- Summer of '96 sessions for a second Outlawz album project.
- Latest 2Pac project with a renewed Outlawz lineup : Kadafi, Hussein, Edi, Kastro, Napoleon with the addition of Young Noble, Storm & Nutt-So.
- Sources : handwritten tracklists
- Producer - 2Pac & Hurt M Badd (1, 2, 4), Damon Thomas aka Big Simon Says (7, 8, 15), Darryl Harper (9, 10, 13, 14), Daz (5,
10), Kurupt & Edi (11), QD3 (6), Johnny J (3) - * tracks not included in the known tracklists of the project, but probably recorded or mixed, in order to be included in it.
- in BOLD : tracks probably recorded for this Outlawz project
- in
bold scrapped: tracks written in the handwritten tracklists but already included in other projects (#5 in Outlawz Retribution album, #10 in One Nation, Part One).
 |
Johnny J Vs. Death Row : Outlawz LP being delayed
After the first sessions of One Nation project in June, with Boot Camp Clik, LS, Greg Nice... 2Pac was still finishing the Outlawz first album (then entitled Hunger or already Immortalz), probably giving a short mix to "Troublesome", giving his verse in "U Can't Be Touched" to Napoleon, maybe recording "War Gamez" aka "Capture The Flag" for the project... But in the late July, it seems the relation between Death Row and Johnny J turned problematic (about royalties like for Mopreme)... Tough the album was more or less ready to be released, "Hit 'Em Up" out as b-side being a huge promotion for the album, "Made Niggaz" video being shot for the first single, something changed in 2Pac projects...
In the mid of July, in Makaveli tracklists, the Outlawz album then titled "Immortalz" is announced to be released only in summer of '97 ! What happened ? While he was recording his new solo album with his Makaveli dark and mystic avatar, Outlawz project seems to take a new direction. The Johnny J produced songs like "When Thugz Cry" disappeared from Makaveli tracklist, like songs "Secretz of War" and "Never Call U Bitch Again" from One Nation second period tracklists... Maybe the album was just delayed, and 2Pac entered in his next project on the list : Hollywood N.J. with Young Noble.
Hollywood, N.J. : Young Noble with the Nastee New Niggaz
With the addition of Young Noble to the Outlawz lineup, started a new project around him... The project turned from a kind of solo to a new Outlawz album. You can notice in the Ghetto Starz tracklist that almost no songs are taken back from the pre-One Nation Outlawz project, except "Hollywood, N.J." described as a Hussein solo song (unleaked or unrecorded ?), which was also the anticipated title for Young Noble's project (with the "Nastee New Niggaz")...
Young Noble is clearly in the center of the project, having a solo song ("Samson & Dalilah", unrecorded ?) like only Fatal has, featured seven times over the twelve songs of the project, more than all other Outlawz members except Kadafi (7 too), whereas 2Pac has only four... 2Pac tends to more or less put aside the Outlaw Immortalz nicknames (or not systematically used) like if they were not anymore up-to-date (in Thug Life Volume Two and in Outlawz LP, they were related to the mafia & gang topics). That leads us to think that the "Nastee New Niggaz" could simply refer to 2Pac and the Outlawz.
It has been said that Young Noble met up the group a few months before recording his first song with them. There were some mistakes, mainly with old dates of March 93 for "Tattoo Tearz" and "U Don't Have 2 Worry", whereas both songs clearly refer to the recording of One Nation (the first song has been recorded in August the 17th and the second at the time of "War Gamez" in early July, like QD3 songs recorded for Makaveli album).
So Young Noble recorded for the first time with the Outlawz during One Nation sessions, the 14th for "My Own Style" with Greg Nice & Edi, then for "Tattoo Tearz", "Secretz of War" and "We Rock The Hip Hop". Maybe he was then a guest for the project, like Greg Nice, Asu, LS... and not yet a real Outlawz member. But he kept on with the group with "War Gamez", "U Don't Have 2 Worry", "Lost Souls" and four other songs of Makaveli.
When 2Pac finally scrapped "Lost Souls" with Edi & Noble from his Makaveli album (in the first days of August), the song became an Ghetto Starz song. But they planned to have a strictly Outlawz version (like "U Can Be Touched"), credits anounce Edi, Noble, Kastro & Napoleon, no Pac. It could be the original "Lost Souls (Movie Version)" which starts by Edi & Noble.
When you read these tracklists, you understand that this new project is build/planned/recorded in parallel as One Nation second sessions. The song "Jawz Tight" is the same than the One Nation song. When you look at the July/August One Nation papers you guess that 2Pac chose to distribute the songs recorded in June towards various projects : "Never Call U Bitch Again" and "Secretz of War" to Outlawz Immortalz album (or scrapped because Johnny J was in a total disagreement with Death Row about his rights), then "Jawz Tight" and "Tattoo Tearz" (remixed in August ?) were scrapped from a late One Nation tracklist, and the first one was put in Outlawz new project. "Runnin on E" was probably also a song that could fit either in this new Outlawz lp either in One Nation (because of the ending dedication to Buckshot and the Boot Camp Clik), like the unknown (unrecorded or unleaked) "Frankie & Johnny" which appear in both projects.
The Amaru's Still I Rise (1999, Amaru/Interscope) was a little taste of what it was supposed to be, but in a remixed version and with the addition of some tracks taken from Thug Life 2. Like you can see on these handwritten papers (from mid August), this album has had different titles like "Rulez of the Game" or "Ghetto Starz". Eventually 2Pac also thought to "Black Jesuz".
You can see how he checked the tracks "Black Jesuz", "Runnin' on E" and "Lost Souls"... It could mean that these tracks were already recorded ("Black Jesuz" has been recorded the 12th of august, "Runnin' On E" the 17th), but what about "Hell 4 A Hustla" and "Jawz Tight" from One Nation ? This tracklist is anterior to the recording of "As The World Turns" and "High Speed", but probably just around the time 2Pac will record "Scared Str8", so between the 17th and the 25th.
"Thug Nation" has also been recorded but it is an Outlawz without 2Pac track included in Outlawz 96 album Retribution. So we chose to not include it here (maybe until we get a prior demo version).
Edi, Storm, Muzamil (Napoleon's bro), Hussein, 2Pac, Kadafi, Noble, Napoleon
DETAILED TRACKLIST
(Special thanks to Bomb1st members Filla and Dominator for samples credits)
- 1996/08/12. Remixed in Still I Rise (1999, Interscope). This song made a link with the Makaveli Killuminati iconography, but of course Jesus was followed by the twelve apostles. In this album there would be only eight of them.
?. There is a hard to read handwritten lyrics for one verse or two (or for some 2Pac lines around them, who knows).
- 1996/05 - 08 (?) (new mix). This mix is often called "Movie version" because you can hear it in the movie Gang Related (October 8th, 97) and it has the Phil Collins sample playing during the hook, replayed in the Gang Related Soundtrack version. The song was taken off of the 1st Outlawz LP circa June and given to the soundtrack project.
- Samples :
- Phil Collins - "In The Air Tonight" (bongos, melody)
This concept song is a mystery... It firstly appears as a title for a concept Fatal N Felony album tracklist (legit ? from fall of 95 ? cf. Dramacyde / When I Get Free), then the song was listed in the first serious Outlawz 1st LP tracklist ("Euthanasia", cf. Immortalz), then it appears as the planned title for a Young Noble solo album (cf. Makaveli, Killuminati Original diss sessions), and finally here for a Fatal solo track without Noble... Some lyrics from Fatal's first solo album In The Line Of Fire released in 1998 could be recycled from that song (i.e. "I Know The Rules", "The World Is Changing").Samples :Rick James - "Hollywood" (melody ? vocals interpolation ? topic ?)
- 1996/04/24 - 06/22 (~) (Napoleon & Kadafi new verses). Remixed in Still I Rise (1999, Interscope). In this second version, there's a Kadafi verse added and Napoleon is rapping the 2Pac's verse of the first version. 2Pac is only at the chorus. Was the first version a reference for Napoleon ? No. In an early Outlawz tracklist, you can see that the song was initially without Kadafi and maybe they decided during the One Nation sessions in June to give the song to the entire group.
- Samples :
- Rick James - "Hollywood" (melody)
- 1996/08/17. Released in Until The End of Time (2001). There
is another version with Napoleon & Storm instead of Hussein obviously recorded later for a posthumous
album in 1999 when Hussein's verses were taken off every songs. On the very first mix, 2Pac shoots out to "Smif-N-Wessun the Cocoa Brovaz, Buckshot the BDI, Heltah Skeltah, the Boot Camp Clik" at the end of the song, on other
the mix ended just before. So the song was probably initially aimed for One Nation part 2 sessions.
1996/08/?. The song was then included in Outlawz' Retribution album (circa 1997), finally released as a mixtape in 2006. But we don't know for sure if the track was recorded during Pac's lifetime or later (voices sound more skilled than in August... Noble was also not planned to be part of the song - Retribution album has only post-2Pac songs). It is said that 2Pac could have recorded a reference track for that song...
- 1996/04 - ? (new mix). Released in Makaveli & Dillinger (1999), original keys mix in Better Dayz (2002).
This track is not the title "Us" appearing in some tracklists. Since the recording of the song, it seems 2Pac wanted to keep the song for Gridlock'd (or then Gang Related) soundtracks. But because of the dispute between Johnny J and Suge Knight, maybe he asked Daz to remix the song, that could explain why he had the song with his stolen material.
- Samples :
- Michael Jackson - "They Don't Really Care About Us" (concept)
- One Way - "Don't Ever Stop Loving Me" (drumline interpolation)
- 1996/07 - 08 (?) (new mix, new verses ?). Included in an alter mix in The 3 Day Theory demo, then released in Gang Related soundtrack (1997, Death Row). The song appears in early Makaveli tracklists and then 2Pac replaced it by "Toss It Up" right after having recorded his dissing second verse. The song then appeared in Ghetto Starz project. But in handwritten tracklists of it, 2Pac listed Edi, Noble, Kastro, Napoleon, and not himself. That mix with Edi starting and then Noble, that can be heard during the movie could be an edited mix of that Ghetto Starz second version. The full version could have Kastro & Napoleon instead of 2Pac,
and 2Pac just at the chorus, giving them the song like he did for "U Can Be
Touched". Maybe Napoleon or Kastro rap 2Pac's verse.
- Samples :
- The System - "Don't Disturb This Groove" (melody)
- Roy Ayers - "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" (vocals interpolation : "just wait until the rain turn to sunshine, cause I hate to spend my life my life my life duckin one time")
- Doug E Fresh & Slick Rick - "La Di Da Di" (vocals interpolation : "for y'all keeping y'all in health just to see you smile and enjoy yourself")
- 1996/09/06. Remixed in Still I Rise (1999). Maybe this track has an anterior version - maybe just with tha Outlawz verses - that could have been recorded in early July (in the handwritten papers, it is a Kadafi, Napoleon & Noble song...). The concept ("Ghetto Heaven") was already in the Outlawz Troublesome, Tha Secretz of War album tracklists.
Nothing is known about this concept, very probably unrecorded. In the tracks repartition, 2Pac wrote "Still Haven't Found" so it could indicate the planned sample 2Pac wanted to have for the song, and/or the topic of a research for love...Samples :U2 - "Still Haven't Found" (melody ? vocals interpolation ? topic ?)
- 1996/09/06. Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001). Probably the latest track 2Pac recorded (with "Hell 4 A Hustler") and it is a diss song...
As a Noble solo track, it could be an unleaked recorded song, but Noble could have mention it from that time... The song is not marked with a star or a line on tracklists so it was probably not recorded yet. The concept title of course refers to the Biblic myth of a strong man betrailed by his beloved woman (who cut his long hair where he got his power from), what remains in the Gospel general topic of the album. It could also refer more musically to the famous opera written by Camille Saint-Staëns, and the song "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix (My heart opens itself to your voice)" known as one of the most popular recital pieces for mezzo-soprano/contralto, notably sung by the greco-american cantatrice Maria Callas, immensely popular in Italy.Samples :Maria Callas - "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix (Samson & Delilah)" (Melody ? Vocal interpolation ? Topic ?)
- 1996/08/25. Remixed in Still I Rise (1999, Interscope).
- Samples :
- Tom Tom Club - "Genius of Love" (melody)
1996/06 - 08 (?) (new mix?). The song was recorded for One Nation album with many guests (that are still announced in the tracklist). At the same time than "Tattoo Tearz", the song was scratched from One Nation tracklist (cf. One Nation pt. 2) and this one was then added to Ghetto Starz project. Is there any advanced mix specifically made for this project (where does the Fatal's verse in Kadafi's Son Rize Vol. 1 come from ? - why would they have taken off Napoleon except much later when we all knew about Napoleon having a kind of responsibility ?). An existing first take where only 2Pac raps seems to wait for other verses to be edited in but you can still hear some voices in the background.Samples :Ralph Vargas & Carlos Bess - "Funky Drummer Vol. 1 CB#5" (drums partially)
- 1996/08/13-17. Remixed in Death Row's Greatest Hits (1996) and again in Scarface's The Untouchable (1997, Rap-A-Lot). Darryl Harper produced the original unleaked version with the sample of Sara Smile's "Hail and Oates". It is said that the very first version was from the 13th but had Kadafi & Edi instead of Scarface (the song appears as an early concept in Outlawz 1st LP tracklists, cf. Immortalz). When Scarface came to record for One Nation, he was probably (could be the day of recording...) amazed by the beat and wanted to be part of it. And the song "Smile 4 Me" appears in One Nation late tracklists.
- Samples :
- Daryl Hall & John Oates - "Sara Smile" (melody)
- 2Pac very probably listed the concept as an idea of sample and/or topic for a song of the album. The intro with the violin could give a really good sample to loop, but it would be everything but a love song... The real beginning of the song gives also a kind of sample easy to get, more on the love topic. What could have been the topic of the song ? Sharing a girl ?
- Samples :
- Mtume - "You, Me & He" (melody ? vocals interpolation ?)
- 1996/06 - 08/03 (~) or 96-97 (?) (new mix). Remixed in Still I Rise (1999, Interscope). This version sounds clearly different from the One Nation's
version. It is clearly a later mix (most of the original adlibs in the background have been taken off). This mix could have been made for One Nation late times before 2Pac dropped the song circa mid August (cf. One Nation : Volume II). But as a strictly Outlawz song, 2Pac could have repurposed it to the Ghetto Starz project. Is it Sixx-Nine from Sixx Feet Deep or Cody Chestnutt doing the chorus ?
- Samples :
- Stevie Wonder - "Pastime Paradise" (bassline interpolation)
- Roy Ayers - "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" (vocals interpolation : "my life my life my life, in the sunshine")
- Brethren - "Outside Love" (drumline)
- New Jack City (movie, 1991) (quote interpolation : "rock-a-bye baby")
- 1996/08/15-31 (?). The song has probably been recorded in the second half of August (not recorded yet at the time of the tracklist we have). 2Pac, Kadafi and Hussein were supposed to record the song but not Kastro... (he is in the snippet)... That could mean that the song was not recorded at the time of the tracklists...
- 1996/08/25. Remixed in Still I Rise (1999, Interscope). Also titled as "Why" on the REEL, but this title could more likely refer to "The Good Die Young" ("please tell me why...") ?
- Samples :
- Bobby Glen - "Sounds Like A Love Song" (piano interpolation)
- James Brown - "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose (Jungle Groove Remix)" (guitar interpolation)
- 1996/07/22 - 1996/11-12 (~) (Outlawz added ? Noble added). Released in Still I Rise (1999, Interscope). The song was not listed in Ghetto Starz tracklists and the first date of recording rather indicate Killuminati or Immortalz. Young Noble's verse seems to mention 2Pac & Kadafi deaths... but he also says "first Storm" ? It could refer to another New Jersey rapper, called Storm or Stormy, a friend of Noble. Either the real original version is still unleaked or it has just 2Pac and the Outlawz recorded their verses after Kadafi's death for their album Retribution (but finally leftover) or who knows for Ghetto Starz if it was still planned.
- 1996/09/05-06 (~). This song is one of the last tracks Pac recorded (same night or one day before "Hell 4 A Hustler" and "All Out"). He recorded it for Mike Tyson's fight against Bruce Seldon (September 7). In it, he already announced the next fight against Evander Holyfield (that would take place the 9th of November and will mark the decline of Tyson 's career). We can notice that it wears the same subtitle ("Let's Get It On") than the first known 2Pac's recorded song (cf. The Early Years). So... the circle is complete !!
- 1996 (?). Released in Outlawz Retribution album (2006).
-
1996/08/29 (~). Recorded at Ice-T's home studio. This unfinished take has
a slightly different 2Pac vocals take. Is he waiting for Outlawz verses
or for One Nation guests ? At that time, we could think to E-40 and The
Click, Outkast & The Goodie Mob or more easily Ice-T. Hen-Gee was known for his album Brothers with DJ Evil-E (ICe-T's DJ) in 1991. In 1996, he was producing for Ice-T and Spice 1.
- Samples :
- Tara Kemp - "Hold You Tight" (inspiration, drums interpolation)
Pussy Politix Power - there are lyrics, probably can be recorded, at least the chances are higher, most likely the duet Noble & EDI.
ReplyDeleteThug Nation - why is it not added? Obviously, the track is in the project.
HER - nothing is known about this song,
But there is one note - this is the second title in brackets in one of the tracklists: Still Haven't Found, a link to the song U2 - I Still Haven't
Found What I'm Looking For, probably could contain a sample or vocals from this song, perhaps the song HER is an interpolation of this famous track of the rock band.
In the U2 video, the band is in Las Vegas, I think Tupac could have liked the song back in 87, just at the time of its release and was likely, he has a dream to visit expensive hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, for example Luxor, which he eventually did, but tragically.
Hollywood NJ - Fatal had an album - "In The Line Of Fire", where he used his old verses slightly modified for the release in 1998.
I Know Rules, The World Is Changing - have references to New Jersey and his old days in Cali, so likely contenders for the lyrics,
maybe one of the verses could be the very track I'm ranting about now.
He even has a track Ghetto Star, could this be a hint?
I don't know. Maybe I could be right, and Fatal's album does have those verses from this conceptual or unreleased song.
Sampson & Daliha - This is actually a reference to a famous story of false love, about the biblical story of Samson and his beloved Delilah, who betrayed him and helped the Philistines capture him.
It would be interesting to hear such a track, if it exists, but better from Tupac, and not a solo by Noble.
You, Me & He - The title is probably a reference to Mtume - You, Me And He. Same, probably could contain a sample/vocals or whole interpolation this song.
Scared Str8 - the snippet has Kastro's voice, not Kadafi, so this song could probably feature all of the Outlawz+Pac.
Jawz Tight - on Kadafi - Son Rize Vol 1, there are Fatal's verses, where did they come from??
Or is there a separate version from August (featuring Fatal) on the track??
Lost Souls -The only thing that needs to be done is to replace Pac's verse on Napoleon, and Pac remains on the chorus with Kastro.
I think this version was made in mid - August while Pac was still alive.
Starin' Through My Rearview - probably written for the movie, which the track was eventually released in.
DeleteU Can Be Touched - I think the song was left because of the complicated situation with Johnny J.
They Don't Give A Fuck About Us - probably left for Gridlock'd.
All Out - hard to say for what project, could be either Ghetto Starz or Makaveli (I think he could have updated the tracklist).
High Speed - yes for Ghetto Starz.
Smile (Original Sara Smile) - the track was either left in favor of the Scarface version for One Nation, or this particular version could have ended up in Ghetto Starz.
Tattoo Tearz (SIR Mix) - maybe this was after Tupac's death?
As The World Turns - yes, Tupac literally mentions Ghetto Starz in the outro.
The Good Die Young - originally for Immortalz? Tupac may have left this song for the soundtrack? It's possible that Noble's verse was actually recorded after Tupac and Yaki died.
Let'z Get Ready 2 Rumble - recorded it for Mike Tyson's fight, I don't think this track was meant for any project, only for the fight.
Novakane - Retribution.
One Day At A Time - maybe the song was meant for the Outlawz + guests (maybe Nutt-So or E40 or Spice 1), for One Nation?
Hey !
DeleteThank you very much for your remarks.
I'll add them to some details about unleaked/unrecorded tracks for this album.
"Thug Nation" is a song included in Outlawz' Retribution. So not in this. Except if we get another mix. Recently I read somebody saying there is a reference track by 2Pac for it.
Forgot to correct "Scared Str8".
"Jawz Tight" same ideas - I'd like to believe there is another version with Fatal - he wasn't there for One Nation (from the 10th of June to 12 of Aug.)
"Lost Souls" - interesting idea, you mean Napoleon rapping 2Pac's verse ? could be made with AI... But I think Kastro could have a verse on it.
The songs I chose to add instead of thm
And I would add that "Thug Nation" sounds a bit as a later recording (~97) more than August 96 but it is only assumption.
Delete"Smile" early concept appears in Outlawz 1st LP early tracklist so the first recording could have been initially thought for Outlawz 2nd LP.
"Thug Nation" - I have four opinions about this song:
Delete- it's a remix, but we need the original/demo mix.
- these are probably two different songs that have nothing in common with each other except the title, and this track was recorded after Tupac's death, maybe in late 1996, or maybe in 1997.
- yes, I heard that Pac allegedly recorded a song for the Outlawz, that it was a referenced track (the Outlawz did not have time to record it).
- this is indeed the song, but it seems doubtful (the sound and atmosphere, the voices, the mood seem to hint at a much later recording).
"Lost Souls" - yes, I mean Napoleon, who performs Tupac's verse, in one of the tracklists he appears as a supposed artist, on the other hand, in another tracklist, there is Kastro, EDI, Noble, and in the third we have a duet - Napoleon and Kastro.
But knowing the connection and all the care Tupac had for Napoleon, that "Tradin' War Stories" where Tupac let Napoleon do such a tragic verse, he wanted to give him "Mu'z Praya", decided to make "U Can Be Touched" an Outlawz song (giving him a verse as well), mentions in "When Thugz Cry" & "Ain't Nothing Wrong" - the death of Napo's grandmother, I think they had some kind of connection, Pac took him under his wing, so I'm more inclined that he would give his verse to Napo, and not Kastro, despite the fact that Kastro is his cousin.
It's worth paying attention to, as was the case with "Don't Go 2 Sleep", where Kastro performs only the chorus & "Secretz Of War" (which can be heard his voices and chorus?) in one of the versions (recorded for ON).
Delete"Thug Nation". They seem to have selected only post-2Pac songs for Retribution... Ok maybe they didn't have the right to use 2Pac's vocals, but what about "Fright Night" for instance... Anyway, the song is a Retribution song, so not a Ghetto Starz song, except if another version.
Delete"Lost Souls". I see Moe & K everywhere (strangely without Edi & Noble in one). What you say is possible but I doubt 2Pac would have planned to credit Kastro only for hook backings...
"Thug Nation" - probably, yes, these are completely different songs recorded in different time periods.
Delete"Lost Souls" - maybe you're right, I just think so.
It would be interesting to see the duet Napo + Kastro (I admit I like them more than EDI & Noble).
I also had this thought, what if these tracklists do not reflect reality?
Real picture of situation?
As practice shows, "Hell 4 Hustler" - recorded with all the frequently encountered Outlawz, "Scared St8" - Kastro is present, and not only presumably Fatal, Kadafi and 2Pac, I tend to think the track has the full pack of Outlawz.
If again, knowing the work ethic of Tupac, who records entire releases (I mean the main part) in a week or two, then maybe most of these songs were recorded in the week (the last one?).
But it turns out that Tupac, according to this theory, did not pay attention to his own tracklists, which he wrote, simply fantasy/themes/opinion?
And so, he is present on all the tracks, like many other Outlawz, so I can think that the supposedly solo song Fatal - "Hollywood, N.J" - is not a solo Fatal, but a track of the standard Outlawz + 2Pac, why not.
Yes for sure, there are differences between what he planned and what he recorded. But, his tracklists reflect fairly the direction he will try to follow. Maybe 2Pac would have recorded all tracks with them but I don't think. He was giving them more and more (from UCBTouched to Lost Souls, Thug Nation). Samson & Delilah was a Noble solo. Hollywood NJ a Fatal solo. I suspect there could have been also Mu and Yak solo songs...
DeletePerhaps the songs with Tupac and the Outlawz were recorded together as demos (it's hard to explain), so that they could then be remade according to the plan?
DeleteHonestly, truth the middle, I tend to think that there are songs that don't match, but there may be songs that do match at tracklists, but we haven't heard them yet...
I chose songs to replace these unleaked/unrecorded tracks. Fact is that this album will always be unfinished... So we could include late things like "Only the good die young" or "SIR Mix" (I tend to think it was reworked for One Nation but anyway)
ReplyDeleteAnd I also consider the unused tracks/mixes, to complete the album and make it a worth thing that reflects the original concept of the album. I must admit that I'm not really interested in Gridlock'd/Gang Related sequences because we wouldn't have enough original material to rebuild a good compilation without using released tracks. So I prefer to add the unused songs from that era here - even if it does not fit well... I will modify my list to make the bonus inclusions clearer.
"Starin Thru" appears in Immortalz tracklists so I put it there also. Don't really understand if there is another mix (the movie version is the original mix ?).
"They Don't Give A Fuck" - this alternate mix seems to be a later thing (reworked by Daz) so it could fit here (as a bonus, we are still in the mafioso style of Immortalz).
"UCBTouched" - I wanted to have the 2Pac version in Immortalz (but it could be added in it). This one is 100% Outlawz, made late One Nation, so it could fit this Outlawz album (what 2Pac wanted to be an Outlawz album and not 2Pac + Outlawz). Of course Johnny J beat is a problem... but 2Pac would probably have tried to release some of them sooner or later...
"Tattoo Tearz" was taken off from One Nation late tracklists (early August), so an alternate mix could have been transferred to it, and it perfectly fits the topic of the album.
"Smile" original of course was replaced by Scarface's version (for One Nation). But the topic and the beat tend to indicate that the original song w Outlawz (if there is) could have initially been thought as a Ghetto Starz song.
"One Day At A Time" - I think it was for One Nation waiting for E-40 or Outkast/Goodie Mob, I'd really love to have something like that, with a freestyle from them or something. - But there is this version with Spice 1 and I didn't know where to put the solo take...
"Ready 2 Rumble" - of course just a bonus that illustrates the last sessions of recordings (it doesn't fit to One Nation).
"Starin Thru" - there is another mix on Nuthin Gold, I think it is the original, and the mix for the movie is a later edit.
Delete"Tattoo Tearz" - in one of the tracklists for Ghetto Starz, Tupac crossed out Dogg Pound, I don't know to believe it or not, but it feels like he wanted to distance himself from Snoop and Dogg Pound in general. I think this mix was done after his death, or it is a small work of Daz, maybe Tupac did not ask him to do this version, and this is an initiative specifically by Daz/Death Row.
"UCBTouched" - yes, Johnny J is a problem, but maybe Tupac would want to work with him again on Makaveli Records, they would have resolved the differences, if not, then anyone on Death Row could have made a remix of this song.
"They Don't Give A Fuck" - my opinion is unlikely, most likely only for the movie.
"One Day At A Time" - definitely for guests, but we'll never know, maybe not even Goodie Mob/Outkast or E40, what about NAS??
That would have been a really great track, Tupac with a more positive poetic message and NAS with philosophical sayings?
As for me, it's a great track for ON, and I think this featuring only guaranteed Tupac even more supporters on the east coast & unity two coasts (or all country).
"Starin Thru" - Yes of course, that's why i put the original (long mix w/ guitar) in Immortalz, the short one in Ghetto Starz (same mix than in the movie, so it could be like "Lost Souls" in movie vs compilation, a prior mix). But of course, the song was intended for Gang Related.
DeleteLike "They Don't Give A F" - leftover from Immortalz for the first mix, given to soundtrack with a second mix.
"One Day At A Time" - My bet would be E-40 & Ice-T. I don't understand why Ice-T didn't give a verse for it... I think Nas would have chosen a more ambitious topic : Black Jesuz, Untouchable, When Thugz Cry, Reincarnation, or even the third verse of Smile ! :D
Yes with Nas, it could have helped to appease the war... But I'm not sure... 2Pac was already too far.
Dogg Pound & Snoop - You may be right but Snoop was featured in "World Wide Dimez" and Kurupt in "Rock The HH", first two songs of ON... And "Ginseng Power" is also a Kurupt beat...
"Tattoo Tearz (SIR Mix)" - could be a late mix, but not a problem to me cause it is just a final mixdown without adlibs made from one of the two One Nation mixes. Can be added in Ghetto Starz unfinished with "Only Good Die Young". You think it could be Daz work ?
"Tattoo Tearz (SIR Mix)" - I'm leaning more towards Daz.
DeleteYeah Dogg Pound & Snoop the problem is in my theory that Tupac distanced himself from them, but I suppose Ginseng Power, World Wide Dimez & Rock tha Hip Hop could have been dropped from later tracklists and replaced with more interesting songs, like with OGC+HELTAH SKELTAH, NAS, Goodie Mob, Outkast, E40 & Wu Tang maybe even Chuck D (too bad they never did anything together).
Ghetto Starz could have changed many times, considering that Pac destroyed Immortalz (after a conflict with Johnny J), he could have destroyed this project as well.....
Tupac didn't have time to update the tracklist by recording All Out (could Tupac make Makaveli a diss album again?) or is this his new rude message for Ghetto Starz?
Why All Out seen like LAST BREATH evilmind message (new bread by Pac, new seed, i don't know)
In general, I see it like this:
1.One Nation - Tupac throws out Dogg Pound and Snoop replacing them with more interesting FEATS, and the album gets a more interesting sound, maybe because of such collaborations, we could see the participation of DJ Premier, why not :).
I imagine this project with a calmer tone and typical classic hip-hop, maybe with the sound of Boom Bap.
2.Makaveli - could Tupac change his mind again and turn the album into a mixture of his emotions?
Is it religious symbolism, disses with a militant mentality (in a larger scale development than what we have?), black pride? (new songs like Keep ya Head Up?)
3.Ghetto Starz - could have changed many times, but Tupac seemed to want three things from this project (he wrote them himself):
RELIGION
POWER
FEAR
(why did he cross out these three words? Changed his mind??)
Interesting remarks.
DeleteThink you amplify too much the problem with Snoop and DPG. There was one, sure, but not more than in March-April. Snoop had two 2Pac tracks in his album at that time, Dogg Pound had probably two as well (Don't Stop and Initiated). And Suge still wanted them to work together. 2Pac seemed to love the "RockHH", "Ginseng" and "Dime Piecez" - but maybe he would have dropped them later yes. I rather think 2Pac could have included "Street Life" with his friend Prince Ital if Snoop didn't want it anymore... Like I put in my One Nation pt.2, I would even think he could have asked the Pound to have "Don't Stop" and to have Nas on it.
He biffed their name from Ghetto Starz album, maybe because he didn't want it to be a Death Row album.
I think there could have been E-40, Ice T, Goodie Mob, Nas & one friend (Rae, Large Pro ?), Grand Puba. Shock G could have come (Numskull was still there). Maybe Treach... Of course Chuck D, Rakim and Kool G would have been a wonderful thing too... But I don't think it was possible at that time.
I may be exaggerating the Snoop and Dogg Pound issue.
DeleteInterestingly, Tupac seemed to want his own sublabel all along....
Interestingly, could it have been Makaveli Records or 2Pac was looking to become the mainhead of Death Row East?
It seems that in order to resolve many conflicts with people and invite many others for work.
He would have needed to create his own record company, or sublabel.
It is clear that Tupac wanted complete creative freedom for release of these albums.
I think 2Pac had a divided mind like a Lunatic.
DeleteFrom the very first day he signed in on Death Row, he just wanted to end up with them. He was recording the quickest he could to be freed from the contract. Giving the advice here and there to not sign with Death Row (Outlawz, C-Bo...). He perfectly knew the kind of gangsta mentality of Suge, and the danger it had. It is like a pact with the Devil.
On the other hand, he got on with Suge. He loved the exposure they had, the power, the fame... It also perfectly fits with his dissing mood. His emergency paranoiac mind. He wanted to enjoy the freedom, his money, the women - he didn't want any bars, any limits. He loved the megalomaniac projects of DR. He could have made his sublabel to sign rappers but keep on with Death Row at the same time...
Sometimes he was walking back towards his youth of son of a black Panther, responsible for his community. At other times, he was a kind of baby Suge - let's imagine him DR East CPO, with a cigar - with dreams of catching the whole world in his hands.
In fact, if you pay attention to the tracklists, and I think in interviews, Tupac always had a duality.
DeleteHe was simultaneously for black pride, against restrictions and segregation, against police brutality, against the stratification of society into low and rich classes, violence, respect feminine sides, tried to promote new black panthers with the help of activism, but also had some kind of terrible side, could be insidious, tyrant view, greedy for jewelry and women, military mentality formed at the expense of Sun Tzu and Machiavelli, so yes he felt that he needed freedom to act, but there was no point in leaving DR, he really liked Suge and disgusted him time to time. Tupac literally was always promoting his two halves:
2Pacalypse ERA (The Lyric & Lunatic)
Troublesome ERA (Yum & Troublesome)
Thug Life ERA (Mr Middlefinger & Souljah)
MATW (Fuck the World/Me Against The World)
AEOM (BOOK 1 AND BOOK 2)
With One Nation, Makavel, Ghetto Starz - Tupac began to more or less form as one person, and not many personalities or characters, becoming Makaveli.
I don't know if he would have been able to stay in that state for long, or would have come up with something new again...
Small thing: Rick James - "Hollywood" (like in the UCBTouched) could have been in Hollywood N.J song
ReplyDeletesame sample or interpolation (my idea)
Deletenice idea
DeleteAt the same time the song was also in Immortalz tracklists, alongside UCBTouched... But why not.
Delete