== 1994 - THUG LIFE : VOLUME ONE ==

•  september 26, 1994

   

 

 

Discogs page

Wikipedia page

Listen in iTunes, Spotify, deezer or myzuka

Eastside :

1. Bury Me A G feat. Natasha Walker (Y?N-Vee)

2. Don't Get it Twisted (by Thug Life)

3. Shit Don't Stop feat. Y?N-Vee

4. Pour Out A Little Liquor (by 2Pac)

5. Stay True feat. Stretch

 

Westside :

6. How Long Will They Mourn Me ? feat. Nate Dogg

7. Under Pressure feat. Stretch

8. Street Fame (by Thug Life)

9. Cradle To The Grave (Moe-Z Remix)

10. Str8 Ballin' (by 2Pac)

 

The patchwork of various aborted projects

The short Thug Life album gives the impression that "Thug Life" was kind of short lived project... In fact, it was probably the biggest project he had... Firstly 2Pac had the idea of a soundtrack (cf. Thug Life Demo Tape), then tried to record a kind of double album before All Eyez on Me : Thug Life Original albums Do U Love The Thug Life ? and Mr. Middle Finger. But he struggled with the release of his projects. The first of them being delayed because of sample issues (among them "How Long Will They Mourn Me"), then some demo being leaked, then with two trials, he had to censor himself and to not publish violent songs against cops... 

So he re-recorded many tracks (cf. Out on Bail) and launch new sessions for a new Soundtrack project (cf. Honor Among Thugz)... This short album is the reflect of the various steps of the evolution of the project :

- 1st sessions with Johnny J & Warren G (tracks 4 & 6 : March of 93)

- Mr. Middle Finger sessions produced by Stretch (Tracks 1 & 3 : Sept. of 93)

- new Thug Life soundtrack (Tracks 2 & 8 : end of 93)

- Out on Bail remade songs (track 10 : end of 93)

- Thug Life / Live Squad new sessions (Tracks 5 & 7 : first half of 94)

- Moe-Z final mix (Track 9 and new mix for n#10 : Sept. of 94)

Coast II Coast

Even if it doesn't really correspond to the content, to the vibe or to the producers, we can notice that 2Pac already wanted to associate East and West in his albums. In 1993, the original Thug Life concept was to record two different albums, one west coast oriented produced by Warren G and Johnny J, featuring Big Syke, Macadoshis, Rated R (cf. Thug Life Original project), the other produced by Stretch in New York featuring Stretch & Y?N-Vee (cf. Mr. Middle Finger). This tendency came back even in his Death Row years at the peak of his feud with Bad Boys with the One Nation project that was sometimes planned as an East/West collaboration but at other times as a double album like 2Pac with the east side, then 2Pac with the west side...

 

 

 

 

 

DETAILED TRACKLIST

(Special thanks to Bomb 1st members Filla and Dominator for sample credits)

 

Eastside :

 

1. Bury Me A G feat. Thug Life & Natasha Walker (Y?N-Vee) / Stretch & 2Pac

• 1993/09 (~). Solo version was intended to be in Mr. Middle Finger solo album. Then 2Pac chose this group version to promote Thug Life album, firstly in his solo album project Street Fame / Out on Bail and then in Volume One itself. In late 94, he will also record a new version with Dramacydal for a b-side to Hard 2 Imagine 12'' (cf. Dramacydal LP).
• Samples : 
• The Isley Brothers - "For The Love of You" (melody)
  
• The Meters - "Groovy Lady" (drumline)

2. Don't Get it Twisted (by Thug Life) / Pro-Jay & Mopreme

• 1993/11 (~). Probably recorded around the time they recorded original version of "Cradle 2 The Grave", also produced by Professor Jay from Da Nayborhoodz who released their album Afta Dark... Illa Than Expected in 1995 with Macadoshis andd Rated R in featuring (Pro-Jay also produced for En Vogue, Thicke, Mya or Usher).
• Samples : 
• David Ayer & Roy Ayers - "Synphonette" (melody) 
• The Meters - "Hand Clapping Song" (melody, vocals)
  
• Audio Two - "Top Billin' (Clark Kent Mix)" (drumline partially)
• MC Shan - "The Bridge" (drumline)
  
• Grover Washington Jr. - "Dolphin Dance" (sound effect)
• The Honey Drippers - "Impeach The President" (cymbal, drumline)
  
• Richard Pryor - "The Back Down" (quote) 
  

3. Shit Don't Stop feat. Thug Life & Y?N-Vee / Stretch & Mopreme

• 1993/09-11 (~). Originally a 2Pac solo song recorded in summer of 93 for Mr. Middle Finger, as "Here We Go". The group will record a Single/Video version with new lyrics in 95 and without 2Pac as a tribute for him being incarcerated (cf. Rarities).
• Samples : 
• Parliament - "Aqua Boogie"  (melody, bassline, vocals)

4. Pour Out A Little Liquor / Johnny J

• 1993/03 (~). Recorded for Thug Life Original Album (but we don't know if the mix was similar). Then released in Death Row's Above The RIM soundtrack in late 1993. They will shoot a video for the song and also record a radio version with alternate clean lyrics.
• Samples :
• The O'Jays - "Cry Together" (melody interpolation)
  
• The Honey Drippers (70's Funk) - "Impeach The President" (drumline interpolation)
  
• Spice 1 - "Welcome to the Ghetto" (vocals)

5. Stay True feat. Mopreme & Stretch / Stretch & 2Pac

• 1994/04 (~). Until late August of 94, the song was still the title track of 2Pac solo 3rd album. But Interscope refusing "Runnin' (Brown Man Thug Life Version)" and the song being one of the strongest moments of the album, probably 2Pac quickly chose one of his better songs to replace it.
• Samples :
• Curtis Mayfield - "Just Want To Be With You" (melody)
  
• Graham Central Station - "The Jam" (drumline)

Westside :

 

6. How Long Will They Mourn Me ? feat. Thug Life & Nate Dogg / Warren G & Nate Dogg

• 1993/03 (~) - new mix 1994/03 (?). Recorded for Thug Life Original Album but with a slightly different music. Banned from Bomb1st said the sample was refused and it leads the whole project to be re-recorded. The song is not announced in Thug Life Volume 1 : Honor Among Thugz in early 94, so maybe the second mix has been made after.
• Samples :
• One Way - "Don't Stop (Ever Love Me)" (melody)
• Little Feet - "Fool Yourself" (drumline) 

7. Under Pressure feat. Stretch / Stretch & 2Pac

• 1994/03 (~). It is said that the song was initially a Live Squad song intended to be in their second album Diary of a Poor Man (like "God Bless The Dead" and unreleased "Danger Times", "It Hurts The Most"), before Stretch gave the song for Thug Life album.
• Samples :
• The Headhunters & Pointer Sisters - "God Make Me Funky" (drumline)
  

8. Street Fame (by Thug Life) / Stretch

• 1993/09-11 (~). Originally the title song for 2Pac solo album around October-November of 93 (after Mr. Middle Finger being scrapped), nothing indicates that a 2Pac version has ever been recorded because it disappeared of the project right after in Out on Bail tracklists. So we could assume that when he was supposed to record the song, he finally gave the beat to the group.
• Samples :
• Marvin Gaye - "Flyin' High In The Friendly Sky" (guitar) 
• The Winstons - "Amen Brother" (drumline)
  
• Mental Illness & Evil Mind Gangsta - "N Misery" (vocals : "i'm a superstar, made it by the street fame")
  

9. Cradle To The Grave feat. Thug Life (Remix) / Pro-Jay REMIXED By Moe-ZMD

• 1993/11 (~) - 1994/08 (new mix). In promo version of Thug Life Volume One in summer of 94, it is still the original version of the song produced by Pro-Jay of Da Nayborhoodz. 2Pac started to work with Moe-Z at that time, that guy being responsible for having produced a good album with west coast rapper Radio, Recognize da Real.
• Samples :
• Quincy Jones - "Ironside" (sirene)
  
• The Nite-Lighters - "Damn" (drums)
  
• Kool & The Gang - "N.T." (drums)
  

10. Str8 Ballin' / Easy Mo Bee

• 1993/11 - 1994/01-06-08 (~, new take and new mixes). Originally recorded during Easy Mo Bee sessions for 2Pac solo album Out on Bail. Until spring of 94, the song was still planned to be released in 2Pac solo album R U Still Down / Stay True, with same Pac voice take and intro but with a normal voice. The song seems to have replaced "Ready 4 Whatever" or "Thugz Theme".
• Samples : 
• Bootsy's Rubber Band - "What's a Phone Bill ?" (melody, vocals)