- Oct. 13 - 28 of 1995 : first two weeks of recording for a new album on Death Row.
- After only two weeks, a very good album was already recorded... but it was missing the little Death Row magical touch of Dr. Dre...
- After two days of recording, the album was still titled "When I Get Free" - rest of the aborted project of a Lost Tracks compilation (cf. When I Get Free) -, three days later 2Pac had the idea of "All Eyez On Me", and at the end of these two first weeks of recording, the album was titled "Life Goez On".
- Sources : handwritten tracklists, REEL pictures, Death Row DAT Pacific Inventory
 |
pictures by Ken Nahoum, 1995, November 12 for the cover of All Eyez on Me |
###
- Two sequences of the album are particularly interesting to consider :
the 24th of October (titled "IV-Life Goez On"), before 2Pac dropped his
first songs while starting Thug Life Volume 2 parallel project ;
the 15th of November (the first double disc "All Eyez On Me. Book I
& II"), before the final mixdown given by Johnny J and DJ Quik. - ###
All Eyez On Me, Demo 1 : IV - Life Goez On (Oct. 24 - DAT PO389657) - LISTEN
- Picture Me Rollin' (Rough Mix) feat. Big Syke, CPO & Danny Boy
- 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted (First Take) feat. Snoop Dogg & Daz
- All About U (Rough Mix) feat. Dru Down, Fatal N Felony, Nate Dogg & Snoop Dogg
- Shorty Wanna Be A Thug (Rough Mix #2) *
- Skandalouz (First Take) feat. Nate Dogg
- Still I Rise (Rough Mix #2) feat. Fatal N Felony & Big Syke *
- Wonda Why They Call U Bytch (Rough Mix) feat. Faith Evans
- Ambitionz Az A Ridah (First Take, No Piano)
- I Ain't Mad At Cha (Rough Mix) feat. Danny Boy
- How Do U Want It (Rough Mix #2) feat. Natasha Walker *
- Secretz of War (Rough Mix #2) feat. Fatal N Felony & Kurupt *
- All Eyez On Me (First Take) feat. Big Syke
- Life Goez On (First Take) feat. Stacey Smallie **
Bonus Tracks (earlier Oct. 17 - DAT PO389656, planned to be added) : - Come With Me (Interlude) feat. Danny Boy
- When I Get Free II (DR Version)
(Additional tracks from the 10/20-30 Work DAT - PO389659) : - The Struggle Continuez (Echo Mix) feat. Fatal, Big Syke & O.F.T.B. - 10/24
- Better Dayz (Solo Version) - 10/24
- U Can Call (Short Alternate Mix) - 10/27
- Ratha Be Ya Nigga (First Take - No Keys) feat. Richie Rich & Puff Johnson - 10/26 **
- * First takes are unleaked.
- ** Because of mistakes in reading DAT info, these first takes were usually considered as Rough Mix #3, because they were added into the DAT after the "new parts" versions, i.e. after the rough mix #2.
. How Do U Want It (Rough Mix #1) - (10/15) - unleaked
. Skandalous (Rough Mix #1) - (10/17) - unleaked
. Still I Rise (Rough Mix #1) - (10/19) - unleaked
. Better Dayz (1 verse) - (10/24)
. U Can Call (Long Mix) - (10/27)
from a remix compilation project to a new album
Initially, 2Pac / Death Row's contract was mentioning an "album to consist of already recorded material to be remixed by Dr Dre". It is not surprising because while he was in jail, before the contract, 2Pac was planning to release a compilation of leftover tracks from Thug Life / Me Against The World eventually called "R U Still Down" or "When I Get Free (1992-1996 Lost Trax)" (that's the reason why Afeni Shakur and his label Amaru chose "R U Still Down" for the first posthumous compilation (the only one to correspond to a real project of Tupac). That sequence is usually known as "Pre-Death Row compilation" (cf. When I Get Free). So his first idea was probably to use Death Row producers especially Dr. Dre to give fresh mixes to his old records (also to erase Stretch parts and role). But when he went out of jail, he began to re-record some old songs and mix them with new songs written previously, concepts of song he had in prison and totally new songs inspired by the moment or by the people he worked with...
But even after Pac was freed, he kind of kept the line. Some songs were re-recorded versions of old ones like "Wonda Why They Call You Bitch", "Late Night", "When I Get Free", "Still I Rise" (original unleaked but it appears in a handwritten tracklist of Me Against The World). "Rather Be Ya Nigga" could be as well considered as a remake of the unreleased "I'd Rather Be Ya Lover" with Madonna. Even "How Do U Want It" is a song written in late 94 !
There were as well already produced songs by Dr. Dre and Dogg Pound that have been remixed and given to 2Pac like "California Love", "Can't C Me", "Blunt Time" (unleaked, unrecorded, unused instrumental ?) and "Got My Mind Made Up".
"Snoop Doggy Dogg shall make an appearance". Snoop Dogg will appear in "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" but also in "All About U"
After having chosen the title his new album, is it possible that 2Pac was still
planning to release a compilation of lost tracks ? In the booklet of the
album appears a mysterious "Makaveli Records compilation"... was it
still that project, was it already a kind of Thug Pound (maybe already given up) or Lil Homies / Soundtrack project ?
 |
| 2Pac is released from prison, October 12 |
FULL TIMELINE OF THE ALBUM (Chapter I)
1995, Oct. 13 - DAT PO062997 : That Nigga Daz "New Beatz 10/13/95"
CONTENT UNKNOWN
Daz came with a bench of new beats... Did he produce them that day ? It could include beats Daz gave to 2Pac that day... like "Ambitionz az a Ridah", "I Ain't Mad at Cha" and maybe "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" (even if like we will see, the song was probably recorded 3-4 days later...).
Oct. 15 - Tracklist #1 : "When I Get Free".
This first handwritten tracklist reflects the three first days of recording of 2Pac at Death Row, released from prison the 12th, starting to record the next day...
It is anterior to the first DAT listed in the Death Row Inventory. (it does not include "Skandalouz", "All About U"). Last four tracks listed are - for sure - not recorded yet (They already appeared in prison drafts, cf. Hard 2 Kill).
Let's notice that it does not include "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted"... whose REEL date is the 10/13... We conclude that the song was absolutely not recorded at that moment : if 2Pac had even recorded just one verse, awaiting for a guest, if he even only had the idea of the song, it would have appeared here like other planned songs... If the written date on the REEL is not a mistake, it would be the date Daz made the instrumental, maybe still for the Dogg Pound before it was re-attributed to 2Pac. We could eventually imagine that 2Pac tried the already written verses of the planned songs (is it the meaning of the star on side of "Wonda Why" and "Secretz of War" ?).
 |
Celebrating freedom with Treach and Faith... she will then be invited to Death Row studios to... record a chorus and maybe more. |
Oct. 17 - DAT #1 : "Work DAT I Oct '95 Safety". PO389656
- Ridah
- I Aint Mad Atcha
- All Eyez On Me
- When I Get Free
- How Do You Want It
- Shorty's Gonna Be A Thug
- Picture Me Rollin
- Shorty (new parts)
- Come With Me
- 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted
- Skandalouz (new parts)
- All About You
- Wonda Why They Call U Bytch
UNLEAKED.
This DAT clearly respects - more or less at least - the chronological order of recording. Engineers very probably started to copy songs from REEL on DAT, song by song as 2Pac was recording them. Last song is known from the 17th. Like we said above, "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" was recorded, after the "When I Get Free" tracklist was written down, here right after "Come With Me", so between the 15th and the 17th of October... Snoop very probably came with Nate Dogg (and Dru Down ?) to meet 2Pac and they recorded three songs together ("2 of Amerikaz", "Skandalouz" and "All About U").
Let's notice that "Skandalouz" appears on the DAT noted "new parts" - meaning a more advanced version... Who wrote that ? Considering the "safety" mention, the engineers have very probably copied the first songs on the "Work DAT I 10/13/95" (opened on the 13th) and later before adding the new 10/19 tracks, they made a safety copy on this one (but not including the first "Skandalouz" mix, forgotten or simply not listed). So this DAT is the very first sequence stopped at the day of the 17th of October 1995.
Oct. 18 - Tracklist #2 : "All Eyez On Me (Side A + Side B)".
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This tracklist contains same tracks than DAT #1 (not the two "Shorty", mixes of course) with the only addition of "Secretz of War" but without the mention of Kurupt as a guest...
Of course many other guests are not written down, but considering that Daz is noted for his hook on "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted", no doubt Kurupt would have been noted in even if he was just planned. Is there any first version of "Secretz of War", with just Fatal N Felony ? The song is more likely just not recorded yet, what corresponds to the track order of next DAT.
Oct. 19 - DAT #2 "Work DAT I 10/13/95 #3". PO389658
- Ambitionz Az A Ridah
- I Ain't Mad At Ya
- All Eyes On Me
- When I Get Free
- How Do You Want It
- Shorty's Gonna Be A Thug
- Picture Me Rollin
- Shorty (new parts)
- Come With Me
- 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted
- Skandalous
- Skandalous (new parts)
- All About You
- Wonda Why They Call U Bitch
- Still I Rise
- How Do You Want It (new parts)
- Secretz of War (new parts)
- Still I Rise (new parts)
UNLEAKED.
This DAT is very likely the first used to copy the recordings of 2Pac. Chronologically copied, engineers copied the content of it to the safety copy (Step 2) before keeping on adding adding the new 10/19 recordings right after the 10/17 ones.
What are the "new parts" of "How Do U Want It" ? It has been said Natasha Walker could have added later... Considering the other "new parts", it is more probably light arrangements, some background elements.
Like on the first DAT details, "Secretz of War", included in this DAT for the first time, is noted "new parts"...? So 2Pac could have copied a slightly advanced mix on the DAT, not the very first thing. It means there was an prior version of the song (without Kurupt ?).
Oct. 19 - Tracklist #3 : "Untitled".
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This untitled tracklist has most of the guests names noted, who were forgotten in the previous tracklists : Y?N-Vee, Faith Evans, CPO and Kurupt. So "Still I Rise" (Syke doing the hook is omitted...) and "Secretz of War" are very probably recorded now.
Let's notice that "Come With Me" and "When I Get Free" are not listed here... It correspond to the next DAT which simply adds "Life Goez On" to this group of songs, but the two songs will re-appear in the next two tracklists... but not in any other DAT. Was 2Pac already thinking to remove them from his album ?
Oct. 24 - DAT #3 : "2Pac New Album 10/24/95". PO389657.
- Picture Me Rollin
- 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted
- All About U
- Shorty Wanna Be A Thug
- Skandalouz
- Still I Rise
- Wonda Why They Call U
- Ambitionz Az A Ridah
- I Ain't Mad Atcha
- How Do U Want It
- Secretz of War
- All Eyez On Me
- Life Goez On
LEAKED.
This list exactly corresponds to the handwritten tracklist #4 and #5 (untitled, ending with 19 "Til I C LA" ; and Life Goez On tracklist), except that it does not include "Come With Me", "When I Get Free"....
"Life Goes On" has probably been recorded one day before but engineers copied the whole sequence wanted by 2Pac the 24th of October, before 2Pac did record new songs for completing the tracklist like he wrote.
It does not contain "Outlaw Immortalz" either, recorded around the same time than "Life Goes On" (it has the similar "I'm lost in the zone"). Either because it was not recorded yet, maybe more likely because the song was incomplete (Edi - not announced in the intro - could have added later)... whereas this DAT looks like a sequence well thought with only advanced songs...
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Oct. 24 - Tracklist #4. Titled "2Pac".
This tracklist is anticipating the recording of concepts "Court In Tha Streetz" and "Til I C LA", which will become "The Struggle Continues" (the 24th) and "California Love" (The 2nd of November). Let's notice that "Til I C LA" is here supposed to have a Daz beat, not a Dre's one. Nothing was fixed yet.
"Outlaw Immortalz" appears right after "When I Get Free". Like we said above, it was very probably recorded when 2Pac wrote this tracklist, but it was still unfinished.
Oct. 24 - Tracklist #5. Titled "IV-Life Goez On".
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Almost exactly similar to the previous one, with just the addition of a last concept ending the 20 tracks list : "Better Dayz", very likely unrecorded yet, because if we consider the next DAT which could respect the recording order, it is listed with only one verse after "The Struggle Continuez" (which is here still just a concept), what could be logic : OFTB were with him in the studios after recording their song, they were impressed and later asked him to get the song. But did not have other verses to drop. Anyway, both songs have been recorded during the same session.
Let's notice that Dre is now expected to produce "Til I C LA" and to be featured in it. So a session with him is probably planned. The song is also supposed to feature Lady of Rage and Kurupt... what could announce the fact that they will finally record another Dre song "Blunt Time" with Rage during the same session... and that right after having recorded "Secretz of War", 2Pac already wanted to have another song with Kurupt who will have 7 songs with him until the end of Thug Pound (22th of January) project, after what only 3 other in 7 months...
Dru Down and Snoop Dogg are now noted as featured artists on "All About U", but not Fatal N Felony nor Syke for "Still I Rise"...
Let's also notice that the album is noted IV. It refers to the fact that R U Still Down '95 compilation project was subtitled IV whereas the prison drafts album project known as "Euthanasia" was said "V" (cf. Hard 2 Kill). So now the project is definitely shelved and the Death Row album will be the next album to be released.
Oct. 24 - DAT#4 : "2Pac Update DAT 10/24/95 #7". PO389656
- Still I Rise
- Wonda Why They Call U
- How Do You Want It
- Secretz of War
- All Eyez On Me
- Life Goez On
- Da Struggle Continues
- Ambitionz Az A Ridah - (piano)
- 2 Of Americaz Most Wanted - (new parts)
- Better Dayz - (3 verses)
- I Wanna Be Ya Nigga
This DAT has a similar sequence parts to two previous tracklists : "Still I Rise" is followed by "Wonda Why" ; "How Do U Want" by same three tracks ("Secretz", "All Eyez" and "Life Goes On").
So this DAT is possibly the second part of a sequence wanted by 2Pac around the 24th, after he added the new material recorded the 24th ("Struggle Continuez", "Better Dayz") and the 26th ("Rather Be Ya Nigga"). Was it thought as the end of the album ?
"Ambitionz Az A Ridah" has received a new piano part and is copied in that 24th of October. And "2 of Amerikaz" has a new intro and slightly different mix. These two tracks reflect the new track order "Euthanasia 1+2" tracklist written by 2Pac around the 27th. So he was probably thinking to a new track order.
Oct. 30 - DAT#5 : "Work DAT 10/20/95". PO389659
- Picture Me Rollin
- Secretz of War
- All About You
- Life Goez On (new parts)
- All Eyez On Me
- Life Goes On
- The Struggle Continuez
- Better Dayz (only 1 verse)
- Ambitionz Az A Ridah (piano)
- 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted - (new parts ?)
- Better Dayz - (solo)
- I'd Rather Be Ya Nigga
- U Can Call Me Up - (short mix)
- I'd Rather Be Ya Nigga
- Only God Can Judge Me
- MOB - (with Puff's chorus)
- When We Ride - (full team)
- There U Go - (no chorus during verses, Lil Malik fall down)
Opened the 20th of October, this DAT does not respect the sequence order 2Pac wanted around the 24th. But it already has "Picture Me Rollin" as first track. The three first tracks may eventually reflect a track order wanted around the 20th of October... The tracks 5-12 are exactly similar to the previous DAT sequence (except for "Better Dayz (1 Verse)"... From the track 6, it seems engineers added new recordings chronologically as they were recorded until the 30th of October.
Interesting thing to notice : "Better Dayz (1 verse)" was recorded right after "Struggle Continuez", what is the logic order of planned tracks. Probably OFTB and Syke were not ready to record new verses after "Struggle Continuez" so he recorded two new verses for a solo version a bit later like he firstly had planned. It could mean that 2Pac immediately planned to have a version with OFTB and maybe Big Syke - who is said to have a role as co-producer. Maybe 2Pac wanted to have a "Better Dayz" single with a remix with OFTB on the B-side...
Here we can see many new songs from late October, but still no "Outlaw Immortalz" ! Like we said, the song was very likely recorded circa the 23rd with "Life Goes On" but was unfinished, awaiting for other Outlaw Immortalz members to record a verse... We could suspect that "MOB" and "When We Ride" were recorded in order to replace it in the album... the second one clearly replaces "Outlaw Immortalz" on a similar position at the end of the next tracklist, after "Life Goes On". Edi may have completed "Outlaw Immortalz" only after "There U Go", around the 31st of October, at the time they recorded "Hit Em Up (Original)"... and the songs were directly transferred to Outlaw Immortalz : Thug Life Volume 2 new project, that's why none of them appear in these early All Eyez On Me DAT...
Oct. 30 - Tracklist #6 : "Euthanasia 1+2".
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On this tracklist, 2Pac biffed "When I Get Free" which is definitely dropped. 2Pac added instead the new "U Can Call" produced by the old friend DJ Daryl (who produced many songs in the Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. times). Maybe he came to Death Row with Richie Rich who recorded "I'd Rather Be Ya Nigga" one day earlier, the 26th of October.
The random concept "Everywhere I Go" (which reminds of "All About U" but could also be an anticipated concept for "Holla At Me") and "Til I C LA" are also biffed... Strangely, because the second one will reappear with the same planned guests in the next tracklist ("Euthanasia I&II")...
"Ambitionz"
and "2 of Amerikaz", following one another in the two previous DAT, are
now the opening of the album. "Picture Me Rollin" is followed by
"Secretz of War", like in DAT #5...
But the most interesting thing is the inclusion of "When We Ride" featuring Outlaw Immortalz, clearly replacing "Outlaw Immortalz"...
READ ON the second chapter of this timeline in ALL EYEZ ON ME (Demo)...
DETAILED TRACKLIST
- 1995/10/15. REEL date.
- Differences : "518 (Retail 515) - Has 2Pac coughing and saying **** before track begins, different breaks through out song. Different outro with the original sample playing while 2Pac’s voice fades away. Also alternate singing by Danny Boy on outro."
- Retail Mix : 95/11/26.
- Samples :
- Kool & The Gang - "Winter Sadness" (melody)
- Eric B. & Rakim - "I Ain't No Joke" (drumline interpolation)
- 1995/10/13 (REEL date, instrumental ?) - 16-17 (vocals). Deduced date.
- Story : The known date (Oct. 13) is clearly wrong (possibly the date Daz made
the beat or 2Pac recorded other lyrics). "When I Get Free" tracklist reflects the three first days of
recording (Oct. 13-15) and does not include the song but later ones.
Whereas the first DAT from the 17th respects the chronological order of
recording and includes the song between "When I Come (Interlude)" (from
the 15th) and "Skandalouz" (from the 17th). Same day, "All About U" features both Snoop & Nate Dogg. So they possibly arrived together the 17th and recorded the three songs together.
- Differences : "357 (Retail 406) - Extra talking and different beat break down on intro, louder daz vocals on hook. 2Pac talks near the end of the track and Pac vocals on the outro contain different vocal effects than retail."
- Retail Mix : 95/11/27.
- Samples :
- MC Fosty & Lovin' C - "Radio Activity Rapp" (vocals interpolation : "Blood, cuzz, gangbangers...")
- 1995/10/17. REEL date.
- Story : Dru Down and Snoop parts were very probably in the first recording of the song. They probably came together to the studios. A funny fact to notice is that Dru Down was at that time starting to record songs for his second album Can You Feel Me (released in Sept. of 96), which will have Luniz, Bootsy Collins and Soopafly from LBC Crew as featured artists, and notably Soopafly, DJ Fuze from Digital Underground on three tracks, DJ Daryl who will produce "U Can Call Me" ten days later for 2Pac, the old friend from Pac's two first albums Big D the Impossible, DJ Battlecat who produced the famous remix of "Get Around" in 93 and... Moe-ZMD on two tracks !
- Differences : "442 (Reatil 436) - 2Pac talking before track begins, different mix on main keyboard melody and a different beat break down when Snoop starts to talk."
- Retail Mix : 95/12/06.
- Samples :
- Cameo - "Candy" (melody)
- 1995/10/15. REEL Date (both first mixes the same day).
- Differences : "Different breaks through out song. It is said 2Pac wrote the lyrics just before going to prison in 1994." There would be a still unleaked first take.
- Retail Mix : 95/12/18.
- Samples :
- Hank Crawford - "Wildflower" (melody, saxo)
- 1995/10/17.
- Differences. "430 (Retail 40) - 2Pac talking to Daz and Nate before track begins and also live bass guitar musician vibing to the intro of beat. The beat begins with live bass guitar being played on top and unheard longer 2Pac outro."
- Retail Mix : 95/11/27.
- Samples :
- Dogg Pound - "Big Pimpin'" (bassline interpolation)
- 1995/10/19. REEL date. Remixed in Still I Rise (1999, Death Row).
- Story. A song with the same name appears in some Me Against The World tracklists (cf. Fuck The World). Banned confirmed the existence of that song recorded in 94, which would be totally different from that one... We think it could eventually be an alternate version of "Fuck The World"... Fatal N Felony was the name of the duet Fatal (Hussein) & Felony aka Young Hollywood (Kadafi), who started to rap together whilst 2Pac was in prison. It has been said they could have some recorded tracks with Spice 1, Luniz, Mic Geronimo... but there is no proof of that.
- Differences. There would be an unleaked first take of the song (unleaked PO389658 "Work DAT I 10/13/95", with presumably all recordings from October 13-19). There is also a shorter final mix from a later date (circa January, March ?).
- Samples :
- Walter Beasley - "Tenderness" (melody)
- The Isley Brothers - "Choosey Lover" (snare, kick)
- 1995/10/17. REEL. Remixed with Michel'le at the chorus in All Eyez on Me (1996, Death Row).
- Story. 2Pac really loved this song he recorded in 1993 for Mr. Middle Finger. He even tried to give it a new clean version over a Led Zeppelin sample in order to keep the song in his album Out on Bail despite his accusation of rape... In 1995, he will include it in every tracklists of his project of lost tracks compilation (cf. When I Get Free). The day he went free, he went partying with and met Biggie’s wife (we have a picture of him still hairy, with Treach and Faith)... He purposed her to come and record some vocals for a new song. A few days later, they were fucking in the studio and she recorded some vocals for a song about a girl like acting in a way you can call her a bitch... But the thing was too provocative and difficult to make official so 2Pac will try in January a new chorus for the song by Jewell (unleaked) and by Michel'le. So we have at least five versions plus an advanced mix of this Faith version.
- Differences : 410 (Retail 419) - "Totally Different Intro Which Contains OG Sample. Different Mix & Breaks With Faith On The Hooks And No Deloris Tucker Diss At The End."
- Samples :
- Paul Simon - "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" (melody/drums)
- 1995/10/13. REEL Date.
- Differences : There is almost no melody throughout the song.
- 1995/10/13. REEL date.
- Differences : "452 (Retail 454) – Extra keyboard melody and different mix.
- Retail
Mix : 95/11/21.
- Samples :
- DeBarge - "A Dream" (melody interpolation)
10. How Do U Want It (Rough Mix #2) feat. Natasha Walker / Johnny J
- 1995/10/15 - 19 (?) (new mix, new chorus ?). REEL date. Remixed with K-Ci & Jojo at the hook in All Eyez On Me (1996, Death Row).
- Story. The song would have been written in the end of 94, just before 2Pac went to jail, maybe at Jasmine Guy's home (where he also wrote parts of the Dramacydal album). It is said that the very first version from the 15th could have Danny Boy vocals (he recorded "Come With Me" that same day). Natasha Walker of Y?N-Vee was Pac's favorite chorist in 1993/1994, and a very good friend. She logically met up 2Pac as soon as he got free. But Natasha will stay a very little time, only recording 4 songs, last one the 16th of November... Natasha criticized the fact 2Pac used Faith Evans to attack Biggie, but also described the cold ambience between 2Pac and Dr. Dre (who was her boyfriend circa 1993). So maybe after the recording of "Blunt Time" (2Pac showing disrespect to Lady of Rage ?) or after the strange things around the recording of "Got My Mind Made Up" - 2Pac would have added instead of Lady of Rage the 16th of November, same date than the last recordings of Natasha Walker... 2Pac kept her songs into his both albums ("Check Out Time" in All Eyez On Me, "What'z Next" in Volume 2) and only gave the chorus of this song to K-Ci & Jojo circa mid December, but mostly because everybody knew it's going to be a super hit.
- Differences : "435 (Evo 446) - The first version has different beat break down, and louder female vocals." This mix is really close to the final version, but 2Pac decided to have a new hit chorus with Jodeci. It is said that 2Pac wrote that song between Qad studios shooting and his entry to prison.
- Retail with new chorus : 95/12/18.
- Samples :
- 1995/10/19. Remixed in Still I Rise (1999, Interscope).
- Story. You can hear "1995" in the song and an explanation about Makaveli concept. The text "Rules" may be one of the only lyrics written in prison. Included in many prison album project tracklists firstly as an introduction and then as a song with changing guests (cf. Hard 2 Kill). The song was presumably transferred to Thug Life : Volume 2 in early November. The song will be re-recorded in early April with new verses from 2Pac, Hussein and Kadafi for Me Against The World pt. 2 before being transferred to Outlawz' Immortalz 1st album project and finally achieved with a Young Noble verse for One Nation Volume 1.
- Samples :
- Willie Hutch - "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" (melody)
- 1995/10/14. "448 (Retail 508) - Different mix on all guitar tracks
(rhythm, bass, etc.). Alternate take on Big Syke’s verse." Retail Mix (or alternate mix) 95/10/26.
- Samples :
- Linda Clifford - "Never Gonna Stop" (melody)
- 1995/10/23.
- People used to label it "Rough Mix #3" because it appears in "Work DAT 10/20" after another mix labelled "new parts". In fact, this DAT was opened the 20th but completed later, after this present DAT. So the new version received "new parts" and the following was simply the first take.
- Samples :
- The O'Jays - "Brandy (I Really Miss You)" (melody)
- 1995/10/15. UNRELEASED
- Story. Danny Boy was also preparing his album at that time. This little interlude was a kind of welcome gift.
- Samples :
- Barry White - "Playing Your Game, Baby" (melody)
- 1995/10/14. Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001, Amaru).
- Story. Re-recorded version of a ’94 song initially recorded for Stay True album. Included in every Lost Tracks pre-Death Row compilation tracklists (cf. When I Get Free). 2Pac's vocals were re-recorded like for "Wonda Why They Call U B...". At that early time, the album was still a mix up between prison concepts and a lost tracks compilation.
- Samples :
- Al B Sure ! - "Night & Day" (bassline interpolation, sound effect interpolation)
- 1995/10/24. REEL date. UNRELEASED
- Story. Initially, O.F.T.B. were supposed to record a concept titled "Court In The Street". 2Pac presumably purposed them another concept more inspiring, very important in his prison Euthanasia drafts (cf. Hard 2 Kill), more in the usual topics of the group. But the beat itself was probably already chosen and the long live speech from the 16th of October by Minister Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam... Johnny J will add the sample of "Thug Life" original song (the one with Syke and Ital Joe, cf. Thug Life Demo Tape) over the beat for the final version quickly transferred to Thug Life : Volume 2 and maybe then to Thug Pound.
- Samples :
- The Commodores - "Cebu" (melody)
- Run DMC - "Jam Master Jay" (drumline)
- Louis Farrakhan - "Million Man March Speech (Oct. 16th, 95)" (quotes)
- 1995/10/24. Released in Better Dayz (2002, Amaru).
- Story. The "O.F.T.B. up in this biatch" introduction asserts the group was in the studio when 2Pac recorded the song. They were so amazed that they wanted to be part of it (adding the fact that they were very likely not satisfied of the song they recorded right after). The next day, 2Pac will prepare a beat with only his first verse - it was probably for Thug Life : Volume 2. But O.F.T.B. and Big Syke presumably added their verses only in early march of '96... The song was then thought for the Outlawz+guests compilation project Lil' Homies before being given to O.F.T.B. for their album I Come Up Hard which was shelved. The song was finally released in their late The Missing DR Files compilation in 2007.
- Samples :
- The Isley Brothers - "Lets' Fall In Love pt. 1 & 2" (melody)
- 1995/10/27. REEL date.
- Story. Appears in All Eyez on Me late October tracklists, but for a very short time and then totally vanished. The following day, Puff Johnson recorded the hook for "Rather Be Ya Nigga" and probably also for "M.O.B. (Money Over Bitches)" and "There U Go" (cf. Thug Life Volume 2). Notice that Puff was already singing in "Me Against The World", what probably made 2Pac calling her back.
- Differences. There is another mix, mostly identical but longer.
- 1995/10/26. REEL date.
- Differences : no keys throughout the song and fall down outro.
- Retail Mix : 95/12/14.
- Samples :
- Bootsy Collins - "I'd Rather Be With You" (melody interpolation)
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