"Who Been There, Who Done That?", written and performed by one of Dr.Although the song had no association with Death Row Records prior to the release of the compilation, the song was able to be included as Priority Records, the songs distributor, and Interscope Records, the albums distributor, are both divisions of Universal Music Group. " No Vaseline" by Ice Cube a 1991 diss track aimed at Dr.Dre, by including a diss track directed towards the rapper/producer on each disc of the release. įollowing suit with 2Pac's The 7 Day Theory, Death Row continues to show animosity towards former signee and co-founder, Dr. "Smile For Me Now", a new song by 2Pac and Scarface which was released as a single in remix form three months later, retitled, " Smile".This song was later remixed and included on the 2012 Dogg Pound compilation, Doggy Bag. "Me in Your World", a new song by Tha Dogg Pound."Who Been There, Who Done That?", a new song by J-Flexx and parody of the Dr.
" Hit 'Em Up", a non-album 2Pac track that could previously only be found on the B-side to " How Do U Want It".This version could originally be found on the B-side of the single release. " I Get Around (RMX)", a remix featuring a chilled jazz beat and an extra verse by 2Pac."Daydreaming", a new song by Michel'le and cover of the 1972 Aretha Franklin song, " Day Dreaming"." Let Me Ride (RMX)", a remix produced and featuring a new verse by Daz Dillinger.ĭisc two of the compilation is mostly made up of remixes and new tracks, notable inclusions being: " Dear Mama"-found on disc one of the compilation-although not listed as a remix, is a completely different mix than what is found on the single or original album release. In 2003, tracks from the 1996 Death Row albums were featured on the compilation's follow-up, Death Row Greatest Hits, Volume 2. The four tracks not affiliated with Death Row were able to be included as Interscope, at that time, was Death Row's parent and distributor. And one track, "Pour Out a Little Liquor", was recorded before 2Pac's time at Death Row, however, was originally released on the 1994 Death Row soundtrack, Above the Rim. Four of the other five tracks were songs previously released under Interscope Records prior to his signing with Death Row. From the seven tracks on the compilation that feature 2Pac, only two were recorded during his time spent at Death Row Records " Hit 'Em Up" and " Smile For Me Now", which are both non-album tracks. To counter cannibalism of sales from other 1996 Death Row album releases, no songs from 2Pac's All Eyez on Me, The 7 Day Theory and Snoop Dogg's Tha Doggfather are included on the compilation. But you don’t have to travel far to witness his impact: Even two decades after his untimely demise, 2Pac’s influence can be heard in everyone from Lil Wayne to Kendrick Lamar to Future.Background 2Pac's inclusion Originally branding himself MC New York, 2Pac incorporated influences from the East and West Coasts, not to mention the South, to create a universalist message and sound that explains why murals of him can be found all the way to Sub-Saharan Africa. And as Death Row Records’ strain of gangsta rap defined the middle years of the decade, he became the label’s avatar.
But there was also the funkadelic player (“I Get Around”), the insular loner (“Me Against the World”), the savage warlord (“Hit ’Em Up”), and the sensitive poet (“Brenda’s Got a Baby”). For much of his career, he embodied this revolutionary, fight-the-power ethos on songs like “Trapped” and “Keep Ya Head Up,” befitting the Afrocentric, conscious-minded milieu of the early ’90s. He was born Lesane Parish Crooks in 1971, but his mother (a Black Panther leader) swiftly changed his name to Tupac Amaru Shakur in honor of the last Incan emperor to perish while resisting Spanish rule. Even if his legend has become a tall tale, his music remains an indelible testament to the multitudes he contained. In fact, his closest analog may not be late rival The Notorious B.I.G., but rather dorm-room icons of the mythologized past: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, and James Dean. 2Pac is arguably the most influential rapper of all-time.