The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory

The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Studio album by Makaveli
Released	November 5, 1996 (USA) 23 April 2001 (UK)[1]
Recorded	August 1996; Can-Am Studios, (Tarzana, Los Angeles)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	59:24
Label	Death Row Records, Makaveli, Interscope Records/ Koch Records
Producer	Makaveli (exec.) Suge (Simon) Knight Darryl "Big D" Harper, Hurt-M-Badd, Reggie Moore, Dametrius Ship, Kevin Lewis* Additional production by Tommy D. Daugherty, Lance Pierre, and Justin Isham*
Makaveli chronology
All Eyez on Me (1996) The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996) R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1997)
Singles from The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
"Toss It Up" Released: September 26, 1996 "To Live & Die in L.A." Released: September 26, 1996 "Hail Mary" Released: February 11, 1997

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	D[3]
MVRemixReview	9/10[4]
RapReviews	7.5/10[5]
Rolling Stone	[6]
XXL	[7]
Muzik	[8]

The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (commonly shortened to The 7 Day Theory or Don Killuminati and sometimes called Makaveli) is the fifth studio album by Tupac Shakur. Released under his new stage name Makaveli, it was his first studio album to be posthumously released.^[9] The album was completely finished in a total of seven days during the first week of August 1996.^[10] The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four days. These are the last songs Shakur recorded before his fatal shooting on September 7, 1996. The album was originally due for release in March 1997, but due to his death, Suge Knight released it four months earlier.

George "Papa G" Pryce, Former Head of Publicity for Death Row, claimed that "Makaveli which we did was a sort of tongue-in-cheek, and it was not ready to come out, [but] after Tupac was murdered, it did come out... Before that, it was going to be a sort of an underground."^[11]

Concept

Though Shakur had been using the new name Makaveli or Makaveli Tha Don as far back as All Eyez On Me, the Makaveli album was conceived as a sort of introduction for Shakur's alternate stage name. Thus, the album’s sleeve contains the text, "Exit 2Pac, Enter Makaveli". The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory was recorded and mixed in 7 days in August 1996.

Before his death, Shakur wanted to start his own record label, which he envisioned as Makaveli Records. Shakur fulfilled his three-album obligation to Death Row quickly in order to move on from Death Row Records and start Makaveli Records. According to personal bodyguard Frank Alexander, Shakur didn't like Death Row. Artists slated to be on Makaveli Records included not only himself, but the rest of The Outlawz, as well as Storm, Bad Azz, One Nation, Bobby Brown and Greg Nice among others.

Lyrical themes

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. Shakur's style of rapping is still emotional, but is intensified throughout this album. Some songs on the album contain both subtle and direct insults to Shakur's rivals at the height of the East Coast–West Coast feud. Rappers insulted on the album include The Notorious B.I.G., Junior M.A.F.I.A., Puff Daddy, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, Nas and former Death Row label mate Dr. Dre, as well as hip hop executives Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond and Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant with accusations of being associates of Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records in orchestrating the 1994 Quad Studio assault.

Although Shakur insulted rapper Nas on "Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply)" and "Against All Odds", rapper Young Noble, who appeared on several songs on The 7 Day Theory, stated in an interview that the Nas song "I Gave You Power" served as a main inspiration for Shakur's "Me and My Girlfriend".^[12]

Production and recording

Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory has also gained praise for its production. Although many of Shakur's usual producers were not involved in the project, the producers still managed to come through for the project. The only producer with whom Shakur had worked prior to this album was QD3, the son of Quincy Jones and brother of Shakur's girlfriend Kidada Jones. Shakur also co-produces three tracks on the album. The other two producers were Hurt-M-Badd and Darryl “Big D” Harper. E.D.I. Mean of the Outlawz recalls:

At the time Hurt-M-Badd, who was just an up-and-coming producer at Death Row, and Darryl Harper, who was an R&B producer - Suge had him working on all the R&B projects - they had a green room up in Can-Am [Studios] which everybody around Death Row called the "wack room" because they said "Ain't nothing but wack shit come out of there." But we was up in the studio one day and we trying to get music done - ain't none of us producers - we see them two niggas in the "Wack room" and 'Pac like, "Go get them niggas." So niggas go bring them, 'Pac just putting niggas to work like, "I need a beat here, I need y'all to do this, do that." And these are niggas that nobody at Death Row was fucking with. They'll tell you themselves.^[13]

The album was recorded at Can-Am Studios in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California in 7 days in the month of August 1996. During those seven days 21 songs were completed, 12 of which made the final product. The album did not feature the star-studded guest list that All Eyez on Me did. Most of the guest verses are supplied by Shakur's group The Outlawz. The only verse that was not from one of the Outlawz was from Bad Azz. Young Noble of the Outlawz recalled:

We had started writing the shit and we was taking long. 'Pac was like, "Who got something? Bad Azz you got something?" and it fit perfect, so it was meant for Bad Azz to be on that song. We had already been on a million 'Pac songs. That was his way of motivating us like, "If y'all ain't ready, then you don't make the song."^[14]

Prince Ital Joe also made an appearances on two tracks - the single "Hail Mary" and "Blasphemy". Death Row artist Danny Boy was featured on the single "Toss It Up" along with K-ci & Jojo and Aaron Hall. Originally the song was produced by Dr. Dre, but when he left Death Row Records he gave the beat to Blackstreet for the song No Diggity. In a result 2Pac wrote second verse for the song and dissed Dre.

Title

The album's original title was "The 3 Day Theory", (originally consisted of around 14 tracks). E.D.I. Mean of The Outlawz & Ronald "Riskie" Brent revealed in an August 2014 interview that the official name of the album was mixed up upon release. Tupac wanted the album to be called; "Don Makaveli - Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory". Don Makaveli referenced as the artist name and Killuminati as the main title.^[15]

Album artwork

Ronald "Riskie" Brent is the creator of The 7 Day Theory cover painting.^[16] The album cover, which features Shakur on the cross in an attempt to convey his crucifixion by the media, is intended to imply an artistic resurrection. Within the next year in 1997, a music video entitled Smile by Scarface of the Geto Boys on his album The Untouchable featured Shakur as a performer, some showing his name listed as Makaveli. The video showed him depicted in a very similar type of crucifixion resembling the cover of this album.

Reception

AllMusic reviewer Thomas Erlewine noted that The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory felt like an exploitative release.^[17]

In 2006, MTV recognized the album as a classic.^[18] The emotion and anger showcased on the album has been admired by a large part of the hip-hop community, including other rappers.^[19]

Accolades

 • (*) signifies unordered lists

Commercial performance

The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 knocking The Beatles out of the No. 1 spot, also making Shakur the second artist to have a number-one album while deceased since 1995 when Latin-pop singer, Selena posthumously released Dreaming of You, which also peaked at number one on the Billboard 200.^[23][24] The album generated the second-highest debut-week sales total of any album that year,^[25] selling 664,000 within its first week in stores. In the second week of its release, it dropped to the number two spot, selling a strong 250,000 units. The album was certified 3x platinum in April 1997 and then 4x Platinum on June 15, 1999.^[26] As of 2014, the album has sold more than 5 million copies in the United States which makes it one of the highest selling hip-hop albums of all time.^[27]

The album was also certified Gold Canada for 50,000 units sold by December 3, 1996.^[28] On 22 July 2013 the album was also certified Silver (60,000 units) by BPI.^[1]

Track listing

• Credits adapted by album booklet.^[29]

Notes

• ^{^a} signifies a co-producer
• "Toss It Up" features vocals by K-Ci and JoJo of Jodeci.
• "Blasphemy" features vocals by Prince Ital Joe & JMJ
• "Life Of An Outlaw" features vocals by Bo-Roc
• "Me And My Girlfriend" features vocals by Virginya Slim

Sample credits

• "Bomb First (My Second Reply)" contains a sample of "Da Funk" by Daft Punk and "Uptown Anthem" by Naughty by Nature and an interpolation of "More Peas" by Fred Wesley and The J.B.'s and "Ambitionz Az a Ridah" by 2Pac.
• "Toss It Up" contains a sample of "No Diggity" as performed by Blackstreet.
• "To Live & Die In L.A" contains a sample of "Do Me Baby" as performed by Prince.
• "Just Like Daddy" contains a sample of "Impeach the President" as performed by The Honey Drippers.
• "White Man'z World" contains an interpolation of "Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.
• "Hold Ya Head" contains an interpolation of "One Love" by Whodini and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" by Patti Austin and James Ingram.

Personnel

Credits for The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day of Theory adapted from Allmusic.^[31]

Unused tracks

• "Friendz" (from the unused version of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, later remixed and used under the title of "Fuck Friendz" on his album Until The End Of Time
• "Killuminati" (from the unused version of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, later remixed and used on Still I Rise)
• "Lazt Praya (Last Prayer)" (from the unused version of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Unreleased)
• "Let Em Have It" (from the unused version of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day theory, later remixed and used on Until The End Of Time)
• "Lost Souls" (from the unused version of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, later released and used on Gang Related Soundtrack)
• "Niggaz Nature" (from the unused version of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day theory, later remixed and used on Until The End Of Time)
• "Watch Ya Mouth" (from the unused version of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Unreleased)
• "When Thugz Cry" (from the unused version of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, later remixed and used on Until The End Of Time)
• "When Thugz Cry Interlude/Hidden Track 12" (from the unused version of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Unreleased)

Recorded during Makaveli sessions

• "Ain't Nuthin Wrong (Interlude)" (Unreleased)
• "As The World Turns" (later released and used on Still I Rise)
• "Black Jesus" (later released and used on Still I Rise)
• "Catching Feelings" (later remixed and used on Better Dayz)
• "High Speed" (later released and used on Still I Rise)
• "Pac's Life" (later remixed and released on Pac's Life)
• "Runnin on E" (later released and used on Until The End Of Time)
• "Street Fame" (later remixed and used on Better Dayz)
• "The Good Die Young" (later released and used on Still I Rise)
• "U Don't Have 2 Worry" (later remixed and used on Until The End of Time)
• "War Games" (Unreleased)

Certifications

Charts

See also

• List of number-one albums of 1996 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1996 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 (U.S.)

References