All Eyez On Me
All Eyez On Me, hmm, let me see. Let’s just say that this album did for rap in the late 90s what ‘Thriller’ did for Pop music back in the mid-80s. Like the remainder of 2Pac’s life, All Eyez was a mix of many intense emotions that simply combusted and left a blazing legacy on the music industry.
The first disc/Book on ‘All Eyez’ begins with the unforgettable ‘Ambitionz of a Ridah’. In summary, this is a Pac; ‘I’m ready for war track’. Although names are not explicitly dropped on this song even the most naïve listener will acknowledge that these are the words of a scorned man who clearly knows who he has beef against, who’s got his back and, ultimately, how things were going to end. To be honest the first disc flows well and hits us with track after track. Admittedly, a few songs such as ‘All Bout You’ and ‘Skandalouz’ were far from ground breaking on the first disc. However, we are more than willing to let this minute lapse of mediocrity slide especially since the ‘Heartz Of Men’ (produced by Quik in top form); ‘Life Goes On’, the classic ‘Only God Can Judge Me’; ‘Tradin War Stories’; the Dre-produced summer anthem of 1996 ‘California Love (Rmx)’and the coming of age ‘I Ain't Mad At Cha’ all follow one another in succession towards the end of Book 1.
Disc 2 starts off with the Snoop Dogg ‘What’s My Name’ inspired ‘Can’t C Me’. This is the second track produced by Dr Dre on the album and the song also features the talents of none other than the great George Clinton. ‘Can’t C Me’ and the ensuing 4 tracks are simply high octane. If anyone ever doubted ‘Pac’s lyrical prowess – they were simply silenced by the skilled ‘Holla at Me’. If you haven’t heard this track, imagine Eminem’s outstanding verse on ‘Fight Music’ but only five times angrier – heypresto, you 2Pac in unduplicatable form. Another brilliant track is the misunderstood ‘Wonder Why they call U B----‘, moral of the song? There are women and there are B’s – why the drama Ms Tucker? The second disc also has the outstanding ‘When we Ride’ which features Big Syke and the Outlawz – everyone on the track flows nicely, confidently and are definitely at the top of their game (RIP Makaveli and Kadafi).
For those that doubted Pac’s talents even after ‘Me Against the World’- ‘All Eyez on me’ showed that 1) 2Pac was an artist 2) He was the most prolific rapper out there 3) Give him any type of beat and he will come out a winner and 4) He and Biggie were THE untouchable new jacks of the game (at the time nothing came close to 'All Eyez on Me', the 'Don Killuminati' or BIG's 'Life After Death'. Did hip-hop lose 2 of it's biggest artists and is it still recovering ? Can Kobe play ball)?
To do justice to ‘All Eyez on Me’, it was one of the few albums of the mid r&b soaked 90s that gave to everyone regardless of their taste. Despite a score of guest artists including Redman, Method Man, Snoop, E-40, C-BO, Richie Rich and George Clinton, it was definitely ‘Pac’s album and through his charisma, anger and artistry he created a piece of work that was in heavy rotations in homes, rides and cars for years to come. This was the last album to be released while Pac was alive and what we have is the perfect goodbye present which was recorded for and left to music fans to inherit. Exit Tupac…….Enter Makaveli.................and you thought it was just about guns, Beeyatches and ho’s.