2Pacalypse Now

Last updated
2Pacalypse Now
2pacalypse now.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 12, 1991 (1991-11-12)
Recorded1991
StudioStarlight Sound (Richmond, CA)
Genre
Length55:07
Label
Producer
2Pac chronology
2Pacalypse Now
(1991)
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
(1993)
Singles from 2Pacalypse Now
  1. "Trapped"
    Released: September 25, 1991
  2. "Brenda's Got a Baby"
    Released: October 20, 1991
  3. "If My Homie Calls"
    Released: February 25, 1992

2Pacalypse Now is the debut solo studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on November 12, 1991 through TNT Recordings and Interscope Records. [1] The recording sessions took place at Starlight Sound Studio in Richmond, California. The album was produced by the Digital Underground production team the Underground Railroad, made up of Big D the Impossible, Shock G, Pee-Wee, DJ Jay-Z, Raw Fusion, and Live Squad. It features contributions from Stretch, Angelique, Dave Hollister, Pogo, Poppi, Ray Luv and Shock G among others. The album's title is a reference to the 1979 war film Apocalypse Now .

Contents

In the United States, the album reached number 64 on the US Billboard 200, number 13 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 3 on both the Heatseekers Albums and Catalog Albums charts. On April 19, 1995, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 copies. In commemoration of its twenty-fifth anniversary, it was re-released on vinyl and cassette on November 11, 2016, [2] which peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Vinyl Albums chart.

The album produced three singles with accompanying music videos: "Trapped", "Brenda's Got a Baby" and "If My Homie Calls". The second single off of the album, "Brenda's Got a Baby", made it to No. 23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, number 3 on the Hot Rap Songs and number 55 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales. The song "I Don't Give a Fuck" from the album was included in 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in-game radio station Radio Los Santos.

Content

2Pacalypse Now is a socially conscious hip hop album. It serves as the artist's commentary on contemporary social issues facing American society, such as racism, police brutality, poverty, gang violence. teenage pregnancy and drug abuse. The album poetically addresses black urban concerns relevant to the present day. Although a relatively tame album compared to Shakur's later works, 2Pacalypse Now was known for its violent lyrics aimed at police officers and the government in the songs "Trapped", "I Don't Give a Fuck" and "Soulja's Story". [3] [4]

Controversy

The album generated significant controversy stemming from then-U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle's public criticism after Ronald Ray Howard murdered a Texas Highway Patrol trooper and his defense attorney claimed he was influenced by 2Pacalypse Now and its strong theme of police brutality. Quayle made the statement, "There's no reason for a record like this to be published. It has no place in our society". [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Q 4/5 [7]
RapReviews8/10 [8]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Tom Hull – on the Web B+( Five Pointed Star Solid.svg ) [10]

2Pacalypse Now received generally positive reviews from critics. Although the album's political messages, lyrics and his storytelling were praised, Tupac Shakur's debut album was criticized for its production. In a retrospective review, RapReviews gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and said: "It's not an extraordinarily long album, but it is a dense and heavy listen that will take a lot out of you if you pay close attention to the persistent theme. The beats overall fail to make much of an impression, but perhaps that is as it should be, since nothing should be allowed to outshine this kind of lyrical performance. Tupac's vitriol is carried by his sincerity and charisma, both of which would emerge as key traits of the figure that blossomed in the years to come. Over the course of Tupac's career, the political got suffused by the personal and receded from the central position it occupied on his debut." [8]

Commercial performance

Upon its release, 2Pacalypse Now debuted at number 197 on the Billboard 200, number 77 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 31 on the Heatseekers Albums charts in the United States. The album peaked at No. 64, No. 13 and No. 3 on the respective charts in the first third of 1992. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the album gold on April 19, 1995 for passing the sales mark of half a million copies.

After 2Pac's death in 1996, the album made it to the US Catalog Albums, peaking at number 3. It also made its charting debut on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart, reaching number 35.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Young Black Male"Big D the Impossible2:35
2."Trapped" Pee-Wee 4:44
3."Soulja's Story"
Big D the Impossible5:05
4."I Don't Give a Fuck"
  • Shakur
  • Gooden
Pee-Wee4:20
5."Violent" Raw Fusion 6:25
6."Words of Wisdom" Shock G 4:54
7."Something Wicked"
  • Shakur
  • Jeremy Jackson
J-Z2:28
8."Crooked Ass Nigga" (featuring Stretch)
Live Squad 4:17
9."If My Homie Calls"
Big D the Impossible4:18
10."Brenda's Got a Baby"
  • Shakur
  • Evans
Big D the Impossible3:53
11."Tha' Lunatic" (featuring Stretch)
  • Shakur
  • Jacobs
  • Clinton Jr.
  • Ron Banks
Shock G 3:29
12."Rebel of the Underground"
  • Shakur
  • Evans
Big D the Impossible3:17
13."Part Time Mutha" (featuring Poppi)
Big D the Impossible5:13
Total length:55:07

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [18] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Me Against the World</i> 1995 studio album by 2Pac

Me Against the World is the third studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on March 14, 1995, by Interscope Records and Out da Gutta Records and distributed by Atlantic Records. 2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impending prison sentence, troubles with the police, and poverty.

<i>Tupac: Resurrection</i> (soundtrack) 2003 soundtrack album by 2Pac

Tupac: Resurrection is a soundtrack album for the Academy Award-nominated documentary of the same name. It was released on November 14, 2003, by Amaru Entertainment and Interscope Records.

<i>The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory</i> 1996 studio album by Makaveli

The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is the fifth studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur, his first posthumous album and the last released with his creative input. Recorded in July and August 1996, it was released on November 5, 1996, almost two months after his death, under the stage name of Makaveli, through Death Row Records, Makaveli Records and Interscope Records.

<i>Loyal to the Game</i> 2004 studio album by 2Pac

Loyal to the Game is the ninth studio album and fifth posthumous studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur. The album was produced by Eminem and consists of remixes of previously unreleased music recorded by Tupac before his death in 1996. Released in the United States on December 14, 2004, Loyal to the Game debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<i>Better Dayz</i> 2002 studio album by 2Pac

Better Dayz is the eighth studio album and fourth posthumous album by the late American rapper 2Pac, and is his last to be a double-album.

<i>Until the End of Time</i> (Tupac Shakur album) 2001 studio album by 2Pac

Until the End of Time is the seventh studio album and third posthumous album by American rapper 2Pac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Love</span> 1995 single by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman

"California Love" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring fellow American rapper-producer Dr. Dre and American singer Roger Troutman of the funk group Zapp. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single after his release from prison in 1995 and was his first single as the newest artist of Death Row Records. The original version is featured on the UK version of his fourth album, All Eyez on Me (1996), and is one of 2Pac's most widely known and most successful singles. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and also topped the charts of Italy, New Zealand, and Sweden. The song was posthumously nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenda's Got a Baby</span> 1991 single by 2Pac

"Brenda's Got a Baby" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his debut album, 2Pacalypse Now (1991). The song was first released as a promotional CD single a month prior to album's release and then, in February 1992, it was re-released as a double A-side single with the song "If My Homie Calls". The song, which features R&B singer Dave Hollister singing background vocals with Roniece Levias, is about a 12-year-old girl named Brenda who lives in a ghetto and has a baby she can't support. The song explores the issue of teen pregnancy and its effect on young mothers and their families. Like many of Shakur's songs, "Brenda's Got a Baby" draws from the plight of the impoverished. Using Brenda to represent young mothers in general, Shakur criticises the low level of support from the baby's father, the government, and society in general. Shakur wrote the song while filming the feature film Juice, after reading a newspaper article about a 12-year-old girl who became pregnant by her cousin and threw the baby into a trash heap.

<i>Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...</i> 1993 studio album by 2Pac

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... is the second studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released on February 16, 1993, by Interscope Records and TNT Recordings and distributed by Atlantic Records. N.I.G.G.A. in the title is punctuated to refer to 2Pac's backronym "Never Ignorant in Getting Goals Accomplished". The album features guest appearances from the group Live Squad, 2Pac's stepbrother the Wycked, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Treach, Apache, Poppi, Deadly Threat, R&B singer Dave Hollister and Digital Underground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keep Ya Head Up</span> 1993 single by 2Pac featuring Dave Hollister

"Keep Ya Head Up" is a song by American rapper Tupac Shakur from his second studio album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993). It was released on October 28, 1993 by Interscope Records as the album's third single, peaking at numbers 12 and 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dear Mama</span> 1995 single by Tupac Shakur

"Dear Mama" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his third studio album, Me Against the World (1995). It was released on February 21, 1995, as the lead single from the album. The song is a tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. In the song, Shakur details his childhood poverty and his mother's addiction to crack cocaine, but argues that his love and deep respect for his mother supersede bad memories. The song became his first top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number nine. It also topped the Hot Rap Singles chart for five weeks. As of March 2021, the song is certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Get Around (Tupac Shakur song)</span> 1993 single by 2Pac featuring Digital Underground

"I Get Around" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his second studio album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993). It was released on June 10, 1993 by Interscope Records as the album's second single and features Shakur's mentor Shock G and Money-B of Digital Underground, Shakur's old group. It was produced by Shock G, who produced it under the alias, The D-Flow Production Squad. AllMusic notes that in the song, Shakur "brags about his sexual conquests". Chart-wise, it was the album's most successful single, reaching numbers eleven and nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100.

<i>The BDI Thug</i> 1999 studio album by Buckshot

The BDI Thug is the only studio album by American rapper Buckshot. It was released on October 26, 1999, via Duck Down Records. Production was handled by Mark "Boogie" Brown, Baby Paul, Chris Ward, DJ Akshun, Just Blaze, Lord Jamar, Master Beats and Buckshot himself, who also served as executive producer together with Drew "Dru-Ha" Friedman. It features guest appearances from BJ Swan, Blue Flame, FT, Half a Mill, Harly Hearts, Sweet Mellodye, Tone Capone and Top Dog. The album peaked at number 63 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 21 on the Heatseekers Albums in the United States.

<i>Pacs Life</i> 2006 studio album by 2Pac

Pac's Life is the tenth and final studio album, and sixth posthumous album by American rapper 2Pac, released on November 21, 2006 on Amaru Entertainment. The album serves as Shakur's tenth and final studio album since Amaru Entertainment completed the redo of Shakur's original discography, from 2Pacalypse Now to The 7 Day Theory. The album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pac's Life (song)</span> 2006 single by 2Pac featuring Ashanti and T.I.

"Pac's Life" is a single written and performed by American rappers Tupac Shakur and T.I and R&B singer Ashanti, produced by L. T. Hutton for Shakur's posthumously released album of the same name. It is a hip hop and R&B song; the second Tupac verse was recycled from a song titled "This Life I Lead". T.I. said in an interview that working on the song was an honor, as he idolized him while growing up.

<i>All Eyez on Me</i> 1996 studio album by 2Pac

All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac and the last to be released during his lifetime. Released on February 13, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records, the album features guest appearances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Redman, Method Man, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, Daz Dillinger, E-40, K-Ci & JoJo, and the Outlawz, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trapped (Tupac Shakur song)</span> 1991 single by 2Pac

"Trapped" is the political hip hop song written and performed by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on September 25, 1991, through Interscope Records as the lead single from his debut solo studio album 2Pacalypse Now. Recording sessions took place at Starlight Sound Studio in Richmond, California. Production was handled by Ramone "Pee-Wee" Gooden, who utilised samples from the Bar-Kays's "Holy Ghost" and James Brown's "The Spank".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toss It Up</span> 1996 single by Makaveli featuring Danny Boy, K-Ci & JoJo, and Aaron Hall

"Toss It Up" is a song by rapper Tupac Shakur from his fifth studio album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996). Released under the stage name Makaveli, the song served as the lead single to the posthumous album. It was first released in the United States just under two weeks after his death, peaking at number thirty-three on the R&B singles chart. The song is known for including a diss toward Dr. Dre and instrumentally being very similar to the production on the song "No Diggity". It features vocals and singing from Aaron Hall, Danny Boy, and K-Ci & JoJo.

<i>Live from the Styleetron</i> 1991 studio album by Raw Fusion

Live from the Styleetron is the debut studio album by Oakland-based hip hop group Raw Fusion. The group was fronted by Ron Brooks, known as Money-B, an active member of Digital Underground who produced this album as a side project with fellow group member David Elliot, known as DJ FUZE. Among many featured artists was a young unknown performer named Tupac Shakur who would later become a legendary figure in the world of hip hop.

"Gotta Get Mine" is a song performed by American rappers MC Breed and Tupac Shakur. It was released on June 3, 1993, through Wrap Records with distribution via Ichiban Records, as a lead single from MC Breed's second solo studio album The New Breed. Its lyrics were written by Breed, 2Pac and The D.O.C., and the music was composed by Colin Wolfe and Warren G. It was produced by Warren G, Colin Wolfe and MC Breed.

References

  1. McAdams, Janine (November 30, 1991). "2Pac Files Claim Against Oakland" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 103, no. 48. New York, NY, USA: BPI Communications, Inc. p. 20. ISSN   0006-2510. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 21, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2023. Details were revealed at a Nov. 12 press conference..."2Pacalypse Now," was released the same day as his press conference.
  2. Walker, Angus (November 13, 2016). "Tupac's "2Pacalypse Now" Released On Vinyl For The First Time". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  3. Vaught, Seneca (Spring 2014). "Tupac's Law: Incarceration, T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E., and the Crisis of Black Masculinity". Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men. 2: 93–94. doi:10.2979/spectrum.2.2.87. S2CID   144439620. Archived from the original on March 6, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  4. Chadwick, Justin (November 8, 2021). "Revisiting 2Pac's Debut Album '2Pacalypse Now' (1991) | Tribute". Albumism. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  5. Broder, John (September 23, 1992). "Quayle Calls for Pulling Rap Album Tied to Murder Case". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  6. Brown, Marisa. "2Pacalypse Now 2Pac". AllMusic . Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  7. McCann, Ian (April 1997). "Q Reviews: reissue reviews". Q .
  8. 1 2 Woods, Emilee (February 24, 2009). "2Pac 2Pacalypse Now". RapReviews. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  9. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David, eds. (2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 830–832. ISBN   978-0-7432-0169-8 via Google Books.
  10. Hull, Tom (August 3, 2015). "Grade List: 2Pac". tomhull.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  11. "2Pac Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  12. "2Pac Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  13. "2Pac Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  14. "2Pac Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  15. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  16. "2Pac Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  17. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard . Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  18. "American album certifications – 2 Pac – 2 Pacalypse". Recording Industry Association of America.