Still I Rise by 2Pac & Outlawz
The Best Outlaw's Album Ever
Still I Rise, the third posthumous release of new material by Tupac Shakur,
is not surprisingly a mixed bag. Recorded in 1996 with the Outlawz, the
disc at its best does showcase the power of Pac. More politically acute
(and complexly anti-Clinton) than most gangsta rap even attempts to be,
Letter to the President and The Good Die Young find the star turning in
some of his most focused lyrics and performances. Elsewhere, he often
cedes the mic to other voices; the collaborations that result--Secretz of
War, Tattoo Tears, the title cut--are the equivalent of campfire songs for
the latter-day black cowboy. Dominated by phat beats and familiar
imagery, they entertain but hardly illuminate. --Rickey Wright
My first Pac review. "Still I Rise" is one of those posthumous Pac albums
that still keeps with the west coast sound of the mid-90s. I'm more into g
funk than "pure" gangsta rap so I'll write the review from this perspective.
He was larger than life so I'll do my best...
Pac was no g funk artist like Quik, Warren or Tha Dogg Pound, but
somehow, he has some of the best and most memorable songs out there.
Pac's funk can be divided into two types; The "syrupy" g-funk of "Keep Ya
Head Up" and "Dear Mama" or the hard funk of "Skandalouz" and "All
About U." I prefer the former. And this is what we find here in "Still I Rise."
The conscious stuff. The profound deep kind. And Pac brings it like only he
can. Although g-funk is thought of as minimalistic with throwaway lyrics, 2
Pac proves that he can do pretty much anything he wants. The song sports
2 classics 4 near classics and great songs throughout.
The first classic is "The Good Die Young" featuring the female Nate, Val
Young. The title already reveals the subject matter. However, from the very
first lines, Pac steps out of South Central, out of Harlem and out of
Oakland. He's talking about things that transcend his experience. That
transcend race and class. And every part of his story is backed by a
brilliant beat. Guitars, bass, all organic sounding. Outlawz c ome big with
lyrics as insightful as 2 Pac's. Val Young soothes the subject matter every
time the hook comes rolling along. The song is sad, but with the beat, Val
Young's beautiful voice and Pac's tribute, hope is still possible: "I told you
we'd make it to the sunshine one day/You just got there a little quicker/But
like my homeboys Thugs say/I'll catch ya at the crossroads." The song is
dedicated to the Columbine victims.
How do I introduce the next one? It's Pac's best song. It's one of the g-funk
era's best products. It's one of Nate's best hooks. It's a hip-hop classic by
any standards. "Teardrops and Closed Caskets" is in a world of its own
from the very first sound--drums; sounds like the beginning of an 80s rock
song (a bang on the drum, a pause, another bang). Then some strange
synths come in. Then Pac spits the best opening verse I've heard in my
life, with Outlawz by his side. So fluid. This is also some of the most
professional sounding MUSIC I've heard in my life, doesn't matter if we're
talking rap, rock, pop or R&B. QDIII, the producer, should be held in the
same regard as Quincy Jones for producing this song. But there's more.
There's Nate sounding even better than he did on Regulate, another one of
those special songs. Val Young helps out too, from the 2nd replayed hook
on. She too, at the top of her game. I don't know how they recorded this
thing but everyone just sounds so much more real. And then there's the
subject matter. Again bleak. Again sad. Brilliant line in:" s**t, it's like I done
ran out of suits homey/I done ran out of tears" But again, the entire
production is hopeful--from the mellow beat to the voices of our two
crooners. However, there's a difference between a hope--the peaceful and
beautiful sounds created--and a reality--expressed in the violent, bleak
lyrics. Unlike 99.9% of any music, you really get the feeling that, rather
than being a passive listener, you're involved in something EPIC. I will
listen to this one until I die, marching along with Pac each and every time.
The near classics include "Letter to The President," "Still I Rise," "As the
World Turns" and the follow-up to "Keep Ya Head Up," "Baby Don't Cry."
The lyrics are arguably just as good, especially on "Letter to The
President," but the production is not as ground-breaking. "Killuminati" is
also worth listening to. The least substantive song, it's straight g-funk.
All in all this album is one of Pac's best efforts. More focused and positive
than some of his more known work--"All Eyez on Me" comes to mind--like
millions of his fans, we only wish he lived longer to teach, confound and
astound. However, his work will live on for generations. 5/5
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