1996 - Thug Pound

• Dec. 95 - Jan. 96 : new songs and leftover material renewed from 2Pac and the Dogg Pound with Death Row label mates as guests.
• December 22, 2Pac, his team and the Dogg Pound recorded the track "Initiated" together. Both were recording tracks for their respective project (Thug Life Volume 2 and Dogg Shit). The song gave them the concept of a supergroup logically called Thug Pound (Thug Life + Dogg Pound). 
• But Suge Knight possibly had the idea of turning this one shot thing into a project of a promo compilation associating the new headliners of the label to the other Death Row artists in order to announce the forthcoming projects : Thug Life 2nd, Dogg Pound 2nd, Snoop 2nd, Dr. Dre 2nd, Lady of Rage, Danny Boy, Sam Sneed, Nate Dogg, Michel'le, Jewell, O.F.T.B., Prince Ital Joe...
  
• Short lived project brutally stopped and left unfinished very probably because of the dispute between 2Pac and Dr. Dre, and maybe other problems (Mopreme being kicked out of Death Row ; Snoop mentioning an argument between Kurupt and 2Pac in the studios...).
  
• Sources : Makaveli 2 bootleg 

Michael O'Neill for The New York Times, Jan. 14.

### WORK IN PROGRESS. There are no existing tracklist nor material sequence known for that short lived project, so we tried to gather and organize songs which fit the timeline of the project, mainly leftover tracks from All Eyez On Me and from Outlaw Immortalz : Thug Life II. We saw the thing as Thug Life + Dogg Pound + Death Row friends. ###

Tracklist  -  LISTEN

1. Welcome 2 Death Row feat. Danny Boy
2. Late Night (DJ Quik Version) feat. AMG & DJ Quik
   
3. Initiated (Thug Pound) (Blow Mix) feat. Dogg Pound & Outlawz
4. The Struggle Continuez (Thug Life Sample) feat. Hussein, Big Syke & O.F.T.B.
5. Blunt Time (Original) feat. Dr. Dre & Lady of Rage - instrumental remake
6. NY '87 (DJ Quik Mix) feat. Dogg Pound & Deadly Threat
7. Don't Stop The Music (Rough Mix) feat. Outlawz & Nanci Fletcher
8. Wanted Dead Or Alive (Original Gangsta Party Mix) feat. Snoop Dogg & Daz - og vibe
9. Trump Tight (by Big Syke, Kurupt & Kadafi)
10. Outlaw Immortalz (Long Mix) feat. Outlawz & Big Syke
    
11. Me & My Homies (Original Mix) feat. Nate Dogg - promo edit
    
12. Homeboyz - dante solo edit 
13. Don't Stop, Keep Goin' (Long Version) feat. Dogg Pound 
    
14. First 2 Bomb feat. Outlawz
15. Um Dumpin' feat. Gonzoe, Kurupt, Starr-Loc & Nutt-So
16. World Wide M.O.B. Figgaz feat. Big Syke & Outlawz
17. This Life I Lead feat. Gonzoe, Dogg Pound & Nutt-So
18. Bad Boy Killaz (by Danny Boy) - instrumental / WFO & Slaughter version

Unused Tracks :

 

. Everybody Needs Love (Rough Mix) (by Jewell) (prod. Johnny J)

. St. Ides Malt Liquor Commercial feat. Snoop Dogg

. Komradz feat. Storm, Outlawz & Big Syke

. Fair Exchange (Synthé Mix) feat. Hurt-M-Badd & Capucine Jackson

. 6 or 12 (by Outlawz & Big Syke) - unfinished

. Penitentiary Bound (by Outlawz, Mopreme & Prince Ital Joe) - unfinished

. I'll Do (Would You Die) (Rough Mix) (by Dogg Pound & Kausion)

• Producers - Daz (2, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15), Johnny J (4, 11, 16, 17), Kurupt (10), DJ Quik (1, 3, 6), Kurt Kobane (1, 7, 18), Sam Sneed (9), Dr. Dre (5), Soopafly (11)
• BOLD : tracks very likely recorded for the compilation or repurposed for it.

Notes regarding the selection

If we don't have any tracklists nor material sequence, out of Makaveli 2 (bootleg), it does not mean we could fill it with anything...

Tracks 3, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 were for sure recorded for Thug Pound project. Tracks 6 and 13 were very likely also re-recorded/remixed for it in that same perspective of associating both groups against the enemies. "Wanted Dead Or Alive" was listed with "Initiated" in a DAT and it contains disses towards Bad Boy. "Bad Boy Killaz" was probably the last song planned for the project, left unfinished when the project was dropped the 22th of January. "Late Night" and "Outlaw Immortalz" were probably transferred to this project after being taken off from All Eyez On Me and Thug Life Volume 2. There are still doubts about "Trump Tight" and "Me & My Homies" dates of recording but they totally fit the context. "Welcome 2 Death Row" and "The Struggle Continues" were recorded earlier (cf. When I Get Free, All Eyez On Me early recordings) but they could logically have been re-purposed for this project considering guests, concepts and lyrics. 

"Everybody Needs Love" by Jewell produced by Johnny J was possibly recorded for that project... An advanced mix was made in March and the song then appeared in Gridlock'd soundtrack DATs.

"I'll Do" by Dogg Pound featuring Gonzoe and Kaution could have been recorded for the project too - they speak about 2Pac. But maybe the song was more likely recorded right after the end of the project in early February.

Like "Outlaw Immortalz", the tracks "Fair Exchange" and "Komradz" were taken off from Thug Life Volume 2 in January of 96 and could have been purposed to Thug Pound. 

"Jack Move", "Still Ballin", "Secretz of War (Rules Version)" are Thug Life Volume 2 tracks in mid January, so for sure not intended for that project.

There are not many Snoop Dogg's features, nor no LBC Crew, for the obvious reason that their first album was about to be released on Doggystyle Records (with many Snoop features and even a solo song)... before Lil C'Style crushed the DATs circa March-May of 96.

2Pac surrounded by DPG, Johnny J and other Death Row people 

Thug Pound : a buried project under the One Nation ground...

The project was forgotten for a long time. We had no handwritten sheets about it in 2Pac papers (what is logical because it was maybe more likely a Suge Knight/Dogg Pound directed project...). And it was in the shade of One Nation. Many tracks recorded for the project have that same rough studio sound that can be compared to the June sessions. First of all "Initiated" aka "Thug Pound" (the track that launched the idea of the project). Songs like "This Life I Lead", "World Wide MOB Figgaz" and "Dumpin'" were firstly said to have been recorded in April-May before Gonzoe stated they were from January. "First 2 Bomb", an Outlaw Immortalz anthem produced by Daz was unofficially released in Makaveli & Dillinger aside of "Don't Go 2 Sleep" (track that appear in Outlawz tracklists in May). "Trump Tight" has the same music than "Coast II Coast" so it was easy to put it close to these sessions too even if Big Syke and Kadafi talk about "Thug Life" and "Outlaw Immortalz" (both concepts disappearing after March). "NY' 87" was a late leaked track at the same time than Makaveli track "Whatch Ya Mouth"... Only stayed "Initiated" which is introduced by the words "Thug Pound biatch !" but released in Daz first solo album, like if it had been recorded for him...

But both projects were totally different... mainly because Thug Pound is a war project, whereas One Nation is kind of reconciliation project. Because Thug Pound was a complete Death Row team project still with Dr. Dre, Sam Sneed,Mopreme, whereas One Nation was already without Big Syke, without Johnny J...

 

Daz, Kurupt, Nate Dogg behind, an unknown guy shaking hand with 2Pac. Unknown date.

Death Row equation : Thug Life Volume 2 + Dogg Shit = Thug Pound

This project takes origin in the background of Thug Life Volume II, one of its tracklist gave "Jack Move", "Still Ballin" and "Secretz of War" and at this occasion 2Pac gave a nickname for Dogg Pound members and Snoop like he made for his Immortalz : Daz Dillinger, Young Gotti and Snoop Corleone. After that, when they recorded "Initiated" the 22th of December, the idea of a collaboration logically came. 

Dogg Pound second album project initially called Dogg Shit (maybe initially just leftover material from Dogg Food + new tracks with Prince Ital Joe, Lady of Rage...) was more or less born dead because some sessions like "Can't C Me" or "Got My Mind Made Up" had been used for All Eyez On Me (probably following the demand of Suge Knight), and some other were East Coast friendly songs like "Don't Stop" featuring Nas (so not in the Death Row Vs. Bad Boy perspective). So maybe Suge purposed to them to transform their project into a whole collaboration with 2Pac/Outlaw Immortalz who also had leftover material.

So Dogg Pound started to recycle unused beats completed with 2Pac/Thug Life featurings. "Don't Stop" could be seen in that perspective. The Gonzoe/Nutt-So sessions from the 18th of January are a decisive addition, produced by Daz and Johnny J, like "First 2 Bomb". "MOB Figgaz" and "This Life I Lead" are Johnny J productions that sounds really in that same specific mood. To complete the Dogg Pound Gangsta connection, it needed a Snoop contribution : "Wanted Dead Or Alive (Original)" exactly fits that timeline.

 

Totally scrapped project ? Or it turned into Westcoast Aftershock then Tha Last of tha Pound ?

When 2Pac arrived at Death Row, Daz & Kurupt first album was about to be released (the 31st of October 95). Their first single "New York, New York" out since September had been clearly regarded as a diss towards East side music. Daz started to work upon 2Pac's first album. Dre, Daz and Death Row gave 2Pac music or songs like Can't C Me, Got My Mind Made Up that were initially for Dogg Pound's next project. Daz and Kurupt were also invited to work with 2Pac for his second project called "Outlaw Immortalz : Thug Life Volume 2". Like he did for his group Pac eventually gave nicknames to Daz, Kurupt and Snoop. They come to record "Initiated" with the subtitle anthem "Thug Pound", reunion of the two groups.

At that time, Daz was probably working to improve his unreleased songs and to gather them in a new album project. So he thought to add 2Pac to "NY 87" (as a kind of sequel to the "New York New York" diss single) and to replace Nas by him in "Don't Stop, Keep Going" (Nas becoming a un-welcome guest with the feud of the Dogg Pound single). Maybe he also added him in Soopafly's production for Nate Dogg "Me & My Homies". They still had to record a fresh set of new songs between Dogg Pound, 2Pac and the Outlawz, so they had that session with Gonzoe, Nutt-So, Starr-Loc...

But, maybe because of 2Pac having changed his plans, shelving his Thug Life Volume 2 because of the dispute between Mopreme and Death Row, dropping Thug Pound because of his dispute with Dr. Dre, starting to record a new solo album more in the vein of Me Against The World, it seems that Daz and Dogg Pound also changed their plans, recording less often with Pac after that period... It is said that the project turned to be the Dogg Pound second album Westcoast Aftershock, that stayed unreleased at the departure of Kurupt from Death Row. Daz released his solo album in 98 with probably some of these songs, and then The Last of Tha Pound in 2004.

 2Pac & Dr. Dre circa late 95
Pac seems to have the same clothes than on Chi-Modu photoset (Dec. 30)

2Pac & Dr. Dre

Like we can see in this picture, 2Pac and Dr. Dre were probably still OK in last days of December 95. Was the concert tribute to Eazy-E by 2Pac another reason for the feud between the two stars ?

It is said 2Pac was pissed when he learnt that Dr. Dre pretended to have produced a track and it was in fact Daz' (could be "Got My Mind Made Up"). He probably also thought Dr. Dre wasn't implicated enough in the production of his album, mainly given to DJ Quik...

Lady of Rage posted this picture in a video. What could mean the song definitely exists.

In Outlaw Immortalz 1st tracklist (c. Dec. 13), the song "Blunt Time" is still included. It disappeared from the second tracklist (c. Jan. 13), maybe because the song was transferred to Thug Pound project, maybe because 2Pac was angry against Dr. Dre. Something could have occurred around that song, around the fact Dr. Dre was not at his ease with the feud with East Coast. Natasha Walker said in an interview that the atmosphere surrounding 2Pac claiming he had sex with Faith Evans was bad. Maybe there was something from a jealousy growing between Dr. Dre and 2Pac around the label lead and around Natasha who was Dr. Dre's girlfriend at a time and 2Pac's very good friend & partner. She herself left the label around December.

Snoop told a story about Kurupt and 2Pac almost had a fight together...

When did that event occur ? He says Daz and Nate Dogg separated them... 2Pac and Kurupt have worked intensively together since 2Pac's arrival at Death Row : more or less 10 tracks between Oct. 13 and Jan. 18... After that, they recorded "Just Watching" with Snoop and Daz for Snoop's new album in late February and then "Ride 4 Me" with Hussein for the Lil Homies project and 2Pac added a verse to OFTB+Kurupt "World Wide" in late March... In June, Kurupt recorded "We Rock The Hip Hop" for One Nation, but only with the Outlawz, not with 2Pac... Maybe the rupture was not complete between them (2Pac still wrote his name in One Nation credits and kept his song in last tracklists in August). So it could possibly have occurred at the time of Thug Pound : they recorded "This Life I Lead" and "Dumpin" together the 18th of January 96 and the project got stopped after that... That could be the reason why 2Pac got back to a new solo album project the 22th...

What was the reason for this dispute ? Was it because of Dr. Dre ? Because of some jealousy ? Because the good relationship Kurupt had with the East coast ? because of women and young women tendency of Kurupt ?

 

Suge Knight, Tupac, MC Hammer, Snoop Dogg, the 29th of January

at the 23rd annual American Music awards.

DETAILED TRACKLIST

(Special thanks to Bomb1st members Filla and Dominator for samples credits)

 

01. Welcome 2 Death Row feat. Danny Boy, Michel'le & Stacey Smallie / Kurt Kobane, Hurt-M-Badd & DJ Quik (flute ? & mix ?)

• 1995/10/28 - (?) (final mix ?). Here you have the classic Dr. Dre introduction, same as on The Chronic (1992). According to Kurt Kobane, there is no Dr. Dre engineering here, just an additional DJ Quik's flute & mixdown. Probably initially thought to be an introduction to Danny Boy solo album (cf. Danny Boy's The DJ Quik Sessions), it seems Danny Boy chose to not use it. It has been said Pac's verse could have been added later (not later than January because 2Pac was mad at Dr. Dre after that), but they more probably recorded directly together in October (no mix without him leaked). 2Pac being on the track and Danny Boy having to give his best material to the new Death Row project, the song was possibly re-purposed to the Death Row forthcoming project, what was a kind of transition from the Dogg Pound (Nov. 95) and 2Pac (Feb. 96) albums to the promotion of forthcoming Death Row projects, Danny Boy among them. At the end of the song, Danny Boy gives shots to other Death Row artists : Dogg Pound, Snoop, Sam Sneed, Dr. Dre and Rage. So it is the perfect introduction to that Thug Pound project.
• Samples :
• Dr. Dre - "The Chronic Intro" (vocals : "This is dedicated to the niggas that was down from day one, welcome to Death Row")
  

02. Late Night (Quik Version) feat. AMG & DJ Quik / DJ Quik

• 1995/11 - 12/19 (~) (AMG & Quik added). This version was included in All Eyez On Me late sequences before being dropped. In a double tracklist from Nov., the features of the song says "Quik & Playa Ham" (a Quik friend who had an album in 92 with Penthouse Players Clique and was about to have a solo single in 96) so the song was obviously not recorded yet. The exact guests only appear in a December tracklist. Quik said he was not aware of the Outlaw version but it is much more logic to think 2Pac recorded firstly as usual waiting for the planned guests when Quik gave him the instrumental in November... Another strong points are that Fatal N Felony were then recording many freestyles (over "Where U Been", "Still I Rise"...) and that "Late Night" was an old Dramacydal song (cf. Young Thugz / Dramacyde). That song never appeared anywhere after being dropped from All Eyez On Me so it is very difficult to think 2Pac would have recorded a new version by taking off Quik and AMG... Anyway, it is said that Donald Byrd didn't accept to clear the sample... even if the sample was already used in "My Definition of a Thug Nigga" (cf. Thug Life Demo). Maybe the song was simply re-purposed for the Thug Pound promo project (maybe a kind of mixtape which didn't need same sample clearing...). It would have been the head track of the compilation.
  
• Samples : 
• Donald Byrd - "Wind Parade" (melody)
  
• Esther Williams - "Last Night Changed It All (I Really Had A Ball)" (vocals)
• Eddie Bo - "Hook and Sling pt. 1" (vocals : "yeaah")
  
• Richard Pryor - "Have Your Ass Home by 11:00"  (vocals)

03. Initiated (Blow Mix) feat. Dogg Pound, Hussein, Kastro & Edi / Daz

• 1995/12/22. Released in Daz Dillinger's Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back (1998, Death Row). This version has a slightly different mix with a wind sound in the background, more Pac adlibs and a scratched ending by a few Pac words ("Nigga you y[??]"), what is the exact beginning of Snoop Dogg's "Eastside Party"... Could be the two songs linked in a way at the time of the recording, the mix or in a DAT ?

04. The Struggle Continues (Thug Life Sample) feat. Louis Farrakhan [speaking], Hussein, Big Syke & OFTB / Johnny J

• 1995/10/24 - ? (sample added ?). This song starts with a long live speech from the 16th of October by Minister Farrakhan from Nation of Islam. This version re-uses the same sample than the scrapped "Thug Life" song from Thug Life Demo. Probably this sample was added later after the first recording of the song (but maybe just a few days later). The fact this sample gives a dirty gangsta flavor that could fit the Thug Pound project, but Johnny J could also have re-used that sample especially for Thug Life Volume II project as an internal link to the very first Thug Life project.
  
• Samples :
• The Commodores - "Cebu" (melody)
• Run DMC - "Jam Master Jay" (drumline)
  
• Louis Farrakhan - "Million Man March Speech (Oct. 16th, 95)" (quotes)

05. Blunt Time feat. Dr. Dre, Lady of Rage & Roger Troutman / Dr. Dre - INSTRUMENTAL REMAKE (?)

• 1995/11/02 (?). Lady of Rage posted a picture of a tape with "2Pac - Blunt Time" written on a short video (with an instrumental that seems to have nothing to do with it). An instrumental slightly different from the RBX-Aftermath version has also been uploaded in Youtube. The very first recorded version could have Dr. Dre rapping solo (text from J-Flexx) with Roger Troutman at the chorus (recorded at the same period than "California Love Solo" ?)... 2Pac and Lady of Rage could have recorded their verses later. 

06.  NY '87 (Now That's Dissin') (DJ Quik Mix) feat. Dogg Pound & Deadly Threat / Daz & DJ Quik

• 1995/12/14 - 12/19 (~) (Quik additional mix ?, Quik intro). Released in 2012 Dogg Pound's leftover compilation Doggy Bag, (WIDEawake), but without 2Pac's verse. It has been said Dogg Pound and Threat firstly recorded the song without him for their second aborted project album Dogg Shit as an answer to the C-N-N song "New-York, New-York". Then 2Pac was added in December (like it was the case for "Don't Stop" with 2Pac replacing Nas). But the dates don't really fit because 2Pac was already in Death Row when the feud blasts... More likely Daz edited the song without Pac in summer of '96, maybe even after Pac's death (the same way Snoop took him off of his album Doggfather...) for Dogg Pound project album then titled West Coast Aftershock.
  

07. Don't Stop The Music (Rough Mix) feat. Edi, Hussein & Nanci Fletcher / Johnny J

• 1995/11/22 or 96/01/09 (?). Remixed in Pac's Life (2006, Amaru). After "How Do U Want It" and "Wonda Why They Call U Bitch" on All Eyez On Me", this song is again dissing Delores Tucker because of her crusade against rap music and its violent influence (maybe she could be seen as right in a way but to condemn the whole rap music is an awful thing).
• Samples :
• Yarbrough & Peoples - "Don't Stop The Music" (melody, bassline, drumline, chorus interpolation)

08. Wanted Dead or Alive (Original Gangsta Party Mix) feat. Snoop Dogg / Daz (?) - DEMO VIBE - SNIPPET (?) - Jujux OG VIBE

• 1995/12/18-22 (~). Remixed in late 96 for Gridlock'd soundtrack (Death Row, 1997, January 28). Uncle Charlie from The Gap Band confirmed he was not in the original (he never recorded with 2Pac). Val Young was also not working with Death Row (at least with 2Pac) before summer of 96... So Daz remixed the song after Pac's death with new beat, new chorus and a Snoop's outro, specially for the soundtrack. It was sometimes said the original was simply verses recorded over "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" beat (what could explain why the original never leaked)... In Death Row Pacific Title inventory, there are two DATs (PO016897 & PO781754) with a mysterious "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted Remix". The first one (dated 96/03/14) is the Clean Version of the song with a re-arranged beat ; the second one from 96/12/18 marked "Gridlock'd" is very probably "Wanted Dead Or Alive". It somehow confirms the thing : the original probably had the re-arranged beat of "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" and was initially intended as a B-Side but 2Pac finally chose to record a Clean version of "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" instead. There is also a "Wanted Dead Or Alive" Gridlock'd DAT from the 20th of Dec. 96 with also "Initiated" listed on it... So the second DAT could have a mistaken date of one year and could even contain the real original, two days before Daz made the remix. Considering the lyrics, 2Pac & Snoop clearly recorded the song in Dec. 95 when 2Pac was recording Thug Life Volume 2, giving nicknames to his team, including "Corleone" to Snoop. 2Pac also re-uses some words ("mind on currency"), concepts ("we ballin'") and style he also used the 18th of December for "Still Ballin'" ("everybody want to see us dead") and "No More Pain" ("holla my name", "line up my adversaries") and the 22th in "Initiated" ("Now we Amerikaz Most Wanted, feel me ?").
  
• Samples :
  
• Zapp & Roger - "Dance Floor" (melody interpolation) - Retail version ?
  
• Tom Browne "Funkin’ for Jamaica" - snippet, Original ?
• Domino - "Long Beach Funk" - snippet Original ?
  

09. Outlaw Immortalz (Sam Sneed Mix) feat. Kadafi, Hussein, Edi & Big Syke / Sam Sneed

• 1995/10/26 - 1996/01/03 (new mix ?). Initially recorded for All Eyez On Me (cf. When I Get Free). Then included in the first Thug Life Volume 2 tracklist but not in the second one... 2Pac very probably transferred the track to Thug Pound, the kind of beat fitting more to that project, and the song offering promotion to another Death Row artist who was also preparing his album at that time : Sam Sneed (cf. Street Scholars). Gonzoe of Kausion said there was another version with him, which could have been recorded in January, like his other features for Thug Pound project, or later in May or August for a new Outlawz version, why not in replacement of Big Syke (Gonzoe appears in Ghett Starz guests list). It could also be a complete different song recorded for an Edi project (DAT with also "Don't Stop The Music" being credited to him).
• Samples : 
• Outkast - "Funky Ride" (vocals) 

10. Trump Tight by Big Syke, Kurupt & Kadafi / Kurupt

• 1995/12/14 (?) or 96/03 (?). Kadafi says "Young Thugs", "Outlaw Immortalz" and "Thug Life" at the end of the song (so from late 95 - early 96, before Syke left Death Row). The song appears in a DAT from 95/12/14 with "NY87" and "Conversation" (presumably a Dogg Pound track recorded in 95/09/18). So it could have been recorded specially for the Thug Pound project but it could be a later thing made in March for Lil' Homies (it kind of fits the musical vibe of it, and it seems Kurupt produced in March another beat later used for "Tattoo Tearz"). The music of this track will be re-used for "Ginseng Power/Coast II Coast/Thug Nigga" in One Nation.

11. Me & My Homies (Promo Mix) feat. Nate Dogg & Nanci Fletcher / Soopafly  

• 1996/01/09 (?) or 02/29 (?). Recorded for Nate Dogg's first album : G-Funk Classics vol. 1 released in 1997. It has been said Nate Dogg firstly recorded his version in 1995 and 2Pac added his verse in 1996, but there is no proof of that. Pac's verse mentions "I ain't shit without my homeboys" and could have been taken from the original of "Homeboys" recorded in January of 96, maybe with re-recorded and alternate lyrics. So that verse could have been replaced by Young Noble in the released version in Still I Rise. Either 2Pac recycled a verse of it because Thug Pound project was scrapped. Or, that verse could have simply been written and recorded around that same, time inspired by a similar concept.

12. Homeboyz (Original) feat. Napoleon (chorus) / Daz - SOLO EDIT by Dante

• 1996/01/09 (?). Released in Still I Rise (1999) with an added new Young Noble verse. The original hasn't been leaked yet but it is said to be very similar to the released version (Daz didn't used to rework his Pac material). It has been said that the OG features Napoleon because we can hear him in the background, and he and Kastro presumably recorded "First 2 Bomb" the same day with 2Pac. If so, it is weired Napoleon didn't give a new verse in Still I Rise... Was there initially another 2Pac verse (his "Me & My Homies" verse could eventually fit) or another guest's verse (Edi, Mopreme, Daz...) ? Maybe the song was simply left unfinished like many other Thug Pound tracks with nothing else that an empty instrumental part (like "First 2 Bomb"), eventually waiting for an undefined guest, what could explain why only Young Noble gave a verse in the retail version.
• Samples :
• Rose Royce - "You're a Winner" (drums, bassline interpolation) 
  

13. Don't Stop, Keep Goin' (Long Version) feat. Dogg Pound / Daz

• 1995/08 - 1996/01/13 (~) (2Pac added, Kurupt's new vocals). Released in Dogg Pound's 2002 (2001, Death Row) without the second Kurupt's verse. The original version of the song was recorded in the summer of 1995 with Nas (finally released in Tha Last of Tha Pound, in 2004). Probably because of the feud between the Dogg Pound and C-N-N / Mobb Deep ("New York, New York" answered by "L.A, L.A"), they dropped out the Nas verse and gave a space to 2Pac who had also enemies in New-York (Mobb Deep was not yet that criticized except by Napoleon). Kurupt re-recorded his verse or edited it : "Kurupt, Daz and Nas" becoming "Kurupt, Daz reside". In this original re-recording long mix, Kurupt tried a second verse. Daz probably edited that second verse out in August of '96 for their West Coast Aftershock project second album.
• Samples :
• The Sequence - "Funk You Up" (chorus interpolation)
  

14. First 2 Bomb feat. Napoleon, Kadafi & Edi / Daz

• 1996/01/09 (?). Remixed by Daz on Makaveli & Dillinger (1999). 2Pac says "One love to my homeboyz" and repeats "Outlaw Immortalz" in the hook like an anthem (so it is probably the Reel so titled, from the same day than "Homeboyz"). The song being produced by Daz and not listed in Thug Life 2 tracklist, it clearly fits to this project. It has many similarities with "Dumpin" beat, and with Pac's verse in it, also with his lyrics in "Grab The Mic" and "He Vs. She" recorded the 12th and the 13rd of January. The song is kind of unfinished or has a space at the end for another verse.
  
• Samples :
• The Sequence - "Funk You Up" (sound effects interpolation)

15. Um Dumpin' feat. Gonzoe (Kausion), Kurupt, Starr-Loc & Nutt-So (Street Thugs) / Daz  

• 1996/01/18. Remixed on Makaveli & Dillinger (1997). Like "This Life I Lead", it features Gonzoe (from Kausion) and Nutt-So (from Street Thugs) who both had released - or about to do - a project recently. In an interview, Gonzoe said that he also recorded a verse over "Outlaw Immortal" (is it the same Sam Sneed produced song or another one ?). There's an interview in which Mr. Marcus - a black porn star - remembers how he hooked up with 2Pac, in company of Ms. Obsession and a female rapper named "Star". They went in studio and she recorded a song with 2Pac and Johnny J (?) over a bouncing beat, what led people to think it was "Ride 4 Me". But he clearly says it took place in January (mentions Snoop's trial), and he talks about only one song (it is said Starr-Loc denied being on "Ride 4 Me")... So it is clearly the recording of "Dumpin". Could he be mistaken about Johnny J ? Could she have recorded another song two months later ? There's nothing about Gonzoe, Kurupt nor Nutt-So... Maybe her verse was initially recorded kind of freestyle over a Johnny J's beat and then pasted in "Dumin" ?
  
• Samples : 
• Onyx - "All We Got Iz Us (Evil Streets)" (vocals : "You ain't heartless")
  

16. World Wide M.O.B. Figgaz feat. Big Syke, Edi & Kastro / Johnny J

• 1996/01/18 - 21 (2Pac added a few days after the first take). Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001). It is said to have been recorded the same day than "Dumpin'" and "This Life I Lead". This Johnny J music sounds like a Dogg Pound beat here : raw, dirty & gangsta. Like if he tried new things specifically for that project.
  
• Sample : 
• One Way - "Can I" (melody, drumline)
  
• Scarface (Movie, 1983) (vocals)
• Goodfellas (Movie, 1990) (vocals)
  
• Reservoir Dogs (Movie, 1992) (vocals)

17. This Life I Lead feat. Gonzoe, Dogg Pound & Nutt-So / Johnny J

• 1996/01/18. Remixed in Better Dayz (2002). Initially, people tend to think that it has been recorded with some other Makaveli & Dillinger tracks like "Don't Fall Asleep" in April/May of 96. But Gonzoe confirmed that he recorded the song in January, like written on the Reel. Johnny J is credited as the producer in Better Dayz but the kind of beat is strangely close to Daz material aimed for Thug Pound project. Is it a mistake or, like in "World Wide MOB Figgaz", did Johnny J try a new kind of Doggish dark sound especially for that project ?
  
• Samples : 
• Al B. Sure ! - "Naturally Mine" (melody)
  

18. Bad Boy Killers (Interlude) feat. Danny Boy / Kurt Kobane

• 1996/01/22-31 (?). It was said to feature 2Pac, Outlawz maybe Big Syke & DeVanté Swing of Jodeci, but nothing says if such a version exists somewhere.... DeVanté Swing has produced songs for Danny Boy, and "No More Pain" for 2Pac but he probably didn't do anything for this one. The title/concept of the song was very clearly given by 2Pac (saying it in the intro to "First 2 Bomb") so the song was supposedly made for him. Danny was a part of the Thug Pound project (being given a nickname by 2Pac, cf. Thug Life Volume 2). Kurt Kobane was producing material for him like "Welcome 2 Death Row" and also produced "M.O.B." for 2Pac and Thug Life. They presumably presented a rough beat and chorus circa the end of January but the project was already scrapped and 2Pac may have told Danny Boy to record a chorus for "Lil Homies" instead (the 22nd of January). Various mixes of the song - unfortunately without any 2Pac/Outlawz verse - appear in Danny Boy's archives. The 6th of February, the song was already given to Death Row inmates WFO and Slaughter (a male voice sounding like Malik and a female voice), the beat receiving a new mix the 5th of March, being completed the 16th. The only missing mix to these archives is the empty rough instrumental with just his vocals "give me one more chance, Death Row give me one more chance", probably the only state presented for Thug Pound. Recorded the 31st of January, "Breathin" which also re-uses or steal an old Dr. Dre's beat (cf. Nate Dogg singing "Nobody Does It Better" freestyle" in 1993) has a verse which could perfectly fit to that instrumental and topic...
• Samples :
• EPMD - "You're A Customer" (bassline interpolation)

BONUS TRACKS

. (Would You Kill 4 Me) I'll Do (Rough Mix) (by Dogg Pound & Kausion) / Daz

• 1996/01-02 (~). Released in Supercop Soundtrack (96/07/30). The intro and later in the lyrics they pay reference to 2Pac and the Outlaw Immortalz. Gonzoe also screams "Fuck New York"... Clearly in the vein of the other Thug Pound recordings, was it recorded in late December, in early February... before, during or after the other Gonzoe featurings ?