Top Ten Tupac Songs

To call Tupac Amaru Shakur one of the greatest artists in Hip-Hop history would be trite. Accurate, but trite. The late rapper was certainly much more than a musician in the eyes of the many who witnessed him in his glory. He was also a gifted actor, a skillful orator, an outspoken activist and a pop culture phenomenon. He was also a conflicted personality who had a knack for causing controversy and diving headfirst into trouble. Picture Kanye West mixed with Kendrick Lamar, Donald Glover and Chris Brown. It’s a testament to the fascinating life he lived that 22 years after his violent death, he is still the subject of documentaries, books and movies chronicling his life. Although the circumstances around his death are still mysterious, his artistic output has not only helped his legend but has won him legions of loyal fans worldwide. There’ll never be a consensus when discussing 2Pac’s ten greatest songs but that’s a tribute to the quality and quantity of songs he left behind (6 albums in life; 6 albums after death).

Ten

Hail Mary (ft. Outlawz)

The Don Killuminati: 7 Day Theory (1996)

When The Don Killuminati album was released 2 months after 2Pac’s death, it took a lot of rap listeners by surprise. Not only because this was his first posthumous album, but because it was under a new alias, “Makaveli”. Listening to this album raises a lot of questions. Why the new moniker? Why did 2Pac have issues with the likes of De La Soul and the Fugees? What direction was he planning to take with his music? In that sense, “Hail Mary” stands out as a jewel on this confusing album. Pac is in his element here, spitting ferociously over the dark, menacing beat and evoking spiritual imagery and violent threats in the same breath. The track also features his group, the Outlawz, but honestly after hearing Pac’s verses you may as well rewind or move on. It’s not only the highlight of the Don Killuminati album, it’s a staple in his discography. So much so that it was featured in both 2015’s Straight Outta Compton and 2017’s All Eyez on Me movies.

Nine

I Get Around (feat. Digital Underground)

Strictly for My N.I.G.G.A.Z (1993)

This is easily one of the most underrated songs in 2Pac’s vast catalogue. While he was far from a one-dimensional rapper, when people think of 2Pac’s greatest songs they tend to fall under 2 categories: conscious (“Keep Ya’ Head Up”, “Changes”) and “gangsta” (“2 of America’s Most Wanted”, “Hail Mary”). But songs like “I Get Around” show that there was also a fun side to his personality. Rhyming over a groovy Shock G beat, he lets it be known that as a young, famous and rich rap star he enjoys the attention of numerous groupies from state to state. As long as these girls don’t try to bug him down with pleas of commitment, he’s down to enjoy their company because he gets around.

Eight

So Many Tears

Me Against the World (1995)

What is it about depression that causes artists to make some of their inspired work? When 2Pac crafted his classic album Me Against the World, it was in the midst of some of the darkest times of his life. Despite the success he had enjoyed in both music and acting, he was spending large sums fighting numerous court cases. In fact when the album was released in early 1995, he was in prison on a sexual assault charge. Maybe it was the sheer volume of problems his fame had caused him that led to some of the most emotionally resonant songs in hip-hop history like this one. “So Many Tears” sees him at his most desperate and weary state as he contemplates the helplessness he often feels as a young, black man in America. It is blues music set to a hip-hop beat. It also samples Stevie Wonder’s “That Girl”, one of my favorite songs.

Seven

How Do U Want It (ft. K-Ci and Jojo)

All Eyez on Me (1996)

When 2Pac was bailed from jail by Deathrow CEO, Suge Knight, he returned to the studio with a scarcely believable hunger and zeal. In the next two weeks he had come up with the bulk of his magnum opus, the incomparable All Eyez on Me. Compared to the darkness and self-reflection of Me Against the World, Pac’s fifth album was mostly filled with celebration and braggadocio. On “How Do U Want It”, he featured K-Ci and Jojo, vocalists of bad boy group Jodeci. This smash single saw Pac mostly bragging about his sexual prowess while also taking time to deliver broadsides to Delores Tucker and Bob Dole. Armed with Danny Boy’s funky production and K-Ci and Jojo’s catchy chorus, this song went to the top of several Billboard charts and is still seen as one of the greatest Hip-Hop summer songs.

Six

Dear Mama

Me Against the World (1995)

This is not only one of 2Pac’s most popular songs, it might be one of his most revered. Artists dedicating songs to their mothers was not exactly new territory before this song, but for whatever reason it wasn’t common in Hip-Hop. Sure you’d hear rappers referencing their moms in lines here and there, but dedicating a whole song was certainly not the norm. It’s because of songs like this that 2Pac is as influential today as he was when he was alive. His lyrics here are sincere – sometimes even uncomfortably so – and shed some light on the beautiful yet complex relationship he had with his mother, Afeni Shakur.

Five

Me Against the World

Me Against the World (1995)

It is sometimes easy to forget that 2Pac was only 25 when he died – such was his influence on the revolution that Hip-Hop music had become in the mid-nineties. Fans of his work have speculated since his passing about what his influence could have grown into if he was still alive. Would he have become one of the greatest actors in the world? Would he have become a record executive/ business icon? Maybe he would have become a politician. It’s certainly easy to imagine the latter being the case when you listen to his second verse on “Me Against the World”. Not only does he break down the social injustices that disenfranchised African Americans have to deal with, he finds time to encourage his young listeners to arm themselves with knowledge to fight for their communities. It’s because of songs like these that he remains so loved till this day.

Four

Changes

Greatest Hits (1998)

In life and in death, 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G were seemingly destined to be compared and contrasted with each other. Star power, their influence, the millions of albums sold and their violent deaths are things they have in common. What 2Pac had that Biggie lacked was an unmatchable work ethic. Since his death, five albums of unreleased songs have been released to much commercial success. Of all these songs, “Changes” has easily been the most successful. Not only did the Greatest Hits single go to number one on the charts in places like Norway, Netherlands and the U.K but it earned the late rapper a posthumous Grammy award nomination. But to be honest, it’s easy to understand why this song was as big as it was. The hook is catchy, the piano driven beat is infectious and the message is incredibly poignant. His verses offer a sharp critique of the political climate and economic inequalities of the times along with a call to self-reflection. There is no denying Biggie’s ability on the mic – he is in my opinion, the most gifted rapper ever – but 2Pac truly was something else.

Three

California Love (ft. Dr. Dre)

All Eyez on Me (1996)

The biggest song of 2Pac’s musical career. Not only did it top the charts in several countries upon its release, it has retrospectively accrued accolades such as been on Time magazine’s “All-Time 100 Songs” and Rolling Stone’s “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” lists. Funnily enough, it very nearly didn’t happen. Dr. Dre had already produced the song and recorded verses with the intention of releasing it as a single for his second studio album. But after his release from jail, 2Pac’s All Eyez on Me album was Deathrow’s biggest priority and so Dre gave Pac the song and the rest is history. While the song serves as a celebration of all things California, the resounding bass of Dre’s beat is guaranteed to keep dance floors vibrating all over the world. A truly timeless record.

Two

Temptations

Me Against the World (1995)

From the moment you hear 2Pac’s voice boom in the opening few seconds, “MO Bee man, drop that shit!”, I knew I was in for a treat. The first time I heard “Temptations” was in late 2008, and needless to say, I was already a huge ‘Pac fan. So the fact that there was a 2Pac song I hadn’t heard was already a surprise to me, but the fact that it was this dope was quite unbelievable. Easy Mo Bee’s beat is typically bass heavy but his use of synthesizers gave the song an infectious West Coast flavor. As opposed to “I Get Around” where ‘Pac was reveling in his status as a rich, young bachelor, “Temptations” sees him longing for something more stable. He knows he should promise fidelity and commitment but he also understands that his fame and wealth means temptation will always be around the corner. As a result of ‘Pac serving his jail sentence in 1995, he wasn’t available for the shooting of the music video. Fortunately for him, a lot of his famous friends showed love and appeared in the video in his absence. Look out for the likes of Ice-T, Bill Bellamy, Coolio and Jada Pinkett.

One

Do For Love

R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1998)

I don’t know whether it was the Bobby Caldwell sample that did it. Maybe it was the slightly emotionless way the female sang the chorus. It could have been the animation in the video. All I know is that when I saw “Do for Love” for the first time as a 12 year old, I was fascinated. I’d only been listening to Hip-Hop for a couple of years at that point and only on MTV and Channel O. I’d only heard of 2Pac in passing and by that time he’d been dead for a few years. Then I saw the video that fateful day and I became an instant fan. Over the years, I heard about a hundred more ‘Pac songs that had an impact on me – the most impactful of which made the list. But it all starts with “Do for Love”. The song is essentially a one-sided conversation he has with his girl letting her know her foul ways have hurt him one too many times. But he can’t quite let go because he’s a “sucka for love.” It’s ‘Pac at his best, as he lays his emotions bare on the track and articulates the pain of relationship trouble in a way most rappers simply cannot. It’s little wonder why 22 years after his death, he’s still revered as the greatest.

#2pac #hiphop #changes #temptations