Runnin' from tha Police

"Runnin' From tha Police" is a 1995 song by rapper Tupac Shakur, featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Stretch, Buju Banton, and Dramacydal. The song is significant, being one of very few compositions 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. created together, as later hostility arose between the two rappers, ending all possible collaborations and inciting the East-West Coast Rivalry.

The first verse is performed by three of the four members of the rap group Dramacydal who would go on to join 2Pac's Outlawz group (Young Hollywood, K-Dog, and Big Malcolm, in that order), the second by Stretch and the Notorious B.I.G., and the third and last by 2Pac.

Four of the artists on the song have since been murdered, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Yaki Kadafi and Stretch.

Song meaning

Runnin' From tha Police deals with the authors' troubles with the police. The lyrics contain verbal abuse toward police officers, and even allusion the possibility of killing them (two cops is on the milk box, missing, or let's serve these motherfuckers slugs [bullets] as a fuckin' meal),^[1] albeit in possible self-defense.

Releases

Runnin' From tha Police was supposed to be featured on Shakur's album Thug Life, but it was cut due to heavy criticism of gangsta rap at the time. Subsequently it was intended to be featured on Shakur's album Me Against The World, with a different 2Pac verse, in 1995, but was cut due to the shooting in '94 that would lead to his bitter rivalry with Notorious B.I.G.

Instead, it was released a year later, as a part of compilation album of original hip-hop entitled One Million Strong, which also featured songs by Mobb Deep, Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Sunz of Man, among others.

Remixes and legacy

In 1994, the Hip-Hop duo Ill Al Skratch used this sample for their song "This is for My Homiez" on their album Creep Wit' Me

In 2003, Runnin' (Dying to Live), a remix of this song produced by Eminem, was made a single from the Tupac Resurrection soundtrack. This version vastly differs from the original, using the 2Pac verse from the Me Against The World version, different melody, and not including the performances by Dramacydal or Stretch at all, instead having a sample of Edgar Winter's Dying to Live as the chorus. The remix charted at #19 on The Billboard Hot 100, and arguably is now more known than the original.

In 2006, Ludacris used a sample of Notorious' first words in his verse (I grew up a fucking screw up / Got introduced to the game / Got an ounce and fucking blew up) as a hook on his single Grew Up a Screw Up.

Chart positions & Certifications

Track listing

1. "Runnin' From tha Police" (Stone's Radio RMX)
2. "Runnin' From tha Police" (Stone's RMX Full Length)
3. "Runnin' From tha Police" (Stone's Original Vibe Mix)
4. "Runnin' From tha Police" (RMX Full TV track)
5. "Runnin' From tha Police" (RMX Full Instrumental)

References