- 1989-1990 : early recordings with his Marin City group - Ray "Tyson" Luv, DJ Dizzy... - at Chopmaster J home studio.
- Chopmaster J presumably gave these tapes to Shock G who invited the group to tour with Digital Underground...
- 1991 : remix versions for an unreleased Strictly Dope / Force One Crew album.
- It is possible that 2Pac and Chopmaster J had that project of giving a fresh mix to Strictly Dope sessions, maybe among other T.N.T. Wicked J, Coolie Ranks... material. The project was presumably given up when the tapes were lost.
 |
| The picture is taken from a photoset from 1989 |
### The album was published various times but it obviously lacks some alternate recordings. ###
Tracklist - Discogs page / Listen in YouTube / grab it there
2. The Case Of The Misplaced Mic (Force One Mix) feat. Ray Luv & DJ Dizzy
3. Let Knowledge Drop feat. Ray Luv*
4. Never Be Beat feat. Ray Luv
5. A Day In The Life feat. Ray Luv*
6. My Burnin' Heart
7. Minnie The Moocher feat. Ray Luv*
8. The Case Of The Misplaced Mic II (Original Mix) feat. DJ Dizzy & Ray Luv *
9. Static mix I (Force One Playa Mix)
10. Static mix II (Force One Radio Mix)
Various editions :
- 1997 - 1 in 21 : A Tupac Shakur Story (with Force One Network & Strictly Dope) (AIM)
// This first edition had only 6 songs of that album and "Static" Extended mix and a "Static (Silent Mic)" instrumental. - 1997 - The Remixes : A Tupac Shakur Story (AIM)
// Companion to "1 in 21", it gathers some alternate mixes of the already available songs as well as the Original version of "Static" labelled "raggamuffin mix". - 1999 - My Tupac Shakur Story (Herb 'N Soul)
// Same tracks than previous editions - 2000, april the 18th - The Lost Tapes (Herb 'N Soul / ZYX)
// First 10 tracks edition, rejected by Amaru Entertainment. - 2007, June the 12th - Beginnings : The Lost Tapes 1988-1991 (Koch/ Amaru)
// exactly the same edition than in 2000, it is just a fully official release with Amaru agreement.
Presentation from the 1997's edition :
Look carefully to the cover of this 2000's edition... Same picture than in 1997, but what happened to the middle finger ? No, only the same photoset.
Presentation from the 1999's edition :
"Static electricity filled the air, making the hair stand up on the back of my nuts. I stood waiting in a dark passageway, while out in the arena 20,000 voices roared "We want Humpty, we want Humpty !" There was me, Jimi, a.k.a Chopmaster-J, my partner Greg, a.k.a. Shock-G (a.k.a. Humpty Hump), Money-B, DJ Fuze, and Tupac. The place was Houston, Textas, the time was the summer of 1990, and we were DIGITAL UNDERGROUND.
We had a Top Ten Hit on the Charts, and we were about ready to blow the roof off the mother fucker and knew that we were on our way to becoming Pop Legends. But it was only the youngest of us who would achieve the level of ICON, Super Star, Legend... and it would only cost him everything.
Presentation from the 2000's edition :
Peace,
Chopmaster J"
Strictly Dope is Tupac, Ray "Luv" Tyson, friends and Chopmaster J
In 1988, when they moved with his family in Marin City, Tupac started to rap with different rappers from the Bay Area, he first joined Clark Gable group One Nation Emcees with Ryan D and maybe Ant Dog. Then he formed Strictly Dope with Ray Luv, DJ Dize and other guys like Mike Cooley (who will then appear in Mouse Man & The Wycked pictures in 92, and be dedicated in "Hell Razor" in 93 : "This goes out to my nigga Mike Cooley who will be in prison at that time).
2Pac also
used to go to the writing workshops "Microphone Sessions" of Leila Steinberg. She pushed him and Ray to
read and write, hosted them at her home. She became their manager and helped to
find a concert in spring of 1989.
By this way, they have been pointed out by Digital Underground's manager Atron Gregory, who offered them a recording session with Digital Underground's producers DJ Fuse and Chopmaster J, at Chopmaster J's home studio in Oakland in summer of 89. Probably the tape came to the ears of Shock G who decided to have them as roadies and dancers during their upcoming Digital Underground tour. That leads Shock G to invite 2Pac in the movie song "Same Song", great first exposure for a beginner like 2Pac, appearing in the video dressed as an African prince (a bit like Mobutu with leopard patterns).
He probably started to record new songs (or made new recording for old ones) for a solo album with Atron Gregory and TNT studios, like "Neva Surrender", "Tearz of a Clown" or "Static" featuring Chopmaster's new group Force One Network (with Julian Brooks & Cooley Ranks). This is probably with this Strictly Dope tape and with these new songs, that 2Pac came to get a contract with Interscope in 1991.
At that time, Chopmaster J was working on his own side group called Force One Network (like Money B and Raw Fusion). With them, he started to remix some of the old Strictly Dope tracks and notably the powerful Pac verse of "Static". The project seemed to sound oriented experimental Hip Hop. But in 1991, a firestorm destroyed his home and important parts of his work. So Chopmaster J went on a totally different direction with soul singer Dave Hollister.
Chopmaster J interview by Thug Nation
CJ: I first meet 2Pac some part in early 1989. Basically he was dropped off on me to get some demos recorded with his group Strictly Dope: Ray Luv, Dizzy and Mark Durado. Those were the three of Strictly Divine, Strictly Dope was a much bigger crew out of Marine County. There was Abe out of 51/50 who was a dope producer. I got with 'Pac. He was the squeaky wheel that got the oil. He was the guy that always made noise and we paid attention to him. He was like a bad ass little cousin that someone dropped off on you and made you take care of. I initially didn't really care for it but it's something about him was endearing and fun to work with but I don't really know what it was. He was a headache but a joy at the same time.
TN: So would you say you seen the star in him at that early age?
CJ: You know, I don’t know if I necessarily seen the star as much as I seen a person who was very much trying to get on and do what he had to do to get on. He had a different attitude about it than others, he was aggressive and he would make comments like: "Tell me what I gotta do to help so I get to be put on". I thought that was a really refreshing thing because people just always want for you to put them on and help them do their thing but not with the giving back attitude.
TN: The Lost Tapes, is the production similar in a way to the original recordings?
CJ: Yeah, you know I have a few more songs that I'm looking to release. A few Strictly Dope songs, they're still very raw. I thought it would be cool to leave them how they are. I grew up as a Bruce Lee fan and I never liked when they tried to chop him up and put him in different stuff, put peoples face over his, all that stupid shit. I always thought it was cool to leave it raw, but then I’m also looking to make some club mixes, some Chemical Brothers type stuff.
TN: So this is going to be a Lost Tapes Volume 2?
CJ: Yes, absolutely.
DETAILED TRACKLIST
(Special thanks to Bomb1st members Filla and Dominator for samples credits)
- 1989. Also released in Resurrection (2003, Interscope).
- Story. There is an original One Nation Emcees version of the song with same Pac verse but featuring Ryan D instead of Ray Luv, probably the first version of the song, recorded in late 1988 or in 1989. 2Pac rapped his first verse in live in 1989 over the "Self Destruction" beat (a Stop The Violence anthem, prod. by KRS-One) featuring Ryan D, friends and Ant Dog... There is also an alternate version with a female chorus by Tasha Lambert (from Kwamé & The New Beginning), probably a Force One remix made in late 1990 for 2Pacalypse Now, the song and the girl appearing in some early tracklists of it under that title and with a mysterious "Uplift The Race" (cf. Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A.), which will also re-appear in late 1991 in a 2Pacalypse II tracklist.
- Samples :
- James Brown - "Funky Drummer" (drums)
- 1989 - 1990 (?) (new mix ?).
- Story. The song appears in early tracklists of 2Pacalypse Now, in late 1990 (cf. Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A.). Considering that Darrell Savage from Force One Network is here credited as a co-producer, and that the beat is more elaborated, we could presume that this version is in fact a remix specifically made for 2Pac's solo album (the song supposed to have been recorded in Feb. 89). Some elements of the beat will be re-used in "One Drag" in Force One Network's The MME Program 1 (1992).
- 1989.
- Story. There is a Force One (?) remix version (without Ray Luv) recently leaked. It could eventually have been made in 1990 for 2Pacalypse Now (cf. Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A.) but it does not appear in early tracklists of it, so maybe more likely later in 1991 like "Static Remix" for an unknown Force One Network project
- 1989.
- Story. 2Pac recorded a prior version of the song with Ryan D & One Nation Emcees (cf. The Early Years).
- Samples :
- The J.B.'s - "Hot Pants Road" (horns, bassline)
- N.W.A. - "Straight Outta Compton" (vocals : "I'm a bad muthefucker and you know this")
- 1989.
- Story. The song appears in early tracklists of 2Pacalypse Now, in late 1990 (cf. Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A.). The recently leaked - slightly remixed - of the song could be the one made in mid-late 1990 intended for the album.
- Samples :
- Grover Washington Jr. - "Black Frost" (melody)
- 1989.
- Story. There is a recently leaked snippet from an alternate version of the song which could presumably be a Force One Remix.
- Samples :
- Cab Calloway - "Minnie The Moocher" (concept)
- 1989 (~) OR 1990 (~).
- Story. In fact, considering the voice of 2Pac and the less elaborated beat, this version of the song is very probably the original version recorded in early 1989, and not a part 2. Here, Ray Luv named "Roc-T" (Rock Tyson), is just appearing in the outro verse whereas he is backing the whole other version. The fact a precise date was given for the song could mean it is the very first song recorded by the group... And 2Pac was with Ryan D before that.
- 1991. Released as "Playa mix" in 1 in 21 (1997, AIM) and in Static single (1997, AIM).
- Story. The original features Wicked J (Julian Brooks of the Modd Squad) & Cooley Ranks, like in "Fade Away" (cf. Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A. / 2Pacalypse II), and could have been recorded in late 1990 after "Same Song" or in mid 91, around the time of the African Liberation Day concert in Sacremento (25th of May), where they all three performed together. They were probably the original line-up of the group then called Force One Crew.
- Samples :
- Digital Underground - "Same Song" (vocals : "2Pac go ahead and rock this")
- 1991. Released as "Radio mix" in 1 in 21 (1997, AIM) and in Static single (1997, AIM).
- Story. "Radio mix" could mean it is a short version of the extended club one. Like the other mix, this one repeats two times the 2Pac verse, introduced by the famous Shock G line "2Pac, go ahead and rock this" taken from "Same Song". These mixes have probably been made for Force One Network album, before Chopmaster J lost his work in the firestorm and before he incorporated Dave Hollister as main voice of his group (cf. The MME Program 1).
- Samples :
- Digital Underground - "Same Song" (vocals : "2Pac go ahead and rock this")
No comments:
Post a Comment