Very few rappers make a lasting impact with the music that they make. Even fewer do so in such a historically monumental manner as the late rapper Tupac Shakur. Shakur, who has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the best selling hip-hop artist of all time, has sold over 75 million albums worldwide - and the numbers are rightly deserved.
Shakur was and still remains a voice for the street, a man who advocated social, political and racial equality. His music voiced truth, even as he struggled with the fragments of his own identity. With tracks about racism, life on the street, and general problems in society, Shakur shamelessly reflected the thoughts and opinions of society's most marginalized.
Since a typical day for me does not involve the reviewing of an album from a dead artist, I have taken into consideration the fact that 2Pac had no creative input regarding the tracks on this album (which makes it that much harder to analyze). The release of "Pac's Life" is Shakur's 6th posthumous album since his untimely death in 1996, and one has to wonder if these posthumous album releases will ever cease. My guess is no.
Sure, there were certainly a few important posthumous albums that brought to life the brilliant yet unreleased lyrics of Shakur, namely "R U Still Down? Remember Me" (1997) and "Still I Rise" (1999), but 10 years later one has to ask why 2Pac's music is still being released. The collaborations on this album raise some eyebrows, featuring several artists that 2Pac himself most likely would have never worked with given he was still alive (think T.I., Chamillionaire, Lil Scrappy).
The final verdict - "Pac's Life" in no way brings the legacy of "2Pac's life" back to the forefronts of our minds. The beats are whack and silly, while Tupac's own rhymes at most make up 20 percent of the content here. The album is cluttered, sloppy, and essentially not necessary.
For those wanting to grasp the full extent 2Pac's career, skip out on this release and pick up a copy of the two best albums Tupac made while living, "All Eyez On Me" (1996) or "Me Against The World" (1995).
This article was written by Matthew Reynolds, writer and CD reviewer for the and freelance writer for The Tennessean. See his personal blog here for more music reviews.
