![]() The third release would end up being the posthumously released The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.ģ. In a matter of two weeks, 'Pac recorded and completed his double-disc album, completing the two out of three albums he owed Death Row. ![]() There were three other album titles besides All Eyez On Me in mind.īefore the album arrived, 'Pac juggled with three other titles: including When I Get Free, prior to jail release, Supreme Euthanasia, and Euthanasia. Over two decades later, we're still California dreaming.ġ. To honor the magnum opus, we lined up several facts about the album that has surfaced since its 1996 arrival. The album not only changed the face of rap by introducing the first double-disc release into the mainstream, but it turned 'Pac from rap’s biggest voice to one of music's towering giants.Ĭelebrating its anniversary this month, 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me is recognized as much of a classic now as it was back then. His third studio LP Me Against the World is arguably his most purest and revered, but Eyez was undeniably his biggest (it was certified diamond in August 2014). Within the short discography he contrived during his lifetime, All Eyez On Me was a defining opus. The trials and tribulations only elevated his skills and throughout that two-disc LP, we hear the entire 11 month ordeal loud and clear - sprinkled with a few lighthearted moments. By the time Februrolled around, two of the three albums he promised as part of a signed deal with Death Row Records was already in stores - All Eyez On Me.Īt 27 songs, 'Pac makes it obvious that the earlier mentioned ‘dark clouds’ didn’t reduce his passion and outspokenness one bit. Hardened, focused, and hungry, the trip from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York to Can-Am Studios in Los Angeles saw Pac channel his year-long furor and angst into manic recording sessions. In October 1995, after serving 11 months of his conviction, the rapper was freed on $1.4 million bond thanks to Suge Knight, who ponied up the bail and inked Shakur to a three-album recording deal with Death Row Records (as well as Knight’s own management). Released in 1996, the album arrived barely a year after Pac was shot in the lobby of New York City’s Quad Recording Studios and later sentenced to four and a half years in prison for a sexual assault, which he vehemently denied. It’s not just a reflection of the legal situation he was in at the time, but also a glance at what ignited the relentlessness behind his fierce two-disc set. Album Description“Out on bail, fresh out of jail” will forever be the maxim to Tupac Shakur’s double-disc classic, All Eyez On Me. See More Your browser does not support the audio element. Erratic though it may be, All Eyez on Me is nonetheless carried off with the assurance of a legend in his own time, and it stands as 2Pac's magnum opus. Despite some good moments, the second disc is slowed by filler and countless guest appearances, plus a few too many thug-lovin' divas crooning their loyalty. Both hits are on the front-loaded first disc, which would be a gangsta classic in itself other highlights include the anthemic Snoop Dogg duet "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted," "All About U" (with the required Nate Dogg-sung hook), and "I Ain't Mad at Cha," a tribute to old friends who've gotten off the streets. ![]() Dre also contributes another surefire single in "California Love" (which, unfortunately, is present only as a remix, not the original hit version). ![]() On the plus side, this is easily the best production he's ever had on record, handled mostly by Johnny J (notably on the smash "How Do U Want It") and Dat Nigga Daz Dr. In that sense, it's an accurate depiction of what made him such a volatile and compelling personality, despite some undeniable filler. All Eyez on Me is 2Pac the thug icon in all his brazen excess, throwing off all self-control and letting it all hang out - even if some of it would have been better kept to himself. Sure, there are a few reflective numbers and dead-homiez tributes, but they're much more romanticized this time around. But more than that, it's also an unabashed embrace of the gangsta lifestyle, backing off the sober self-recognition of Me Against the World. With all the controversy surrounding him, 2Pac seemingly wanted to throw down a monumental epic whose sheer scope would make it an achievement of itself. Whatever the case, 2Pac re-emerged hardened and hungry with All Eyez on Me, the first double-disc album of original material in hip-hop history. Maybe it was his time in prison, or maybe it was simply his signing with Suge Knight's Death Row label. Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs. ![]()
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