The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
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| The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory | ||
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| Studio album by 2Pac | ||
| Released | November 5, 1996 | |
| Recorded | August 1996 | |
| Genre | Rap | |
| Length | 59:24 | |
| Label | Death Row | |
| Producer(s) | Hurt-M-Badd, Darryl "Big D" Harper, Makaveli, QDIII, Dametrius Ship, Reggie Moore | |
| 2Pac chronology | ||
|---|---|---|
 All Eyez on Me (1996) |
 The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996) |
 R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1997) |
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory was the final album finished before Tupac Shakur's death and the first to be released after his death. Shakur had complete creative input on the album from the name of the album to the cover which Tupac chose to symbolize how the media has crucified him. The album was completely finished in a total of seven days during the month of August of 1996[1]. The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four more days. These are among the very last songs he recorded before his fatal shooting on September 7, 1996. Although The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory was released almost two months after his death, on November 5 1996, it is not a true posthumous album in the way that the later 2Pac albums are, since he finished the album before his death. It has been recognized as a classic by many critics and fans. The raw emotion and anger showcased on this album has been admired by a large part of the hip hop community, including other rappers[2]. It debuted at #1 and sold 663,000 copies in the first week.[3]
Death Row released this posthumous album under the name of Makaveli, a pseudonym derived from the Italian political writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who supposedly faked his own death and reappeared seven days later to take revenge on his enemies. Shakur was greatly inspired by Machiavelli's works, including The Prince, which he had read while in prison.
While All Eyez on Me was considered by Shakur "A celebration of life", The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is a much darker album considered one of the timeless classics not only in Shakur's discography, but also in hip-hop as it had a profound impact on the social and cultural aspects of hip-hop. Makaveli's style of rapping is still emotional, but is intensified on this album. Upon its release, it would debut number one on the Billboard charts and go on to sell over sevenmillion copies in America alone and 28 million worldwide as of 1998. One of his most well known songs on the album, "Hail Mary", was written and recorded in 30 minutes. Although Shakur insulted Nas on "Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply)" and "Against All Odds" the lyrics mentioning Nas were supposed to be taken out, because Shakur and Nas had settled their dispute. Shakur was assassinated before he could take the insults out.
Over time, the album also added fuel to the fire of conspiracy theories claiming Shakur is indeed still alive. In the album's first track "Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply)", a muffled Shakur can be heard saying "Shoulda shot me." However for many years, it was thought that he was in fact, saying "Suge shot me." Suge being Suge Knight, Death Row Records CEO. However, multiple audio tests and confirmation from a member of The Outlawz proved that it was indeed "Shoulda shot me".
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Performer(s) | Producers(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Intro/Bomb First" (My Second Reply)" | Makaveli; E.D.I.; Young Noble | Darryl "Big D" Harper; Makaveli |
| 2 | "Hail Mary" | Makaveli; Outlawz; Prince Ital | Hurt M Badd |
| 3 | "Toss It Up" | Makaveli; Danny Boy | Dametrius Ship; Reggie Moore |
| 4 | "To Live & Die in LA" | Makaveli; Val Young | QDIII |
| 5 | "Blasphemy" | Makaveli | Hurt M Badd |
| 6 | "Life of an Outlaw" | Makaveli; Outlawz | Darryl "Big D" Harper; Makaveli |
| 7 | "Just Like Daddy" | Makaveli, Outlawz | Hurt M Badd |
| 8 | "Krazy" | Makaveli; Bad Azz | Darryl "Big D" Harper |
| 9 | "White Man'z World" | Makaveli | Darryl "Big D" Harper |
| 10 | "Me and My Girlfriend" | Makaveli | Makaveli; Hurt M Badd; Darryl "Big D" Harper |
| 11 | "Hold Ya Head" | Makaveli; Tyrone Wrice | Hurt M Badd |
| 12 | "Against All Odds" | Makaveli | Makaveli, Hurt M Badd |
[edit] Album Chart Positions
| Year | Album | Chart positions | ||
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | |||
| 1996 | The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory | #1 | #1 | |
