2Pac - Strictly 4 My N.*.*.*.*.Z (February 16, 1993)

Tupac Shakur released Strictly 4 My N.*.*.*.*.Z., a sophomore album which became so popular on cable television that MTV actually ran out of asterisks, about two years after his debut, 2Pacalypse Now, proved that he was more than Digital Underground's roadie/dancer/flunkie. Many of his loyal stans consider this to be his most overtly political album, and I've actually seen some comparisons to Public Enemy, but in truth, all 2Pac was trying to do was to get his voice heard.

Abandoning the livelier (in comparison) production that was prevalent on his debut, 2Pac opted to address his usual themes (about thugs, life, and thug life) over much darker musical backdrops. As per usual, he manages to provide a social commentary of the way the world looked in 1993, and does so without it sounding forced, which is something that 2Pac was always good at doing. (Even though I'm more of a Notorious B.I.G. fan, I will admit that Biggie could never have gotten away with songs such as "Keep Ya Head Up" and "Brenda's Got A Baby" while still maintaining a semi-plausible gangsta lifestyle.)

Strictly 4 My N.*.*.*.*.Z. improved upon the sales of its predecessor, which had to make Pac's label Interscope Records very happy indeed. The album included two hugely successful singles, one of which still gets regular airplay around my way. After its release, the 2Pac story got a little bit weird: although the tale features your traditional "the rapper gets all of his friends a record deal" trappings (in this case, Pac created the crew Thug Life, who would be introduced to the masses via "Pour Out a Lil' Liquor" from the Above The Rim soundtrack, which was coincidentally released by Death Row Records, Pac's future home), it also includes allegations of sexual abuse and assault, shootings, execution-style murders of former friends, the start of a massive war between the East Coast and the West Coast (at least, a massive war in hip hop terms), jail time served, a deal with the devil, and, oddly, a relationship with Madonna.

But before all of that shit, there was this.

1. HOLLER IF YOU HEAR ME
A nice, high-energy way to start the album off, but Pac isn't actually saying anything on here, which is an issue that I've had with him his entire career. Of course, it could be argued that Biggie hardly ever said anything of substance as well, but I think you see my point.

2. PAC'S THEME (INTERLUDE)...

3. POINT THE FINGA
Nobody's ever going to consider this one of Pac's best tracks (unless they want to spite me in the comments section), but this isn't that bad. The hook is a little much, though.

4. SOMETHING 2 DIE 4 (INTERLUDE)
...

5. LAST WORDZ (FEAT ICE CUBE & ICE-T)
The sheer star power on this collaboration is enough to make you want to listen to this song, but the music itself will make you hit repeat. Pac comes off the weakest of the three rapper-slash-actors, but he still sounds good (just a bit inexperienced), and Ice-T is alright, but at this point in his career, Ice Cube was the fucking man on the West Coast.

6. SOULJAH'S REVENGE
A sequel to "Soulja's STory" (from 2Pacalypse Now) in name only, as 2Pac and his vocally distorted alter ego awkwardly trade bars about violence and censorship. The Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin beat is the best thing about this hot mess of a track.

7. PEEP GAME (FEAT DEADLY THREAT)
Once again, the beat is the best thing about this song, which is simply piss poor in quality. Deadly Threat also fails to impress with his two verses.

8. STRUGGLIN' (FEAT LIVE SQUAD)
Early in his career, Pac had an ability to adapt his verses to match the content, flow, and overall feel of his collaborators, so it's no surprise that he fits right in with the other two rappers in the Live Squad (the late Stretch and Majesty, and their deejay K-Low, who rounded out the crew) as if he was a lost member. (You'll see this happen again later in the write-up, when I get to "I Get Around".) Later in his career, though, he refused to change anything, probably because he was recording his tracks in a hurry in a futile effort to get out of his contract with Death Row Records: that's why all of his songs sound similar toward the end of his run. Oh, the song? Not so hot.

9. GUESS WHO'S BACK
The fact that old-school rapper Special Ed had something to do with the production on this song blows my mind, although the beat falters a bit by trying to be all things for all people. This song is actually really good, though, so I can dig it.

10. REPRESENTIN' '93
I can't get with this '08.

11. KEEP YA HEAD UP (FEAT THE BLACK ANGEL)
The Black Angel is a pretty funny pseudonym for R&B/gospel singer Dave Hollister, who also contributed to Pac's previous "serious" song, "Brenda's Got A Baby". On every 2Pac release during his lifetime (a very important distinction to make), there was always that one song that even the most casual of listeners are familiar with, thanks to overexposure in the media, and the song almost always addresses something serious (well, there was one exception, which I'll point out when I get to it) or important in Pac's life. Like most rappers, 2Pac was a study in contradiction, as he was able to write songs such as this while allegedly sexually assaulting women or generally acting like an asshole. Pac's passion sells this song, though, even if the beat does some silly things.

12. STRICTLY 4 MY N.*.*.*.*.Z.
When the drums kick in, an otherwise lackluster song is taken to a higher level of entertainment. Why, if the hook didn't suck so fucking much, I'd probably give this song much more praise. As it stands, it's not bad, but it sure as shit ain't great.

13. THE STREETZ R DEATHROW
The title is a bit eerie, considering the direction his life would soon take him in, but this still manages to sound pretty good. Even though Pac never truly lived this lifestyle, he's obviously a good listener, because otherwise, how else would he be able to relate these tales with even the slightest bit of sincerity?

14. I GET AROUN (FEAT DIGITAL UNDERGROUND)
If you hear this on the radio (where it still gets played quite a bit today), the song sounds just fine, but when you hear it within its intended context, within the structure of Strictly 4 My N.*.*.*.*.Z., it doesn't fit at all. However, the song itself is still pretty catchy, and it's nice to hear Pac still clowning around with the Underground, but I can't help but feel that Interscope forced a radio-friendly single onto the project.

15. PAPA'Z SONG (FEAT WYCKED)
Pac exorcises his daddy demons on wax, and when you hear his words, it comes as no surprise that he would go on to create "Dear Mama". His first bar is such a vivid description of loneliness that it's both touching and kind of amusing. Wycked, also known as 2Pac's stepbrother Mopreme, is pretty inconsequential to the whole package, though.

16. 5 DEADLY VENOMZ (FEAT TREACH, APACHE, & LIVE SQUAD)
This posse cut is awfully awkward, as if none of these artists were familiar with each other's work until the day the met in the studio. (Unlike what happens today, I choose to believe that 2Pac actually spent time with all of his collaborators in the recording studio, if not all at once.) Also, the title would have been put to better use for the Wu-Tang Clan, but that may just be me. This was a pretty disappointing way to end your album.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Strictly 4 My N.*.*.*.*.Z. feels like a natural extension of 2Pacalypse Now. 2Pac branches out a bit with the sound, with mixed results, and invites a lot more artists to collaborate with him (including his Digital Underground brethren, who don't have much of an influence on him this time around). For the most part, though, Pac doesn't say anything of substance; he just merely sounds good over the music, and for some, that may be enough of an incentive to buy this album. He was always sharp with the social commentary, though, and is able to convey his emotions in a much more visceral way than most other rappers, but the majority of this disc was about positioning himself as a thug, and we've already seen that movie.

BUY OR BURN? I would recommend a burn. (Comments can be left below.) There isn't enough artistic growth to warrant purchasing this disc when you already own 2Pacalypse Now.
BEST TRACKS: "The Streetz R Deathrow"; "I Get Around"; "Last Wordz"; "Guess Who's Back"

-Max

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