After my listen to this album years ago, I rated it 3.5/5. I have never spun it again. I wanted to be more familiar with this album, so I've decided to revisit it. While his previous solo album, 'R U Still Down? (Remember Me)' featured recordings from 1992-1994, this has Pac's '95-'96 vocals. It does seem like, though, that more was done to the instrumentation, features and overall production post-Pac than 'R U Still Down?'. I've interestingly seen the view that his previous solo posthumous album is exploitative, and the production is poor, but at least that production was and sounds like something Pac would've rapped over. As I'll get into, some of these don't.
Disc 1: The opener, 'Ballad of a Dead Soulja', is great, but it only takes two songs, with 'Fuck Friendz', to feel too modern for lack of a better word. The production and hook is too poppy and there are other moments where the production doesn't feel like a natural fit that would become more of a problem as the labels continued to roll out Pac albums until they stopped with 'Pac's Life'. 'Let Em Have It' has similar problems. It feels odd with Pac saying "rock your body"... I can't imagine it being on one of Pac's albums. I feel a similar way with 'Letter 2 My Unborn' that features MJ's 'Liberian Girl' as a sample. The best here are the hard tracks, like the opener, 'Breathin' and 'Everything They Owe'. There are too many sex tracks and some poppy themes in the production. 'All Out' features an aggressive Pac, and is close to being one of the best, but it feels a tad unfinished to me. Something doesn't quite gel like it should.
Best Tracks: Ballad of a Dead Soulja, Breathin, Everything They Owe
Good: Lil' Homies, Good Life, Letter 2 My Unborn, Happy Home, All Out, Until the End of Time, World Wide Mob Figgaz
Ehh: Fuck Friendz, Let Em Have It, Fuckin Wit the Wrong Nigga, Thug N U Thug N Me (Remix), M.O.B.
Disc 2: I feel this disc doesn't have the same amount of lows as D1. 'When Thugz Cry' is great with its progressive production and hook that makes it feel like it builds up, and lyrically it's classic Pac. 'Words 2 My First Born' is one of the strongest as well. There is lots to like.
Best Tracks: When Thugz Cry, Why U Turn on Me, This Ain't Livin, Words 2 My First Born
Good: My Closest Roaddogz, Niggaz Nature (Remix), U Don't Have 2 Worry, Why U Turn on Me, LastOnesLeft, Thug N U Thug N Me, When I Get Free, Until the End of Time (RP Remix)
Ehh: Let Em Have It (Remix), Runnin on E
I think there is more to enjoy on his previous album. Some of the production doesn't fit here, and the abundance of the poppy moments makes the album fall down. There are still half a dozen or so songs with lots of replay value though, with a number bubbling under. It's worth checking out for fans, but I don't get why they thought three double albums in a row post his death was a good idea. There is too much fat to trim which, in the pre-digital age, would have made listening to this album somewhat of a slog. It's a touch closer to a 3/5 than a 4/5, but I think there are enough good moments to leave it at 3.5/5.
Beats: ★★★
Rapping/Bars: ★★★★
Hooks: ★★★☆
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