1992 - Ghetto Gospel

  • Aug. 92 - late 92 : new recording sessions for a second solo album after the original Troublesome 21 project being rejected by Interscope. It will end up to Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. 
  • late 91 - late 92 :  sessions for various side projects : The Kidz/Mysta project titled Ghetto Gospel which will turn into a compilation soundtrack+movie project ; W.A.T.M. (Mopreme & Mouse Man) project titled State of Emergency.
Jeffrey Newbury, 1992

### There are very few tracklists after the original Troublesome 21 album was rejected, some Kidz/Mysta Ghetto Gospel papers and nothing about Wycked & The Mouse. So we followed the "Point The Finga/Strugglin'" tracklist and we completed it with other songs recorded at the end of the year but not released in Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.. ###

Fragile / Ghetto Gospel / State of Emergency - Listen in YT

1. Holler If Ya Hear Me (New York Rough Mix)
2. Don't Call Me, Bitch (Lars DAT Version)
3. Point The Finga (Alternate Mix) - snippet
4. Black Cotton feat. Mouse Man **
5. Ghetto Gospel (Kidz Version) feat. Jesse The Kid - acapella, snippet, remake *
6. Brothers In The Pen feat. Wycked & Mouse Man **
7. Revenge of The Soulja (Soldier Like Me)
8. Flex feat. Thoro Headz
9. Ghost - whizz og vibe/amarog1 og vibe *
10. Papa'z Song (Kidz Version) feat. The Kidz & Wycked - snippet *
11. Guess Who's Back (Alternate Mix) - snippet
12. The Hell Raiser
13. Strugglin' (Alternate Mix) - snippet
14. Deadly Styles (Freestyle) feat. Treach & Grand Puba

Bonus tracks :
15. Big Time feat. Live Squad ***
16. State of Emergency (by W.A.T.M.) - snippet **
17. Broken Branches (by W.A.T.M.) - snippet **
18. The Man (by W.A.T.M.) feat. 2Pac (speaking) **

* from The Kidz unreleased Ghetto Gospel project.
** from Wycked & The Mouse lost album titled State of Emergency. Mocedes aka Wycked also had a solo project titled I'm Too Big 4 The Small Shit.
*** from Live Squad's Game of Survival shelved album.

Producer - Big D The Impossible (4, 5, 8, 10), Lay Law (2), Stretch & Live Squad (1, 3, 12, 13, 15, 18), Majesty (8), Truman "Big Tru" Jefferson (6, 16, 17, 18?), DJ Pooh (9), Akshun & Special Ed (11), Greg Beasley (7) 





Ghetto Gospel with The Kidz

In late 91, 2Pac planned to record an album written by him and rapped by some kids around him. He recorded references of the songs for helping them to rap the texts. The group was simply called The Kidz. In the end of 92, they eventually changed their name to The Havenotz. In late 93, in Thug Life Volume One first idea of the project, 2Pac still intended to have them as guests (cf. Honor Among Thugz).

The Kidz were : Jesse, John, Arrington & Stanley

The Sista named Mista (very probably Yonnie Stokes who appeared in Dayz of a Criminal EP project and in 2Pacalypse Now) was not in the group but was close to them when the project was on. And 2Pac also recorded reference tracks for her (presumably "Don't U Trust Me").

Infos about The Kidz project sometimes titled "Nothin' Gold" or simply "The Kidz", by Banned of Bomb1st forum : 
Most of these unleaked songs have 2Pac featured, have been written by him and have unleaked reference track for the Kidz where 2Pac is doing all verses :
  • Streets Got Ya Babies = re-recorded as "Ghost" in late 92 - beginning of 93 
  • Lovely Daze = uses "Lovely Daze" sample by Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince (?)  - Snippet available
  • Leave Us Kidz Alone = "Stop the life you save may be your own, leave us kids alone... you pushed us to the edge and its on" 
  • Ghetto Gospel = re-recorded in second half of 92 for Very Special Christmas. 2 versions : "MTV Version" with 2Pac only doing the first verse ; alternate is a duet by 2Pac and Jesse the Kid.
  • Bedtime Stories ="These are my bedtime stories, come listen to my bedtime stories...since my moms and my pops would ignore me, i had to tell myself a bedtime story" 
  • X,Y, Z (Tha Kidz Song) = 2Pac is note featured and only has reference vocal take
  • Dopefiends Diner (Kidz Version) = initially from 2Pacalypse Now leftovers given to Kidz 
  • Papa's Song = re-recorded for Troublesome 21. Is the so called "Da Bastard's Mix" given as a b-side for the single the original reference track for the Kidz ? or the first re-recording intended for Troublesome 21 or after ?
  • Streetlife ??

A Sister named Mysta supposed recorded songs : 
 
1. Don't Forget Where You Come From
2. For Colored Girls Only
3. Sista’z Song (reference song "Don't U Trust Me" ?) = 2Pac only appears doing reference vocals on the Reel
4. The Power of a Woman = Pac only credited as a writer
King Pin = Unfinished beat
Outta Richtown
Don't Fuck With Mysta
Hell No (from a tracklist)
Call Me Mysta (from a tracklist)
Hear Me Though (from a tracklist)


 

W.A.T.M. - State of Emergency

In the mid '92, 2Pac was working with his step brother Mopreme "The Wycked" Shakur aka Mocedes (future Thug Life member) and his old partner Dana "Mouse Man" Smith (from his first groups East Side Crew / Born Busy) to record a group album. They have recorded maybe 5-10 songs in the summer of 92, mainly with Truman Jefferson. "Brothers in the Pen" was the supposed single to promote the album (with "What Goes Around" included in 2Pac's second LP, cf. Troublesome 21).

It is said that in reason of a firefight where a child was killed in the crossfire (Mopreme could be one of the shooter), 2Pac got angry and Mouse Man would have fled back to his hometown. So the project has been buried. Eventually 2Pac tried to give "Brothers in the Pen" to Menace II Society OST, maybe in a remixed form with a new verse, then re-titled "Niggaz in the Pen". But 2Pac was fired of the cast and the song taken off. It is probably at that time he delivers demo tapes of his new solo project called "Thug Life" where "Troublesome" and "Niggas in the Pen" can be found as bonus tracks at the end of the tracklist after new songs (cf. Thug Life Demo Tape). Mouse Man being in a song of this Demo and Mopreme becoming a member of the group, W.A.T.M. could be seen as a Thug Life before Thug Life.



Christmas Bootleg Album - Fragile

After Interscope refused Troublesome 21 album in August of 92, 2Pac scrapped most of the songs and took back some to form a whole new project then titled "Point The Finga"

While 2Pac was recording and mixing his second solo album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., he eventually thought to record leftover songs in a companion promo album.

Fragile is said to have been the title of a soundtrack compilation, with various music styles.

 
 
 

1. August 1992. "Poin The Finga".

New songs : eponymous track, "Black Kotton" (maybe taken from W.A.T.M. album), "Pac's Theme Interlude", "Guess Who's Back", "Look 4 Me In The Whirlwind" (concept already appeared but was probably never recorded) and "Barely Breathing" (that could be a first concept for "Strugglin"). So 6 new songs (instead of "Troublesome", "Still Don't Give A Fuck", "Crooked Nigga Too", "Holler If Ya Hear Me", "Don't Call Me Bitch", "What Goes On" and "Nothing But Love" - the two late ones being just replaced by new songs, the four first being scrapped probably for being too violent.

 
 
 

 

2. Circa Sept. 92. "Representin". 

"Guess Who's Back" initial concept song with Thoro Heads became "Flex". 2Pac thought to incorporate a Soulja "Revenge" song as the outro but scrapped it for the new interlude "(Something) To Die 4". The old concept "5 Deadly Venoms" finally founds his final title. There are no more songs with Mouse Man and "Hellraiser" appears maybe instead of "Look 4 Me in The Whirlwind" concept.

 
 
 

 

3. Circa Sept. 92. Untitled "West / East".

"Pac's Theme" became the intro. The album has a "West" side and then a "East" side, like 2Pac will record Thug Life West and Thug Life East albums in 1993 and finally have "West" and "East" sides in Thug Life Volume One. before again reunite both sides in One Nation concept album. If we try to guess the other songs to finish the tracklist, we could have of course "5 Deadly Venoms", "Streetz R Deathrow", "Something 2 Die 4" as outro song. And it would still lack two songs that could be some of the three songs that will appear in the next show tracklist.

 
 
 

4. Circa Oct. 92. "Bootleg Christmas Album"

The project seems to be more advanced and the new solo version of "Holler if Ya Hear Me" has been recorded and planned to be a single/video. On the "show list" we could also notice the probably new recorded version of "Revenge of a Soulja" and the remix of "If My Homie Calls". So while finishing his Strictly 4 my N.I.G.G.A.Z. album, 2Pac had the idea of an exclusive "Christmas Bootleg Album" EP that could include Troublesome 21 scrapped songs and "Black Kotton" (maybe to promote the W.A.T.M. project ?).

 


  

 

DETAILED TRACKLIST

(Special thanks to Dominator & Filla of Bomb1st Forum for sample credits)

01. Holler If You Hear Me (New York Rough Mix) / Stretch
  • 1992/10-11 (~). Released in Holla If Ya Hear Me (12'') (1993). The first mix is probably the one released in Sprite promo (2003) with also the original "Riot Version" instrumental. It is said to be the original mix of the solo version released in Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.. 2Pac finally chose the Black Caesar Mix which Majesty claimed to have produced (with Also Nas' "Take It In Blood", cf. Majesty's song "Rapumentary" in Grand Imperial's Forgotten Chapter). Maybe the fact his name was not credited in the album nor in the single (no more than "Flex" which would also be his beat) could have made him less often wanting to collaborate with 2Pac (only in "Danger Timez" after that).
  • Samples :
02. Don't Call Me Bitch (Lars DAT Version) feat. Shock G (backing) / Lay Low
  • 1992/05 - 09 (?). Probably a remix version made for the single of Troublesome 21 album or for a B-side of Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. after Troublesome being shelved. Considering that 2Pac wears a "Don't Call Me Bitch" T-shirt during the MTV interview (92, August 21st), it means that he intended to release the song as a single. But after the album being shelved, the song totally vanished...
  • Samples : 
03. Point The Finga (Demo) / Live Squad 
  • 1992/08 (~). It is said to be the first recorded song after Interscope refused Troublesome 21 for violent content.
  • Samples :
04. Black Cotton feat. Mouse Man / Big D The Impossible
  • 1992/08/24 (?). Awfully remixed in Loyal to the Game (2004, Amaru) with Outlawz and Eminem (for a song about slavery !). The "Fragile" sample could have given the idea of the main title for the compilation of leftover tracks after  Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (cf. Thug Life Demo Tape). This track with Dana Mouse Man, his first hip hop partner, about black history, is probably the most beautiful track by the duo. 2Pac reused elements of the song for "Pain" with Stretch, one of his most beautiful rap songs.
  • Samples : 
05. Ghetto Gospel (Kidz Version) feat. Jesse The Kid / Big D The Impossible -  SNIPPET / ACAPELLA / Judidouggy REMAKE 
  • 1991/12 - 1992/08/12. Leftover track from A Very Special Christmas 2 (oct. 1992, A&M), "due to legal trouble" (is that mean because of the controversy under the murder of a cop by a man listening to 2Pac ?). Tupac re-recorded the song which was maybe just a Kidz song initially in December of 91. What is strange is that verses 2 and 3 have been inverted and there is no verse 4 (who was more like the voice of an adult, maybe the Soulja...).
  • Samples : 
06. Brothers in the Pen feat. Mouse Man & The Wycked / Truman Jefferson
  • 1992/09/27. Said to be a leftover from Menace II Society OST which could have been a good promotion to WATM album. In fact, maybe it is the second version of the song known as "Ni**ers in the Pen" (cf. Thug Life Demo Tape) that was aimed for the compilation... In no way it is a clean version of that song. It has been recorded months before and with a totally different Pac's verse. But it is true that 2Pac was then struggling to release his albums because of violent content (cf. Troublesome 21), whereas maybe a compilation project could offer him more liberty. It is said the song was recorded for the birthday of both Mouse Man & Truman Jefferson. After that, Mouse Man & Tupac fell out and the W.A.T.M. project was scrapped.
  • Samples : 
07. Revenge of the Souljah (aka Soldier Like Me) / Big D The Impossible & Stretch
  • 1992/01 (~). Remixed and combined with a verse from "Judgement Day" as "Soldier Like Me" in Loyal to the Game (2004, Amaru). 2Pac is rapping here with the Souljah's altered voice, the alter ego he created in "Soulja's Story" in 2Pacalypse Now. So this is the second part of the story of his violent incarnation. He will record another second part as "When I Get Free" for Troublesome 21 but finally recorded a 3rd version for Striclty 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z, "Souljah's Revenge", which sounds more like this one.
  • Samples: 
    • Isaac Hayes - "Joy" (bassline)
    • The Lord’s Prayer : Matthew 6:9-13 ; 
    • 2Pac – "Soulja’s Story" (vocals interpolation : "all you wanted to be a soulja")
08. Flex feat. Thoro Headz (aka Dramacydal) / Stretch (?), Big D (?) & Majesty (?)
  • 1992/09 (~). Released as a B-side in Holler if ya Hear Me single (1993, Interscope). It's clearly sounding like the released version of "Holler If Ya Hear Me" so it could be a Majesty production and not a Stretch's one. It is also the very first appearance of two Dramacydal/Outlawz members : Mutah & Big Malc (Napoleon & Edi).
  • Sample : 
09. Ghost (The Streetz Got Ya Babies) / DJ Pooh - Eminem REMIX / Whizz OG Vibe / AmaroG1 OG Vibe
  • 1992/11 (?). Remixed in Resurrection OST (2003, Amaru). It is the 2Pac's re-recorded version of  "The Streetz Got Your Babiez", song supposedly written for The Kidz and that would have been recorded around the end of 91 / beginning of 92 (?). It is said that this 2Pac version has many parts with Souljah's voice (so it could have been recorded later in 1993 for the Thug Life projects).

10. Papa'z Song (Kidz Version) feat. The Kidz, Wycked & Poppi / Big D - SNIPPET

  • 1991 - 1992 (new beat, kidz vocals). Released in a 2Pac/Mopreme version in Striclty 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993). Recorded for the Kidz/Havenotz "Ghetto Gospel" project. Here one can hear a member of the Kidz rapping 2Pac's first verse last words. My hypothesis is that 2Pac firstly recorded a reference track like "Ghett Gospel" for the song, what very probably is the released B-side "Papa'z Song (Da Bastard's Mix)" produced by Stretch (so maybe at the time of "Crooked Nigga Too" circa Oct. 91). Then, in early 92, The Kidz recorded their version over a new instrumental made by Big D. Finally in May-June 92, 2Pac decided to have the song for his album. Another possibility could be when Troublesome album was blocked by Interscope (c. August 92), maybe 2Pac gave the song to the Kidz for a short time before taking it back for Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..
  • Samples : 
11. Guess Who's Back (Demo) / Akshun & Special Ed - SNIPPET
  • 1992/08 (?). The song was initially supposed to feature The Thoro Headz and is then replaced by "Flex" with them before being finally included in retail album instead of that one but as a solo song. Akshun will also produce "Open Fire" for 2Pac (cf. Mr. Middle Finger / Out on Bail).
  • Samples :
12. The Hell Raiser / Live Squad
13. Strugglin' (Demo) feat. Live Squad / Live Squad - SNIPPET
  • 1992/09 (~).
  • Samples : 
    • The Soul Searchers - "Ashley's Roadchip" (drumline)
    • Eric B. & Rakim - "Paid In Full" (vocals : "Stick up kid", "don't nothing move but the money")
14. Deadly Venoms (Freestyle) feat. Treach (Naughty By Nature) & Grand Puba (Brand Nubian) / Black Watch
  • 1992/11 (?). Probably from late "92" as said by Grand Puba, around the time of the recording of "5 Deadly Venoms" for Striclty 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.. Considering the video, it has been said that 2Pac didn't like Grand Puba's rap, but in fact he was planning to invite him for One Nation sessions in 1996...

BONUS TRACKS :

15. Big Time feat. Live Squad / Live Squad

  • 1992/07. Originally recorded for Live Squad's Game of Survival album (you can hear the beginning of an interlude of it at the end of the song). There are two known remixes called "Live Squad Remix", one maybe from 93-95 and the E-Money Bags version from 1997-2000.
  • Samples : 
16. State of Emergency / Truman "Big Tru" Jefferson - SNIPPET
  • 1992. Snippet extracted from a video leaked by Big Tru talking about the W.A.T.M. unreleased album. It could be only an introduction. If Jeremy "JZ" Jackson was announced to be the main producer for The Kidz album, the other Underground Railroad member Truman was the producer of the W.A.T.M. album.
17. Broken Branches feat. The Wycked & Mouse Man / Truman Jefferson (?) -  SNIPPET 
  • 1992/05 (~). Track taken from the scrapped album State of Emergency by Wycked and The Mouse. Maybe recorded at the same period than other WATM/Truman Jefferson songs, around August of 92. But the song could have been recorded earlier considering it appears in "32 Bottles 2 Ghetto Heaven" soundtrack handwritten project tracklist in June of 92.

18. The Man (Wycked & The Mouse) feat. W.A.T.M. & Stretch (backing) / Big D The Impossible (?), Truman Jefferson (?)

  • 1992/09/27 (?). Leaked by Banned from Bomb1st forum. The song is the anthem song from the shelved WATM's album State of Emergency. The chorus interpolates Boogie Down Productions "Stop the violence" with : "One two three, the crew is called BDP Wycked and the Mouse". 2Pac is only speaking on this song.
  • Samples : 


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