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This article is about the 2Pac album. For chapter 7 of The Emo Diaries series, see Me Against the World (compilation album).

Untitled

Me Against the World is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Tupac Shakur. It was released March 14, 1995 on the Interscope Records label. It was his impending prison sentence, troubles with the police and Shakur being poor, which many believe might have contributed to Shakur's artistic reemergence on record, as his material is believed by Steve Huey of Allmusic to have become markedly more "confessional", "reflective", and "soul-baring".[2]

Me Against the World, released while Shakur was imprisoned, made an immediate impact on the charts, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. This made Shakur the first artist to have an album debut at number one on Billboard 200 while serving time in prison. The album served as one of Shakur's most positively reviewed albums, with many calling it the magnum opus of his career, and is considered one of the greatest and most influential hip hop albums of all-time.[3] Me Against the World won best rap album at the 1996 Soul Train Music Awards.[4]

Background

In 1992, Tupac Shakur was already a success in the hip hop industry, with two gold-certified singles that reached the top twenty on the pop charts ("I Get Around", "Keep Ya Head Up"), and a platinum-selling sophomore album that would peak just inside the top twenty-five of the Billboard 200 (Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.).[5][6] However, the 22-year-old artist had a series of incidents and charges of breaking the law. In the summer of 1993, Shakur was charged for assaulting director Allen Hughes while filming Menace II Society; Shakur was later sentenced to fifteen days in jail. Later, in October 1993, Shakur was charged with shooting two off-duty police officers in Atlanta, though the charges would eventually be dismissed. In November, Shakur and two members of his entourage were charged with sexually assaulting a female fan, for which they were found guilty and sentenced to 4.5 years in jail.[7] According to Shakur, the album was made to show the hip hop audience his respect for the art form. Lyrically, Shakur intentionally tried to make the album more personal and reflective than his previous efforts.[8]

Recording and production

The musical production on the album was considered by several music critics to be the best on any of Shakur's albums up to that point in his career. Steve "Flash" Juon at RapReviews gave the production on the album a perfect 10 of 10 rating, particularly praising tracks like "So Many Tears" and "Temptations".[9] Jon Pareles of the New York Times remarked that the production had a "fatalistic calm, in a commercial mold". He compared the album's production and synthesized hooks to that of Dr. Dre's G-funk style, stating that "while 2Pac doesn't sing, other voices do, providing smooth melody".[10] James Bernard at Entertainment Weekly was not quite as enthusiastic about the album's production, remarking that Shakur's "vocals are buried deep in the mix. That's a shame—if they were more in-your-face, the lackluster beats might be less noticeable."[11] The album's recording sessions took place at ten different studios, while it was mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering.[12] Although the album was originally released on Interscope. Amaru Entertainment, the label owned by Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur, has since released the album twice.[13][14]

Composition

It was like a blues record. It was down-home. It was all my fears, all the things I just couldn't sleep about. Everybody thought I was living so well and doing so good that I wanted to explain it. And it took a whole album to get it all out. I get to tell my innermost, darkest secrets I tell my own personal problems.[8]

— Tupac Shakur

Some of the album's main themes concern the loss of innocence, paranoia, and occasional self-loathing.[2] Much attention is paid to subjects such as the pain of urban survival.[9] Not all of the music deals with such extremely bleak subject matter, however. Some tracks, such as "Old School", lean more to the nostalgic, though somewhat bittersweet side in Shakur's remembrance of his youth and the early days of hip hop music.[2][9] The album is also well known for the more sensitive tracks "Dear Mama" and "Can U Get Away", which are both directed towards and reveal Shakur's devotion to the women he loves. On "Dear Mama", Shakur pays tribute to and expresses his undying affection for his own mother, continuously reminding her that though his actions might sometimes seem to state otherwise, "you are appreciated".[9][15] On the track "Can U Get Away", Shakur attempts to impress a woman who has managed to gain his affections, away from the woman's abusive relationship. Four of the most eerie and revered tracks on the album are "If I Die 2Nite", "Lord Knows" "Outlaw" which directly references the shooting that Tupac went through before it happened, and "Fuck The World" Throughout the entirety of the album Shakur employs various poetical deliveries, ranging from alliteration ("If I Die 2Nite"), to the use of paired couplets ("Lord Knows").[9]

Singles

"Dear Mama" was released as the album's first single in February 1995, along with the track "Old School" as the B-side.[16] "Dear Mama" would be the album's most successful single, topping the Hot Rap Singles chart, and peaking at the ninth spot on the Billboard Hot 100.[17] The single was certified platinum in July 1995,[5] and later placed at number 51 on the year-end charts.

The second single, "So Many Tears", was released in June, four months after the first single.[18] The single would reach the number six spot on the Hot Rap Singles chart, and the 44th on the Billboard Hot 100.[17]

"Temptations", released in August, was the third and final single from the album.[19] The single would be the least successful of the three released, but still did fairly well on the charts, reaching number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100, 35 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, and 13 on the Hot Rap Singles charts.[17]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart and stayed there for 4 weeks straight, it sold 240,000 copies in the first week, and became certified double platinum by the end of the year.[20][21][22][23] Likewise, it also debuted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, thus giving 2Pac the first number one album on both R&B and Pop charts.[24] While Shakur was in prison, the album over-took Bruce Springsteen's Greatest Hits as the best-selling album in the United States, a feat which he took pride in.[8] Shakur became the first artist to have a number one album while serving a prison sentence.[22] It achieved multi platinum status and has sold 3,524,567 copies in the United States as of 2011.[25]

Tupac Shakur's virtual appearance on the annual Coachella Festival (April 15, 2012) saw gains in sales, the album sold 1,000 copies the following week (Up by 53% from the previous week).[26]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Robert ChristgauC+[27]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[11]
RapReviews10/10[9]
Rolling Stone[28]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[29]
The Source (1995)[30]
The Source (2002)[31]

In a contemporary review, Cheo H. Coker at Rolling Stone called the album Shakur's best and said it was "by and large a work of pain, anger and burning desperation — [it] is the first time 2Pac has taken the conflicting forces tugging at his psyche head-on".[28] Jon Pareles, writing in The New York Times, called Shakur the "St. Augustine of gangster rap" due to his ambivalence towards the behavior and nature of the gangster lifestyle.[10] In a negative review, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice felt that Shakur is "witless" when dealing with fundamental hip hop themes of persecution and accused him of "self-pity": "The subtext of his persecution complex is his self-regard".[27]

In a retrospective review, Allmusic editor Steve Huey dubbed the album "[Shakur's] most thematically consistent, least self-contradicting work", and stated, "it may not be his definitive album, but it just might be his best".[2] Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReview seemed to feel differently, remarking that the album "is not only the quintessential Shakur album, but one of the most important rap albums released in the 1990s as a whole".Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

Kendrick Lamar included this album in his 25 of his favourite albums then saying: "It really was just in heavy rotation. Constantly going back and forth where we was just mixing and matching songs together. It was really dark. ‘Death Around The Corner,’ ‘So Many Tears,’ you can tell what type of space he was in.”.[32]

Accolades

At the 38th Grammy Awards, in 1996, Me Against the World was nominated for Best Rap Album and the single "Dear Mama" was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance.[33][34] In 2008, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, in conjunction with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, recognized Me Against the World as one of the "most influential and popular albums", ranking it number 170 on a list of 200 other albums by artists of various musical genres.[35]

 • The information regarding accolades is adapted from Acclaimedmusic.net,[36] except for lists that are sourced otherwise.
 • (*) signifies unordered lists

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
New Nation UK Top 100 Albums by Black Artists 49
Gary Mulholland 261 Greatest Albums Since Punk and Disco 2006 *
Blender USA 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die 2003 *
Ego Trip Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–98 1999 7
Nude as the News The 100 Most Compelling Albums of the 90s 47
Pause & Play Albums Inducted into a Time Capsule, One Album per Week *
Robert Dimery 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005 *
The Source The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time 1998 *
About.com 100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums[37] 12
10 Essential Hip-Hop Albums[38] 2008 9
Complex (magazine) The 90 Best Rap Albums of the '90s 2014 23
Kendrick Lamar's 25 Favorite Albums[32] 2012 *

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro" Tony Pizarro, Jill Rose (co.)1:40
2."If I Die 2Nite"T. Shakur, B. Wright, W. Clarke, N. Durham, O.S. Harvey, Jr.Easy Mo Bee4:01
3."Me Against the World" (featuring Dramacydal)T. Shakur, M. Ripperton, R. Rudolph, L. Ware, B. Bacharach, H. DavidSoulshock and Karlin4:40
4."So Many Tears"T. Shakur, G. Jacobs, R. Walker, E. Baker, S. WonderD-Flizno Production Squad (Shock G & Stretch)3:59
5."Temptations"T. Shakur, R. Troutman, L. Troutman, S. Murdock, G. Clinton, Jr., G. Shider, D. Spradley, O.S. Harvey, Jr.Easy Mo Bee5:00
6."Young Niggaz"T. Shakur, N. Leftenat, C. Singleton, T. Jenkins, L. Blackmon, L. TylerMoe Z.M.D.4:53
7."Heavy In the Game" (featuring Richie Rich)T. Shakur, M. Mosley, S. BosticMike Mosley, Sam Bostic4:23
8."Lord Knows"T. ShakurBrian G, Moe Z.M.D. (add.), Tony Pizarro (add.)4:31
9."Dear Mama"T. Shakur, J. Sample, T. PizarroTony Pizarro, DF Master Tee & Moses (co.)4:40
10."It Ain't Easy"T. Shakur, T. PizarroTony Pizarro4:53
11."Can U Get Away"T. Shakur, M. Mosley, F. BeverlyMike Mosley4:54
12."Old School"T. Shakur, J. Buchanan, D. TilerySoulshock, Jay-B (co.), Ezi Cut (co.)4:40
13."Fuck the World"T. Shakur, G. JacobsShock G4:13
14."Death Around the Corner"T. Shakur, J. JacksonJohnny "J"4:07
15."Outlaw" (featuring Dramacydal)T. Shakur, Moe Z.Moe Z.M.D.4:32

Chart history

Chart positions

Preceded by Billboard 200 number-one album
April 1–28, 1995 		Succeeded by
The Lion King soundtrack by Various artists

Personnel

Credits for Me Against the World adapted from Allmusic[44] and from the album liner notes.[45]

  • Art Director: Eric Altenburger
  • Co-Producers: DF Master Tee, Ezi Cut, Jay-B, Moses, Jill Rose
  • Designer: Eric Altenburger
  • Engineers: Paul Arnold, Kevin "KD" Davis, Jay Lean, Eric Lynch, Bob Morris, Tim Nitz, Tony Pizarro, Mike Schlesinger
  • Guitar: Ronnie Vann
  • Mixing Engineers: Paul Arnold, Kevin "KD" Davis, Jeff Griffin, Jay Lean, Tony Pizarro, SoulShock
  • Performers: Dramacydal, Richie Rich
  • Producers: Easy Mo Bee, Sam Bostic, D-Flizno Production Squad, Brian G, Shock G, Johnny "J", Karlin, Mike Mosley, Tony Pizarro, SoulShock, Le-morrious "Funky Drummer" Tyler, Moe Z.M.D.
  • Vocals: Tupac Shakur, Kim Armstrong, Eboni Foster, Reggie Green, Puff Johnson, Jill Rose, Richard Serrell, Natasha Walker

See also

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ Talevski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries, - Knocking On Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 187. ISBN 978-1-8460-9091-2. Nicknamed Kadafi, rapper Yafeu Fula (...) appeared on the massive-selling gangsta-rap albums, Me Against The World and All Eyez On Me.
  2. ^ a b c d e Huey, Steve. "Me Against the World Overview at Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
  3. ^ "Remebering Tupac: His Musical Legacy and His Top Selling Albums". The Atlanta Post. September 17, 2010. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
  4. ^ See 1996 Soul Train Music Awards#Best Rap Album.
  5. ^ a b "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – May 13, 2009: Search Results – 2 Pac". RIAA. Retrieved 2009-05-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "allmusic ((( Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  7. ^ "allmusic ((( 2Pac > Biography )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  8. ^ a b c Ali & Hoye 2003, p. 166
  9. ^ a b c d e f Juon, Steve 'Flash'. "2Pac :: Me Against the World :: Interscope". RapReviews. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  10. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (1995-04-09). "RECORDINGS VIEW; Confession of a Rapper Who Done Wrong – The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  11. ^ a b James Bernard (1995-03-17). "2Pac (Me Against the World) Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-10-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "2Pac – Me Against The World (Vinyl, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  13. ^ "2Pac – Me Against The World at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  14. ^ Guy, Jasmine (2005-02-01). Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary (Paperback). Atria. p. 193. ISBN 0-7434-7054-0.
  15. ^ ""Me Against the World" lyrics at OHHLA.com". OHHLA.com. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  16. ^ "Dear Mama (US Single #1) at Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  17. ^ a b c d "Me Against the World – 2Pac". AllMusic. 1995-03-14. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
  18. ^ "So Many Tears (EP) at Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  19. ^ "Temptations (CD/Cassette Single) at Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  20. ^ a b "Me Against the World - 2Pac". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
  21. ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - May 13, 2009 - Search Results - Me Against the World". RIAA. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
  22. ^ a b http://www.stopthebreaks.com/hip-hop-gems/2pac-first-artist-debut-number-1-in-prison/
  23. ^ List of number-one albums of 1995 (U.S.)
  24. ^ http://www.billboard.com/charts/1995-04-01/r-b-hip-hop-albums
  25. ^ "Tupac Month: 2Pac's Discography". Retrieved May 27, 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1097452/tupacs-virtual-coachella-appearance-spurs-huge-sales-bump
  27. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (June 6, 1995). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  28. ^ a b Coker, Cheo H. (1995-03-10). "2Pac: Me Against The World". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2008-02-02. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ Tate, Greg; et al. (November 2, 2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 830–832. ISBN 0743201698. Retrieved December 17, 2012. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  30. ^ The Source: 79. April 1995. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  31. ^ Kazeem (August 4, 2010). "The Complete List Of 5 Mic Hip-Hop Classics". The Source. Retrieved on 2010-12-23.
  32. ^ a b http://www.complex.com/music/2012/10/kendrick-lamars-25-favorite-albums/
  33. ^ Strauss, Neil (January 5, 1996). "New Faces in Grammy Nominations". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  34. ^ "Grammy Awards: Best Rap Solo Performance". Rock On The Net. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
  35. ^ "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Definitive 200". RockHall.com. Retrieved 2009-03-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ "Me Against the World at AcclaimedMusic.net". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  37. ^ Adaso, Henry. "The Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time". About.com. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
  38. ^ http://rap.about.com/od/top10albums/ss/EssentialAlbums_2.htm
  39. ^ "2 Pac – Me Against The World". musicline.de. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
  40. ^ "2 Pac – Me Against The World". SwedishCharts.com. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
  41. ^ "Me Against the World – 2Pac". AllMusic. 1995-03-14. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
  42. ^ "Search Results -- Albums". chartstats.com. Retrieved May 24, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  43. ^ "2PAC | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  44. ^ "Me Against the World: Credits at Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
  45. ^ Me Against the World (CD). 2Pac. Amaru/Jive/Interscope/Atlantic. 1995. {{cite AV media notes}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |titlelink= (help)CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Bibliography
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