Me Against the World

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Me Against The World
Me Against The World cover
Studio album by Tupac Shakur
Released March 14, 1995
Recorded 1994
Genre Rap
Length 65:57
Label Out Da Gutta Records/Interscope
Producer Easy Mo Bee, Johnny "J", SoulShock, Tony Pizarro
Professional reviews
Tupac Shakur chronology
Thug Life
(1994)		 Me Against The World
(1995)		 All Eyez on Me
(1996)
This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Me Against the World is the third hip hop album by Tupac Shakur, released on March 14 1995. Although the album was originally released on Shakur's label Out Da Gutta Records, Amaru Entertainment, the label owned by Shakur's mother, has since gained the rights to it.

The album was recorded before and while Shakur was recovering from his November 1994 shooting, and released while he was incarcerated. Perhaps as a result of these circumstances, Me Against the World has become known to many as the most incendiary of Shakur's releases, expressing an intensely personal mix of emotions and reactions to the events of his life. The album consists of frequent digressions into the dangers of paranoia, organized crime, and the moral repercussions of violence. One example to note is track number six, "Young Niggaz", which is dedicated to Robert Sandifer, the Chicago youth who was executed by fellow gang members the year before the album was released.

Contents

[edit] Album information

This album has been credited as setting the "nothing to lose" persona adopted by many rappers since Shakur's death. Me Against the World is generally regarded as a classic album by the hip hop community due to its soulful and emotional content, claiming that Pac could make you feel as if you were in his shoes throughout the album, thus making the album distinct from others. In one particular review it was said that Tupac's uncovered and raw humanity created a flow of inspiration and vibes through all who heard the album, and that it is a remarkable and somewhat insightful musical achievement.

Me Against the World topped the Billboard 200. Shakur thus became the first artist to have an album debut at #1 while incarcerated. In a late-1995 interview with MTV, Shakur expressed amazement over the fact that Me Against the World held the top spot on the Billboard charts, over artists as mainstream as Bruce Springsteen. In a different interview with MTV's Tabitha Soren, taped after Shakur was bailed out of the Clinton Correctional Facility, the rapper described Me Against the World as his favorite album, up to that point. The album debuted at number-one and stayed there for four weeks with first week sales of over 240,000 copies which, at the time, was the record for longest time at the top of the charts for a solo male rap artist. Many fans consider Me Against the World to be Shakur's best album, the album has also garnered significant critical acclaim, earning a perfect 5 Star rating from The Source and All Music Guide.

[edit] Reception

Rolling Stone (5/4/95, pp.68-70) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "Me Against the World --by and large a work of pain, anger and burning desperation--is the first time 2Pac has taken the conflicting forces tugging at his psyche head-on."

Vibe (4/95, p.55) - "...lets go of his usual theme of thuggery-as- resistance....amid all his righteous venom...[2Pac] dispenses maxims....He seems, like this album, just schizo enough to be interesting, just crazy enough to be sincere..."

The Source (4/95, p.79) - 5 Stars - Slammin' - "Me Against the World follows suit as [Tupac] releases his best work by far....a manisfestation of Tupac's talents becoming completely whole as they are mixed with the tracks that may, for a change, overshadow him."

[edit] Track listing

# Title Performer(s) Producers(s)
1 "Intro" Dan O'Leary, Debbie Hambrick, Jay Jensen, Jill Rose, Sarah Diamond Tony Pizzaro, Jill Rose (co-producer)
2 "If I Die 2Nite" 2Pac Easy Mo Bee
3 "Me Against the World" 2Pac, Dramacydal, Puff Johnson SoulShock & Karlin
4 "So Many Tears" 2Pac, Digital Underground, Stretch, Thug Life Shock G
5 "Temptations" 2Pac Easy Mo Bee
6 "Young Niggaz" 2Pac, Killa (backing vocals), Le-Morrious "Funky Drummer" Tyler (backing vocals), Milia (backing vocals), Moe ZMD (backing vocals) Le-Morrious "Funky Drummer" Tyler, Moe Z.M.D.
7 "Heavy in the Game" 2Pac, Eboni Foster (backing vocals), Lady Levi (backing vocals), Richie Rich Mike Mosley, Sam Bostic
8 "Lord Knows" 2Pac, G-Money (backing vocals), Kenyatta (backing vocals), Killa (backing vocals), Kim Armstrong (backing vocals), Natasha Walker (backing vocals) Brian G, Moe ZMD (co-producer), Tony Pizarro co-producer)
9 "Dear Mama" 2Pac, Reggie Green (backing vocals), Sweet Franklin (backing vocals) Tony Pizarro, DF Master Tee (co-producer), Moses (co-producer)
10 "It Ain't Easy" 2Pac Tony Pizarro
11 "Can U Get Away" 2Pac Mike Mosley
12 "Old School" 2Pac SoulShock, Ezi Cut (co-producer) & Jay B (co-producer)
13 "Fuck the World" 2Pac, Shock G/Humpty Hump (chorus and background vocals) Shock G
14 "Death Around the Corner" 2Pac Johnny J
15 "Outlaw" 2Pac, Dramacydal, Rah Rah (backing vocals) Moe Z.M.D.

[edit] Samples

"If I Die 2Nite"

"Me Against the World"

"So Many Tears"

"Temptations"

"Young Niggaz"

  • "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & The Family Stone
  • "She's Strange" by Cameo

"Heavy in the Game"

"Lord Knows"

"Dear Mama

"Can U Get Away"

"Old School"

  • "We Share" by Soul Searchers
  • "Dedication" by Brand Nubian

"Death Around The Corner"

[edit] Album singles

[edit] Album chart positions

Chart Peak positions
Billboard 200 #1
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums #1
Swedish Album Chart #40

[edit] 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
1995 "Dear Mama/Old School" 9 3 1 16 1
1995 "So Many Tears" 44 21 6 - 41
1995 "Temptations" 68 35 13 - -

[edit] Personnel

  • 2Pac (Tupac Shakur) - Main Performer
  • Yaki Kadafi (Yafeu Fula) (as Dramacydal) - Performer
  • Malcom Greenridge (Big Malc)(as Dramacydal) - Performer
  • Richard Serrel (Richie Rich) - Performer
  • Kim Armstrong - Performer (bckgr)
  • Paul Arnold - Engineer, Mixing
  • Reggie Green - Performer (bckgr)
  • Jeff Griffin - Mixing
  • Simon "Sickhead" Hardman - Engineer, Mixing
  • Puff Johnson - Performer (bckgr)
  • Jay Lean - Engineer, Mixing
  • Eric Lynch - Engineer
  • Bob Morris - Engineer
  • Gawthaman Gobinath - Engineer
  • Ronnie Vann - Guitar
  • Kevin Davis - Engineer, Mixing
  • Tony Pizarro - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
  • Eric Altenburger - Art Direction, Design
  • Tim Nitz - Engineer
  • Eboni Foster - Performer (bckgr)
  • Sam Bostic - Producer
  • Jill Rose - Performer
  • Natasha Walker - Performer(bckgr)
  • Dramacydal - Performers
  • Richard Serrell - Performer (bckgr)

[edit] References


Preceded by
Greatest Hits by Bruce Springsteen		 Billboard 200 number-one album
April 1 - April 28, 1995		 Succeeded by
Throwing Copper by Live
v • d • e
Tupac Shakur
Studio albums
Posthumous albums
Singles
Posthumous Singles
Featured Singles
"Smile" · "Thug Luv"
Films
Related articles