupac as the rapper who was shot and then later performed as a hologram. The album itself is very easy to listen to, it is well made and most tracks are enjoyable but not exciting. "Dear Mama" injects some much-needed warmth into the album. Overall, I now understand 2Pac's claim to greatness, even if I wouldn't necessarily place him at the forefront.

Interesting. A liitle too much for me to blast in my garage.

This was a lot better than I was expecting. Some disturbing themes but it seemed to be more mature and less in your face than some other rap on the list.

I don't really listen to the words, but the music in almost every song sounds the same.

Favorite songs: Heavy In the Game, Lord Knows, Young Niggaz, Dear Mama, Me Against the World Least favorite songs: Outlaw, Temptations 3/5

6.5/10

It’s a a it crazy how much Tupac talks about his own death on this album. It’s a bit prophetic and a bit tragic. “So Many Tears” is one of the first prominent examples of that on this album. “Lord Knows” is another time that caught me thinking ‘damn he really knew he was gonna die young’. The title track is the most ‘west coast’ rap of everything on here. “Dear Mama” is a point of vulnerability that probably wasn’t a prominent topic to cover at this time of gangsta rap. But of all the songs, I liked “Old School” the most, where Shakur gets wide-eyed about his influences in the rap game. He seems very happy to talk about all the artists and cultural influences that got him into the game. Strong 3/5, great vocal presence and a few thoughtful moments

It was okay I guess, not my thing really but I'm a middle class white dude.

Iconic, even a white hipster like me can get with this.