After a short stint with the Digital Underground, 2pac dropped his first solo album in 1991. After hearing the album, it may be hard to believe this rapper was a member of the light-hearted group, becoming hip-hop enemy #1. Equiped with angry and hostile raps and lyrics about the streets, politics, and cops, it made Pac a target of Vice-President Dan Quayle’s re-election campaign, causing much contraversy.

 

1. Young Black Male 

The album’s opener. Ok beat, 2pac spitting a nice little rap. Pretty short. Nothing more than average. – 3/5

2. Trapped

2pac’s first single. Funky beat with a subdued bass line. 2pac rapping about the Police, trying to avoid confrontation, but eventually leading to shots being fired in an altercation, leaving 2pac “trapped”. – 4/5

3. Soulja’s Story 

This song is the reaon why this album became a target, after a man shot a Texas trooper claiming this song inspired him (“They finally pull me over and I laugh/”Remember Rodney King?” and I blast on his punk ass”). The first verse describes a young man in the hood killing a cop and eventually getting caught. With the 2nd verse describing the man’s brother attempting to break him out of jail and both of them eventually getting shot down in the process. – 3.5/5

4. I Don’t Give A ***** (featuring Money B.) 

This song has 2pac tackling cops, the record industry, and markets. Nice funky beat and also features Digital Underground’s Money B. – 3.5/5

5. Violent 

Another song about the police, describing two cops trying to frame Pac and an other man, the two getting into an altercation with the officers. His friend shooting the cop, then the two trying to get away, and the song ending with Pac and his companion ready to shoot the cops chasing them. Has a reggae feel to it. – 3.5/5

6. Words Of Wisdom

This cut has Shakur pleading for the black man to rise up against the oppresive goverment and charging the goverment for all their wrong doing they did to blacks, and even has 2pac criticising Martin Luther King Jr. (“No Malcolm X in my history text, Why is that?/Cause he tried to educate and liberate all blacks/Why is Martin Luther King in my book each week?/He told blacks, if they get smacked, turn the other cheek”) The beat has a laid-back jazzy feel to it. 2pac touches on a lot of issues on this song. – 4/5

7. Something Wicked

A short song with 2pac dropping a nice little rap. After all the raps aout politics, this song is quite refreshing. – 3/5

8. Crooked Ass Nigga (featuring Stretch) 

This song has 2pac describing getting robbed then chasing him and once again meeting up with the cops. Stretch and 2pac drop more raps about crime. This song feastures hella NWA voice samples. Nice lil song. – 3.5/5

9. If My Homie Calls 

This is one of those songs that show 2pac as a kind and emotional man, describing how friends go down different paths, and even though one of them is selling drugs, but 2pac still being there for him regardless. Nice beat also, one of the stand out tracks of the album. The beat with it’s subtle synth signatures, elastic bass line, Herbia Hanckock sample, and 2pac’s double-tracked vocals, make this song sound like nothing before or after it’s release – 5/5

10. Brenda’s Got A Baby 

Pac shows his storytelling skills once again in this song, describing the life of a pregnant teenage girl, with Brenda eventually turning to prostitution to support the child and being found slain at the end. This single was the song that first showed 2pac succes, breaking the top 30 on the R&B chart. – 4.5/5

11. Tha Lunatic 

2pac is out in his own word “that I’m a dope MC” with this song. More up-beat than most of the album and seems more like the other hip-hop sngles out at the time. – 3.5/5

12. Rebel of The Underground 

Like the previous song, this is less political and more of just a nice rap. The song named after Pac’s nickname given to him by Digital Underground. Nice funky beat. – 3.5/5

13. Part Time Mutha (featuring Poppi)

2pac describes growing up in a home with a dope-fiend mother. Poppi then desceribes being molested, telling her mother, only to be called a mother. in the 3rd verse, 2pac describes getting a woman pregnant, and becoming a “part-time mutha” (actually father). The song has a nice laid back soulful feel to it. – 4/5

Overview:

This album showed that 2pac was a rising star, although not a hit, it made Pac a promising act. The contraversy Quayle cause helped fuel Pac’s next album, which would introduce him to the pop success. Although it comes off weak at some spots, the album’s political message, and 2pac’s lyrics and storytelling make this album a great album, with me giving it a high 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 3.5/5