Tupac is not regarded as a lyricist too often. amongst haters or industry peers that knew him on a musical level. it’s really unfortunate because Tupac pen bled pain and sorrow since his first debut album, his firsthand accounts reflected reality no gimmicks or magic tricks. just pure vulnerability but then he could take his audience on a journey but remain real at the same a rollercoaster of emotions he mastered his gift we ate right out of the palm of his hand of Thugism Black Pantherism
Here we take a deep dive into my personal favorite original bootlegs 15 songs’s broken down into 5’s per article. in the words of the great Tupac Shakur “Follow Me!!”
1: Me And My Closest Road Dogs Produced By Johnny J
Tupac narrates a story of 1989 a troubled child being introduced to a life of crime with his friend at age 13 catching cases being on the run but also realize the consequences to his actions so he foresee how his funeral and casket is planned, this song features Pac friend and collab member of Thug Life/Outlawz Big Syke interjects with his verses reminiscing while being a ride or die true friend at the same time
Pac: “My thoughts in pass, I know I’ll die soon
So there’s no need to ask
How will my homeboys remember me?
Bury me a G, casket full of Hennessy.”
2: Tattoo Tearz Feat Greg Nice And The Outlawz recorded during One Nation Sessions, Summer Of 1996 then performed live during House OF Blues In Los Angeles California in July which is considered Tupac last public performance, this track is produced by Dogg Pound Member and Death Row Rapper Kurupt (Originally from Philly raised LA) the backtrack sonically bring the listener in to boom Bap beat laced with chords muted synth bass surrounding harmonies provided by Greg Nice (Nice and Smooth Hip Hop Duo) Tupac flawless as ever in this song. he dreams of his squad being successful in the mist of chaos but understands there needs to be more accomplished he’s used to the stress while comprehending his competition will never understand what it’s like to go through to become a man yet still being ambitious at the same time.
Tupac: “How can we find some peace and still ain’t get a piece.
I know I’m probably hell bound, but we got to eat
I’m seeing Satin infiltrating; my military mind
Make me hustle all the time, go out for cash making
Forgive my adversaries they don’t understand what we go through
To become a man, we shedding tattooed tears”
i wanted to highlight his versatility in this article since Brenda Got A Baby and Keep Ya Head Up, Can You Get Away, He wrote about struggles Women go through in society as beings who are forced in positions of unfortunate circumstance's whether it be domestic violence or S.A. in the inner cities or just worldwide Pac highlighted cause he gave a damn so he never tap danced around the subject he wanted everybody to pay attention to the situation at hand not just the BS. there’s always layers to the onion Pac opened his mouth and spoke out He’s dearly missed for that.
3: Baby Don’t Cry was recorded in 1996 only with one first completed it layed untouched just bare Bass and Guitar Keys, produced by Johnny J with assistance from Death Row Musician Ricky Rouse who played rhythm section on many Pac sessions at Death Row, Pac narrates a story of a young woman who went through a horrible violent attack who was chased and violated at just 13yrs of age it was her secret she held. Pac listening to her tried to put himself in her shoes being sympathetic to her pain but understood he wouldn’t know how to handle such event he give’s word’s of encouragement instead
Pac: “Thinking’ with your brains blown that would make the pain go
No! You got to find a way to survive
Cause they win when your soul dies”
4: Tupac: Grab The Mic aka Staring At The World Thru My Rearview recorded in October of 1995 Produced By Johnny J
Pac narrate a story of being a drug abuser young dropping out of high school his life of poverty as a kid nobody really cared and still doesn’t for the young children but now he older want to spread the lessons to the young ins his friends didn’t make it to see him be successful, so he drops Knowlege he don’t want the kids to follow the wrong path his plea to God is for their lives to be not so harsh in despite of what’s to come in their environment
5: “Aint Nothing Wrong” This Interlude was for his album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory Makaveli but unknown reasons was pulled Pac chants “Ain’t Nothing Wrong with Getting ya Paper” also switches “They Blamed Us” “They Hate Us” He is talking about The Powers that be hates his people how The Privileged blamed their actions on the less privileged. no matter what they did or do Pac mentions The Menéndez Brothers (1989)
who murdered their parents and blamed Black People also Susan Smith (1994) who drowned her own children in a lake to only blame it on a Black Man, Pac preaches over a slow dragging soulful track Produced by Darryl Harper
Thanks For Reading Be Sure To Give It A Clap and Share I also have other articles written be sure to check them out, follow me on IG and Twitter @ Swisherdreamz, I’m always writing
