2Pacalypse Now
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
Top
2Pacalypse Now
- Artist: 2Pac
- Rating:
- Release Date: November 12, 1991
- Total Time: 55:07
- Type: Contains explicit content
- Genre: Rap
Review
When 2Pac's full-length debut, 2Pacalypse Now, came out in 1991, it didn't have the same immediate impact, didn't instantly throw him into the upper echelons of rap's elite, as Nas', Jay-Z's, or even his biggest rival, Notorious B.I.G.'s did, but the album certainly set him up for his illustrious and sadly short-lived career. Part of its initial problem, what held it back from extensive radio play, is that there's not an obvious single. The closest thing to it, and what ended up being the best-known track from 2Pacalypse Now, is "Brenda's Got a Baby," which discusses teenage pregnancy in true Pac fashion, sympathetically explaining a situation without condoning it, but it doesn't even have a hook, and most of the other pieces follow suit, more poetry than song. The album is significantly more political than the rapper's subsequent releases, showing an intelligent, talented, and angry young man (he was only 20 when it came out) who wanted desperately to express and reveal the problems in the urban black community, from racism to police brutality to the seemingly near impossibility of escaping from the ghetto. He pays tribute to artists like KRS-One, N.W.A, and Public Enemy, all of whom he also considered to be provoking discussion and reaction, but he also has cleanly carved out an image for himself: articulate and smart, not overtly boastful, and concerned about societal problems, both small and large (and though he discusses these less and less as career progresses, he never leaves them behind). Yes, the edges of 2Pacalypse Now can be a bit rough, yes the beats aren't always outstanding, and yes, the MC's flow can be a little choppy, even for him, but it's still a great look at what 2Pac could offer, and a must-have for any fan of his, or hip-hop in general. ~ Marisa Brown, Rovi| 2Pac and Friends (2005 Album by 2Pac) | |
| 2SHAE (2004 Album by 2Shae) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
2Pacalypse Now
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011) |
| 2Pacalypse Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Studio album by 2Pac | ||||
| Released | November 12, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | June – September 1991 at Starlight Sound Studios (Richmond, California, U.S.) |
|||
| Genre | West Coast hip hop, political hip hop, conscious hip hop, underground hip hop, hardcore hip hop, new jack swing | |||
| Length | 53:00 | |||
| Label | TNT, Amaru, Interscope | |||
| Producer | Atron Gregory (exec.), Big D the Impossible, Jeremy, Live Squad, Raw Fusion, Shock G, Underground Railroad | |||
| 2Pac chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Singles from 2Pacalypse Now | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| RapReviews |   [2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
2Pacalypse Now is the debut studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur, released on November 12, 1991.
Though less polished than his later studio albums, 2Pacalypse Now is 2Pac's most overtly political work. In it, he addresses contemporary social issues facing American society, such as racism, police brutality, poverty, and teenage pregnancy, some issues giving a lyrical glimpse into the world of a young black man on the urban streets of the United States.
|
Contents
|
Album information
2Pacalypse Now is hailed by many critics and fans for its underground feel, with many rappers such as Nas, Eminem, Game, and Talib Kweli having pointed to it as a source for inspiration.[4]
Although the album was originally released on Interscope Records, rights of it are now owned by Amaru Entertainment. The album's name is a reference to the 1979 film Apocalypse Now.
The album generated significant controversy stemming from Dan Quayle's public criticism after a youth in Texas shot a state trooper and his defense attorney claimed he was influenced by 2Pacalypse Now and its strong theme of police brutality. Quayle made the statement, "There's no reason for a record like this to be released. It has no place in our society."
The record never achieved the same success as many of 2Pac's later albums owing in part to rough construction and sometimes repetitive beats, but it was important in showcasing 2Pac's political conviction and his focus on lyrical prowess. On MTV's Greatest Rappers of All Time List, 2pacalypse Now was listed as one of 2Pac's "certified classic" albums, along with Me Against the World, All Eyez On Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.
2Pacalypse Now went on to be certified Gold by the RIAA. It featured three singles; "Brenda's Got a Baby", "Trapped", and "If My Homie Calls".
2Pacalypse Now can be found in the Vinyl Countdown and in the instruction manual for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas along with the track "I Don't Give a Fuck" which appeared on the in-game radio station, Radio Los Santos.
Track Listing
All lyrics by 2Pac, music compositions listed below.
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Young Black Male" | Big D The Impossible (D Evans) | 2:35 | |
| 2. | "Trapped" (featuring Shock G) | The Underground Railroad | 4:44 | |
| 3. | "Soulja's Story" | Big D The Impossible | 5:05 | |
| 4. | "I Don't Give a Fuck" (featuring Pogo) | Pee-Wee (R Gooden) | 4:20 | |
| 5. | "Violent" | Raw Fusion (R Brooks & D Elliot) | 6:25 | |
| 6. | "Words of Wisdom" | Shock G (G Jacobs) | 4:54 | |
| 7. | "Something Wicked" (featuring Pee-Wee) | Jeremy | 2:28 | |
| 8. | "Crooked Ass Nigga" (featuring Stretch) | Stretch (R Walker) | 4:17 | |
| 9. | "If My Homie Calls" | Big D The Impossible | 4:18 | |
| 10. | "Brenda's Got a Baby" (featuring Dave Hollister) | The Underground Railroad | 3:55 | |
| 11. | "Tha' Lunatic" (featuring Stretch) | Shock G | 3:29 | |
| 12. | "Rebel of the Underground" (featuring Ray Luv & Shock G) | Shock G | 3:17 | |
| 13. | "Part Time Mutha" (featuring Angelique & Poppi) | Big D The Impossible | 5:13 |
Unused tracks
- "Crooked Nigga Too" (Original featuring Stretch) (Remixed On Loyal To The Game)
- "Tears Of A Clown" (Unreleased)
- "Scared Straight '91" (Original featuring Ray Luv) (Remixed On Pac's Life)
- "Resist The Temptation" (Remixed On Best of 2Pac)
- "Dopefiend's Diner" (Remixed On Best of 2Pac)
- "Crooked Cop Killer" (Produced By Stretch) (Unreleased)
- "Fever In The Funkhouse" (Unreleased)
- "Revenge Of Tha' Lunatic" (Unreleased) (Original Version & Remix)
- "Funky Freestyles" (Unreleased)
- "Hymn of The 90's N.I.G.G.A." (Original featuring Mouse Man & The Wycked) (Remixed On Loyal To The Game) (Partially)
- "Backstabbaz" (Unreleased)
- "What U Won't Do 4 Love" (featuring Schoovy Schmoov) (Early 1991 Version of "Do For Love")
- "Use Me" (Unreleased)
- "This Is The Brain On a 40 Ounce" (featuring Treach) (Unreleased)
- "2FLY4ME" (Unreleased)
- "Trapped" (Remix) (Unreleased)
- "You Don't Wanna Battle" (featuring Ryan G.) (Unreleased)
Singles
| Single information |
|---|
"Brenda's Got a Baby" (feat. Dave Hollister)
|
"Trapped" (feat. Shock G)
|
"If My Homie Calls"
|
Charts
Album
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 1992 | 2Pacalypse Now | 64 | 13 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | ||
| 1992 | "Brenda's Got a Baby/If My Homie Calls" | 23 | 3 |
References
- ^ "2Pacalypse Now Review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r53432. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ "2Pacalypse Now Review". rapreviews.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_2pacalypse.html. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ "Rolling Stone Album Guide". Rolling Stone. http://books.google.com/books?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&pg=PR10&dq=2004+new+rolling+stone+album+online#PPA830,M1. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ "MTV - They Told Us". http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index15.jhtml. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
Read more
Mentioned in
Tupac Shakur
(Actor, Music)
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
(1993 Album by 2 Pac)
Stretch
(rapper)
» More