Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... | ||||
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Studio album by 2Pac | ||||
Released | February 16, 1993 | |||
Recorded | June 1992 – January 1993 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 63:55 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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2Pac chronology | ||||
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Singles from Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Robert Christgau | [2] |
Los Angeles Times | [3] |
Q | [4] |
Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
The Source | [6] |
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... is the second studio album by rapper Tupac Shakur, released by T.N.T. Recordings, Interscope Records and EastWest Records America on February 16, 1993. The rights now belong to Amaru Entertainment. N.I.G.G.A.Z. in the title is an acronym for ("Never Ign'ant Getting Goals Accomplished'); the "Z" in the title makes it a plural.
Similar to his debut, 2Pacalypse Now, the album contains many tracks emphasizing 2Pac's political and social views. The original album was going to be named "Troublesome 21" and released in September 1992, but it was scrapped.[7][8] Debuting at number twenty-four on the Billboard 200, this album saw more commercial success than its predecessor, and there are many noticeable differences in production. While Tupac's first effort included a more underground or indie-rap-oriented sound, this album was considered his "breakout" album. It spawned the hits "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Get Around" and has since reached double platinum status.
On vinyl, Side A (tracks 1-8) was labeled the "Black Side" and Side B (tracks 9-16) the "Dark Side."
The album features guest appearances from the group Live Squad, 2Pac's stepbrother The Wycked (later known as "Mopreme", later a member of 2Pac's groups Thug Life and The Outlawz), Ice-T, Ice Cube, Treach, Apache, Poppi, Deadly Threat, R&B singer Dave Hollister and Digital Underground.
The album has sold 1,639,584 units in the United States as of 2011.[9]
Reception
- The Source (2/93, pp. 69–70) - 3.5 Stars - Good Plus - "...a combination of '60s black political thought and '90s urban reality, 2Pac is not afraid to speak his mind.... Balances the gangsta tendencies of street life with insightful revelations...."
- Melody Maker (5/1/93, p. 34) - "...[on Strictly] 2Pac drops rhymes that drip with the sweat of hardcore funk.... This is an adventure into life on the streets of America...."
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…, wrote Ian McCann in Q, "found 2Pac feted by Hollywood and Ice Cube no longer an influence but a guest. Bitter, more distant, it offers the legendary 5 Deadly Venomz, Keep Ya Head Up and, ominously, Something 2 Die 4, on which 2Pac's ma warns him if he can't find something to live for, he should find something worth dying for. Gulp."[4]
Track listing
All lyrics by 2Pac, music compositions listed below.
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Holler If Ya Hear Me" | Stretch | 4:38 |
2. | "Pac's Theme (Interlude)" | The Underground Railroad | 1:56 |
3. | "Point the Finga" | Big D The Impossible | 4:25 |
4. | "Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)" |
| 2:43 |
5. | "Last Wordz" (featuring Ice Cube and Ice-T) |
| 3:36 |
6. | "Souljah's Revenge" | Bobcat | 3:16 |
7. | "Peep Game" (featuring Deadly Threat) | Bobcat | 4:28 |
8. | "Strugglin'" (featuring Live Squad) | Live Squad | 3:33 |
9. | "Guess Who's Back" | Special Ed | 3:06 |
10. | "Representin' 93" | Truman Jefferson | 3:34 |
11. | "Keep Ya Head Up" (featuring Dave Hollister) | DJ Daryl | 4:22 |
12. | "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..." (featuring Pacific Heights) | Lay Law | 5:55 |
13. | "The Streetz R Deathrow" | Stretch | 3:26 |
14. | "I Get Around" (featuring Shock G and Money-B) | The D-Flow Production Squad | 4:19 |
15. | "Papa'z Song" (featuring Wycked and Poppi) | Big D The Impossible | 5:25 |
16. | "5 Deadly Venomz" (featuring Treach, Live Squad and Apache) | Stretch | 5:13 |
Total length: | 63:55 |
Samples
Holler If Ya Hear Me[10]
- "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice
- "Get Off Your Ass and Jam" by Funkadelic
- "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
- "Rebel Without a Pause" by Public Enemy
Point the Finga[11]
- "Gota Let Your Nuts Hang" by Geto Boys
- "Warm It Up" by Kris Kross
Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)
Last Wordz[12]
- "The Grunt" by The J.B.'s
- "Blind Alley" by The Emotions
- "Flash Light" by Parliament
- "Holy Ghost" by Bar-Kays
- "Better Off Dead" by Ice Cube
- "The N**** Ya Love to Hate" by Ice Cube
- "Tha Lunatic" by 2Pac
- "I Gotta Say What Up!!!" by Ice Cube
- "Dog'n the Wax" by Ice-T
Souljah's Revenge[13]
- "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone
- "The Payback" by James Brown
- "Soulja's Story" by 2Pac
Peep Game[14]
- "Don't Change Your Love" by Five Stairsteps
- "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone
- "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins
- "UFO" by ESG
- "Heartbeat" by Taana Gardner
- "If My Homie Calls" by 2Pac
- "Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force
- "JD's Gafflin' (Part 2)" by Ice Cube
- "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy
- "Mind Blowin'" by The D.O.C.
- "Our Most Requested Record (Long Version)" by Ice-T
- "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson
Strugglin'[15]
- "Ashley's Roachclip" by The Soul Searchers
- "Paid in Full" by Eric B. & Rakim
Guess Who's Back[16]
- "Looking Out My Window" by Tom Jones
- "Ironside" by Quincy Jones
Representin' 93[17]
- "Diary of a Madman" by Scarface
- "This One's for You" by Joe Public
Keep Ya Head Up[18]
- "O-o-h Child" by Five Stairsteps
- "Be Alright" by Zapp
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...[19]
- "UFO" by ESG
The Streetz R Deathrow[20]
- "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
- "You're the One I Need" by Barry White
- "Us" by Ice Cube
I Get Around[21]
- "Computer Love" by Zapp
- "The Ladder" by Prince and The Revolution
- "Step in the Arena" by Gang Starr
- Silly Rabbit, Trix Are for Kids
- "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers
Papa'z Song[22]
- "Fool Yourself" by Little Feat
- "Soul Shadows" by The Crusaders
5 Deadly Venomz[23]
- "The Chokin' Kind" by Joe Simon
- "Roots and Culture" by Shabba Ranks
Charts and certifications
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[24] | Platinum | 1,639,584[9] |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
Album chart positions
Year | Album | Chart positions | |
Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
---|---|---|---|
1993 | Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... | 24 | 4 |
Singles chart positions
Year | Song | Chart positions | ||||
Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Rhythmic Top 40 | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | "I Get Around" | 11 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 2 |
1993 | "Keep Ya Head Up" | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
1994 | "Papa'z Song" | 87 | 82 | 24 | — | — |
See also
References
- ↑ Marisa Brown (1993-02-16). "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. - 2Pac | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ "Album: 2Pac: Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2014-03-21.
- ↑ GOLD, JONATHAN (1996-02-25). "2PAC "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.AZ . . ." Interscope - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2014-03-21.
- 1 2 McCann, Ian: reissue reviews, Q, April 1997
- ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 830. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ↑ "Tupac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 1998-03-10. Retrieved 2014-03-21.
- ↑ "2Pac Interview 1992". YouTube. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "1992 - Troublesome 21 / Black Starry Night / Fragile". Rapper Severence. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
- 1 2 "Tupac Month: 2Pac's Discography". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Holler if Ya Hear Me by 2Pac". WhoSampled. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
- ↑ "Point the Finga by 2Pac". WhoSampled. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
- ↑ "Last Wordz by 2Pac feat. Ice Cube and Ice-T". WhoSampled. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "Souljah's Revenge by 2Pac". WhoSampled. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "Peep Game by 2Pac feat. Deadly Threat". WhoSampled. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "Strugglin' by 2Pac feat. Live Squad". WhoSampled. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
- ↑ "Guess Who's Back by 2Pac". WhoSampled. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "Representin' 93 by 2Pac". WhoSampled. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "Keep Ya Head Up by 2Pac feat. Dave Hollister". WhoSampled. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. by 2Pac". WhoSampled. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "The Streetz R Deathrow by 2Pac". WhoSampled. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
- ↑ "Buy this Track I Get Around by 2Pac feat. Shock G and Money-B". WhoSampled. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "Papa'z Song by 2Pac feat. Wycked and Poppi". WhoSampled. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ↑ "5 Deadly Venomz by 2Pac feat. Live Squad, Treach and Apache". WhoSampled. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
- ↑ "American certifications – 2 Pac – Strictly 4 My Niggaz". Recording Industry Association of America. June 23, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.