Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...

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Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.jpg
Studio album by
2Pac
ReleasedFebruary 16, 1993 (1993-02-16)
Recorded1992
Studio
Genre
Length64:05
Label
Producer
2Pac chronology
2Pacalypse Now
(1991)		Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
(1993)		 Thug Life, Volume I
(1994)
Singles from Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
  1. "Holler If Ya Hear Me"
    Released: February 4, 1993
  2. "I Get Around"
    Released: May 10, 1993
  3. "Keep Ya Head Up"
    Released: October 28, 1993
  4. "Papa'z Song"
    Released: January 17, 1994

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... is the second solo studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on February 16, 1993, via TNT Recordings and Interscope Records and distributed by Atlantic Records (CD edition) and Restless Records (LP). The recording sessions took place at Starlight Sound Studio in Richmond, Echo Sound Studio in Los Angeles and Unique Recording Studios in New York. The album was produced by the Underground Railroad and D-Flow Production Squad, as well as Live Squad, DJ Bobcat, DJ Daryl, Akshun, Laylaw, Special Ed, and Truman Jefferson. It features contributions from Live Squad, Apache, Dave Hollister, Deadly Threat, Digital Underground, Ice Cube, Ice-T, Poppi, Treach, and 2Pac's stepbrother Wycked among others.

Contents

Similar to 2Pacalypse Now , the album contains many tracks emphasising 2Pac's political and social views. [1] Peaking at number 24 on the Billboard 200, this album saw more commercial success than its predecessor, and there are many noticeable differences in production. While 2Pac's first effort included a more underground or indie rap-oriented sound, this album was considered his breakout.

The album was supported with four singles: "Holler If Ya Hear Me", "I Get Around", "Keep Ya Head Up" and "Papa'z Song" with accompanying music videos.

In 1998 and 2003, the album was reissued through Amaru/Jive Records. In 2023, Interscope Records digitally reissued the album with six additional tracks subtitled 'Expanded Edition'.

Background

In early 1992, 2Pac started working on a 2Pacalypse Now follow-up album originally entitled Black Starry Night, which was renamed into Troublesome 21 during the recording process. The project was set to be released in September 1992, however, it was rejected by Time Warner due to media outcry and political legislatures over the lyrics. Several songs recorded for Troublesome 21, including "Keep Ya Head Up", "I Get Around", "Strictly fo' My Niggas" and "The Streetz R Deathrow" were utilised for the new track listing.

The punctuated abbreviation of the word "nigga" in the album's title stands for "Never Ignorant in Getting Goals Accomplished", a backronym fabled by 2Pac. [2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s Scissors icon black.svg [4]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Q 3/5 [6]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Select U+25A0.svgU+25A1.svgU+25A1.svgU+25A1.svgU+25A1.svg [8]
The Source Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... received generally positive reviews from music critics. In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide book, Greg Tate saw 2Pac "comes with a sense of drive, and eruptive, dissident, dissonant fervour worthy of Fear of a Black Planet and AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted ", and called it Shakur's "best constructed and most coherent album, and it's also his most militantly political". [7] AllMusic's Marisa Brown concluded: "though the production sometimes suffers, especially in the middle of the album, where it's utterly forgettable, the record shows a continually developing MC, with increasingly complex lyrical themes, well on his way to becoming nearly unstoppable". [3]

Melody Maker called the album "an adventure into life on the streets of America", delivered through raps that "drip with the sweat of hardcore funk". Eric Berman of The Source wrote: "a combination of '60s black political thought and '90s urban reality, 2Pac is not afraid to speak his mind ... [balancing] the gangsta tendencies of street life with insightful revelations". [9] Jonathan Gold of Los Angeles Times found the production accomplished and 2Pac's raps "sort of entertaining" but regarded him as "a gifted mimic" with "no discernible style of his own" and "not an especially deep thinker". [5] Ian McCann of Q wrote that the album "found 2Pac feted by Hollywood and Ice Cube no longer an influence but a guest. Bitter, more distant, it offers the legendary "5 Deadly Venomz", "Keep Ya Head Up" and, ominously, "Something 2 Die 4", on which 2Pac's ma warns him if he can't find something to live for, he should find something worth dying for". [6]

In his Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s book, Robert Christgau singled out "Keep Ya Head Up" as the album's only worthy track. [4]

Commercial performance

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... debuted at number 24 on the US Billboard 200 and number four on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 38,000 units in its first week. [10] On September 24, 1993, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States, and on April 19, 1995, it received the RIAA platinum certification for sales of over one million copies in the US alone. [11] On April 14, 2007, the album achieved silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry for sales of over 60,000 units in the United Kingdom.

The second single off of the album, "I Get Around", which features his D.U. band-mates Shock G and Money-B, peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's third single, "Keep Ya Head Up", which features Dave Hollister, made it to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both "I Get Around" and "Keep Ya Head Up" were certified platinum by the RIAA on March 31, 2021. The fourth and final single from Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..., "Papa'z Song", which features Mopreme Shakur, reached number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After 2Pac's death in 1996, the album made it to the US Catalog Albums, peaking at number two.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Holler If Ya Hear Me" (featuring Live Squad)
 Stretch 4:38
2."Pac's Theme" (Interlude)
The Underground Railroad1:56
3."Point the Finga"
  • Shakur
  • Deon Evans
Big D the Impossible4:25
4."Something 2 Die 4" (Interlude)
Big D the Impossible2:43
5."Last Wordz" (featuring Ice Cube and Ice-T)
 DJ Bobcat 3:36
6."Souljah's Revenge"
  • Shakur
  • Ervin
DJ Bobcat3:16
7."Peep Game" (featuring Deadly Threat)
  • Shakur
  • Corey Lloyd Brown
  • Ervin
DJ Bobcat4:28
8."Strugglin'" (featuring Live Squad)
  • Shakur
  • R. Walker
  • Christopher Walker
 Live Squad 3:33
9."Guess Who's Back"
3:06
10."Representin' 93"
Truman Jefferson3:34
11."Keep Ya Head Up" (featuring Dave Hollister)
DJ Daryl4:22
12."Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..."
 Laylaw 5:55
13."The Streetz R Deathrow"
Stretch3:26
14."I Get Around" (featuring Digital Underground)
The D-Flow Production Squad4:19
15."Papa'z Song" (featuring Wycked)
Big D the Impossible5:25
16."5 Deadly Venomz" (featuring Treach, Apache and Live Squad)
Stretch5:13
Total length:64:05
2023 expanded edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Holler If Ya Hear Me (New York Stretch Mix)"
  • Shakur
  • R. Walker
  • Whitfield
  • Strong
Stretch3:46
18."Keep Ya Head Up (Madukey Remix)"
  • Shakur
  • Anderson
  • R. Troutman
  • Stan Vincent
  • DJ Daryl
  • Bryant "Moe Doe" Johnson (add.)
  • Lea Reis (add.)
4:18
19."I Get Around (Remix)" (featuring Digital Underground)
  • Shakur
  • Jacobs
  • Brooks
  • R. Troutman
  • L. Troutman
  • Murdock
  • The D-Flow Production Squad
  • DJ Battlecat (add.)
  • Howard Johnson (add.)
  • Khris Kellow (add.)
  • Paul Arnold (add.)
6:04
20."Papa'z Song (Vibe Tribe Remix)" (featuring Wycked and Poppi)
  • Shakur
  • Evans
  • Sample
  • Jennings
  • Big D the Impossible
  • Duane Nettlesbey (add.)
  • Norman "Slam" Whitfield, Jr. (add.)
5:16
21."Flex" (featuring Live Squad)
  • T. Shakur
  • Live Squad
  • Clarke
Stretch4:16
22."Let's Get It On" (featuring Heavy D, Notorious B.I.G., Grand Puba and Spunk Bigga)
William Morris4:05
Sample credits

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [18] Silver60,000‡
United States (RIAA) [11] Platinum1,639,584 [19]

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. ↑ Pedroche, Ben (February 14, 2023). "Rediscover 2Pac's 'Strictly 4 My N.*.*.*.*.Z...' (1993) | Tribute". Albumism. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  2. ↑ Monjauze, Molly; Cox, Gloria; Robinson, Staci (2008). Tupac Remembered: Bearing Witness to a Life and Legacy. Chronicle Books. pp.  12–. ISBN   978-1-932855-76-0.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Marisa. "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. - 2Pac | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (2000). "CG Book '90s: T". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s . St. Martin's Press . Retrieved August 11, 2024– via www.robertchristgau.com.
  5. 1 2 Gold, Jonathan (February 21, 1993). "2PAC "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.AZ . . ." Interscope". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  6. 1 2 McCann, Ian (April 1997). "Reissue reviews". Q .
  7. 1 2 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.
  8. ↑ Higginbotham, Adam (May 1993). "Reviews: Albums". Select . p. 97. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Berman, Eric (April 1993). "Record Report: 2 Pac – Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z". The Source . No. 43. New York. pp. 69–70. Archived from the original on November 28, 1999. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  10. ↑ Sandiford-Waller, Theda (March 2, 1996). "Rhythm Section". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 9. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 21. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved August 11, 2024– via Google Books.
  11. 1 2 "American album certifications – 2 Pac – Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z." Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  12. ↑ "2Pac Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  13. ↑ "2Pac Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  14. ↑ "2Pac Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  15. ↑ "1993 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 105, no. 52. December 25, 1993. p. YE-28. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  16. ↑ "1993 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 105, no. 52. December 25, 1993. p. YE-28. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  18. ↑ "British album certifications – 2Pac – Strictly 4 My Niggaz". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Tupac Month: 2Pac's Discography". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
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