Nov 15, 2022

Live Squad -1994-1995- Diary of a Poor Man / Ghetto Blues (2nd album projects)

  • Live Squad's second album project
  • recorded at same period than Thug Life Volume 1
  • delayed, remade and finally shelved because of Thug Life, Qad studios shooting and finally Stretch's death in '95


Tracklist :

1. Daddy Big Timers (Back Again)
2. Nobody Move
3. No Pause
4. Wrong Nigga
5. Whirlwind
6. It Hurts The Most feat. 2Pac & Mopreme
7. Cheese 
8. Shit List pt. 2
9. Danger Times feat. 2Pac
10. Moving Up In The World
11. Cashflow
12. The Edge
 
Bonus Tracks :
13. No More (Another Memory)

Most of the tracks here are taken from Live Squad's The Tribute, The Forgotten Chapter (2010, Grand Imperial), except for #1 from Game of Survival (2001, Grand Imperial) and "Danger Times" from 2Pac's leaked originals.


A forgotten chapter fairly well released to the public

It could appear that Majesty released most of Live Squad 2nd album project in The Tribute - Forgotten Chapter (2010, Grand Imperial). But it is also clear that it is not like it was recorded with some new elements, notably new Majesty solo songs ("Forever", "Seems Like Yesterday", "Pain Tribute", "Rapumentary") and new verses by Majesty and E-Money Bags ("It Hurts The Most", "Wrong Nigga"). And probably Majesty kept some tracks for a new project...

Banned of Bomb1st forum confirmed that a sequence of the album called Diary of a Poor Man contains "Danger Times", "It Hurts The Most", "God Bless The Dead". Leaked version of "It Hurts The Most" has only Pac, Mopreme & Stretch. Forgotten Chapter's version adds Majesty & E-Money modern verses. Is there any other version with Majesty ? Original "God Bless The Dead" has only Stretch verse and two Pac verses... It would be strange in a Live Squad album. Maybe there is another version with Majesty and not with two Pac verses... 

In the known handwritten tracklists, the album then called Ghetto Blues includes "Daddy Big Timers". It is clearly a sequel to "Big Time" featuring 2Pac that was supposed to be included in original Game of Survival (replaced by that one in Grand Imperial's 2001 release - probably it was still unbelievable for Majesty to release a Tupac song at that time). The song couldn't be included in this new release.

"Wrong Nigga" re-uses the music of "Judgement Day". Stretch probably decided to record his own song for his album because the song was a leftover track from Thug Life vol. 1 (maybe because Dee wasn't part of the group anymore and 2Pac didn't want the song). Majesty added or re-recorded a verse (at the end he says rest in peace Stretch & E-Money Bag).

Could be the so-called "Heat" the recorded song with Pac, Stretch and other guests (also known as "Represent for Ron G") ? It could indicate that the planned album had a majority of Stretch solo songs...

Intro
1 Back Again
2 Daddy Big Timers
3
4
5
..10 [Incomplete]

Another on the bottom left:
1 Back Again
2 Wrong Nigga
3 Pay Me Feat Mopreme of Thug Life
4 Hurts Da Most Feat Tupac and Mopreme of Thug Life
5 Danger Times Feat Tupac
6 Heat
7 MNM ?
8 [Y'all?] all Fucked Up
9 [unsure] / Gotta Get It

And a third on the bottom right :
1 Back Again
2 Wrong Nigga
3 No Pause

Ghetto Blues handwritten tracklists (summer of 94)

Two successive projects ?

According to Banned from Bomb1st forum, Diary of a Poor Man and Ghetto Blues are two different projects. Diary is said to have a complete sequence ready to be released with songs like "Under Pressure". So this sequence was probably pre-Thug Life Volume 1. The song is not in Ghetto Blues tracklists, so it could mean that Ghetto Blues was a later project, post-Thug Life with also "Wrong Nigga" re-using the Thug Life unreleased "Judgement Day" Stretch music.

Both projects include songs with 2Pac and Mopreme : "Danger Times", "It Hurts the Most", "God Bless The Dead", "Under Pressure", unleaked "Pay Me" with Mopreme... First two were in both album projects so it is clear that Diary of a Poor Man turned into Ghetto Blues.