2Pac
Greatest Hits

THE REVIEW

Tupac Shakur died on September 13, 1996.
Since that day, the world of Rap has never been the same.
Since that day, a symbol has been missing for an entire generation of black kids, and not just them. Since that day, many have tried to imitate him without success (one among all the dear Eminem).
This is the third album released after his death; previously released were "Makaveli: Don Killuminati: The Seven Day Theory" and "R U Still Down? (Remember Me)", both containing unreleased tracks by the rapper.

Unlike the two albums mentioned above, this is the first and, so far, only "Greatest Hits" by Tupac, containing both unreleased and previously released songs, including some of the most famous and beautiful songs by the black artist like "Dear Mama", "California Love", "Life Goes On", and the unreleased "Changes".
The album is a double CD, which includes two CDs featuring songs that mark various periods of Tupac Shakur's brief but intense life: from the scandalous beginnings with "Trapped" and "Brenda's Got a Baby", which discuss the problems black people face in integrating into a racist American society, to maturity and melody in the aforementioned: "Dear Mama", "Changes", "Life Goes On", and again "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Ain't Mad At Cha".
Passing through "Hit 'Em Up", one of the singer's most criticized songs due to its explicit content; in it, Tupac responds to his former friend Biggie Smalls (AKA Notorious B.I.G.), who with "Who Shot Ya" insulted Shakur and responded with insults to the latter's accusations and the well-founded suspicions that he organized the assault in which Tupac nearly lost his life. This song officially starts the war between the West Coast and East Coast.
Tupac later declared that: the war between the two different worlds of Hip-Hop is just a fabrication by journalists wanting to profit millions; what is happening is actually just a quarrel between me and Biggie. But that's another story.

Back to the album, in CD number 1, there is a song that was for a long time a real anthem of the West Coast, the featuring with the great friend Snoop Doggy Dogg "2 of Americaz Most Wanted", a well-achieved song in which Tupac and Snoop mock their past (and present in the case of Tupac) as inmates.
Then, also on CD number 1, there is "Keep Ya Head Up", one of Tupac's most successful songs, where he talks about the problems and difficulties black women face.
To sum up, in CD number 1, the songs not to miss are: "Keep Ya Head Up", 2 of Americaz Most Wanted", "God Bless The Dead", in which Tupac alludes to the possible death of Biggie, which occurred shortly after his own, "Hail Mary”, where we meet a darker and more resigned Tupac than usual, "Me Against The World", one of the rapper's milestones, "Unconditional Love", "Trapped", "Hit ‘Em Up", and the splendid "Life Goes On", which reminisces the good old days of youth with friends now deceased or lost, considered by many to be the most beautiful song in the history of the West Coast.

The only "errors" on disc number 1 are "How Do You Want It" and "So Many Tears", completely out of place among the other undoubtedly better songs.
Moving on to CD number 2, reading the list of songs contained on the disc immediately brings to attention the names of "Dear Mama", "Changes", "California Love", and "To Live And Die In L.A.", undoubtedly among the best in Tupac's history and Rap in general.
"Dear Mama" is the most critically acclaimed song where Tupac talks about his relationship with his mother and how important she was and still is to him, "Changes" might be the most beautiful song of his career, while "California Love" and "To Live And Die In L.A." are two anthems for California and thus the West Coast; the first "California Love" is a collaboration with Dr. Dre and is a mix of funk, rap, and hip-hop, and it's probably the most successful song in rap history, while the second "To Live And Die In L.A." talks about Tupac's love for California, particularly Los Angeles, and is also the last music video he filmed before his death.
On CD 2, thus, the must-listen tracks are "Brenda’s Got A Baby", "I Ain’t Mad At Cha", "I Get Around", where he talks about his love for women and is sung for the occasion alongside the Digital Underground, "Changes", "California Love", "How Long Will They Mourn Me?", a funk piece where Tupac discusses the stress of being constantly under scrutiny, "Toss It Up", "Dear Mama", "All About U", also included in the soundtrack of the movie Scary Movie 1, and "To Live And Die In L.A.".
Not worth saving are "Picture Me Rollin’" and "Heartz Of Men".
Someone well-versed in Tupac will immediately notice the absence of songs like "Only God Can Judge Me", "Smile", "Old School", and "Krazy", but the absence is well compensated by the excellent songs contained in this double album, so well assorted that it became the best-selling album of 1998 with over 10.5 million copies sold worldwide, a record for the world of Rap.

In short, the best way to remember what many (including Eminem himself) consider the undisputed king of Rap. A must-have to not forget.