Archived: Dec 11, 2006

> Arts & Entertainment

2Pac releases 6th album from the grave

And it could have stayed there

By Christy Brownfield

  • E-mail
  • Print
  • Share on Facebook
  • Seed Newsvine
  • Text size: Normal Larger Largest
Curious of what true Pac fans felt about this newest album, I visited Amazon.com to check out customer reviews. The message was loud and clear: Leave Tupac alone.

Ten years after his death, Tupac Shakur’s album “2Pac … Pac’s Life” dropped. Amazingly, 2Pac has now released more albums from the grave than while living. His posthumous works include “R U Still Down (Remember Me)” and “Until the End of Time.”

Shakur’s latest CD was released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death and features popular artists like Ashanti, Snoop Dogg and T.I. Artists involved with the creation of “Pac’s Life” include both close friends and those who grew up listening to the words of the legendary vocalist.

Not being someone who has listened extensively to 2Pac’s work, I was able to listen to “Pac’s Life” with no preconceived notions. Personally, I feel “Dumpin’”, the album’s third track, is the best song off the CD. I liked the reggae feel and beat of the song, and thought featured artists Hussein Fatal, Papoose and Carl Thomas worked well with the cuts of Pac’s voice.

All in all, however, the album did not impress me. I listened to a couple of songs by 2Pac released before his death, and I did not get the impression that they flowed with the songs on “Pac’s Life.”

Curious of what true Pac fans felt of this newest album, I visited Amazon.com to check out customer reviews. The message was loud and clear: Leave Tupac alone. Fans did not like the inclusion of songs trashed by Pac and then resurrected and mixed to create this album. They said they feel many of the artists featured would never have collaborated with Pac if he were still living. One reviewer explained that the only original song is “Soon as I get home,” which makes it the only song worth listening too.

I do not claim to be a 2Pac expert, but even my inexperienced ear picked up on the tune longtime Pac fans were humming - that this album is not worth buying. When searching for 2Pac songs to compare this newest album to, I came across another posthumous song, “Ghetto Gospel,” featuring Elton John and produced by Eminem. I am a closet Elton John fanatic, so I thought this song was great. I found out through reviews that Pac’s voice was distorted or sped up somewhat to match the beat, but the overall feeling was positive.

If you are a 2Pac fan and considering buying this album, my advice is go back and listen to the original albums, because you will not be happy with this CD.

> Comments

> Related

> Also By Christy Brownfield