All Eyez On Me by 2Pac Turns 30 Years Old

The iconic All Eyez On Me from the late, great 2Pac turns 30 years old today. All Eyez on Me marked 2Pac’s fourth album and first one with Death Row Records. The story of 2Pac is known basically from his birth to his untimely demise. We will just focus on his music roots where he began his time in the industry as a dancer for Digital Underground. 2Pac got a chance to shine on the mic after his feature on Same Song from Digital Underground. Pac landed a record deal and released his first album in November of 1991. 2Pacalypse Now was the name of the album and it went gold off the strength of Brenda’s Got a Baby. A little over a year later, 2Pac would release his second album called Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z was well-received and many still call it his best album.

The album would sell well over a million copies, and it produced two all-time hip hop classics. I Get Around and Keep Ya Head Up were the singles, and they are two of his greatest hits. The following year, 2Pac would concentrate on his group Thug Life and release their album. Thug Life Volume 1 would drop in September of 1994, and the album would go gold in the process. The Thug Life album contained a lot of classics also. In March of 1995, 2Pac would release his third album called Me Against the World. Me Against the World would be released while 2Pac was in prison and after being shot in New York. The album would sell over 3.5 million copies and was the best-selling album while in prison. Me Against the World is my favorite album of all time.

After being released from prison after signing with Death Row, Pac would straight to work on the new album. All Eyez on Me would be the name of it and it was properly titled. California Love was the first single from the album and it dropped in December of 1995. California Love had an original version, and video was inspired by Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The second version was a continuation of the previous video, and it turned into a party. The song was posthumously nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997. The single sold well over two million copies and has been placed on many lists of all-time great songs. It went number 51 on VH1’s countdown of the 100 Greatest songs of the 90s in 2007.

In 2009, “California Love” was ranked number 23 on Entertainment Weekly’s “The 100 Greatest Summer Songs”. 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted was the second single from All Eyez on Me and it featured Snoop Dogg. The beginning of the video threw shots at Puff Daddy and Biggie Smalls talking about his November 1994 shooting. The song was the last one performed in their House of Blues concert on July 4, 1996, Shakur’s last recorded performance. 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted were also included in his Greatest Hits and Best of: Thug album. How Do U Want It went on to become the third single from All Eyez On Me. This is another classic record from the album that is considered an all-time classic record. The song received a Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy nomination in 1997.

There’s a clean and dirty version of this video with the latter including porn stars. The single went double platinum and it’s famous because the B-Side of the single featured Hit ‘Em Up. The fourth and final single from All Eyez On Me was I Ain’t Mad at Cha. The single was released two days after the untimely demise of 2Pac. The day Tupac was released from prison; he went to the studio and recorded “I Ain’t Mad at Cha” and “Ambitionz Az a Ridah”. A lot of people consider I Ain’t Mad at Cha as 2Pac’s greatest work. In 1998, The Source ranked the song’s three verses second in its category of “dopest verses” in the history of hip-hop. The music video is one of the best you’ll ever witness, especially with it being released after Pac passed.

In the video, 2Pac was shot and he went to heaven with other African American entertainers. Redd Foxx, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, Nat King Cole and others were featured. All Eyez on Me is still considered one of the best hip hop albums of all time. The album won the 1997 Soul Train Music Award for Rap Album of the Year posthumously. Shakur also won the award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist at the American Music Awards of 1997. All Eyez On Me is one of a few hip hop albums to go Diamond, which means selling over 10 million copies. It has appeared on numerous lists for greatest albums ever. Just recently, All Eyez On Me was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. As I’ve gotten older, the appreciation of All Eyez On Me has grown. Below are my top 5 tracks from both discs. After that, check out the track listing and stream link to the All Eyez On Me album.

Disc 1 Top 5 Tracks: Life Goes On, No More Pain, Ambitionz Az A Ridah, Only God Can Judge Me, and I Ain’t Mad at Cha

Disc 2 Top 5 Tracks: All Eyez on Me, Holla at Me, Picture Me Rollin, Ratha Be Ya Nigga, and Shorty Wanna Be a Thug

All Eyez On Me Track Listing

Disc 1

1. Ambitionz Az a Ridah
2. All About U ft. Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Yaki Kadafi, Hussein Fatal, and Dru Down
3. Skandalouz ft. Nate Dogg
4. Got My Mind Made Up ft. Tha Dogg Pound, Method Man & Redman
5. How Do U Want It ft. K-Ci & JoJo
6. 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted ft. Snoop Dogg
7. No More Pain
8. Heartz of Men
9. Life Goes On
10. Only God Can Judge Me ft. Rappin 4-Tay
11. Tradin’ War Stories ft. Dramacydal, C-Bo & Storm
12. California Love (Remix) ft. Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman
13. I Ain’t Mad at Cha ft. Danny Boy
14. What’z Ya Phone # ft. Danny Boy

Disc 2

1. Can’t C Me ft. George Clinton
2. Shorty Wanna Be a Thug
3. Holla at Me
4. Wonda Why They Call U Bytch
5. When We Ride ft. Outlaw Immortalz
6. Thug Passion ft. Dramacydal, Jewell & Storm
7. Picture Me Rollin ft. Danny Boy, Big Syke & CPO
8. Check Out Time ft. Kurupt & Big Syke
9. Ratha Be Ya Nigga ft. Richie Rich
10. All Eyez On Me ft. Big Syke
11. Run tha Streetz ft. Michel’le, Mutah & Storm
12. Ain’t Hard 2 Find ft. E-40, B-Legit, C-Bo & Richie Rich
13. Heaven Ain’t Hard to Find