Thug Life -1994- Thug Life : Volume 1 (Out Da Gutta / Interscope)

• September 26, 1994

   

 

 

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Eastside :

1. Bury Me A G feat. Natasha Walker (Y?N-Vee)

2. Don't Get it Twisted (by Thug Life)

3. Shit Don't Stop feat. Y?N-Vee

4. Pour Out A Little Liquor (by 2Pac)

5. Stay True feat. Stretch

 

Westside :

6. How Long Will They Mourn Me ? feat. Nate Dogg

7. Under Pressure feat. Stretch

8. Street Fame (by Thug Life)

9. Cradle To The Grave (Moe-Z Remix)

10. Str8 Ballin' (by 2Pac)

 

The patchwork of various aborted projects

The short Thug Life album gives the impression that "Thug Life" was kind of short lived project... In fact, it was probably the biggest project he had... Firstly 2Pac had the idea of a soundtrack (cf. Thug Life Demo Tape), then tried to record a kind of double album before All Eyez on Me : Thug Life Original albums Do U Love The Thug Life ? and Mr. Middle Finger. But he struggled with the release of his projects. The first of them being delayed because of sample issues (among them "How Long Will They Mourn Me"), then some demo being leaked, then with two trials, he had to censor himself and to not publish violent songs against cops... 

So he re-recorded many tracks (cf. Out on Bail) and launch new sessions for a new Soundtrack project (cf. Honor Among Thugz)... This short album is the reflect of the various steps of the evolution of the project :

- 1st sessions with Johnny J & Warren G (tracks 4 & 6 : March of 93)

- Mr. Middle Finger sessions produced by Stretch (Tracks 1 & 3 : Sept. of 93)

- new Thug Life soundtrack (Tracks 2 & 8 : end of 93)

- Out on Bail remade songs (track 10 : end of 93)

- Thug Life / Live Squad new sessions (Tracks 5 & 7 : first half of 94)

- Moe-Z final mix (Track 9 and new mix for n#10 : Sept. of 94)

Coast II Coast

Even if it doesn't really correspond to the content, to the vibe or to the producers, we can notice that 2Pac already wanted to associate East and West in his albums. In 1993, the original Thug Life concept was to record two different albums, one west coast oriented produced by Warren G and Johnny J, featuring Big Syke, Macadoshis, Rated R (cf. Thug Life Original project), the other produced by Stretch in New York featuring Stretch & Y?N-Vee (cf. Mr. Middle Finger). This tendency came back even in his Death Row years at the peak of his feud with Bad Boys with the One Nation project that was sometimes planned as an East/West collaboration but at other times as a double album like 2Pac with the east side, then 2Pac with the west side...

 

 

 

 

 

DETAILED TRACKLIST

(Special thanks to Bomb 1st members Filla and Dominator for sample credits)

 

Eastside :

 

1. Bury Me A G feat. Thug Life & Natasha Walker (Y?N-Vee) / Stretch & 2Pac

• 1993/06-07 (~). 2Pac kind of hesitated between solo and group version for his Mr. Middle Finger solo album (the other one probably for a B-Side). Both versions were supposedly recorded around the same day, according to Mopreme, so in the early recordings of the album. Then 2Pac chose this group version to promote Thug Life Volume 1 : Honor Among Thugz new project in his then forthcoming solo album project Street Fame / Out on Bail and then transferred the song in Volume One itself in early 94. In late 94, he will also record a new version with Dramacydal for Young Thugz EP, almost released as a b-side to Hard 2 Imagine planned single (cf. Dramacydal LP).
• Samples : 
• The Isley Brothers - "For The Love of You" (melody)
  
• The Meters - "Groovy Lady" (drumline)

2. Don't Get it Twisted (by Thug Life) / Pro-Jay & Mopreme

• 1993/11 (~). Probably recorded around the time they recorded original version of "Cradle 2 The Grave" (both songs appear in first Volume 1 draft tracklist, cf. Honor Among Thugz), also produced by Professor Jay from Da Nayborhoodz who released their album Afta Dark... Illa Than Expected in 1995 with Macadoshis and Rated R as Double Jeopardy in featuring. Macadoshis clearly refers to that album in his verse. Pro-Jay also produced for En Vogue, Thicke, Mya or Usher.
• Samples : 
• David Ayer & Roy Ayers - "Synphonette" (melody) 
• The Meters - "Hand Clapping Song" (melody, vocals)
  
• Audio Two - "Top Billin' (Clark Kent Mix)" (drumline partially)
• MC Shan - "The Bridge" (drumline)
  
• Grover Washington Jr. - "Dolphin Dance" (sound effect)
• The Honey Drippers - "Impeach The President" (cymbal, drumline)
  
• Richard Pryor - "The Back Down" (quote) 
  

3. Shit Don't Stop feat. Thug Life & Y?N-Vee / Stretch & Mopreme

• 1993/09-10 (~). Originally a 2Pac solo song recorded in summer of 93 for Mr. Middle Finger, as "Here We Go". That song is not appearing anymore in any Out On Bail tracklists so 2Pac might have recorded this group version in the beginning of October or even a bit earlier at the time of the solo version for a B-side. At that time Y?N-Vee were recording their album (with "Don't Leave", cf. Y?N-Vee), and were planned to be in Thug Life project also with "Fake Ass Bitches (Y?N-Vee Version, cf. Honor Among Thugz)" Mopreme was heavily working with Stretch on Mr. Middle Finger (and also on Live Squad's new project : "Hurts The Most" and maybe the unheard track "Pay Me", cf. Diary of a Poor Man / Ghetto Blues). The group will record a Single/Video new version with new lyrics in 95 and without 2Pac as a tribute for him being incarcerated (cf. Rarities).
• Samples : 
• Parliament - "Aqua Boogie"  (melody, bassline, vocals)

4. Pour Out A Little Liquor / Johnny J

• 1993/01-02 (~). Recorded for Thug Life Original Album (but we don't know if the mix was similar). Then given to Death Row's Above The RIM soundtrack in late 1993. They will shoot a video for the song and also record a radio version with alternate clean lyrics maybe in early 94.
• Samples :
• The O'Jays - "Cry Together" (melody interpolation)
  
• The Honey Drippers (70's Funk) - "Impeach The President" (drumline interpolation)
  
• Spice 1 - "Welcome to the Ghetto" (vocals)

5. Stay True feat. Mopreme & Stretch / Stretch & 2Pac

• 1994/04 (~). Until late August of 94, the song was still the title track of 2Pac solo 3rd album. But Interscope having refused "Runnin' (Brown Man Thug Life Version)" from the Thug Life album (cf. Honor Among Thugz), and the song being one of the strongest, probably 2Pac quickly chose one of his better songs to replace it, what led him to totally refund his solo album without the song.
  
• Samples :
• Curtis Mayfield - "Just Want To Be With You" (melody)
  
• Graham Central Station - "The Jam" (drumline)

Westside :

 

6. How Long Will They Mourn Me ? feat. Thug Life & Nate Dogg / Warren G & Nate Dogg

• 1993/03 (~) - new mix 1994/01-03 (?). Recorded for Thug Life Original Album but with a slightly different beat. Banned from Bomb1st said the sample was difficult to clear and it led the whole project to be greatly delayed or shelved. The song is not announced in Thug Life Volume 1 : Honor Among Thugz in late 93, so maybe the second mix has been made after that in early 94.
• Samples :
• One Way - "Don't Stop (Ever Love Me)" (melody)
• Little Feet - "Fool Yourself" (drumline) 

7. Under Pressure feat. Stretch / Stretch & 2Pac

• 1994/03 (~). It is said that the song was initially a Live Squad song intended to be in their second album Diary of a Poor Man (like "God Bless The Dead" and unreleased "Danger Times", "It Hurts The Most"), before Stretch gave the song for Thug Life album.
• Samples :
• The Headhunters & Pointer Sisters - "God Make Me Funky" (drumline)
  

8. Street Fame (by Thug Life) / Stretch

• 1993/10/31 (~). Originally the title song for 2Pac solo album around October-November of 93 (after Mr. Middle Finger original project being dropped), it was supposedly a song with The Notorious B.I.G. as a featured artist. Nothing indicates that a 2Pac version has ever been recorded because it disappeared from Out on Bail tracklists right after "Runnin'" was recorded circa the 30th of October. So we could assume that after having finally chosen an Easy Mo Bee beat to record with B.I.G., he gave the planned beat and concept to the group. Another possibility is that they recorded this song without 2Pac the day he was arrested after having shot at the drunk off-duty cops that morning of the All Saints day in Atlanta. Maybe a studio session was already booked, that would be the reason they recorded this first song without him.
  
• Samples :
• Marvin Gaye - "Flyin' High In The Friendly Sky" (guitar) 
• The Winstons - "Amen Brother" (drumline)
  
• Mental Illness & Evil Mind Gangsta - "N Misery" (vocals : "i'm a superstar, made it by the street fame")
  

9. Cradle To The Grave feat. Thug Life (Remix) / Pro-Jay REMIXED By Moe-ZMD

• 1993/11 (~) - 1994/08 (new mix). In promo version of Thug Life Volume One in summer of 94 (cf. Honor Among Thugz), it was still the original version of the song produced by Pro-Jay of Da Nayborhoodz. 2Pac started to work with Moe-Z in August, at the last moment before the release of the Thug Life album. Moe-Z who produced at that time a very good album with West coast rapper Radio, Recognize da Real, who is also doing the hook of the third last "Runnin" version released in One Million Strong in 1995.
• Samples :
• Quincy Jones - "Ironside" (sirene)
  
• The Nite-Lighters - "Damn" (drums)
  
• Kool & The Gang - "N.T." (drums)
  

10. Str8 Ballin' / Easy Mo Bee

• 1993/11 - 1994/01-06-08 (~, new take and new mixes). Originally recorded during Easy Mo Bee sessions for 2Pac solo album Out on Bail. 2Pac very probably recorded the song the 2nd of November when he went freed from jail, in the same session than "Out On Bail". The "Baller's Theme" was already planned on a Easy Mo Bee's beat but 2Pac was probably too upset - like in "Out On Bail" - to write a new song on a specific topic so he reused his lyrics from "I'm Makin Money" (cf. Thug Life Demo). 2Pac re-recorded his vocals take two times : circa early 94 for R U Still Down / Stay True, and then circa June for Thug Life Volume 1 (there was an alternate mix in Volume One Promo). The song seems to have replaced "Ready 4 Whatever" or "Thugz Theme" in the album (cf. Honor Among Thugz).
  
• Samples : 
• Bootsy's Rubber Band - "What's a Phone Bill ?" (melody, vocals)