Tupac's Albums and Songs

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by rushbee

by rushbee

Tupac has released a total of 11 platinum albums: four during his career, with seven more released posthumously (while dead). To date, Tupac has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. As of September 2017, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Tupac as the 44th top-selling artist of all time by album sales and streaming figures.

'2Pacalypse Now'

Tupac's first album as a solo artist was 2Pacalypse Now. Although it did not yield any hits, it sold a respectable 500,000 copies and established Tupac as an uncompromising social commentator on songs such as "Brenda's Got a Baby" — which narrates an underaged mother's fall into destitution — and "Soulja's Story," which controversially spoke of "blasting" a police officer and "droppin' the cop." The song was cited as a motivation for a real-life cop killing by a teenage car thief called Ronald Ray Howard, and was condemned by the then-U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle. "There is absolutely no reason for a record like this to be published," Quayle said. "It has no place in our society." With those words, Shakur's notoriety was guaranteed.

'Strictly 4 My N.i.g.g.a.z'

Tupac’s second album, Strictly 4 My N.i.g.g.a.z. (Never ignorant getting goals accomplished), dropped in February 1993. It continued in the same socially conscious vein as his debut. On the gold-certified single "Keep Ya Head Up," he empathized with "my sisters on the welfare," encouraging them to "please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up, forgive but don't forget, girl keep ya head up." The video featured a cameo from his good friend, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, whom Tupac had met in high school at the Baltimore School for the Arts in Maryland.
The album also featured contributions from Tupac's step-brother, Mopreme. Mopreme became a member of the hip-hop group Thug Life, which Tupac started and which released the album Thug Life: Volume 1 in 1994.

'Me Against the World'

When Tupac's third solo album came out on March 14, 1995, he was in jail. Its title, Me Against the World, could not have been more apt. It reached No. 1 in the Billboard 200 chart and is considered by many to be his magnum opus — "by and large a work of pain, anger and burning desperation" wrote Cheo H. Coker at Rolling Stone. But there was vulnerability, too — lead single, "Dear Mama," was a tear-jerking tribute to his mother, Afeni, that hit number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1995. Me Against The World became the first album to reach no.1 on billboards hot 200 while incarcerated. (Tupac was serving jail time at the moment for sexualy abusing a fan, which he got bailed for more that 1 million by CEO of death row records, sure knight)

'All Eyez on Me'

Tupac was bailed for more than 1 million by Suge Knight, CEO of West Coast Record label, Death Row. He requested Suge to take him straight to the studio, where he recorded "Ambitionz Az A Ridah", the first track of his comeback album. Tupac's debut for Death Row, the double-length album All Eyez on Me, which was the first ever double-length album in music history, came out in February 1996. With his new hip-hop group Outlawz debuting on the album, All Eyez on Me was an unapologetic celebration of the thug lifestyle, eschewing socially conscious lyrics in favour of gangsta-funk hedonism and menace. Dr Dre, who had pioneered g-funk with NWA, produced the album's first single, "California Love" — which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remains Tupac's best-known song. The third single from the album, "How Do You Want It," also reached No. 1. How Do You Want It was one of the only pop music that Tupac released. Within two months of its release, All Eyez on Me had been certified five-times double-platinum. It would eventually become diamond certified.

'How Do U Want It'

Released as a single in June 1996, “How Do You Want It” was more famous for its B track, “Hit ‘Em Up,” which aired Tupac’s West Coast feud with East Coast Bad Boy rivals. On the inflammatory song, Tupac spat venom at artists including Biggie Smalls, Lil Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Prodigy of Mobb Deep. The track seemed to chillingly presage Tupac’s death and the ensuing conspiracy theories:

“Grab ya glocks, when you see Tupac; Call the cops, when you see Tupac, uh; Who shot me, but ya punks didn't finish; Now ya bout to feel the wrath of a menace,” he rapped.

'Don Killuminati: The Seven Day Theory'

Tupac's fifth album, Don Killuminati: The Seven Day Theory, was released in November 1996, just eight weeks after his death. The name "7 day theory is a resemblance of the time it took for Pack to completely record and mix it. It also reached No. 1 on the charts. Tupac recorded a total of six studio albums released posthumously, up to and including Pac's Life in 2006.