2Pac Album: “Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.”

STRICTLY 4 MY N.I.G.G.A.Z. is possibly 2Pac at his most focused. Pac on a mission embedded in his head by his mother and former Black Panther Afeni Shakur. He put blood, sweat and tears literally into trying to make a difference in the world. "Keep Ya Head Up" is one of the greatest songs 2Pac ever wrote encouraging black women to stay strong and men to respect them, an unusually uplifting topic back then and even today for that matter. Fellow street poet/gangsta rap peer (and surely one of 2Pac's greater lyrical influences) Ice Cube makes an appearance on "Last Wordz" pairing two of the most controversial rappers ever together. The raw production typical of early 90's Gangsta Rap only helps intensify the energy of this album. By the end of the album 2Pac really only takes a break to clown around with the Underground on "I Get Around" which by being included on the same album as "Keep Ya Head Up" shows his contradictions and the internal struggle of 2Pac that is familiar to so many of us. Other than that he remains consistantly on a mission to change the world and make it a better place for the oppressed and at the very least be heard.

Great CD, highly reccomended, must have for 2Pac fans

1.Holler If Ya Hear Me-produced by Stretch-5/5-Great production and Pac's flow is great

2.Pac's Theme-Skit

3.Point The Finga-produced by Big D The Impossible-5/5-More great production, nice sampling

4.Something To Die 4-Skit

5.Last Wordz ft.Ice T & Ice Cube-produced by Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin-5/5-Ice T, Cube & Pac on the same track??Hottttt

6.Souljah's Revenge-produced by Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin4.5/5-Like a sequel to Soulja's Story on 2Pacalypse Now, but better

7.Peep Game ft.Deadly Threat-produced by Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin-5/5-Deadly Threat & 2Pac drop hot verses, over a nice beat

8.Strugglin ft. Live Squad-produced by Live Squad-4/5-Great song, more nice guest appearences

9.Guess Who's Back-5/5-produced by Special Ed & Akshun-5/5-Pac is great lyrically

10.Representin '93-produced by Truman Jefferson-5/5-Shows how pac can totally change his style to go with a different beat (ala Method Man)

11.Keep Ya Head Up-produced by DJ Daryl-5/5-Great song, great message

12.Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.-produced by Laylaw-5/5-Uses the same sample that I've heard in BDK's Aint No Half-Steppin & Beastie Boys' Egg Man, great song tho

13.The Streets R Deathrow-produced by Stretch-4.5/5-Pac is great lyrically on this one, samaples ice cube

14.I Get Around ft.Shock G & Money B (Digital Underground)-produced by D-Flow Production Squad-5/5-One of my favorite party songs of all time, nice verses too

15.Papaz Song ft.Wycked-produced by Big D The Impossible-5/5-Great song, but Pac totally changes it up from a party song to a more serious song

16.Deadly Venomz ft.Treach, Apache & Live Squad-5/5-Great guest appereances

This album is rough and has a definite underground feel. The best tracks are 1.Holla if ya hear me , strictly 4 my niggas and last words. This is violent, paranoid, and aggressive tupac at his best, although the cd is dotted with a couple of songs that are more lighthearted. They are not the reason for buying this CD. If you like hip hop artists who candy coat their view of life, buy sean combs (puffy) crap or that dmx guy with the lame voice.

This was the first 2Pac album I got together with All Eyez On Me. Even though All Eyez On Me was the album I bump the most, this always got spins in my CD-player. What I love about Strictly 4 My Niggaz is the old school hip-hop sounding beats, the lyrics, guest apperances, Pac's flow and the variety in the music. You'll find most of party anthems, but you also get songs like Keep Ya Head Up (has to be the best on the album), Souljah's Revenge and a couple of others political issues. 2 interludes aimd at the then vice-president. Production by Live Squad, Shock-G, Raw Fusion and a numerous of others. Guest apperances comes from a hot list of rappers like Ice Cube, Ice-T, Live Squad, Digital Underground, Treach of Naugthy by Nature, Strech (Pac's true homie R.I.P.) and more.

No songs are weak but of course some one are better than the other. Get this if you a hip-hop or 2Pac fan. Great music.

A lot of people say All Eyez On Me is 2pac's best album, but I 100% disagree with that. In my opinion Yall say All Eyez On Me is his best album because you never have heard this 2pac or you didnt listen to rap in the early 90's. 2pac just goes so deep in this album its like all of his albums in this one Cd. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. is a very off balance CD, 2pac talks about how wrong men are about women, but then he talks about Phukking them, but its not the lyrics that are off balance 2pac couldnt have wrote better lyrics for this CD, Its the beats. This CD is 2PACALYPSE NOW and THUG LIFE VOL.1 combined into one. Plus there are some very hard songs on here like the Thrid hit off the CD "Holla If Ya Hear Me," this is one of the hardest songs ever made in rap history. In "Holla If Ya Hear Me," 2pac is one angry Muthaphukkah, he screams in that song. Then theres the sad "Papa'z Song," where 2pac is Angry, ...and upset about not having a father his whole life, its the 4th hit off the CD and PAC's basically saying POP's Step Tha Phukk Off. Then theres "Last Wordz," Feat. Ice-T and Ice Cube and this might be a Faster and Harder song then "Holla If Ya Hear Me". "5 Deadly Venomz," is a good song with a lot of bass. The song where 2pac gets really deep is in "keep ya head up," it was the 1st hit off the CD and PAC talks about how we should treat or women better and he samples "Ooh Child," from Fivestair Steps. My favorite song off this CD is "I Get Around," with Digital Underground , it was the 2nd hit off the CD and its one of 2pac's best songs ever. There isnt a bad song Off this CD thers "Strugglin," "Peep Game," and A lot of other tracks. If you havent heard this Pac you have to hear it.