Disco de 2Pac: “Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory [Clean]”

The last album that 2Pac, under the alias of Makaveli, made while he was alive. Its an amazing end too, one of the best hes ever done, tied only with All Eyez On Me.

He takes the name of a Italian philospher who faked his death, and returned seven days later to take revenge on his enemies. This, along with Pacs death right before the release of this album, lead people to believe that he was still alive, and that he would eventually return.

The music itself is really good, Pac gets more spiritual than he's ever been before, with cuts like Hail Mary, and Blashemy, but keeps his gangsta style on Life Of An Outlaw, and To Live And Die In LA.

The best songs on here are Bomb First (My Second Reply), Hail Mary, To Live And Die In LA,

(And my personal favorites:) Life Of An Outlaw, Me and My Girlfriend.

All the others are really good as well, but those are the stand out tracks.

Life Of An Outlaw, Me and My Girlfriend are really amazing songs.

In my opinion, they should have put on the Greatest Hits collection, but whatever...

The Outlawz are once again on Pacs (excuse me, Makveli's) album.

I really, really like the Outlawz, I think they are a great rap group. A new member makes his debut on this album, Young Noble. He has his own, distinct style of rapping. He raps like he has a swollen tongue, but he is pretty good, and he has stuck around with the group ever since this album.

I, personally, believe that he is really dead, and people should let him rest in peace, but those who believe this only do so out of love for him.

Dead or not, he's still the greatest rapper ever.

R.I.P...

P.S- Oh yeah, About the "Suge shot me", Im pretty sure Pac wasn't the one that said that. Most of that stuff was added to get people to think he was still alive.

Like the executive producer being "Simon", not Suge Knight, the fingerprints in the booklet, etc.

Exit 2Pac, Enter Makaveli....Subtle notes in the inside cover of the album that many consider to be Tupac Shakur's most controversial record. Pac had originally planned this record to be his rebirth. The rebirth of a general out to expose the fakers in the hip-hop game. Fate changed his plans, however, instead the 7 Day Theory became the first posthumous album released from Shakur only a month after his death. An eerie album at that. A shocking cover of a crucified Shakur alone added fuel to rumors of him faking his own death. Double-meanings in verses also had many fans shaking their heads. The album itself included vicious disses to some of the East Coast's finest (Nas, Mobb Deep, Puffy, Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls) on "Bomb First" and "Against All Odds." East Coast heads, however, weren't the only recipients of the Death Row assault. Suge Knight's influence was apparent on the track "Toss It Up" where Makaveli tore apart Dr. Dre on an extremely personal level going as far as to question his manhood. Disses aside, some of Pac's greatest moments can be found on this record. Take the virtually flawless "Hail Mary" or the Left Coast anthem "To Live and Die in LA". Pac doesn't falter on the introspective side either with heart-felt moments including "White Manz World" and "Hold Ya Head". And to those back-packing naysayers who complained about the minimal use of methaphors in Pac's verses, please skip to "Me and My Girlfriend" and witness a song-long metaphor about the passion between a man and his 9mm. Truth is that Makaveli was about emotions and not similes. Take the soul-wrenching "Krazy" where Makaveli declares "Blame me for the outcome, playing my records. Check this. Don't have to bump this but please respect this." That's his stance on this record, love him or hate him. You have to respect Makaveli's place in rap history whether "breathin' or dead."

The often repeated sentiment that Tupac was taken from us too soon takes on a new significance after one listens to "Makaveli." Starting with "Me Against the World" and continuing through "All Eyez on Me" to "Makaveli," Tupac's CDs showed an evolution. While it's hard to say which CD was Pac's best, each one of them saw Tupac adding a new element to his mic skills. In "Me Against the World" Tupac was talking from his heart, in "All Eyes on Me" he made thugged-out rider songs, and in Makaveli he began to earnestly talk about social issues. One can only wonder what his next full length release would have been like.

"Makaveli" begins with "Bomb First" a song which displays the one major fault of this CD: anger. By the time "Makaveli" was made, of course, Tupac was deeply embroiled in the East-West feud which some say took his life; the feud is clearly present on this CD. One wonders what tracks might have been produced had Tupac put his considerable talent toward writing interesting conceptional songs instead of expressing blind rage at Bad Boy and other East Coast MCs.

"Bomb First" also reveals the minor flaw of "Makaveli": Tupac's posse, known as the Outlawz. Although I must admit that they were less annoying than on other Tupac CDs, Pac is clearly better off without them. For example, on "Bomb First" E.D.I. Amin raps:

Got a little question for that [...] that made "Paparazzi" / If you ain't in this rap game, for the [...] cash mayne / then what is your [...] purpose? None can serve us /

First, there's the absurdity of calling out a West Coast MC on an East Coast dis song. Then there is the fact that Xzibit is far more resepcted than E.D.I. Amin will ever be precisely because he is not in the rap game for the money. Unfortunately the Outlawz contribution to "Makaveli" does not improve from here on.

Tupac's lyrics (which apparently took time off when he wrote most of "All Eyes on Me") are back strong. The man who delivered such lyrical gems as "Me Against the World" and "If I Die Tonight" brings verses like this (From "Hail Mary"):

I'm a ghost in these killin fields / Hail Mary catch me if I go, let's go deep inside / the solitary mind of a madman who screams in the dark / Evil lurks, enemies, see me flee / Activate my hate, let it break, to the flame / Set trip, empty out my clip, never stop to aim

On more heartfelt songs such as "Krazy" Tupac shows a maturity not seen in his previous CDs:

Hopin God hear me, I entered the game; look how much I changed / I'm no longer innocent - casualties of fame / Made a lot of money, seen a lot of places / And I swear I seen a peaceful smile on my mama's face / when I gave her the keys to her own house, this your land / Your only son done became a man

In addition to Pac's lyrics, another excellent part of this CD are the beats. These 12 tracks are quite simply some of the best beats that Tupac ever worked with.

Overall, there is not a single bad song on "Makaveli." The negatives from this CD, Tupac's rage and the Outlawz, should not prevent any lover of rap from experiencing one of Tupac's best CDs. For any serious fan of Tupac this is a must have; along with "Me Against the World" and "All Eyez on Me" it completes the trilogy of Pac's best work and leaves us wondering what the next CD from Pac would have been like.

I know its a far out claim to call it the greatest album ever, but thats how I feel for a few reasons, any one of which alone would make this an amazing album.

Firstly, the production is the best Ive heard on any album - rap or not. The beats are raw when needed (Life of an Outlaw), and yet can be touching (Hold ya head is a good example, and one of my favourite tracks ever). To qualify the production, it'd be safe to say its better than anything DJ Premier's ever done and Dre has never come close to tracks like Bomb First and Against All Odds.

Asides from the melody of the beats, this album was produced very - read VERY - thoroughly. I didn't know that there was a remastered version out, but now that I do, you can bet Im buying that too, if only for the slightly improved sound quality. Each track fades into the next as if the whole album was done live, with sound effects (like the car starting on against all odds) that make you think you're there with Tupac, just before he was shot.

Lyrically, this is Pac at his best too. He goes all sentimental when the soft strings on Hold Ya Head require it, but also shows his venomous side when the memories of beating shot and slightly-out-of-key piano loops on Bomb First get him vexed. Aside from the stunning beats and lyrics, the 7 Day Theory also offers something unique in a sea of mediocre rap albums: it was made just before Tupac was shot dead in Vegas in September of 1996. It was also released less than two months later amidst conspiracy theories and speculation that he was alive, hiding somewhere. Then the autopsy photos came, and as time passed it became more and more obvious that the greatest of all time wasn't coming back. Five years on from his death, it still hasn't been touched. Trust me. You need this. Now.

The 7 Day Theory is Pac's second best album, behind the untouchable All Eyez On Me. This is my 3rd favorite album of all-time, behind All Eyez On Me & Reasonable Doubt. It is amazing how such a perfect album could be put together in just 7 days.

1. Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply): This is a diss to all the East Coast rappers Pac had beef with. I think this is one of the best songs on the album.

2. Hail Mary: Everyone has heard 50, Eminem & Busta's version dissin Murder Inc. but Pac's version is better. Everyone wants to be 2Pac and who could blame em? Listen to the song if u haven't heard it yet. This & Me & My Girlfriend made me buy this album before I heard the other songs.

3. Toss It Up: This is another one of my favorites. Two themes in this song. First he talks about sexin this girl and in the last verse he's dissin Dr. Dre for leavin Death Row.

4. To Live & Die In L.A.: Another diss to Dr. Dre. This is one of the best songs on the CD, if not THE best. Kinda laid back track as far as the hook and the verses are typical Pac. He describes life in LA on this track.

5. Blasphemy: Different theme, but I'm feelin it. Makaveli talks about the guidelines of the game and talks about thug life. The theme reminds me of Troublesome 96, with a totally different twist.

6. Life Of An Outlaw: Damn I LOVE this song. Don't get it twisted, I love the Outlaws but this song woulda been better if it was just Makaveli rappin. The beat compliments hisstyle more than the Outlaws. I still love it though.

7. Just Like Daddy: This is the love song that even a guy isn't ashamed to bump. Pac lets Khadafi shine on this, lettin him flow for 2 verses. Pac does the best though on it. Guys, trust me...your girl will love this hahah

8. Krazy: This song's hot too. Makaveli tries explainin how life is crazy for a thug. But it sounds like he's trying to keep his head on straight at the same time. I can't explain it well, just listen to it.

9. White Man'z World: This is a real hot song, even though I'm not black. He respects his black people, especially the ladies. He apologies for callin them names and he's tellin us how hard life is for black people.

10. Me And My Girlfriend: This is one of the most original concepts I've ever heard. It sounds almost like a ghetto love song, but he's really rapping about his gun. If I didn't tell you, would you have known??

11. Hold Ya Head: He's tellin you to do just that...Hold Ya Head. Even when life can become real hard, "you got to hold ya head"

12. Against All Odds: One of the verses will sound familiar to you, if you up on the mixtape scene. 50 Cent uses a verse from here on Hail Mary 2003...I'ma big 50 fan but I wasn't feelin that at all. The last track brings the fire, bombin on the East Coast rappers. I still like Nas, Mobb Deep & Jay-Z though. Even though Makaveli made em look like fools.