- January - April '96 : new solo album sessions
- It's Me Against The World, part 2 !
- Almost entirely produced by Johnny J !!!
### The first disc reproduces the exact first project of a new solo album circa February of 96. The second disc follows the last known handwritten tracklist of the project before it was dropped, but without some already used songs in the first disc for which we hadn't another mix from that time, completed with other songs recorded around that time. ###
Book I : All New Heat (The Demo) - LISTEN
Book II : 100% Black Gold - LISTEN
David LaChappelle's "Becoming clean" - A very surprising photo set
This set of pictures by David LaChapelle can make laugh at first sight, like with this donkey, and maybe even more the bath pictures... There is a video footage of the time they made this shooting. cf. YT video.
But in fact, this picture in the fields reminds of the slavery times, of the very hard and unacceptable condition of black people in the past. If things and decor have changed a lot, if some of them like 2Pac have become superstars, it remains a very unfair condition for most black people in America. Due to his mother and father in law from the Black Panthers party, Tupac has of course that kind of background.
So this picture draws a parallel with the old times, the image of the origin of American black people, a parallel between the struggle for ending the slavery and the more recent struggle for a decent life for black people. Very funny touch on this picture, Tupac's bandana does not seem to be out of place at all.
From a poor extraction, 2Pac became an iconic superstar. Pictures naked with gold in the bathtub depict that period of success, but it led him to many troubles... So after the "All Eyez on Me" album, very gangster oriented, he thought to come back to a different side of him, to get rid of that scandalous image of him. That's the idea behind the bath pictures.
“Tupac was great, he was very sensitive and is truly a good person. I
wrote to his mum when he died and she sent me flowers and gave me his
last song, Ghetto Gospel. When we did the shoot, he had just come out of
prison and every shot has a reason, it’s never random, so this was the
idea of the photo shoot, him becoming clean. He had given this interview
when he was still in prison and he really opened up and was so honest. I
had read it and thought it was so truthful so for the work I did with
him, there was this idea of washing away and rebirth. And we did another shoot where he posed as a slave on a
cotton field. They traced rapping and rhyming to “call and repeat”
during slavery time in sugar cane and cotton fields to pass the time.
It’s on the Hotel LaChapelle book. Tupac came to the shoot 2 hours
early, which was very unusual for a rapper. So I wasn’t ready for the
shoot and he didn’t care. He reminded me of my black friends whom I went
to art schools with, he was so cool, open-minded and chill. He wasn’t
judgemental. Then later on, I found out that he had gone to an art
school. He left behind a big bag of socks and underwear because he had
just come out from prison and never picked it up. He died shortly after.
I still wear his socks sometimes (laughs).”
– David LaChapelle
But these half naked pictures are also often described as a kind of gay oriented thing... It can be regarded as a kind of Madonna provocative thing. Tupac was an actor and had love for being in a role, he has nothing against nudity (let's remember the pictures/videos of him in leopard slip backing the Digitial Underground). He was also proud of his black body, and enjoyed to dress in the most fanciful way. David LaChapelle was known for his capture of nudity, and his orientation was probably not a secret at that time. But like Danny Boy declared in a recent interview, Tupac would have nothing against him being gay (when he dissed Dr. Dre as being gay, it sounds very clumsy nowadays but it is because he was lying about himself and about things he was doing when he was in Death Row, not because he was gay or not).
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ME AGAINST THE WORLD, PART 2
At the opposite of the dark, intimate mood of Me Against The World (talking to his mother, God, thinking about his death...), All Eyez on Me was provocative, partying, full of featurings, directly adressed to the mediatic world, to the fans, to the girls... In the beginning of 96, right after having published All Eyez on Me and having recorded many tracks for a Thug Life Volume 2 album with the Outlaw Immortalz, and some other for the Thug Pound project, 2Pac started to record new songs for his next solo album. 2Pac announced the kind of album he wanted in his interview with Sway the 19th of April 1996 (for the KMEL Westside Radio Program) :
"I got a whole new album out... waiting for the sound track. It's clean... all positive... all in the vein of songs like "Keep Your Head Up" and "Brenda's Got A Baby"... It's that type of stuff. I just put out a hardcore double album... and next I'm gonna put out an introspective album... It'll be like a Me Against The World pt 2".
2Pac is here depicted as a Black Jesusif it is also from LaChapelle set
it is three months before the beginning of Killuminati recordings
Love Supreme + Me Against The World 2 = Euthanasia Supreme ?
"Euthanasia" has been used and reused ten times at least before the recordings of All Eyez on Me and even once during. So it was a very important title for Tupac. It is normal that after All Eyez on Me being released, the concept came back.
This title is clearly the evolution of a concept he wanted for a long time (Youthanasia, Amerikkka eats its Young, Amerikkkaz Crucified, Secretz of Euthanasia...), so it makes a strong link with Me Against The World. Lastly, "Euthanasia Supreme" obviously is a dedicatory nod to "Love Supreme", jazz album from John Coltrane (which he consider to have made in 1965, after a spiritual awakening, to give love to the others). Therefore, this title fits perfectly with the instrumentation vibe of this album, and to the intimate mood.
Why "Euthanasia Supreme" would be the perfect title for this project ? Initially intended to be the title for All Eyez on Me,
it was before he started to record with Death Row. But it clearly did
not fit with the mood of what he was recording. But 2Pac always kept the
idea of this title until the end with the project of an Outlawz album
titled like that around late April, beginning of May, exactly at the
time he dropped his solo project. But the title did not fit either with
the mafia mood of this Outlawz album...
Not many tracks, very few guests. Like the titles of the album can indicate, most of the tracks have soul feeling, singing chorus or even a touch of Jazz. The lyrics also show some kind of blues touch. Most of the tracks here have been produced by Johnny J. The only exception to this sound direction is clearly "Hit em Up". And this was probably the "snake in the grass" for such a project...
1. March '96. "All New Heat".
Every tracks listed were recorded between late January - early March. 2Pac probably returned later on it to think about what he will do with each song, maybe in late March. A time where there could be an hesitation upon the name of Dramacydal : Lil' Homies (in the eponymous song and also in "Hit Em Up") or Outlawz (clearly in "Secretz of War 2" and "Made Niggaz") and before Syke signed outside of Death Row, so maybe not long before the 25th of March (recording of "Fucking With The Wrong Nigga").
- "Unconditional Love (sell 2 Hammer)", it confirms that 2Pac recorded the song for himself and then decided to sell it to Hammer (the song was only taken off from his solo project only in the last tracklist we have). It was IN NO WAY a reference track.
- "Wordz 2 My First Born w/ Nutt-So" became a Soundtrack song because 2Pac will chose a solo mix for his album (maybe to have less features once he added Outlawz songs "Hit Em Up" and "Made Niggaz").
- "Until The End of Time (sell 2 Syke)", probably when initially Syke planned to record his album on Death Row.
- "Friend Like Me (B-Side)". The song appears in all following tracklists so for which album ?
- "Closest Road Dog (Compilation)". Which compilation ?
- "Thug Mansion w/ Lil Homies (Lil Homies)". Maybe the Outlawz were called Lil Homies in February and it became a title of their album or for the compilation...
- "Who Do U Believe (Soundtrack)". The track will be in all following tracklists and then added to Outlawz tracklists in May... Big Pimpin is not credited here but he can be considered as a chorus voice so it does not confirm anything (6 Feet is credited but not Eboni Foster, Nanci Fletcher, Danny Boy nor Nate Dogg...!!).
- "Breathin (B-Side)". For which single ? The tracklist does not mention any featured artists, neither the Gangsta Bytch Mentality nor the Outlawz/Lil Homies... It it possible that 2Pac inverted with Thug Mansion ?
- "Changed Man w/ Syke". Nate Dogg not credited ??
2. Late March, early April. "2Pac" in "Gridlock Rap Soundtrack".
Something is not perfectly clear here. Is there only one soundtrack
double album project (a soul soundtrack and a rap soundtrack with a solo
part and a guest part) ? or 2Pac wrote down all his projects : two
related to the soundtrack and his solo album ?
"Troublesome 96/97" appears here, maybe 2Pac just recorded it or was about to do so. Interesting to notice that 2Pac was considering to invite Wu-Tang (no surprise), Goodie Mob (both names will be planned guests in One Nation tracklists), Busta Rhymes, The G(h)et(t)o Boys (what he will do in August with "Smile") and (Lady of) Rage. He recorded with the last one the first version of "Rock On (Big Bad Lady)" the 7th of March (were they reconciled after a possible dispute in November around "Got My Mind Made Up" or "Blunt Time", or anecdotal thing Rage told recently ?).
In the soundtrack, we may notice 2Pac's usual singing partners : Jewell, Michel'le, Danny Boy, 6 Feet Deep. Nate Dogg is scrapped and put to the rap soundtrack part. It would lack Tyrone Wrice aka Hurt-M-Badd, Nanci Fletcher and why not Stacey Smallie (Val Young not yet . 2Pac considers to have a song from Jo(h)n B. He will finally record "Are You Still Down" over Tongue Kissing instrumental at the end of April. What a strange thing to think that 2Pac had love for Alanis Morrissette ! It has been said they planned to open a restaurant together with Suge Knight !
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3. April, before the 15th ? Untitled (Me Against The World pt. 2 ?).
2Pac has included "Hit Em Up" and "Secretz of War", two Outlawz featurings... They kind of replace the diss song "When We Ride on Enemies", which was fitting more to a solo project... There is still "Thugz Mansion" (the full solo song is then recorded). "Fuckin With The Wrong Nigga" and "Thug N Me" are also added. This tracklist and the next one could correspond to the time 2Pac announced Me Against The World pt. 2 in an interview.
4. Mid April. New Shit.
Mostly the same tracks, with only the addition of "Changed Man" (which was biffed n the previous tracklist) and the mysterious "Fuckin With The Wrong Nigga part 2"... What could it be ? We sometimes think it is "Tongue Kissing" because these words appear at the end of one verse but it is still strange...
The tracklist does not include some probably recorded songs from that time : "Good Life", "Happy Home", "Everything They Owe". However, it could be the strongest tracklist we have for this solo project with most of the key tracks, with only one Outlawz featuring, one Syke/Nate Dogg, one Nutt-So... From the other tracklists, it lacks "Me and My closest Road Dawg" (finally recorded as a Syke song), "Breathin" (recorded with Outalwz and Gangsta Bitch Mentality, so more likely for another compilation/group project), "Ride on our Enemies" (here replaced by "Hit Em Up"). The most strange and regrettable omission is "Until The End of Time" witch could have been definitely sold to Syke (does he have recorded a version of the song in Death Row ? for T.N.T. records ?).
5. Mid of April. "100% Black Gold".
"Made Niggaz" would have been recorded around the 15-16th of April (it could be later in fact, circa end of April). The name of Nutt-So is biffed from "Wordz 2 My First Born" features (so he finally wanted the solo version and keep the Nutt-So version for the soundtrack). 2Pac chose to have less featurings what is contradictory with the two Outlawz features... "Unconditional Love" and "Thug Mansion" are off (sold and maybe rejected due to sample issue ?). No more "Changed Man". This time Syke is removed.
We are probably very close to the final end of that solo project...
Guests and chorus singers are less numerous here because 2Pac initially was still expecting to release Thug Life 2 with Outlaw Immortalz or Thug Pound and then a Death Row compilation (called Lil' Homies ? Gridlock'd soundtrack ?). Big Syke, labelled as the "closest road dog" appears two times in the first sequence, Outlawz two times in the last one. Most of these tracks were nowhere else in any other handwritten tracklists (except for Outlawz LP). Everything is like if this album project has totally vanished. Like if 2Pac decided himself to scrap that intimate thing maybe because the feud with Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boys and friends became more violent to release a "Love Supreme" sound alike project.
What happened ? Why did 2Pac decide to scrap the whole project ?
This project will never see the light, only "Hit'em Up" will be released as a b-side of How Do U Want It single in June.
DETAILED TRACKLIST
(Special thanks to Bomb1st members Filla and Dominator for samples credits)
- 1996/02/01. Released in Greatest Hits (1998). The song has been SOLD to MC Hammer who made his version for his album Too Tight. So it is NOT a reference record for him (like "Too Tight") but a true 2Pac song. 2Pac deliberately dismember his solo album in the end of April.
- Samples :
- Bell & James - "Just Can't Get Enough (Of Your Love)" (melody)
- 1996/03/07-08. Released in Nutt-So's Betrayal (1996, Nutty's Playhouse). Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001).
Nothing is clear about the chronological order of this song's versions. Usually, the longest mix is an early mix (shorten by the final mix), here "Things R Changing version" is the shortest. So the longest mix with Nutt-So and the saxophone in the background could be the earliest "rough" mix... The version without saxophone could be a work in progress awaiting for the chorus.
- Samples :
- Maze – "Ain’t It Strange" (melody interpolation)
- Sly & The Family Stone - "Everyday People" (vocals interpolation)
- Al Jarreau – "So Good" (sax interpolation)
- 1996/02/19. Remixed for Until The End of Time (2001). The longest mix is probably the earliest.
- Samples :
- Stevie Wonder - "Love's In Need of Love Today" (melody, vocals interpolation)
- 1996/02/04. Released in Gridlock'd OST (1997). Longer than the released version.
- Samples :
- Quincy Jones - "The Secret Garden" (rhodes, bassline interpolation)
- 1996/02/13-19. There is a version with 3 verses from 2Pac (probably the first take before Syke recorded his verses), that was remixed in Until The End of Time (2001). There is a rough mix with a close sounding beat and another one a bit longer with an alternate mixdown. The song also appears in a first draft of Syke's solo album written down by 2Pac. So maybe the song was firstly recorded as a song for the solo album and Syke was just supposed to take one verse, but when he recorded, it was decided that the song would be for his album, so he took two verses.
- Samples :
- The Jones Girls – "Children Of The Night" (melody)
06. Thugz Mansion (First Take & Freestyle) / Johnny J
- 1996/02/02. Remixed for Better Dayz (2002). This is the first take of the song, with only one verse and a freestyle (maybe awaiting for Outlawz verses). In All New Heat tracklist, it appears with "Lil Homiez" as featured artists (It could be another nickname for the Outlaw Immortalz without Thug Life before it turned to Outlawz when Syke left Death Row to go solo ; around the same time, Tupac recorded the song "Lil' Homies" solo and with Outlawz). Tupac as well wrote "Lil Homiez" on side, it could indicate that he decided to give the song to another project of that name (B-Side for "Lil" Homies" single ? title of a planned compilation ? or more probably Outlawz anticipated project album that is firstly will include titles like "Heaven or Hell").
- Samples :
- Bill Weathers - "Lean on Me" (melody interpolation)
- 1996/01/22. Released in Better Dayz (2002, Amaru) with the Big Pimpin' poetry added from the second version. The song will reappear in Outlawz 1st LP tracklist.
- Samples :
- Jamiroquai - "Manifest Destiny" (melody)
- Walter Beasley - "Tenderness" (cymbals)
- 1996/01/31. Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001). The empty space like "Thugz Mansion" indicate that this song was thought as a song with guests. Is it supposed to feature Bizzy Bone like it was first leaked ? the Outlawz ? The Bizzy Bone's version is good but is a promo remix from 1997 made for his first solo album... There is a recently leaked version with verses from Kadafi, Edi and three female rappers : Sylk-E Fyne, Diamond & T-Ski. Unfotunately, this version isn't finished either and sounds not really good (the chorus only runs after 2Pac and Kadafi, the verses are just pasted on the music, there is no mix, the last verse has a wrong start...). Pac's late writing on side could indicate that the song was then destined to be a b-side (why not for an Outlawz album single or for the Soundtrack compilation).
- Samples :
- The Isley Brothers - "Summer Breeze" (melody)
- The Honey Drippers - "Impeach The President" (snare)
- 1996/03/07. Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001). Unknown voice singing in the background.
- Sample :
- Rolls Royce - "Wishing On A Star" (melody, bassline interpolation)
- 1996/02/1. Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001). This version doesn't have the speach dissing Nas at the end. The voice take is also different from Makaveli version (in the third verse he says triggery instead of misery). This is second time 2Pac tries to use this Sting sample. He will re-record the song in July for Makaveli album (cf. Makaveli sessions).
- Samples :
- Prince - "When Doves Cry" (concept)
- Sting - "Fragile" (melody)
- 1996/02/21. Remixed in Better Dayz (2002, Amaru). Allusion to the movie Carlito's Way (Brian de Palma, 1993), where Al Pacino claimed to the court at the beginning of the movie that he is a "changed man", that the penitentiary has changed him.
- Sample :
- Raydio - "Hot Stuff" (melody, bassline)
- 1996/01/31. Remixed in Better Dayz (2002, Amaru). This version is using the exact same beat and Danny Boy's chorus than "Never Be Peace" (cf. Outlaw Immortalz : Thug Life Volume 2).
- Samples :
- Switch - "There Will Never Be" (melody, bassline)
- 1996/02/21. Recorded the same day than "Changed Man", maybe it was aimed to be a b-side to "Me Against the World pt. 2" first single. It is said to be a freestyle, and there could be another studio version but I think that this one is the only version and that Pac & Snoop wanted to sound here fresh and fun like in a live thing.
- Samples :
- Diana Ross - "Love Hangover" (melody interpolation, chorus interpolation)
- Don Jagwarr - "The Cure" (vocals inspired)
- 1996/02/02. Fairly remixed in Until The End of Time
(2001) with
the same sample. "Soulja" was the name 2Pac gave to the pitched voice he used to depict his dark
minded avatar, wearing his most aggressive thought (used in his first
two albums and heavily used in the Thug Life original album lost sessions, so it
could also have been recorded as a final touch to Thug Life Volume 2 project). This is the very late appearance of this avatar.
- Samples :
- Curtis Mayfield, "Little Child, Running Wild" (melody)
- 1996/03/29. Finalized the 3rd of June and published as a b-side of How Do U Want It (12'') the 4th of June 1996, and then in Greatest Hits (1998, Death Row), cf. Rarities. At the end of Edi's verse, you can hear Storm starting the verse she kicked in the Part One of the song, recorded in October 95 for Thug Life Volume 2. It has the famous Jay-Z & Lil'Kim diss unedited
- Samples :
- Dennis Edwards - "Don't Look Any Further" (bassline, melody, drumline, concept)
- Junior M.A.F.I.A. - "Player's Anthem" (concept)
- Junior M.A.F.I.A. - "Getting Money (Remix)" (concept, vocals interpolation)
- MC Lyte & Audio Two - "10% Dis" (vocals interpolation : "beat biter, dope style taker")
- 1996/03/05. Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001). In 100% Black Gold tracklist, the song appears without any artist featured, while other guests are written. It could indicate that this solo version was for this sequence (and that could be more like a second version of the song : shorter, with full music elements and chorus). Probably 2Pac recorded both versions for a single b-side. The song was often mislabeled as "Things Are Changing" because of the chorus, that reminds of "Changes". Singers are still unconfirmed but it could be Warryn Campbell and Dionne Knighton, who regularly work with DJ Quick.
- Samples :
- Maze – "Ain’t It Strange" (melody interpolation, vocals interpolation)
- Sly & The Family Stone - "Everyday People" (vocals interpolation)
03. Troublesome '96 (No Chorus) / Johnny J
- 1996/04/08 (new mix 07/3 ?). Released in an alternate mix in Greatest Hits (1998). This version doesn't have the "lalala" chorus. And it also doesn't have the "Criminal Timez Verse" playing backwards during the first verse of the song. Is it the first or the second version of the song ? The empty chorus sounds like many songs of March-April unfinished Pac solo but the cleaned mix and the shorter version indicate that it could be an advanced mix of the song.
- Samples :
- 1996/04/?. This lost verse was recorded altered in a reverse behind the first verse of "Troublesome 96", second version. We have an handwritten lyrics of this verse. It ends by "Made Niggaz". So it could be an early version of "Made Niggaz", maybe before Outlawz recorded their verses.
- Samples :
- 1996/04/02. Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001). It re-uses the music of Johnny J's song "It's a Wonderful Day" from his solo album I Gotta Be Me (1994, Shade Tree). There is a version with a huge mix error. Political and historical lyrics about the slavery. Alternative title could be "Nightmare" like depicted in the song (there was another date of recording for a song titled like that the 11th of January but it would be a different recording because it really fits this era).
- Samples :
- Bill Withers – "Make Love To Your Mind" (melody)
- 1996/02/19. Remixed in Better Dayz. Like the first take of the song, this version doesn't have a chorus. It seems that 2Pac changed his mind and decided to record a solo version. It is said the sample was impossible to clear.
- Samples :
- Bill Weathers - "Lean on Me" (melody interpolation)
- 1996/02/26 (?). Remixed in Better Dayz (2002). This version doesn't have any chorus like "Mama's Just a Little Girl". The original 01/31 date could be the version with the exact same music and Danny Boy chorus than "Never Be Peace" recorded one day earlier.
- Samples :
- Switch - "There Will Never Be" (melody, bassline)
- 1996/03/25. Released in Until The End of Time (2001) without major changes. 2Pac says something to Big Syke about his recent signature to another label in the introduction of this take of the song ("Yo, Syke, do I need clearance from your record company to use your name or shit?"). The song will reappear in Outlawz 1st LP tracklists.
- 1996/02/26. Remixed in Better Dayz (2002). This version doesn't have a chorus. There is a "Death Row Remix" with a famous sample and Danny Boy at the chorus.
- Samples :
- Sade - "Jezebel" (melody interpolation)
10. Who Do U Believe In (Pray Mix) feat. Kadafi, Nanci Fletcher & Big Pimpin' / Johnny J
- 1996/01 - 03-04 (?). Released in Better Dayz (2002, Amaru) with the same "Let Uz Pray" intro but with a mix similar to the other Big Pimpin' one (included in Outlawz 1st LP) : no breaks, no final fall down and with 2Pac's hook playing during Big Pimpin's poetry (what suggest that this mix could be the last). But the pray intro and the break during Kadafi's verse were already in the first take, and there are elements of demo in the beginning of this mix that tend to an intermediate state.
- Samples :
- Jamiroquai - "Manifest Destiny" (melody)
- Walter Beasley - "Tenderness" (cymbals)
- 1996/03/11. There is a second version with a new music and K-Ci & Jojo at the chorus that will be fairly remixed in Until The End of Time (2001).
- Samples :
- Michael Jackson - "Liberian Girl" (melody)
- Young & Company - "I Like What You're Doin' To Me" (vocals interpolation)
- 1996/04/15. The music has been given to Jon B for "Are You Still Down" released in his album Cool Relax (1997). 2Pac is saying "fuckin' wit the wrong nigga" at the end of his second and third verses, so we guess it could be part 2 of the song like it appears in tracklists.
. Good Life (Rough Mix) feat. Big Syke & Edi / Mike Mosley
- 1996/03/31. Released in Until The End of Time (2001, Amaru). Is that version with many instrumental effects a really audacious mix ? More probably a work in progress, first take, before any final mix. It plays in a studio footage video following "Hit Em Up" recording.
. Happy Home (Rough Mix) feat. Michel'le (chorus) / Johnny J
- 1996/04/02. It is said to be dedicated to his sister Sekyiwa Shakur, but it is also known to be about his love, commitment and family projects with Keisha Morris, with which he got married while in jail...
- Samples :
- Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers – "Just the Two of Us" (drums, melody interpolation)
. This Ain't Livin' (Rough Mix) (reference for a duet with Snoop Dogg) / Johnny J
- 1996/02/26. Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001). This song is said to have been written for Snoop Dogg (like "Too Tight" for MC Hammer...). More probably it was supposed to be a 2Pac/Snoop duet ("I Never pulled the trigger / Didn't touch that bitch" sounding like a new "2 of Amerikaz most wanted") and 2Pac wrote and tried the lyrics for his busy friend (like he made a verse for Money B in "I Get Around" demo, Snoop was then starting to work on his second Death Row album). Unfortunately, it seems Snoop never recorded his part...
- Sample :
- Latimore – "Let’s Straighten It Out" (melody)
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