Pac's Life [Extra tracks, Import]

2Pac | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 19, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import
• Label: Universal Japan/Zoom
• ASIN: B000XTGU48
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)

Editorial Reviews

2Pac's legendary work ethic and constant drive often found him laying down vocals in two or three rooms of a recording studio simultaneously, and then heading straight to a film set, video shoot, or concert, only to begin again the next morning, sleeping during travel from one location to the next. Since his tragic death, his spirit has been kept alive thanks to the extraordinary legacy of unfinished recordings he left behind, and the commitment his mother Afeni Shakur has made to continue to get his complete body of work released; work considered even more astonishing given that his first album came out in 1991 and he was murdered in September 1996 at age 25. Now some of the recordings from this tremendously prolific period are brought to light for the first time on Pac's Life (Amaru/Interscope Records), released November 21, 2006. Other than one verse fans will recognize from an earlier album, all of the recordings on the album are previously unheard. Contributing to Pac's Life are Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Keyshia Cole, T.I., Ashanti, Young Buck, Lil Scrappy, Carl Thomas, Outlawz, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Big Syke, Papoose, with productions from LT Hutton, Sha Money XL, Swizz Beatz and more. The artists and producers involved range from his close friends and colleagues to those who grew up on his music and were inspired and motivated by it. The passion and the fire inside him makes it possible, 10 years and 11 posthumous albums later to create yet another album of unreleased material.

"I say it every time, that Tupac left us the blueprints to follow, and without the amazing contributions made by everyone of these artists, producers, musicians, everyone, I do not know how I would get this great task accomplished," says Afeni Shakur, his mother, the album's executive producer (along with Tom Whalley) and founder of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, " I believe whole-heartedly that Tupac sends the people he wants to these projects."

2Pac's relevance is attested to by the success of his post-1996 albums. His most recent studio album, 2004's Loyal To The Game, charted #1 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop and was certified platinum. The soundtrack to Tupac: Resurrection that same year hit #2 Pop and #3 R&B/Hip-Hop and was also platinum. 2002's Better Dayz, #5 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop, earned double platinum while the previous year's Until The End Of Time, #1 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop, reached the triple platinum plateau. In 2000, Still I Rise scored #6 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop positions while racking up a platinum award. 1998's Greatest Hits, #3 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop, is currently nine times platinum. The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation (TASF) was founded by Afeni Shakur to provide training and support to artists who aspire to enhance their creative talents. TASF fosters an environment that encourages freedom of expression, serves as a resource for the arts, and empowers through education. To date, more than 500 students have benefited from the program with a broad range of training available via the Annual Performing Arts Day Camp held at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts (home of the Foundation in Stone Mountain, Georgia). Students are able to study creative writing, vocal technique, acting, stage set design, dance, poetry, spoken word, and conflict resolution. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Daggone Shame!!!, November 30, 2006

By 

Reggie L. Mattocks (Upper Marlboro, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pac's Life (Audio CD)

That Ms Afeni Shakur would allow folks to pretend to know what a PAC album would sound like if he was still living. His vocals alone should be able to sell any posthumous release without watering it down.

Listening to this version of PAC's Life was sickening. I have the orignal bootleg version of it using Prince's "Pop Life" and it was rugged and raw just like it was.

It's almost becoming more detrimental to PAC's legacy to keep letting other artist collaborate on these tracks instead of just using the regular unreleased versions with PAC solely on it on w/him and the Outlawz the way it was intended to be.

I just hope Ms Shakur and the rest of the Amaru staff would just realize that when it's not broke, stop looking for a crack. All this does is just make me pull out the old Makavelli boots and reminisce just how vicious PAC was as an artist and as a young black male.

RIP

Your "Soldier Story" will live on.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 2Pac - Pac's Life, November 25, 2006

By 

Done - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pac's Life (Audio CD)

It's hard to believe that its been more then ten years now since Tupac Shakur died. I have been a fan of his music since "2Pacalypse Now", whether it be classic Pac material, post-death material, remixes or rare unreleased music - I have always wanted to hear it. Watching movies like "Resurrection" gave me some more insight into what the man was really like and where he came from. Pac's music has touched million's of people worldwide, and will continue you do so for a long time to come.

Tupac Amaru Shakur - (June 16th 1971 - September 13th 1996) R.I.P.

"Pac's Life" (2006) is the sixth post-death studio album and has numerous guest appearances from Krayzie Bone, Ashanti, T.I., Hussein Fatal, Papoose, Carl Thomas, Keyshia Cole, A3, Jay Rock, Young Buck, Chamillionaire, Nipsy Hussle, Young Dre, Lil Scrappy, Nutso, Yaki Kadafi (R.I.P.), Stormy, Ludacris, Keon Bryce, Big Syke, E.D.I., Young Noble, Snoop Dogg, Chris Starr, Gravy. Having heard some of the original unreleased material, which was used for this album, I can agree with the reviewer who would of liked to have seen it be released as is. A good example of that would be the unreleased original cut "Play Your Cards Right" which has Pac and KC & Jojo delivering a very memorable track. Another misstep is having the "Dear Mama" (Bonus Remix) appear on only the UK version of this release. Anthony Hamiliton appears on this exceptional remix, of one of the all time great 2pac cuts. "Soon As I Get Home" is the most authentic, unaltered Pac track on the new album. The addition of singer Keon Bryce and Ludacris on the male version of "Play Your Cards Right" works well, Ashanti and T.I.'s inclusion on "Pac's Life" is not bad either. I find some of the production, beats and guest appearances on other tracks to be lackluster or not fitting. I don't feel like "Pac's Life" measures up to do some of the other post-death album's, all the same I can understand the material being more and more limited.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Please, let 2Pac rest in peace!, December 19, 2006

By 

S. Pettway "Screenwriter" (bridgeport, ct USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pac's Life (Audio CD)

Tupac watered down. When was the last time any of you heard Elvis release a posthumous duets with Brittany Spears? "They" would never do that. "We" are turning "our" modern-day-soldier into Homey-the-clown. Remember, the battle is NOT flesh and blood. Spiritual genocide at it's finest. God says don't add or take away from His word. I'm sure Pac would feel the same way. Think about it.