== 1992 - TROUBLESOME 21 ==

  • Oct. 91 - Aug. 92 :  
  • album shelved (in august of 92) after the L.A. riots and the Rap music like Ice-T's "Cop Killer", gangsta rap being hold as a responsible for the troubles.
  • Source : Promo Cassette, DAT

Jeffrey Newburn, 1992
this set of pictures was used for Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. design


Troublesome 21 (Promo Cassette - Lost Album)

1. Intro
2. Holler If You Hear Me (Riot Version) feat. Live Squad
3. Representin' (Original Mix)
4. Troublesome
5. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (Original Mix)
6. Keep Ya Head Up (Original Mix) feat. Dave Hollister
7. I Wonda If Heaven's Got A Ghetto
8. Don't Call Me Bitch feat. Shock G
9. What Goes On feat. The Wycked & Mouse Man
10. I Get Around feat. Digital Underground*
     I Get Around (Demo Varsion) feat. Shock G - death row remix / berocke / moey remake
11. Papa'z Song (Original Mix) feat. The Wycked & Poppi
12. Crooked Nigga Too feat. Stretch
13. Still Don't Give A Fuck
14. The Streetz R Death Row
15. Nothin' But Love feat. Dave Hollister
 
Bonus tracks :


  • #1-15 are the official tracklist of the promo cassette, distributed the 12th of August '92.
  • * track n°10 was not included in these Promo Cassette, track being given in another material as the first planned single.
  • Tracks 6, 7, 15 have been released as B-sides in 93.
  • Track 4 has been released in Def Jam's How To Be A Player OST in 1997.
  • Track 3 is a shorter version - one verse less - than the '93 released version in Strictly 4 my N.I.G.G.A.Z. 
  • Tracks 5, 11 are very close to the '93 released versions 
  • Tracks 10 and 14 are exactly similar to '93 released versions 
  • Track 12 has been totally and awfully remixed in Eminem's Loyal To The Game album. 
  • Tracks 8, 9, 13 remain totally unreleased.
 



 

"21" was the age of 2Pac in June 92

With the release of 2Pacalypse Now in November 91, 2Pac thought to drop a EP companion (eventually called "Revenge of a Lunatic" or "Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A.") with the leftover songs of the album. With the recording of new songs, it naturally turned into a new solo album firstly entitled "2Pacalypse II".

In late 91, around Christmas, 2Pac recorded songs like "Changes" and "Troublesome" with Big D and JZ (future producer for Digital Underground's new member Saafir). But it is in 1992 by recording with DJ Daryl (Richie Rich's producer), Lay Law (Ruthless producer) and Truman Jefferson (producer for Richmond group C.I.N.) that 2Pac really gave shape to his new solo album.

The sequence was ready to drop and they eventually gave out promo cassettes. But with the L.A. riots and then with Ice-T "Cop Killer" case, Interscope finally prefered to refuse many songs of the album, especially the eponymous track... that represented the concept of the album itself... After what it turned into Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. with 2Pac recording new songs.



 
 


  

  
The first tracklists were collection of leftover tracks from 2Pacalypse Now/Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A. initially called "2Pacalypse 2". Then, by the time he was recording new songs, it turned to be a whole new album.


Around the middle of 92, 2Pac was recording songs with his new group W.A.T.M. (Wycked and the Mouse). Mouse Man was his first Hip-Hop partner in his first group East Side Crew (cf. Benefits of Poverty). Mopreme will follow Pac in Thug Life and a short time in the Outlaw Immortalz (cf. Thug Life Volume 2). This could have been a side group project, this is the Thug Life before Thug Life. You can notice a same kind of gangsta imagery. 




Troublesome 21 album was ready to be published. A promo version was even out the 12th of August '92. But in reason of L.A. riots and the campaign against Ice-T's "Cop Killer", Interscope shelved the album and asked 2Pac to scrap violent songs of the album like "Troublesome". 
 
 





Some last hesitations but the largest part of the project is fixed.




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

01. Intro / ?
  • 1992/04-08 (?). It is surprising that 2Pac chose this skit instead of "Black Starry Night" recorded in March... (cf. 2Pacalypse II)
02. Holla If Ya Hear Me (Riot Version) feat. Live Squad / Stretch
  • 1992/07 (~). Original version, re-recorded in december 92 without the Live Squad and released in Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993). There is another version with alternate mixdown and alternate Majesty's vocals take (probably the first take of the song).
  • Samples : 
03. Representin' / Truman Jefferson (Big Tru)
04. Troublesome (Bishop's Theme) / Jeremy Jackson (JZ)
  • 1991/12. Released in Def Jam's How to be a Player OST (Def Jam, 1997). This track gave name to these recording sessions and is also known as Troublesome 92' by retrospective reference to "Troublesome 96" from 2Pac's Greatest Hits (Death Row, 1998). "Troublesome" was after "2Pacalypse" a new nickname chosen after the media troubles following his first album and after Juice movie (January of 92), in which Tupac was playing a character becoming crazy. The song could be a leftover from the soundtrack (but it got released in December of 91), but more likely the song was inspired by the movie.
  • Samples : 
05. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (Original Mix) / Lay Law
06. Keep Ya Head Up (Original Version) feat. Dave Hollister / DJ Daryl
07. I Wonda If Heaven's Got A Ghetto / Lay Law
08. Don't Call Me Bitch (2Fly4Me Version) feat. Shock G (backing) / Lay Law
  • 1992/05 (~). An alternative title for this song could also be "Backstabbas" considering the chosen sample, but there could be also another song (appearing in many early 2Pacalypse tracklists), maybe featuring Money B. Banned of Bomb1st forum says that earliest version of Don't Call Me Bitch has 2Pac singing at the chorus : "I know you think im talkin to yoooou but some of these niggas are bitches too...", line taken from Ice-T "Bitches 2" or Geto Boyz "Size ain't shit"
  • Samples : 
09. What Goes On feat. The Wycked (Mopreme) & Mouse Man / Truman Jefferson.
  • 1992/08 (~). Seems to be the second recorded song by the trio (2Pac & W.A.T.M.) after "Hymn of a 90's N.I.G.G.A." (where Mopreme is still Mocedes). When Troublesome was about to be released, 2Pac helped to record a full album with them. After Marin City incident, and troublesome being refused, the project was given up, Mouse Man going back to Baltimore. It's a pity to think that his first partner, Dana Mouse Man has never release an official song with 2Pac, even today... 
  • Samples : 
10. I Get Around feat. Digital Underground I Get Around (with reference verse for Money B) feat. Shock G / Shock G - DEATH ROW REMIX / Berocke's Reconstruction Mix
  • 1992/08/04 (?) or 1992/05-06 (?). Released in Death Row's Greatest Hits (1996), but presented as a remix (with live instrumentation). Troublesome 21 was including the exact same "I Get Around" mix than in Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. So we chose to replace it by this pre-version or reference track remade with the Death Row's remix. It features a short unheard 2Pac verse, in fact a reference written for Money B, who finally didn't use it. 2Pac also wrote Shock G's verse. A first take could be with Pac rapping all verses. 2Pac early had Stretch invited to rap with him in live so it is said that there could also be a Stretch demo version (maybe more in 93).
  • Samples :   
11. Papa'z Song (Original Mix) feat. The Wycked (aka Mopreme) & Poppi / Big D The Impossible
  • 1991/09 (?) or 1992/05-06 (~). Released in Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. with a slightly different mix and then in Papa'z Song 12'' with a radio version and two remixes (one of it titled "Da Bastard Mix" made by Stretch could be the original version, like the B-side New York Stretch Mix for "Holler If Ya Hear Me"). Poppi was already the singer of "Part Time Mutha" and is the original singer of "Changes" (could also be singing on "Don't You Trust Me"). With an effect similar to the Soulja's voice, Tupac imitates the father's voice. 
  • Samples :
12. Crooked Nigga Too feat. Stretch / 2Pac & Big D The Impossible
13. Still Don't Give A Fuck / DJ Daryl
14. Streetz R Death Row (Original Mix) / Live Squad
  • 1992. Identical to  Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. version. It is said that there is an alternate mix with a hook saying "I wanna change but I can't find a way". Was it the original version or a second version made after Troublesome being scrapped ?
  • Samples : 
15. Nothin' But Love feat. Dave Hollister / Dj Daryl
  • 1992/03 (~). B-side from I Get Around 7' (1993, Interscope). Re-released in R U Still Down (1997, Amaru). Dave "Black Angel" Hollister was the main singer of Chopmaster J's group Force One Network who released their first album The MMA Program 1 in 1992, before becoming a member of Blackstreet, and was also featured in "Brenda's Got A Baby" and of course "Keep Ya Head Up".
  • Samples :  
 BONUS TRACKS :
 
 






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