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

Last updated

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 16, 1993 [1]
Recorded1992 [2]
Genre
Length63:55
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: June 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 studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released on February 16, 1993, by Interscope. [1] N.I.G.G.A. in the title is punctuated to refer to 2Pac's backronym "Never Ignorant in Getting Goals Accomplished". [4] The album features guest appearances from the group Live Squad, 2Pac's stepbrother the Wycked (later known as "Mopreme", later a member of 2Pac's groups Thug Life and the Outlawz), Ice-T, Ice Cube, Treach, Apache, Poppi, Deadly Threat, R&B singer Dave Hollister and Digital Underground.

Contents

Similar to his debut, 2Pacalypse Now , the album contains many tracks emphasizing 2Pac's political and social views. The original album was going to be named "Troublesome 21" and released in September 1992, but it was scrapped due to being rejected by Time Warner. Many of these tracks still remained unreleased while "Keep Ya Head Up", "I Get Around", "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.", "The Streetz R Deathrow" and "Souljah's Revenge" were utilized for the new track listing. [5] [6] Debuting 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" album. It spawned the hits "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Get Around". As of 2011, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... has sold 1,639,584 units in the United States. [7] In commemoration of its twenty-fifth anniversary, it was released on 180 gram double vinyl on February 16, 2018.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [10]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Source 3.5/5 [12]
Tom Hull – on the Web B [13]

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... received generally positive reviews from critics. 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". The Source said: "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". [12] Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..., wrote Ian McCann in Q , "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. Gulp." [11]

In a less enthusiastic review for the Los Angeles Times , Jonathan Gold 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". [9] Robert Christgau singled out "Keep Ya Head Up" as the record's only worthy track. [14]

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. [15] On April 19, 1995, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over one million copies in the United States. [16] As of September 2011, the album has sold 1,639,584 copies in the United States. [7]

Track listing

All tracks co-produced by 2Pac.

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Holler If Ya Hear Me" Stretch 4:38
2."Pac's Theme (Interlude)"T. ShakurThe Underground Railroad1:56
3."Point the Finga"T. ShakurBig D the Impossible4:25
4."Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)"T. ShakurBig D the Impossible2:43
5."Last Wordz" (with Ice Cube and Ice-T)
3:36
6."Souljah's Revenge"T. ShakurBobcat3:16
7."Peep Game" (with Deadly Threat)
  • T. Shakur
  • Corey "Deadly Threat" Brown
Bobcat4:28
8."Strugglin'" (with Live Squad)
Live Squad 3:33
9."Guess Who's Back"
3:06
10."Representin' 93"
  • T. Shakur
  • Truman Jefferson
Truman Jefferson3:34
11."Keep Ya Head Up"T. ShakurDJ Daryl4:22
12."Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..."
  • T. Shakur
  • Larry "Laylaw" Goodman
Laylaw5:55
13."The Streetz R Deathrow"
  • T. Shakur
  • Live Squad
Stretch3:26
14."I Get Around" (with Digital Underground)D-Flow Production Squad4:19
15."Papa'z Song" (with Wycked of W.A.T.M.)
Big D the Impossible5:25
16."5 Deadly Venomz" (with Treach of Naughty by Nature, Apache and Live Squad)
Stretch5:13
Total length:63:55

Notes

Samples

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [23] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [24] Platinum1,639,584 [7]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

G-funk, is an African-American music genre short for gangsta funk,. G-funk is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s. The genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk (P-funk) sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic.

<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. 2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impending prison sentence, troubles with the police, and poverty.

<i>2Pacalypse Now</i> 1991 studio album by 2Pac

2Pacalypse Now is the debut studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on November 12, 1991, by Interscope. 2Pacalypse Now is Tupac's commentary on contemporary social issues facing American society, such as racism, police brutality, poverty, black on black crime, and teenage pregnancy. It featured three singles: "Brenda's Got a Baby", "Trapped", and "If My Homie Calls".

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

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 seven days in 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.

Maurice Shakur, better known by his stage name Mopreme Shakur, originally known as Wycked, is an American rapper. He was a member of the hip-hop group Thug Life and is the stepbrother of rapper Tupac Shakur. He was also a member of the Outlawz, but later dropped out because of a financial disagreement with Death Row Records.

<i>R U Still Down? (Remember Me)</i> 1997 studio album by 2Pac

R U Still Down? is the sixth studio album and second double album by American rapper, 2Pac, released on November 25, 1997. It is his second posthumous release and the first to be released without his creative input and contains previously unreleased material from the time period of his albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., Thug Life: Volume 1 and Me Against the World. Throughout the album, 2Pac airs his views on life from a time before he became involved in the controversial East Coast–West Coast rivalry. His lyrics foreshadow his death in songs like "Open Fire", "Thug Style" and "Only Fear of Death." The album spawned two hits, "Do for Love" and "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto", of which "Do for Love" was certified Gold by the RIAA. R U Still Down? sold 549,000 copies in its first week, and topped the R&B charts in the United States for three weeks.

<i>Thug Life, Volume I</i> 1994 studio album by Thug Life

Thug Life, Volume I is the only studio album by American hip hop group Thug Life started by American rapper Tupac Shakur (2Pac) and also comprising Big Syke, The Rated R, Macadoshis and Mopreme Shakur, Tupac's stepbrother. It was released on October 11, 1994, through Interscope and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances by Y.N.V. and Nate Dogg and production by Warren G, Easy Mo Bee, Big Syke and Stretch.

Live Squad was an American hip hop group and production team from Hollis, Queens, New York consisting of brothers Stretch and Majesty and DJ K-Low, best known for their early collaborations with Tupac Shakur.

Niggaz is an altered form of niggas, a plural form of the English vulgar word nigga, used in African-American vernacular English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thugs Get Lonely Too</span> 2004 single by 2Pac featuring Nate Dogg

"Thugs Get Lonely Too" is a song by rapper Tupac Shakur. The song was released as a 12" promo single for his 2004 posthumous album Loyal to the Game. The song was also used as the b-side to the album's lead single Ghetto Gospel. The song features singer Nate Dogg and was produced by Eminem.

<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 as the album's third single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry</span> 1990s dispute between artists/ fans of the East Coast and West Coast hip hop scenes in the US

The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was a dispute between artists and fans of the East Coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop scenes in the United States, especially from the mid-1990s. Focal points of the feud were East Coast–based rapper The Notorious B.I.G. with Puff Daddy and their New York City–based label, Bad Boy Records, and West Coast–based rapper Tupac Shakur with Suge Knight and their Los Angeles–based label, Death Row Records. The feud culminated in the murders of both rappers in drive-by shootings. Although several suspects have been identified, both murders remain unsolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tupac Shakur discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Tupac Shakur consists of 11 studio albums. Throughout his career and posthumously, Shakur sold more than 75 million records worldwide. He has scored 5 No. 1 albums on Billboard 200 and 8 No. 1 albums on Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums. In 2001, Guinness World Records hailed him as the then Best-selling artist of rap in the US. According to Recording Industry Association of America, he has sold 55.3 million albums and an additional 4 million under his alias Makaveli with "The Don Killuminati", making him the second best-selling hip-hop artist in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stretch (rapper)</span> American rapper and record producer

Randy Walker, better known by his stage name Stretch, was an American rapper and record producer, working in Live Squad. In the early 1990s, he joined 2Pac's rap group Thug Life. The November 30, 1994, shooting of Shakur led to their split. On November 30, 1995, Walker was shot and killed at the age of 27.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temptations (song)</span> 1995 single by 2Pac

"Temptations" is a song by American rapper Tupac Shakur (2Pac) from his third studio album, Me Against the World (1995). It was released as a single in the US on August 29, 1995, and was released as a CD, cassette, and 12" promo. While rapping is solely performed by Shakur, Erick Sermon and producer Easy Mo Bee are also featured in the song primarily as background vocalists. The song uses the bassline from the "Computer Love", and the theme focuses on relationship and infidelity issues. Debuting at number sixty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100, the song did fairly well in the United States. It was also well received by critics, with many writers commenting on its romantic tone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Shot Ya?</span> 1995 song by the Notorious B.I.G.

"Who Shot Ya?" is a song by Brooklyn, New York, rapper the Notorious B.I.G., also called Biggie Smalls, backed by Sean Combs as the "hype man". Puffy's emerging record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, released it on February 21, 1995, on an alternate reissue of Biggie's single "Big Poppa/Warning," out since December 5, 1994. While this 1994 release climbed the Billboard Hot 100, its new B side "Who Shot Ya"—now Biggie's "most infamous classic," with an instrumental now iconic—revised some vocals of a "Who Shot Ya" track, rapped by Biggie and Keith Murray, already issued on a mixtape from a Harlem DJ earlier in 1995. Recalled as "menacing magic" that helps "define New York rap," "Who Shot Ya" was "controversial and hugely influential." Widely interpreted as a taunt at 2Pac, the single provoked a "rap battle" between the two rappers, formerly friends.

<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">Papa'z Song</span> 1994 single by 2Pac featuring Wycked

"Papa'z Song" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his second solo album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993). It was released as the fourth and final single from the album. A music video was made for the single. The song peaked at number twenty four on the US Hot Rap Songs chart, number eighty two on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number eighty seven on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Katari Terrance Cox better known by his stage name Kastro, is an American rapper. A cousin of Tupac Shakur, Kastro would perform alongside him in the former's rap group, the Outlawz, and is featured on many of the late rapper's songs such as "Made Niggaz", and "Hail Mary". When he was in elementary school, he introduced his friend, and future Outlawz rapper, Malcolm Greenridge, later named E.D.I. Mean, to his cousin.

References

  1. 1 2 "Discography" . Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  2. Sal Manna. "Official Biography" . Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.AZ... OG Biography – 2PAC".
  4. Molly Monjauze; Gloria Cox; Staci Robinson (October 2007). Tupac Remembered: Bearing Witness to a Life and Legacy. Chronicle Books. pp.  12–. ISBN   978-1-932855-76-0.
  5. "2Pac Interview 1992". YouTube . Retrieved November 26, 2016.[ dead YouTube link ]
  6. "1992 – Troublesome 21 / Black Starry Night / Fragile". Rapper Severence. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Tupac Month: 2Pac's Discography". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  8. Marisa Brown (February 16, 1993). "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. - 2Pac | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Gold, Jonathan (February 25, 1996). "2PAC "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.AZ . . ." Interscope – Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  10. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  830. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  11. 1 2 McCann, Ian: reissue reviews, Q , April 1997
  12. 1 2 "Tupac – Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. CD Album". Cduniverse.com. March 10, 1998. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  13. Hull, Tom. "Grade List: 2Pac". Tom Hull – on the Web . Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  14. "Album: 2Pac: Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z". Robert Christgau. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  15. "RHYTHM SECTION". Billboard. March 2, 1996.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  16. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  17. Offner, Daniel (February 16, 2018). "How 2Pac influenced Mainstream Hip-Hop 25 Years Ago". Salute: Sounding Off.
  18. "2Pac Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  19. "2Pac Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  20. "1993 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52. December 25, 1993. p. YE-28. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  21. "1993 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52. December 25, 1993. p. YE-28. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  22. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  23. "British album certifications – 2 Pac – Strictly 4 My Niggaz". British Phonographic Industry.Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Strictly 4 My Niggaz in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  24. "American album certifications – 2 Pac – Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z." Recording Industry Association of America.