I'm losing my homies in a hurry
They're relocating to the cemetery
Got me worried, stressing, my vision's blurried
The question is, "Will I live? No one in the world loves me"
I'm headed for danger, don't trust strangers
Put one in the chamber whenever I'm feeling this anger
Don't wanna make excuses, cause this is how it is, what's the use?
Unless we're shooting, no one notices the youth
It's just me against the world, baby.
Me Against the World is the third album by Tupac Shakur, released on March 14th, 1995.
After the success of his sophomore album, 2Pac was quickly making a bigger and bigger name for himself in the hip-hop scene. However, not only was he robbed and shot five times in the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan (the event that marked the beginning of his infamous feud with The Notorious B.I.G. and Bad Boy Records), but he was also running into quite a bit of legal trouble. This all culminated in him and two members of his entourage being accused of alleged sexual assault. 2Pac denied the charges but was ultimately sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, with his bail set at 1.4 million, which he could not pay due to his legal fees (Now Suge Knight, on the other hand...) In dire financial straits and with a prison sentence looming over him, 2Pac vented all of his stress, frustration and anger into his next album: Me Against the World.
Featuring production that is smoother and more G-Funk influenced than his previous two albums, Me Against the World finds 2Pac at his most introspective and emotional yet as he reflects on his life up to that point, ponders his future, and covers important aspects and issues such as his growing status as a popular and controversial figure, his legal issues, and women (especially his mother). That said, he still shows his thug side on a few tracks and kicks a few jams for the ladies.
Released while he was incarcerated, Me Against the World was a smash hit, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 and staying there for four weeks in a row (in fact, 2Pac became the first artist to have a #1 album released while they were in prison), and by the end of '95 it had gone double platinum. It spawned three singles - "Dear Mama", "So Many Tears" and "Temptations". The album also received much critical praise for its deep and introspective lyrics, with many calling it his best album yet. And to this day, many consider Me Against the World to be 2Pac's best album - an opinion that the man himself shared.
Tracklist:
- "Intro" (1:40)
- "If I Die 2nite" (4:02)
- "Me Against The World" (4:41)
- "So Many Tears" (3:59)
- "Temptations" (5:01)
- "Young Niggaz" (4:54)
- "Heavy In The Game" (4:24)
- "Lord Knows" (4:32)
- "Dear Mama" (4:40)
- "It Ain't Easy" (4:54)
- "Can U Get Away" (5:46)
- "Old School" (4:41)
- "Fuck The World" (4:14)
- "Death Around the Corner" (4:07)
- "Outlaw" (4:32)
I see tropes around the corner...
- The Cameo: The music video for "Temptations" had the following: Ice-T, Coolio, Salt-N-Pepa, Jasmine Guy, Jada Pinkett, Marcus Chong, Treach, Bill Bellamy, Yo-Yo, B-Real, Isaac Hayes, Warren G, Adina Howard, Crystal Waters, Shock G, Kenya Moore and Joe Torre.
- Conscious Hip Hop: This album and on is less overtly-focused Political Rap, and more about the general issues the black society faces.
- Deliberately Monochrome: The sepia-tinted album cover.
- Domestic Abuse: "Can U Get Away" is about a woman who's in an abusive relationship she feels unable to get out of... with 2Pac wanting to be the man she dumps her boyfriend for.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: "Dear Mama", a loving tribute to his mother Afeni Shakur.
- G-Funk: Tupac began dipping his toes into G-funk with this album, which would be expanded on with All Eyez On Me.
- Gangsta Rap: Blue Collar.
- Face on the Cover: 2Pac, leaning against a wall.
- Junkie Parent: Tupac mentions his mother’s drug abuse in “Dear Mama”, but despite this she was always there for him.
- Letters 2 Numbers: "If I Die 2nite".
- New Sound Album: Lush, smooth G-Funk production as opposed to the raw sound of his debut and the hectic Bomb Squad-esque sound of his sophomore. And lyrically, 2Pac is less political than he was on his first two albums, and gets even more personal and introspective than before.
- One-Woman Song: "Dear Mama".
- One-Word Title: "Temptations" and "Outlaw".
- Properly Paranoid: "Death Around The Corner".
- Sampling: "Death Around the Corner" samples clips from three classic crime movies: American Me note , King of New York note , and The Untouchables note .
- Stock Footage: 2Pac only appears in the music videos via photos and clips from his earlier videos, as he was in prison at the time.
- Surprisingly Gentle Song: "Dear Mama" and "Can U Get Away".
- Title Track: "Me Against the World".
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: "Young Niggaz" and "Can U Get Away".
