2Pac -1997- R U Still Down ? [Remember Me] (Amaru / Interscope)

• 1997, November 25
• First totally posthumous project.
  
• Compilation very probably inspired by a real project of compilation of leftover tracks eventually titled R U Still Down / When I Get Free (Lost Track 1992-1996) that 2Pac had when he was in prison in 95.

 

 

Discogs page

Listen to the album in YouTube or get it here and there

CD 1 :

1. Redemption

2. Open Fire 

3. R U Still Down ? (Remember Me) 

4. Hellrazor (Remix)
5. Thug Style (Remix) 

6. Where Do We Go From Here (Interlude) feat. Y?N-Vee 

7. I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto (Remake)
8. Nothing To Lose
9. I'm Gettin' Money (Remix)
10. Lie To Kick It feat. Richie Rich (Remix)
11. Fuck All Y'all (Remix)
12. Let Them Thangs Go (Remix)
13. Definition Of A Thug Nigga 

CD 2 :
1. Ready 4 Whatever feat. Big Syke

2. When I Get Free (Remake)

3. Hold On Be Strong

4. I'm Losin' It (Remix) feat. Big Syke & Spice 1
5. Fake Ass Bitches (Remix)
6. Do For Love (Remix) feat. Eric Williams (Blackstreet)
7. Enemies With Me (Remix) feat. Outlawz
8. Nothin But Love feat. Dave Hollister (Blackstreet)
9. 16 On Death Row (Remix)
10. I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto (Hip-Hop Version) feat. Maxee
11. When I Get Free II

12. Black Starry Night (Interlude)
13. Only Fear Of Death

• BOLD : close to the original
• Tracks 1.7 and 2.10 available in their original in I Get Around 12'' B-side
• Tracks 2.8 already available in Keep Ya Head Up 12'' B-Side
• Track 1.13 already available in Poetic Justice OST.
  
• Included in R U Still Down '95 "Pre-Death Row" compilation : CD1 : 3,4,6,8 CD2 : 3,6,11,13

• Original Producers - Johnny J (1.9?, 2.1, 2.5), Tony Pizarro (1.3, 1.6 ?, 1.8?), Bread & Water (2.11), DJ Daryl (2.8, 2.12), Warren G (1.10, 1.13), Live Squad & Duane Nettlesbey (1.6?, 1.8, 2.3, 2.13), Akshun (1.2), Mike Mosley (1.9?), DJ Choo (2.3)
• New Producers - We Got Kidz & Ricky Rouse (1.1, 1.5, 1.11, 1.12, 2.2, 2.7, 2.9), Soulshock & Karlin (1.7, 2.6, 2.10), Tony Pizarro & Def Jef (2.4), Mike Mosley (1.9?), QD3 (1.4)
  

 

 

1997, Afeni Shakur chose this symbolic title : R U Still Down 

Released about one year after Makaveli, The 7th Day Theory (giving some reality to Tupac's black Jesus resurrection fantasy), this first posthumous compilation wears the name of a song produced by Shock G in December 93 and still unreleased, speaking about the rough fall of the media critics towards him after the two justice cases (for having shot at two off duty cops in the Halloween night in 93 and of having sexually assaulted a girl named Ayanna Jackson in a hotel room the 18th of November). The 21st of November, the charges for rape being confirmed, 2Pac says to the medias :

Merry Christmas & Thanks 4 destroying everything I've ever worked for.

The "R U Still Down" version included here is a new version from the March of 1994, following many trials and notably a sentence of 15 days the 10th of March for having assaulted the Hughes Brothers in March 93 (for having been fired from Menace II Society cast).

I wrote this for my critics and my enemies
Last year ya used to love me, huh, remember me
Now ya hate me with a passion... ("R U Still Down", verse 3)

The released version emphasizes on "remember me" lyric, giving a real impression that Tupac is speaking to us about his own death. But "R U Still Down" is also the title of a real album project Tupac had in 1994 and then in 1995. Firstly, it was a short lived title for an anticipated sequence for his third solo album (Me Against the World) around Jan. - March of '94 (when he recorded the song with Shock G), between Out on Bail in the end of 93 and Stay True in Spring of 94. Then when 2Pac went in jail, and after his album being released, he and Interscope thought about a compilation of unreleased tracks from 1993-1994 and the title "R U Still Down" came back alongside one "When I Get Free (1992-1996 Lost Trax)".

Thug Life / Me Against The World leftovers fair compilation + Strictly 4 my N... irrelevant remixed tracks

It seems that for her first project, Afeni Shakur decided to give form to this last project of compilation 2Pac had in prison but didn't release. Even if one of the planned title mentions "1992", there was in fact originally no 1992 tracks planned to be included, except "When I Get Free" and "Sucka 4 Love (Do 4 Love)" which were re-recorded songs and not the 1992 versions. And no doubt that it is the main mistake of this first posthumous compilation...

Except "When I Get Free" with Souljah pitched voice (and "Nothing But Love", already available as a b-side), all 1992 songs recorded for Troublesome / Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z are clearly not in the right place here. The voice and the style of 2Pac were very different, closer to his original Digital Underground funk vibe. All remixed songs of that time are failures for the simple reason that the producers try to give a more typical late 2Pac vibe.

The biggest failure is of course the remix version of "I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto". Even if the first mix stays really close to the original, we don't really understand why they didn't just release the original version of the song published in Keep Ya Head Up 12'' b-side, like they made for "Nothing But Love" or "Definition of a Thug Nigga". Soulshock & Karlin who produced "Me Against The World" and "Old School" for 2Pac (and some songs for Dramacydal shelved album), are relevant for producing/remixing 2Pac's songs, but maybe not old 1992 songs.

On the other hand, their remix of Moe-Z produced "Do 4 Love", still close to the original, is a huge success and even an improvement of the original... And even the presence of Eric Williams of Blackstreet at the chorus instead of G-Money stays relevant because 2Pac often worked with another Blackstreet member Dave Hollister (here in "Nothing But Love"), and will work in summer of 96 with Aaron Hall, ex-partner of Blackstreet's leader Teddy Riley in his first group Guy.  

QD3, We Got Kidz & Ricky Rouse : a discret touch of Death Row's vibe ?

Out of these 1992 false notes, most of the compilation clearly tries to respect the original 93-94 songs 2Pac recorded. Many songs sound almost untouched (maybe just a final mix or just a clean sound) or the original song seems to have been kind of finalized by the original producers (Johnny J, Warren G or Mike Mosley...) or by We Got Kidz. So most of the remixes try to stay close to the original, keeping many elements of the beat (like "16 on Death Row").

 

We Got Kidz stays a mysterious name today. The fact that they are associated to Ricky Rouse who was a musician for live instrumentation in Death Row in many songs while 2Pac was recording for the label, that QD3 who also worked in Death Row for 2Pac, and that their works here are mainly instrumentation, could indicate that they are more like an instrumentation team, gathered for the occasion, maybe close to Death Row, and that they were in charge for the whole balance of this compilation. By entrusting the compilation to them, maybe Afeni Amaru tries to make these old 92-94 sound more like the successful 96 Death Row album. 

 

But anyway, it was a really good way to clear the original samples like Bob Marley's "No More Troubles" without paying too much... A pity that they didn't use that strategy for more songs and in the next posthumous compilations. If they clearly missed their remixes of "Let the Thangs Go", "Fuck All Y'All", "Enemies With Me" too far from the original, their work in "Thug Style" and "Fake Ass Bitches" is great. The other great remix is clearly "Hell Razor" by Quincy Jones' son QD3.

DETAILED TRACKLIST

01. Redemption (Intro) / We Got Kidz, Ricky Rouse

02. Open Fire / Akshun 

• 1993/09 (~). The song is a Mr Middle Finger/ Out on Bail leftover. The version here is almost identical to the original, except for some erased adlibs from 2Pac.
• Samples : 
  
• Cal Tjader - "You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)" (bassline interpolation)
• N.W.A. - "100 Miles and Runnin" (sound effects)
• Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - "Mickey's Monkey" (vocals)
  
• the movie New Jack City (1991) (movie sequence)

03. R U Still Down ? (Remember Me) / Tony Pizarro

• 1993/12 - 1994/03 (new recording, new verse, new beat). Also known as "Raise Em Up Remix" in 2Pac's handwritten tracklist "Me Against The World/Thug Life/Exodus EP & B-Sides" (cf. Stay True / Honor Among Thugz). Straight from the unreleased vault : it seems the song has absolutely not being retouched (it was leaked in this form in the early Makaveli bootlegs in 1997). This version has a totally different music from the original Shock G produced version (6'). It has a new 3rd verse and doesn't have the first one. It has been said that this second version could have been recorded because Shock G and Tupac had a little argument in the beginning of 94.
• Samples : 
• Curtis Mayfield & Fishbone - "He's a Fly Guy" (bassline interpolation)

4. Hellrazor (Remix) feat. Stretch (chorus) & Val Young (chorus) / Live Squad REMIXED by QD3

• 1993/12 (~). The song was recorded for R U Still Down '94 Original Project, with maybe two verses from an early concept song titled "Dear Lord" intended for Mr Middle Finger project, still unleaked or unrecorded. Tony Pizarro will give a remix of the song for Stay True project. This is a fair remix that clearly tries to respect the original vibe. QD3 gave a blink by sampling the song he produced for Gang Related soundtrack for J-Flexx and the Realest aka 2Pac copycat in one of his first act (under his first nickname Tenkamenin).
  
• Sample :  
• J-Flexx & Tha Realest - "Free 'Em All"

5. Thug Style (Remix) / Bread & Water REMIXED by We Got Kidz, Ricky Rouse

• 1994/07 (~). The song was recorded for Stay True project. It was then included in some early R U Still Down '95 Pre-Death Row compilation handwritten tracklists, and was also included in Makaveli 6 bootleg, what could be a rough sequence for a Thug Life "Volume 2 : Lost Tracks" project in early 95 (cf. Honor Among Thugz).
  

6. Where Do We Go From Here (Interlude) feat. Y?N-Vee / 2Pac & Duane Nettlesbey, Tony Pizarro (?)

• 1994/01 (~). The song was initially recorded for R U Still Down '94 original project. It was then included in Exodus compilation (cf. Honor Among Thugz) and then in Pre-Death Row compilation. What is strange with this beat is that it will be reused in late 95 for the song "What's Next" featuring Thug Life, but the song is there said produced by Johnny J... The sample was presumably an original idea of 2Pac worked by the Interscope engineer Duane Nettlesbey.
  
• Samples : 
• Bootsy's Rubber Band - "May the Force Be With You" (melody)

7. I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto (Remix) / Lay Law REMIXED by Soulshock & Karlin

• 1992/03 (~). The song was originally recorded for the unreleased Troublesome 21 album. The song was then released in its original form as a b-side for Keep Ya Head Up 12'' (1993).
• Samples :  
• Cameo - "Two of Us"
  
• Roger Troutman - "Do It Roger"
  

8. Nothing To Lose feat. Natasha Walker / 2Pac & Live Squad, Duane Nettlesbey, Tony Pizarro (?)

• 1993/11 (Pac's take) - 1994/01-12 (?) (new mix).  The song was firstly recorded for Mr Middle Finger project (unleaked), then 2Pac recorded new vocals in mid November for Out On Bail album. Duane Nettlesbey possibly made another version for R U Still Down '94, and then Tony Pizarro made a remix version with another singer for Stay True. It seems 2Pac wanted his friend Natasha on the track, so a new mix was possibly made for F.T.W. (Fuck The World) and was included in Pre-Death Row compilation in 95. This mix could be the lost Duane's version, an alternate mix made by Tony Pizarro in 94, or a new mix made specifically for the posthumous compilation...
  
• Samples : 
• Mica Paris - "I Wanna Hold on to You" (drumline/melody)
• Ice Cube - "Summer Vacation" (vocals : "my homie got shot he's a goner, black")
• Ice Cube - "Us" (vocals : "That's why I got gang related rhymes")
• The D.O.C. & N.W.A. - "The Grand Finale" (vocals : "I got robbed when I came to Cali)

9. I'm Gettin' Money (Remix) / Johnny J (?), Stretch (?) or Mike Mosley (?) REMIXED by Mike Mosley, Natures Fynest

• 1993/01. The song was one of the first record for Thug Life Original Concept album and it is included in the Thug Life Demo. It was then included in Thug Life Original but that mix is still unleaked. Then 2Pac re-used the lyrics of it for "Str8 Ballin" (cf. Out On Bail) finally released in Thug Life : Volume 1. The original is said produced by Mike Mosley but it could be more likely a Johnny J beat or a Stretch's one. This remix stays close to the original with a similar sample.

10. Lie To Kick It (Remix) feat. Richie Rich / Warren G REMIXED by Warren G

• 1993/05. Originally recorded for Thug Life Original. Warren G tried to remake or finalize the original song which initially had a sample given to Snoop Dogg for "Gz & Hustlas" for Doggystyle. 2Pac and Richie Rich also recorded an unleaked or unfinished song and a freestyle titled "Animosity" (cf. Thug Life Original).
• Samples : 
• Bernard Wright - "Haboglabotribin" (melody)
• James Brown - "Funky President" (drumline ?)

11. Fuck All Y'all (Remix) / 2Pac & Duane Nettlesbey REMIXED by We Got Kidz, Ricky Rouse

• 1994/05 (~). The song was probably recorded by 2Pac freshly freed from county jail after 10 days the 17th of May (but it could be a little bit before...). It was eventually reworked by Tony Pizarro for Stay True. This remix is completely different from the original, but We Got Kidz and Ricky Rouse tried to keep the same peaceful and ironic vibe than the original.
  
• Sample :  
• Geto Boys - "Street Life" (vocals : "I thought I had friends but i ain't got no fuckin friends")

12. Let Them Thangs Go (Remix) / DJ Daryl REMIXED by We Got Kidz, Ricky Rouse, Quimmy Quim

• 1992/03 (~). The song was recorded for 2Pacalypse II / Troublesome 21.
• Samples : 
• Parliament - "Flash Light" (melody interpolation ?)

13. Definition Of A Thug Nigga / Warren G & 2Pac

• 1993/01-06. The song was originally recorded for the first Thug Life album project (cf. Thug Life Demo). It was then given by 2Pac & Warren G to Poetic Justice OST. Then 2Pac would have recorded a new version for Thug Life Original but it is still unleaked.
  
• Samples :
• Donald Byrd - "Wind Parade" (melody)
• James Brown - "Funky President" (drumline) 
• Main Source - "Looking At The Front Door" (drumline)
  
• Al Green - "Love And Happiness" (guitar)
• Detroit Emeralds - "You're Getting A Little Too Smart" (drums)
• Roxanne Shanté & Biz Markie - "Freestyle Live" (vocals : "Here's the reason to be servin")
• Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Daz & The D.O.C. - "Nothin' But a G Thang (Freestyle Remix)" (vocals : "mobbing like a muthefucker every single day")
  
• Willie Hutch - "Brothers Gonna Work It Out"
  
• The Last Poets - "Die Nigga !!" (vocals)

DISC 2 :

01. Ready 4 Whatever feat. Big Syke / Johnny J

• 1993/04 (~). Originally recorded for Thug Life Original then included in early versions of Volume 1 (cf. Honor Among Thugz) and in Makaveli 6 bootleg.
  
• Samples :  
• Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - "1980" (melody)

02. When I Get Free / Lay Low REMADE by We Got Kidz, Ricky Rouse 

• 1992/05 (~). The song was recorded for 2Pacalypse II / Troublesome 21 in 1992. This mixdown is very similar to the original. But the original Bob Marley sample has probably been replayed live by We Got Kidz.
• Samples : 
• Bob Marley & The Wailers – "No More Trouble" (melody replayed)

03. Hold On Be Strong feat. Stretch (chorus) / Stretch & Duane Nettlesbey, DJ Choo (scratch)

• 1994/03 (~). The song was initially recorded to complete the R U Still Down '94 album right before it turned into Stay True but the song was soon dropped (cf. Honor Among Thugz). Included in Pre-Death Row compilation sequence.
• Samples :
• James Brown - "Funky President" (drumroll) 
• Melvin Bliss - "Synthetic Substitution" (drumline)
• Earth, Wind & Fire - "I'll Write a Song for You" (vocals)
• Anita Baker - (vocals)

04. I'm Losin It (Remix) feat. Big Syke, Spice 1 / Johnny J REMIXED by Tony Pizarro, Def Jef, Levant Marcus

• 1993/04 (~). Remixed from an original version intended to be in Thug Life Original scrapped album. Def Jef is a rapper who released two conscious solo albums in 1989 and 1991 and was the main producer of Bo$$ album in 1993.
  

05. Fake Ass Bitches (Remix) feat. Natasha Walker (talking) & Rated R (hook) / Johnny J REMIXED by We Got Kidz

• 1993/02 (~). Originally recorded for Thug Life Original Concept album (cf.  Thug Life Demo / Thug Life Original). It shortly appears in Out On Bail sequence before being re-recorded by Nic Nam of Y?N-Vee (cf. Honor Among Thugz). This is a very slightly remixed version that keeps almost everything from the original.
  

06. Do For Love (Remix) feat. Eric Williams (Blackstreet) / Moe-Z REMIXED by Karlin, Soulshock

• 1994/09-12. This remix uses the "Sucka 4 Love" version from late 1994 recorded for F.T.W. (Fuck The World), not the 1992 early song recorded during 2Pacalypse Now early sessions (cf. Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A.). The music stays very close to the original but the original singer G-Money (Moe-Z's friend) is been replaced by Eric Williams. This choice is not totally strange because 2Pac used to work with Dave Hollister who is also a member of Blackstreet.
• Samples :
• Bobby Caldwell - "What You Won't Do For Love" (melody, chorus interpolation) 
  

07. Enemies With Me (Remix) feat. Outlawz / Live Squad REMIXED by We Got Kidz, Ricky Rouse

• 1994/11-12. Recorded for Young Thugs EP / Dramacydal with Live Squad and Sh'Killa as featured artists. The song then appears in many early Euthanasia / All Eyez On Me tracklists (cf. When I Get Free), later in Outlawz Euthanasia tracklist (cf. Immortalz) but seems to have not been re-recorded.
  

08. Nothin But Love feat. Dave The Black Angel / 2Pac & Dj Daryl

• 1992/03 (~). Released in I Get Around 12'' (1993). The song was firstly intended to be released in Troublesome 21 scrapped album in 1992.
• Samples :  
• Lakeside - "Everyday Man" (melody, chorus interpolation) 
• Syl Johnson - "Different Strokes" (vocals)
  
• 2Pac - "If My Homies Call" (vocals)

09. 16 On Death Row (Remix) / DJ Daryl REMIXED By Ricky Rouse

• 1992/02 (~). Initially recorded for 2Pacalypse II / Troublesome 2. This remix keeps many elements of the original but the synthé thing giving a live instrumentation feeling is not very welcome and distort the original dark mood of the song.
  

10. I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto (Hip-Hop Version) feat. Maxee / Lay Law REMIXED by Karlin, Soulshock

• 1992/01-06. Difficult to understand the choice of this second remix particularly irrelevant.
  
• Samples :  
• Cameo - "Two of Us"

11. When I Get Free II feat. Kadafi (chorus) / Bread & Water

• 1994/07 (~). The song was initially recorded for Stay True sequence. It was eventually given to Young Thugz EP. Then it was included in Pre-Death Row compilation sequence before being re-recorded among very early Death Row recordings (cf. When I Get Free).
• Sample :
  
• Stanley Clarke - "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Part I" (melody)
  
• Roy Ayers - "The Boogie Back" (main drumline)
  
• Melvin Bliss - "Synthetic Substitution" (drumline)

12. Black Starry Night (Interlude) / DJ Daryl

• 1992/03 (~). Recorded for 2Pacalypse II / Troublesome 21. Also known as "Against All Odds (interlude)".
  
• Samples
• Roger Troutman - "Do It Roger"

13. Only Fear Of Death / Live Squad & Duane Nettlesbey

• 1993/10. It was recorded right after the death of Mental Illness (member of Evil Minded Gangsta, the first group of Big Syke), it was then in all Me Against The World sequences :  Out On Bail, slightly clean in R U Still Down '94, remixed in a short version by Tony Pizarro for Stay True. That last mix was included in Pre-Death Row compilation sequence.
• Sample : "Hihache" by Lafayette Afro Rock Band