| All Eyez On Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by 2Pac | ||||
| Released | February 13, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | October 13, 1995 – October 27, 1995 | |||
| Genre | West Coast Hip Hop, Gangsta rap, G-funk | |||
| Length | 132:18 | |||
| Label | Death Row, Interscope | |||
| Producer | Suge Knight (exec.) DJ Quik, Dat Nigga Daz, DeVanté, DJ Pooh, Dr. Dre, Lawlay, Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin, Johnny "J", Mike Mosley, Doug Rasheed, Rick Rock, 2Pac |
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| 2Pac chronology | ||||
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| Singles from All Eyez On Me | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | link |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B+) link |
| NME | (9/10) link |
| Q | link |
| Rolling Stone | 1996 |
| Rolling Stone | 2004 |
| The Source | [1] |
| Spin | (7/10) link |
| USA Today | link |
| XXL | (XXL)[2] |
All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released February 13, 1996 on Death Row Records and Interscope Records.
The album is frequently recognized as one of the crowning achievements of 1990s rap music.[3] It has been said that "despite some undeniable filler, it is easily the best production 2Pac's ever had on record".[4] It was certified 5× Platinum after just 2 months in April 1996 and 9× platinum in 1998. The album featured the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles "How Do U Want It" and "California Love". It featured 5 singles in all, the most of any 2Pac album. Moreover, All Eyez On Me (which was the only Death Row release to be distributed through PolyGram by way of Island Records) made history as the first double-full-length hip-hop solo studio album released for mass consumption. It was issued on two compact discs and four LPs.
Chartwise, All Eyez on Me was the second album from 2Pac to hit number-one on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.[5] It sold 566,000 copies in the first week of its release, and was charted at number one on the top 100 with the top one-week Soundscan sales since 1991. The album won the 1997 Soul Train R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year Award.[6][7] Shakur also won the Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist at the 24th Annual American Music Awards.[8]
Contents |
All Eyez On Me was released after Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records, bailed 2Pac out of jail in exchange for signing to Death Row, fulfilling part of 2Pac's brand new contract. This double-album served as the first two albums of his three album contract.
The songs on All Eyez On Me are, in general, unapologetic celebrations of living the "Thug Lifestyle". Though there is the occasional reminiscence about past and present friends, it is a definite move away from the social and political consciousness of 2Pacalypse Now. The hit single "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted" is a collaboration with Snoop Dogg.
The album features occasional guest spots from 2Pac's regulars, such as former-Thug Life members and the Outlawz, as well as Snoop Dogg, George Clinton, Method Man, Redman, and other guests. The song "Heartz of Men" samples a portion of Richard Pryor's comedy album "That Nigger's Crazy". Most of the album was produced by Johnny "J" and Daz Dillinger, with help from Dr. Dre on the songs California Love, which he himself appeared in also as an album guest spot, and "Can't C Me", which was Clinton's appearance.
All Eyez On Me is 2Pac's second best selling album (behind only his Greatest Hits album). The album was certified 5x Platinum in the United States after just 2 months and was later certified 9x platinum.[9] It was re-released in 2001 as enhanced CDs containing the "California Love" music video. Both discs contained the same data track. It was also re-released as a Dual-Disc in 2005.
"Skandalouz" Featuring Nate Dogg Produced by Dat Nigga Daz
Nate Dogg: That song was done in 10 minutes. The beat was always already made. We don't go in the studio and wait on nobody to make a beat. We'd Never stay in their long enough. [Working with 'Pac was] like working with your little brother. He was a little wild muthafucka, full of life. He got an opportunity and ran with it. 'Cause he didn't want to be on Death Row Records. And I think he had a three or four.....I'm not sure what kind of album deal he had. But he wanted to get off, though. So he pushed out at least two to three songs a day.
"Got My Mind Made Up" Featuring Dat Nigga Daz, Kurupt, Redman and Method Man Produced by Dat Nigga Daz
Kurupt: The original record was me, Rage, Redman, Method Man and Daz. I told Daz, "Man, this is the one, we need to drop this, we need to put this on Dogg Food." 'Cause we did it when we was making Dogg Food. When 'Pac came home, we put it up for 'Pac, like "You want this record?" 'Pac was like "Hell, yeah, I want that record!" And he dropped his verse where Rage's was, 'cause Rage said she'd put her verse on something else, and that's how that record made it on 'Pac's album. Me, Method Man and Redman and Daz and Rage-that was the original record, and Inspectah Deck was on it at the end. That's him you hear at the end: "Wish....this....bliss...."Thaat's inspectah Deck. I went and picked up Red and Meth and Deck personally and too them to Daz's house. We knocked the record off in about three, four hours. It was a done deal, and then we....we didn't use it, 'cause Daz wasn't feeling like mixing it and doing all that. We end up taking it to 'Pac when 'Pac came 'cause Suge was like, "When it's time to work on a project, everybody needs to give everything to whoever's project it is."
Daz: We did that song at my house. Kurupt had brought Method Man and Redman over to my house. And Inspectah Deck was on the song too. He was at the end-"I.N.S., the rebel...." Just his voice. They had taken his voice. They had taken his verse out and kept the background 'cause it sounded good. It wasn't originally 2pac song. I had transferred it at Dr. Dre's house and had left it out there. [2pac was] flossing like. "I got a beat with Method Man, Redman. Dre made it." That's what Dr. Dre told 2pac. That's how the whole fued started between Dre and 'Pac. 'Cause I happened to be walking by the studio like, "That's my beat. I did that." 2pac [was] like, "that's your stuff?" from that situation, that's when he and Dre started fueding. Dr. Dre was taking credit and wasn't doing nothing, wasn't coming around.
"California Love [RMX]" Featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman Produced by Dr. Dre
Tommy D: f##k it, I can say it: Dre really didn't want nothing to do with that record. He didn't like it at all that 2pac came to Death Row, which I thought was kind of interesting, 'cause I remember he said, "That's it, I'm done with Death Row now that 2pac is here." I was like, "What the f##k!?" I mean, if you look at that album, he didn't do shit on "All Eyez On Me" except for "California Love," which basically was, ughhh, that was going to be his single for Aftermath, right? And Suge heard that shit and said, "f##k it," and rushed up to Dre's house and made him put 2pac on there. So basically he lost his first single for Aftermath, and it ended up being the first single for 2pac. Because the original version of that is three verses with dre rapping on it. The only person who's got that original version is DJ Jam, Snoop's DJ. So basically Suge was like, "f##k it, we're putting 2pac on that shit, and this is going to be the single off the record..." that shit was dope. Suge ain't no dummy.
"Life Goes On" Produced by Johnny J
Johnny J: We had people in sessions you want to call them street guys or hardcore, they were deep into their thing-and they broke down in tears. I can't believe I saw that. [that record] just had so many people emotional
Dru Down: That was more on the serious tip. When they got serious about something, there wasn't too many people up in the studio. When a nigga wanna really be serious, 'Pac just dumped out all the weed on the mixing board-about four ounces of smoke-and was writing. And niggas had to be quiet. It was on the real low, quiet tip. That was a serious time.
"2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted" Featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg Produced by Dat Nigga Daz
Dave Aron: We were in the studio and 'Pac was there, and Snoop was in there. In walks big Suge, and this was before they did "2 of Amerikaz...." He's so big, and he walks up. Snoop's kinda talll, but he was very skinny. He grabs 'Pac with one arm, and he grabs Snoop with the other and pulls them both together, almost squeezing them into one. He's like, "I think you guys oughta do a song together. I think that'd be great." That was awesome to see how big he was, and he put 'em both together like that. And they ended up doing that song.
Daz: 'Pac was going to court. Snoop was going to court. There was a lot of chemistry between them.
Rick Clifford: 'Pac was very adamant that the album was spontaneous. Everything that you hear, everybody got one take. They couldn't go back and fix anything. 'Pac said that number one, hip-hop is different from R&B. If a guy can't get out and spit eight to 16 bars, he's not ready yet. Then he said he loves the first take because there's a certain feel to it. He said if people go back and try and fix it, they would start thinking about it, they would lose the feel, they would mess it up. So the only one who refused to get out there like that was Snoop. Snoop said he'd come back tomorrow and do it. I think Snoop went home and wrote his stuff, learned his stuff came in and knocked it off, first take. All Snoop said was, "Wait a minute. You ain't going to put me out on one take. I'll come back and do it tomorrow"
"How Do You Want It" Featuring K-Ci and JoJo Produced by Johnny J
Dave Aron: Danny Boy was originally on the hook. I already had it mixed. And at the last minute. 'Pac wanted to put K-Ci and JoJo on it. Maybe that was a decision between him and Suge and whatever I don't know.
K-Ci: One night we were sitting in the crib, and Suge Knight gave me a call, 'cause we real good friends with Death Row family and everything. They asked us would we like to do a song with 'Pac, and we were like, "Hell Yeah, why not?" That's our boy. So we got in the studio that same night, actually, that we got the phone call. Man, we were just tripping in the studio, having fun. If y'all read between the lines, y'all know what we was doing up there. [We] had the girlies up in there, doing our thing. The song came out blazing. The funny part was at first, when 'Pac was trying to sing it, trying to teach us how it go. I was like, "I see where you're trying to go, 'Pac, but it's not sounding too good." Anyway, then we heard him doing his rhyme, and we're like, "Man, we got to rip this, because he came strong."
"Ambitionz Az A Ridah" Produced by Dat Nigga Daz
Kurupt: First day he came home, "Ambitionz Az A Ridah"-that was the first record that he did. Suge brought him in. The word went through the office that 'Pac was home. Everybody [who was] at the studio at that time was up there. I came a little bit later, and when i came, Daz already had the beat started. 'Pac wasn't in the studio for any more than 45 minutes before he had his first verse done and laid. that fast. He didn't even wanna chill; all he wanted to do was get on the mic. Whatever day he landed in Los Angeles, two hours after he landed, he had his first verse laid.
Dave Aron: That's the first song I ever did with 2pac. The day he got out of jail, he didn't go to the clubs. He didn't go try to meet women. He went straight to the studio like he was on a mission, and he recorded "Ambitionz Az A Ridah" and "I ain't Mad At Cha." 2pac came in, and he was fresh out of jail. I seen them give him his Death Row Medallion that same night. And then he came right in. He was ready to go. He was very hyped, very focused, a lot of energy-mad energy. And you could tell he was really one a mission. He really had a real vision of what was going on, and he wanted to get a lot done in that short amount of time.
Daz: The idea came from the me sampling Pee Wee Herman. So if you listen to Pee Wee Herman [the Champs' "Tequila"], I just put the gangsta twist on it. I gave it to 'Pac. Came back to the studio, and it was done.
"All About U" Featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg, Nate Dogg, Fatal and Yaki Kadafi Produced by Johnny J And 2Pac
Nate Dogg: It was me, him and Snoop, and we was talking about all the girls that we had seen before. The whole thing came from a video shoot. We was at a video shoot, and it was so funny how, if it wasn't Snoop that knew the girl, 2Pac knew her, or i knew her. It's like, "Damn, everywhere we go, we see the same girls." And that's how the song came about. It was the same as it always is: A little liquor, a little weed, we aight. 'Pac was one-taking his verses. He did that a lot. We was having so much fun, the song just came out.
Johnny J: That was one of the most hilarious records i've ever done with 2pac....I used Cameo's old school cut [1986 single, "Candy"]. Nate Dogg, Snoop, everybody sitting around on speakers, doing their thing. Next thing i know [sings]: "Every other city we go. Every other video..." I'm like, "Nate, I know you gotta be fucking playing." They're like, "Nah, man. We're dead serious. That's the hook- we're talking about video hoes"
Dru Down: It was me, 'Pac, Syke, Rage and a couple Outlawz in the studio. We always had bitches in the studio. The only thing crazy was, the Outlawz niggas-Fatal Hussein and Yafeu Fula-was gonna get on the track. It was like an interlude at the end. I did the beginning [uncredited ad-lib-bing]: they was gonna do something at the end. Then them muthafuckas did something where they fucked up. They couldn't get it right. They was too high and too drunk. They was messing up. They was in the microphone booth, and they was fucking up, and 'Pac said, "Y'all gotta get the f##k up out of there. I don't know what the f##k ya'll are doing." They was just playing around. They was taking too long, wasting time. They laughed they ass up in there and all the way out.
"No More Pain" Produced by DeVante Swing
Dave Aron: I was at the studio at 8 late-10, 11 p.m. At 3 a.m. DeVante showed up by himself. He wanted to lay a few more parts before they mixed it. It was a very sparse track. But the keyboard parts he put in were very eerie and weird sounding. He was very quiet that night. Very focused. It was interesting to watch him work. He finished about five or six in the morning and said, "I want to mix this now." We mixed it that same night. It was a long night.
"I Ain't Mad At Cha" Featuring Danny Boy Produced by Dat Nigga Daz
Kurupt: We knew when that was done, it was over. Oh, yeah 'Pac heard the beat and flipped out. And basically he was just like, "Man, this is it. "We sat and we drank and then Daz was just operating on the record, and when 'Pac was in there working, he wasn't with the distractions. It was more or less all, "Let's knock this out, Let's knock this out. Let's knock this out." I mean, he'd get mad at the engineers for moving too slow. That was his thing. He'd be on top of them like that. You know, "Come on, man, what the f##k? This ain't too goddamn hard. All you have to do is press fuckin;' 'record.' Press fuckin' 'record. 'NOW!"
"Tradin' War Stories" Featuring Outlawz, CPO and Storm Produced by Mike Morsley and Rick Rock for steady Mobbin' Productions
Rick Rock: I don't know where the f##k I got the sample from. Dionne Warwick or something. When I ended up doing it with 'Pac, I told him it was "It's A Man's World," And it got cleared under that, but I don't know who it was. I know I didn't get it from James Brown. I got it from somewhere else, but it sounds like, "A Man's World." I couldn't remember, 'cause I used to do beats and i didn't keep my samples. I just had all my shit on a disk. And when I came to California from Alabama, I used to carry a bag full of disks.
Napoleon: That song was personal for me. When I was three years old, i witnessed my mother and father get murdered in front of me. I got shot in the foot. So on that song, I kinda touched up on that. I was saying, "Brothers wanna talk about war stories, I seen my first war story at the age of three." 'Pac already knew what happened to my parents, so he was excited that I touched on it. He knew that it was real. When 'Pac came and got me from the hood, he seen that I was going through it at an early age. I think that was one of the reasons he embraced me-not that he felt sorry for me-but 'Pac had a good heart. He saw this brother lost his parents and said, "I feel it's obligatory to help him out."
"Only God Can Judge Me" Featuring Rappin' 4Tay Produced by Doug Rasheed for Mad Castle Productionz and Harold Scrap Freddie
Dave Aron: I thought that was pretty introspective. Pretty Straightforward. [Doug Rasheed's] beats weren't that complex. They usually were comprised of a few loops and some percussion and a good solid drumbeat. I recorded Rappin'-Tay's vocals for that. He's a fun guy. He had his little pimp status going on. He really fit the Oakland mold.
"Ratha Be Ya Nigga" Featuring Richie Rich Produced by Doug Rasheed for Mad Castle Productionz
Richie Rich: 2pac called me and told me to bring some bay area niggas to put on the album. As many people from the bay. Everybody was in this one big studio. 2pac comes at me like, "I want us to do a song about bitches. When you want to be down for them, but not be there....man you know." He finished his verse in six minutes. He came over to me, and i was still writing. He laid his verse then wrote his second verse. When I spit the verse, he said "That's why i f##k with you. You know exactly what the f##k I'm talking about."
"All Eyez On Me" Featuring Big Syke Produced by Johnny J
Johnny J: That was the very first track I laid when we got together at death row. When he just got out of jail, just got released, two days later he's like "J get to the studio, i'm with Death Row now." I assumed it was a joke, somebody perpetrating 2pac. I'm like "Hell no-'Pac is locked up!" He's like "J, i'm out" I walk in, 15 minutes into the session, the first beat i put in the drum machine is "All Eyez On Me" I wasn't going to show him the track, honestly. I was like, "This track? Nah, it's not finished. It's imcomplete." My wife says, "Hey, it's a dope beat!" So I just pop it in, Titles just come right off his fuckin' head.
Big Syke: 'Pac was going on the pac of, "If you don't have no lyrics by the time I finish doing this first verse, your ass ain't on the song." He'd finish it. It was a test anytime he picked up the pen. It was like, "Nigga, on your mark, get set, go. And you better have some cutting shit."
"Run Tha Streetz" Featuring Michel'le, Mutah and Storm Produced by Johnny J and 2pac
Dave Aron: That's what was great about working on the album. You got to work with so many people. Who didn't grow up listening to that "No more lies" song? And then you work with Michel'le and you hear the little voice, and it's true. The little voice is little, and then she sings, and it's just so big, and she's such a little girl. And she's so sweet.
All Eyez on Me received critical acclaim from music critics. Rolling Stone (May 13, 1999, p. 74) – Included in Rolling Stone's Essential Recordings of the 90's.
Spin (5/96, p. 106) – 7 (out of 10) – "As long as you don't expect philanthropy from him, you'll find honesty and some pleasurably twisted scenarios."
Entertainment Weekly (12/27/96-1/3/97, p. 146) – Ranked #3 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 10 Albums And Singles Of 1996.
Q magazine (12/99, p. 90) – Included in Q magazine's 90 Best Albums Of The 1990s.
Musician (6/96, p. 90) – "...gangsta rappers pretty much share the values of their Republican detractors: the emphasis on making money, the righteousness of bearing arms, the wonderfulness of consumption, respect for hierarchy and loyalty to one's own as overriding principles..."
Rap Pages (5/96, p. 30) – 7 (out of 10) – "Backed by 'everything we push goes platinum' Death Row Records and a new crew of comrades...the lyrical Jesse James is back to expound on his lengthy dogmas within the infrastructure of his music....[T]his album conveys sudden gleams of brilliance and thick and chunky hits, radio-friendly or not."
NME (3/2/96, p. 47) – 9 (out of 10) – "All Eyez is his angry, end-of-tether, couldn't-give-a-shit meditation....an immense spewing of indignation and provocation, set to a brilliantly varied range of G-funk grooves....Tupac blasts out his non-PC opinions...with a competition-eliminating relentlessness."
All lyrics by Tupac, music compositions listed below.
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ambitionz az a Ridah" | Daz Dillinger | 4:39 |
| 2. | "All Bout U" (featuring Dru Down, Hussein Fatal, Yaki Kadafi, Nate Dogg & Snoop Dogg) | Johnny "J" & 2Pac | 4:37 |
| 3. | "Skandalouz" (featuring Nate Dogg) | Daz Dillinger | 4:09 |
| 4. | "Got My Mind Made Up" (featuring Tha Dogg Pound & Method Man & Redman) | Daz Dillinger | 5:13 |
| 5. | "How Do U Want It?" (featuring K-Ci & JoJo) | Johnny "J" | 4:47 |
| 6. | "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" (featuring Snoop Dogg) | Daz Dillinger | 4:07 |
| 7. | "No More Pain" | DeVanté Swing | 6:14 |
| 8. | "Heartz of Men" | DJ Quik | 4:43 |
| 9. | "Life Goes On" | Johnny "J" | 5:02 |
| 10. | "Only God Can Judge Me" (featuring Rappin' 4-Tay) | Doug Rasheed and Harold Scrap Fretty for The Bullets Production Team | 4:57 |
| 11. | "Tradin' War Stories" (featuring C-Bo, Dramacydal & Storm) | Mike Mosley & Rick Rock | 5:29 |
| 12. | "California Love (Remix)" (featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman) | Dr. Dre | 6:25 |
| 13. | "I Ain't Mad at Cha" (featuring Danny Boy) | Daz Dillinger | 4:53 |
| 14. | "What'z Ya Phone #" (featuring Danny Boy) | Johnny "J" & 2Pac | 5:10 |
The 1996 UK release includes the original version of "California Love" as track 14 on disc 2.
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can't C Me" (featuring George Clinton) | Dr. Dre | 5:30 |
| 2. | "Shorty Wanna Be a Thug" | Johnny "J" | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Holla At Me" (featuring Nanci Fletcher) | Bobby Ervin & DJ Naya | 4:56 |
| 4. | "Wonda Why They Call U Bitch" | Johnny "J" & 2Pac | 4:19 |
| 5. | "When We Ride" (featuring Outlaw Immortalz) | DJ Pooh | 5:09 |
| 6. | "Thug Passion" (featuring Dramacydal, Jewell & Storm) | Johnny "J" & 2Pac | 5:08 |
| 7. | "Picture Me Rollin'" (featuring Big Syke, CPO & Danny Boy) | Johnny "J" | 5:15 |
| 8. | "Check Out Time" (featuring Big Syke, Kurupt & Natasha Walker) | Johnny "J" | 4:39 |
| 9. | "Ratha Be Ya Nigga" (featuring Richie Rich) | Doug Rasheed | 4:14 |
| 10. | "All Eyez on Me" (featuring Big Syke) | Johnny "J" | 5:08 |
| 11. | "Run tha Streetz" (featuring Michel'le, Napoleon & Storm) | Johnny "J" & 2Pac | 5:17 |
| 12. | "Ain't Hard 2 Find" (featuring C-Bo, The Click & Richie Rich) | Mike Mosley & Rick Rock | 4:29 |
| 13. | "Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find" (featuring Danny Boy) | QD3 | 3:58 |
Information taken from Allmusic and CD booklet.[10][11]
| Chart | Peak positions |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart[12] | 19 |
| Belgium Charts (Flanders)[13] | 44 |
| Belgium Charts (Wallonia)[14] | 34 |
| Deutsch Albums Chart[15] | 16 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[16] | 11 |
| French Albums Chart[17] | 99 |
| Irish Albums Chart[18] | 61 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart[19] | 15 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[20] | 34 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[21] | 5 |
| Switzerland Albums Chart[22] | 15 |
| UK Albums Chart[23][24] | 32 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[25] | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[25] | 1 |
| Year | Single | Peak positions[26] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | U.S. Hot Rap Singles | U.S. Rhythmic Top 40 | U.S. Top 40 Mainstream | |||||||
| 1996 | "California Love (Remix)" | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 34 | |||||
| "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "How Do U Want It" | 1 | — | — | 1 | 23 | — | ||||||
| "All Bout U" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "I Ain't Mad at Cha" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200[27] | 97 |
| Preceded by Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette |
Billboard 200 number-one album March 2, 1996 – March 15, 1996 |
Succeeded by Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette |
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FNAC | France | The 1000 Best Albums of All Time | 2008 | 461 |
| Rock & Folk | The Best Albums from 1963 to 1999 | 1999 | * | |
| Babylon | Greece | The 50 Best Albums of the 1990s | 7 | |
| Hip-Hop Connection | United Kingdom | The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005 | 2005 | 35 |
| The New Nation | Top 100 Albums by Black Artists | 64 | ||
| Q | The Ultimate Music Collection | * | ||
| 90 Albums of the 90s | 1999 | * | ||
| About.com | United States | 100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums[29] | 2008 | 80 |
| Best Rap Albums of 1996[30] | 1 | |||
| Entertainment Weekly | The 100 Best Albums from 1983 to 2008 | 87 | ||
| Tom Moon | 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die | * | ||
| Ego Trip | Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 | 1999 | 14 | |
| Rolling Stone | The Essential Recordings of the 90s | * |
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