Jive, 1995
2pac’s popularity is skyrocketing, his commitment to his community is at its peak and this is drawing the wrath of the media and his rivals. His power of communication and his capacity to gather people disturb. During the writing of Me Against The World between 1993 and 1994, Tupac is accused of rape and is on trial, he will end up being incarcerated in early 1995 just before the release of the album. Paradoxically, Tupac has always defended women in his songs such as Brenda’s Got A Baby or Keep Ya Head Up. This period has definitely marked the artist to the point of making him a martyr, a man who feels persecuted for no real reason, pushing him to question himself.
Tupac is not the violent gangster as presented in the media. On the contrary, 2pac studied at the university, he read Shakespeare or Machiavelli, especially during his incarceration. Tupac is a mature intellectual poet.
Me Against The World is 2pac’s introspective album par excellence, an album that presents his reflections on himself and his life as a man and as an artist. Tupac takes a sincere look at himself, but he doesn’t want to stop fighting for his community. He says it on Me Against The World where he feels alone against all, but he will continue his fight despite everything. 2pac is aware of his weight in the rap game, he is a charismatic leader, but this weighs on his shoulders pushing him to question himself, Heavy In The Game.
2pac, If I Die 2night
They say pussy and paper is poetry, power and pistols
Plotting on murdering motherfuckers ‘fore they get you
Picturing pitiful punk niggas copping pleas
Puffin’ weed as I position myself to clock G’s
2pac has always been afraid of his own death and while he is in full reflection, he wonders about his many enemies that could lead him to the grave on If I Die 2night with beautiful alliterations proving his great writing ability. On his side, Death Around The Corner takes him in a kind of paranoia where he sees himself dying.
2pac takes us through his personal thoughts with a beautiful poetry full of sincerity on It Ain’t Easy. His sadness seems to bring him in a form of nostalgic depression on his fear of being incarcerated. So Many Tears also comes back to this nostalgia and the painful struggle in the ghettos. On Dear Mama, he delivers a beautiful blues guitar riff with touching lyrics about his love for his mother. 2pac is such a poet and conveys such emotion that people can only be affected when listening to songs like these. Personally, some tracks are capable of bringing tears to my eyes, especially It Ain’t Easy.
This poetry is reinforced by the melancholy of the productions. The album is of a great elegance, which reflects perfectly the noble philosophy of 2pac. Each melody supports the poetry of the rapper according to the message he wants to convey. The production of If I Die Tonight is more energetic to convey the urgency of the situation while the melodious G-Funk of It Ain’t Easy communicates all the nostalgia of the lyrics. The West Coast touch is strongly felt with the very elegant and melodic G-Funk sounds, allowing to be transported in a soft melancholy. But the inspirations of his East Coast roots are there, especially on Temptations or on Old School, where he tells a lyrical poetry for a tribute to his elders of Hip Hop by quoting the Brand Nubian.
Brand Nubian
“What more could I say, I wouldn’t be here today,
If the old school didn’t pave the way”
Throughout this album, 2pac takes us with his very deep lyrics to make us feel his worries, his paranoia, his despair and his anguish. As agile on rhythmic productions as on soft melodies, 2pac shines with the versatility of his flow on this album to convey his message with a lot of emotions.
2pac
I take a shot of Hennessey
Now I’m strong enough to face the madness
Nickel bag full of sess weed laced with hash
Phone calls from my niggaz on the, other side
Two childhood friends just died, I couldn’t cry
Me Against The World is an album for 2pac himself. An introspective album full of sincerity. Probably the album that best represents the intelligent and wounded rapper he was. Even if his projects with Death Row are excellent musically, I personally prefer 2pac from pre-Death Row period, which is more touching and emotional, and especially more lyrical. Me Against The World will remain for me his best album, the best realized and the most elegant.
Regulate 