1996 - Immortalz (with Tha Outlawz)

  • April - June 1996 : tracks recorded or remixed for a 2Pac+Outlawz album, mainly produced by Johnny J. 
  • Still I Rise compilation album was probably inspired by this project (and also by Ghetto Starz). But it includes only 3 tracks of the original thing...
  • Ready to be published in July of '96 - but we have no material sequence of it - with "Hit Em Up" as a first promo released as a B-side the 4th of June, and "Made Niggaz" video shot that same day about to be the second act. Last mixes were made in early July.
  • What happened ? Johnny J and Death Row had a disagreement upon royalties. The album was delayed and shelved awaiting for further negotiation.
Picture taken during the making of "Made Niggaz" video clip

## This tracklist follows the "Hunger" tracklist, from June-July of '96. The album takes its last title "Immortalz" in July handwritten papers. Most of this album received a new final mixdown in June-July. ##

Tracklist - LISTEN

1. Intro (Piggy & Buffy)
2. Made Niggaz (Rough Mix)
3. Last Onez Left (Long Mix)
4. U Can Be Touched (Pac Version) feat. Sixx-Nine
5. Troublesome '96
6. Don't Go 2 Sleep
7. Untouchablez feat. Snoop Dogg & Bad Azz
8. Never Call U Bitch Again (ON Solo) feat. Danny Boy & Jewell
9. Hit Em Up (Clean Version) feat. Prince Ital Joe *
10. Secretz of War (Outlawz Version)
11. Hollywood NJ ** Baby Don't Cry
12. Who Do U Believe In feat. Big Pimpin' & Nanci Fletcher
13. Fuckin' With The Wrong Nigga
14. Don't Hate Uz ** They Don't Give A Fuck About Us
15. Death B4 Dishonor ** There U Go (Johnny J Remix) feat. Aaron Hall (?)
16. Outro** Staring Through My Rearview (Rough Mix) 

Producer - Johnny J, Daz (6), Hurt-M-Badd (13, 16), Daz (6), LT Hutton (7) and "Baby Don't Cry" produced or co-produced by 2Pac.

* Track 9 "Hit Em Up" being released, and the first take being included in 100% Black Gold, we preferred to include the unreleased clean version here, recorded in early June (even if the uncensored version was certainly intended).

** Tracks unleaked. Track 14 "Don't Hate Uz" could be an early version of "Ain't Nothing Wrong" or just a first concept of it (it is said to have been recorded the 9th of July as "Playa's Praya" for Killuminati album but it is not for sure). Track 11 "Hollywood NJ" is supposedly not recorded yet : it appears as well in July as a title for Young Noble's project and will reappear in Ghetto Starz album tracklist as a Hussein solo song but not marked as a recorded song. Track 15 "Death B4 Dishonor" is credited by all the group in one tracklist, it appears around the same time than "Don't Go 2 Sleep", but the song is not clearly confirmed.

Picture taken during the making of "Made Niggaz" video

Outlawz first LP project - from a 2Pac solo to a 2Pac+Outlawz album

"Troublesome, Tha Secretz of War" is the title used in the listing of 2Pac's handwritten papers to refer to this album project. It is probably a title created because the two tracks were in almost every tracklists and because there was no persisting title. 

In fact, "Immortalz" does not appear in any handwritten tracklist of that album, but only in July in Killuminati tracklists in other projects. The beautiful and loved "Euthanasia" title appears only once maybe circa April-May, when tracks from the solo album were added to the group project, but was given up after that, probably not adapted to the mafioso/war content of the album. "The Hunger" could be a late title of July after "Watch Ya Mouth" being recorded, so after "Immortalz", but it is in our opinion a very weak title...

The Thug Life Volume 2 album project was a totally distinct project with Outlaw Immortalz (Thug Life + Dramacydal + FatalNFelony + Storm) and not with Outlawz (Dramacydal + FatalNFelony). Of course, 2Pac could have wanted to include tracks from this shelved project into his new group project (like it was done by Amaru Ent. in Still I Rise). Handwritten tracklists tend to confirm that with apparition of 'Soon As I Get Home", "What'z Next", "Fade Me", "Don't Make Enemies" and "There U Go". But no specific mix of these songs have been made for this album, except maybe "There U Go" which was maybe remixed by Johnny J in April and left unfinished just before leaving the label.

Outlaw Immortalz was the name of a supergroup which appears in "When We Ride". The group was probably ended when Mopreme left the label in January following a dispute with Suge's men (maybe because of different Blood & Crips gang affiliations). Eventually 2Pac thought to adapt the album with the rest of the group (Syke & Dramacydal) under the title Lil' Homies, but Big Syke decided to go solo and to also leave the label (in March). The reduced became the Outlawz. Young Noble was not yet a member of the group (started to record with them during One Nation). Storm was not in that project neither, not a regular member and away from the label in March-May when they recorded most of this album. 

Step by step, the project turned from the new 2Pac solo project (100% Black Gold) to a whole new album by Outlawz. The project was not stopped when 2Pac started to work on One Nation. The tracks "Hit Em Up", "Troublesome '96", "Secretz of War", "Made Niggaz", "U Can Be Touched", "Last One Left", "Never Call U Bitch Again"  and maybe "There U Go" are on almost every tracklists and will be reworked in June of '96 during One Nation sessions.


Handwritten tracklists timeline

copies of handwritten papers

1. March. Untitled. 

This first draft is like a whole new project from zero (so maybe after Syke left Death Row in late March ?). Only "Soon As I Get Home" is a recorded song 2Pac wanted to keep. It also has some topics ("Heaven", "Death") which will be used later.

2. April. Untitled. 

"U Can't Be Touched" and "Last Onez Left" are recorded or are about to be (the 24th of April). "Talking in my sleep" could be a first concept that will turn into "Don't Go 2 Sleep" a few days later in May.

3. Late April. "EUTHANASIA".

This more elaborated draft includes tracks from the probably then dropped solo album project : "Hit Em Up", "Made Niggaz", "Troublesome", "Secretz of War". The title "Euthanasia" is a resurgence of the title from the pre-Death Row times and early All Eyez on Me. But it could also be the title 2Pac planned to give to his solo album just before he gave up the project. 

"Hold Ya Head" is certainly the early concept for "Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)" and not for the Makaveli song recorded in July. So this tracklist has been written down probably just before the recording of this track the 29th of April. It could also indicate the time Johnny J left the label, what makes 2Pac upset and led him to scrap his solo Me Against The World pt. 2 project.

"Hollywood NJ" and "Mu'z Praya" are marked probably for being solo songs for Hussein and Napoleon, not for being recorded. Many songs on this list are not recorded yet. The subtitle of "Thug Love" lets think that the song is very probably just an anticipated concept which will be concreted later in June with Bizzy Bone and Silk E-Fyne (otherwise 2Pac would maybe have added their names more likely than a subtitle). "Capture The Flag" is supposedly an early title for "War Gamez" which will be recorded in early July. "Trust Me 2 Much" and "Can't Live With Them" are just concept titles but reveal a war-oriented state of mind.

This tracklist also shows that 2Pac planned to include old songs recorded for Thug Life Volume 2 like "Fade Me" (scrapped), "Enemies With Me", "There U Go", "What'z Next". Maybe at that time he or Johnny J were working on new mixes, without Syke and Mopreme. "There U Go" is maybe the only one which could have been made at that time, if we consider the Johnny J remix (cf. All Eyez on Us) which does not have Syke.

4. Early May. Untitled. 

"Don't Cry" and "Through My Rearview" (the 29th of April and the 5th of May) are now included (maybe about to be recorded). "Smile" and "5 minutes of Fame" are new concepts that will be recorded later. "Never Call U Bitch Again" reappears (is there a new mix from that time ?) as well as "Fucking With The Wrong Nigga". Because "There U Go" remains here, the Johnny J remix without Syke - but without a chorus - could have been made.

Intro "This Game of Thugz" evokes "War Gamez" a bit whilst outro "Change Gon' Come" could refer to the Danny Boy reprise of Sam Cooke's classic song which also appears in Gridlock'd soundtrack project.

What does "contract mix" mean ? Maybe the song marks the agreement of 2Pac and Suge Knight to release a 2Pac+Outlawz project around that kind of song... Maybe the song was already planned to be released as a B-side of "How Do U Want It". Maybe this album version was slightly different from the single planned release version.

5. First half of May. Untitled. 

"Uz" possibly "Don't Give A Fuck About Us" (maybe recorded the 29th of April like "Don't Cry") could have been added (if it was not the blank line of the previous tracklist), but it could be more likely the early title for "Don't Hate Us" / "Ain't Nothing Wrong" (what could be an evolution of "Mu'z Praya" concept). "Who Do U Believe In" is newly included (could be the date of the addition of Big Pimpin' part or simply a new mix).

"Heaven's Ghetto" and "Hit Ya Spot" are just concept titles but the first one will be finally recorded for Ghetto Starz album.

6. Mid May. Untitled. 

"Don't Go 2 Sleep" and "Death B4 Dizhonor" appear so they could have been recorded around the same time (mid May ?), maybe both produced by Daz (?). "Don't Hate Uz" (early Ain't Nothing Wrong" ?) could also have been recorded at that time... The credits list does not indicate Kadafi in "U Can Be Touched" so the version without him is not a reference for Napoleon but the planned first version (the other one was recorded in late June).

"Hit Em Up (Remix)" indicates that 2Pac was maybe planning to have in his album a different version of the song than the single release. It could be the clean version but more likely an alternate version with uncensored lyrics (maybe also with Ital Joe).

7. Late May. "Loved by Few, hated by many, feared by all" 

"Untouchablez" (from the 31st of May) is recorded or about to be. This title was more or less a title 2Pac once uses in his various ideas for his drafts ideas of album before All Eyez on Me. Here it sounds more like a subtitle than a real title for the album. Maybe the planned title was simply Outlawz, 2Pac+Outlawz or The Outlawz featuring 2Pac at that time.


8. Early June. Titled "The Hunger !".

A song from that name will be recorded later by Outlawz for their Retribution album. The track order and the inclusion of "Untouchablez" makes us think that this tracklist follows the previous one and is not from a later time in July even if there is a "Watch Ya Mouth" which could be an anticipated title. In late June - early July, tracks "Secretz of War" and "Never Call U Bitch" are more likely One Nation tracks.

If we assume "Don't Hate Uz" as being a first sketch for "Ain't Nothing Wrong", most of the songs were recorded in April-May are included here except "Through My Rearview" and "Don't Give A Fuck" (given to Gang Related soundtrack). "Hollywood NJ" song come back and will also be in July a title for Young Noble's project so it is probably just an idea of song yet.




DETAILED TRACKLIST

(Special thanks to Bomb1st members Filla and Dominator for sample credits)

01. Intro (Piggy & Buffy) / Johnny J & 2Pac

  • 1996/06/04. Intro to the video version of "Made Niggaz". It is a movie scene with fake Biggie and Puffy playing mobsters. This intro has sometimes been patched at the beginning of "Hit 'Em Up".
02. Made Niggaz (Rough Mix) feat. Napoleon, Hussein, Edi, Kastro & Kadafi / Johnny J & 2Pac
  • 1996/04/23 (?). Released in Gang Related Soundtrack (1997). The song was firstly included in late tracklists from his aborted solo album (cf. Me Against The World pt. 2), before being logically given to the Outlawz project. It is in every handwritten tracklists since late April.
  • Samples : 
03. Last Ones Left (Wrong Start) feat. Edi & Napoleon / Johnny J
  • 1996/04/24. Remixed in Until The End of Time (2001, Amaru). 2Pac mentions L.B.C. Click, O.F.T.B. and the M.O.B. Appears in every tracklists.
  • Samples : 
04. U Can Be Touched (Pac Version) feat. Edi, Kastro, Hussein, Napoleon & Sixx Nine / Johnny J
  • 1996/04/24. Remixed in Still I Rise (1999). Is this version a reference for Napoleon's verse ? On one tracklist, the featuring list does not mention Kadafi. So this version was not recorded as a reference track for Napoleon but was the first planned version for the album, before Tupac chose to give it entirely to the Outlawz probably at the end of One Nation sessions in late June.
  • Samples : 
05. Troublesome '96 (Long Mix) / Johnny J
  • 1996/04/08 - 05/?? (new mix ?). Released in Greatest Hits (1998) in a slightly shorter mix (cf. Rarities). This long mix could be the first or the second mix of the song (the other having no chorus), it has the "Criminal Timez Verse" playing backwards during the first verse of the song (is it a mistake or a kind of "Makaveli" game ?). The other version without any chorus (like many songs in Me Against The World pt. 2 sessions) doesn't have that incorporated verse. It is probably the rest of an old record erased by the new recording over the same Reel. It could be a kind of first version of "Made Niggaz" or a second verse before Outlawz recorded theirs, lyrics ending in the handwritten paper with "how do we survive in these criminal timez az Made Niggaz" ? They made a short mix from this long version around the time of One Nation sessions so it leads us to think this long mix is the most advanced mix in comparison of the no chorus one.
  • Samples : 
    • Whodini - "Friends" (drums, bassline interpolation)
    • Louchie Lou & Michie One - "Rich Girl" (vocals interpolation)
06. Don't Go 2 Sleep feat. Edi, Hussein & Kastro (chorus) / Daz
  • 1996/05/16-24 (~). Remixed in Makaveli & Dillinger EP (1998) in two versions : one with Dogg Pound later added verses, one titled "Original" with Edi and a Daz verse that could have been recorded around Pac lifetime (more likely from 97). The song appears in Outlawz tracklists at the same time than "Death B4 Dishonor" (unleaked but probably recorded), around second half of May (Pac is playing the song during Hit Em Up video shot in early June). There was an earlier date for this song (95/10/13), probably fake, but it could be the date of the Daz production if 2Pac/Outlawz do not have recorded their verses at that date... but the outro has clearly been recorded later (diss towards Chino XL so after March). The so-called "original" version doesn't have the diss ending. Could it be a true og version of the first take ? a remix of that og (just replacing Hussein by Daz) ?
  • Samples : 
07. Untouchablez feat. Bad Azz (LBC Crew), Snoop Dogg, Edi & Kadafi / LT Hutton
  • 1996/05/31. Included in the late Outlawz LP "The Hunger" tracklist circa June-July and also in a late One Nation June sessions tracklist. A 2Pac verse has probably been added around the same period in the LBC/Snoop's song "Out The Moon" in replacement of Lil C-Style for Doggfather album (cf. Doggfather sessions), finally released in Gridlock'd OST.
  • Samples : 
    • Scarface (movie, 1983) (vocals interpolation)
08. Never Call U Bitch Again (ON Solo Version) feat. Danny Boy & Jewell / Johnny J

09. Hit 'Em Up (Clean Version) feat. Hussein, Kadafi, Edi & Prince Ital Joe / Johnny J

  • 1996/06/03. Probably planned to be a b-side and a radio/TV friendly version of the diss single. This is the last version of the song, which has a totally new vocal take with alternate polished lyrics. It has also a new live played instrumentation of the sample and the original Prince Ital outro added (cf. Outlaw Immortalz). 2Pac gives dedication to Boot Camp Clik at the end of the song, like in "Runnin' on E". They were probably on the road to Los Angeles... The meeting and the recording sessions with them seem to have totally changed the musical orientation of 2Pac. 
  • Samples : 

10. Secretz Of War (Outlawz Version) feat. Hussein & Kadafi / Johnny J

  • 1996/03-04 (~). Remixed in Still I Rise (1999). Unknown date of recording, it appears in the tracklists of Me Against The World pt. 2 at the same time than "Fuckin Wit The Wrong N", "Troublesome 96" and "Thug In Me", so probably recorded between the end of March and the beginning of April. This version has totally new lyrics in comparison of the first "rules" version with Kurupt (cf. When I Get Free). This version was not finished so they will rework it during One Nation sessions with a new mix and an added verse from Young Noble.
  • Samples :

11. Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up pt. 2) / 2Pac

  • 1996/04/29. Remixed in Still I Rise (1999). In the leaked original, there is a space for other verses, probably for the Outlawz. A shame the song appears to be left incomplete, and dropped from the project in last tracklists. Credits on Still I Rise indicate 2Pac as the original producer but if the same day he recorded "They Don't Give A Fuck" with Outlawz and Johnny J, maybe he received the help of Johnny J also for that one. Something might have happened around these days that made Johnny J leaving all his work : maybe he argued with Suge Knight or even with 2Pac upon this song or this project. Let's notice that in the last song of Kadafi's Son Rize Vol. 1, in a remix of "Letter 2 My Unborn Child", a guy named Rizz is imitating Kadafi's style and gives a verse ending by "so please don't cry" that could fit in this song.

12. Who Do You Believe In (Pimpin' Version) feat. Kadafi, Big Pimpin' Delemond & Nancy Fletcher / Johnny J

  • 1996/01/22 - 05/?? (Big Pimpin' added). Released in Better Dayz (2002). The song was really loved by 2Pac because he kept it from January in all his projects. Big Pimpin' was a close friend of Snoop and the Dogg Pound, kind of speaking poetry more than rapping or singing. That perfectly fits with the topic of the song.
  • Samples : 

13. Fuckin Wit' The Wrong Nigga / Hurt-M-Badd

14. Don't Hate Uz (Interlude) / Tony Pizarro (?)

  • 1996/06-07 (?). A title appears in many tracklists firstly as "Us". We have an handwritten tracklist for it with a part of the lyrics of "Ain't Nothing Wrong". Either it was not recorded yet either the tracklist dates from mid July when the interlude was dropped from Makaveli album...

14. They Don't Give A Fuck About Us (Keys Mix) feat. Edi, Kastro, Kadafi & Napoleon / Johnny J

  • 1996/04/29 (? or the 15th ?). Released in Makaveli & Dillinger (1999) and in Better Dayz (2002). This track is probably the one appearing titled as "Us" at the same time than "Don't Cry" in Outlawz untitled tracklist (18 tracks), it would be the very last song Johnny J made with 2Pac (maybe he produced the music the 1th of April and they recorded the song only at the end of the month). The track doesn't really appear in the album tracklists or disappears like "Through My Rearview" being transferred to Gridlock'd soundtrack, finally leftover.
  • Samples : 

15. There U Go (Johnny J Remix) feat. Kastro, Kadafi, Edi & Aaron Hall (?) / Johnny J  

  • 1995/10 - 1996/04 (edit & remix) - 06/07 (?) (chorus added ?). Original remixed in Better Dayz (2002). This alternate version without Big Syke seems to be legit because the song appears in many Outlawz tracklists without any mention of Syke (who had left Death Row in March). This beat is a real Johnny J remix he released in his mixtape cf. All Eyez on Him, but it didn't have the chorus... (like some last songs he did for Pac's Me Against The World pt. 2). So the chorus should have been added later. If it is really Aaron Hall's voice, this could be from beginning of June or July (like first recording of "Toss it Up"). But that chorus could have been recorded much more later... 
  • Samples :
16. Starin' Through My Rearview (Rough Mix) feat. Edi & Kadafi / Hurt-M-Badd
  
 
 







1 comment:

  1. AnonymousNovember 9, 2024 at 9:26 AM


    What do you think about my personal attempt according to this album :
    https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMw62wHF8Mjkmq4yhK12lD6eUcF5Fquu6&si=6npZGvIfq1e_ZKws

    ReplyDelete

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