Customer Reviews

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. [Vinyl]

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This probably was one of his most overlooked albums because radio refused to play anything off this damn album until he decided to release "I Get Around" & "Keep Your Head Up" months after releasing "Holla If Ya Hear Me" which MTV, BET, radio and other media outlets couldn't say no to because of demand by the audience. Though "Holla" was typical angry PAC, the radio had pretty much been on ignore PAC status. By this time also PAC had already incurred the wrath of our then Vice President Dan Quayle, was being accused of shooting two State Police Officers, and was being blamed for an individual killing a cop in Texas who said listening to this CD made him do it. So obviously, radio, corporate america and even all of white america made 2PAC to be villain number one on a level that P.E. nor Luke from 2 Live Crew or even N.W.A. could reach. If you have the Vice President of the U.S. calling you out by name, you must really really struck a wrong nerve :-). Though that helped this lp sell records, a lot of bangin tracks never got played like it should have. "I Get Around" and "Keep Your Head Up" was just something for the club, radio and video but the real head banger that got lost was the LP title "Strictly 4 My Niggaz". That joint just straight rocked and was lyrically tight. Eventhough Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys may have started that Rock n Roll and rap fusion, with that track, PAC took it to new levels. Strictly Representin '93 was definitely tight, Soulja's Revenge was a tad bit disappointing compared to Soldier Story pt 1, but then that's a lot to ask to follow up that classic track from 2PACOLYPSE NOW. "Holla If Ya Hear Me" started the album nicely "Something To Die 4" wasn't really a single (sadly, cuz the music to the track was nice) but more of a ghetto introspective on life was deep, "Last Wordz" with ICECUBE and ICE-T(sadly, ICE-T was lyrically challenged on this song but PAC wanted to work with both ICE's) was hype. "Papaz Song" for anybody who didn't have a real pops in their life, was deep and heartfelt and got much airplay in my rotation at the time. "The Streetz R Deathrow" w/ the ICECUBE hook in the chorus was just simply off da chain. 5 Deadly Venomz w/Treach and a weak azz Apache (could have left Apache off) had the potential to be much better without Apache. Overall, this was a nice sophmore album that should have done much better and lyrically, PAC wasn't really the same after this LP.

STRICTLY 4 MY N.I.G.G.A.Z. is possibly 2Pac at his most focused. Pac on a mission embedded in his head by his mother and former Black Panther Afeni Shakur. He put blood, sweat and tears literally into trying to make a difference in the world. "Keep Ya Head Up" is one of the greatest songs 2Pac ever wrote encouraging black women to stay strong and men to respect them, an unusually uplifting topic back then and even today for that matter. Fellow street poet/gangsta rap peer (and surely one of 2Pac's greater lyrical influences) Ice Cube makes an appearance on "Last Wordz" pairing two of the most controversial rappers ever together. The raw production typical of early 90's Gangsta Rap only helps intensify the energy of this album. By the end of the album 2Pac really only takes a break to clown around with the Underground on "I Get Around" which by being included on the same album as "Keep Ya Head Up" shows his contradictions and the internal struggle of 2Pac that is familiar to so many of us. Other than that he remains consistantly on a mission to change the world and make it a better place for the oppressed and at the very least be heard.

2pac remains one of the most realest artists of our time not only lyrically but overall as an artist (rapper, actor, dancer, writer). His humble beginnings ever apparent, we were never allowed to forget (nor would we allow him to) that he was a man who represented the forgotten, though not silent youth. It is in this particular album that 2pac really shows his versatility. No he is not a "gangsta" rapper as was the term used at the time. 2pac's consciousness of the world surrounding him and his peers was what allowed rappers (like Nas and others in the conscious rap genre) to come forth with lyrics that meant something. Lyrics that your mom could agree with without losing the realistic brutality of it all (ie Brenda's gotta baby, Papaz song). Yet he never let us forget the anger of the streets that would keep him from achieving all that he could have (Souljahz song, and among many others the albums title song). If you happened to miss 2pac's development as an artist then start with this album going all the way up to his most recent release and see if you dont find that raw emotion, that raw expression, and best of all the consciousness that it will not fall on deaf ears. If you witnessed but dont remember it like I do, then get this album and change your way of thought.

Great CD, highly reccomended, must have for 2Pac fans

1.Holler If Ya Hear Me-produced by Stretch-5/5-Great production and Pac's flow is great

2.Pac's Theme-Skit

3.Point The Finga-produced by Big D The Impossible-5/5-More great production, nice sampling

4.Something To Die 4-Skit

5.Last Wordz ft.Ice T & Ice Cube-produced by Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin-5/5-Ice T, Cube & Pac on the same track??Hottttt

6.Souljah's Revenge-produced by Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin4.5/5-Like a sequel to Soulja's Story on 2Pacalypse Now, but better

7.Peep Game ft.Deadly Threat-produced by Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin-5/5-Deadly Threat & 2Pac drop hot verses, over a nice beat

8.Strugglin ft. Live Squad-produced by Live Squad-4/5-Great song, more nice guest appearences

9.Guess Who's Back-5/5-produced by Special Ed & Akshun-5/5-Pac is great lyrically

10.Representin '93-produced by Truman Jefferson-5/5-Shows how pac can totally change his style to go with a different beat (ala Method Man)

11.Keep Ya Head Up-produced by DJ Daryl-5/5-Great song, great message

12.Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.-produced by Laylaw-5/5-Uses the same sample that I've heard in BDK's Aint No Half-Steppin & Beastie Boys' Egg Man, great song tho

13.The Streets R Deathrow-produced by Stretch-4.5/5-Pac is great lyrically on this one, samaples ice cube

14.I Get Around ft.Shock G & Money B (Digital Underground)-produced by D-Flow Production Squad-5/5-One of my favorite party songs of all time, nice verses too

15.Papaz Song ft.Wycked-produced by Big D The Impossible-5/5-Great song, but Pac totally changes it up from a party song to a more serious song

16.Deadly Venomz ft.Treach, Apache & Live Squad-5/5-Great guest appereances

Thsi is a great 2pac cd. I think its his third best but its still 5 stars. The best songs are "holla if ya hear me", "Strictly 4 my N.i.g.g.a.z", "Keep ya head up", and "last words" I recommend this cd.

This album is rough and has a definite underground feel. The best tracks are 1.Holla if ya hear me , strictly 4 my niggas and last words. This is violent, paranoid, and aggressive tupac at his best, although the cd is dotted with a couple of songs that are more lighthearted. They are not the reason for buying this CD. If you like hip hop artists who candy coat their view of life, buy sean combs (puffy) crap or that dmx guy with the lame voice.

Tupac has had great singles on most of his LPs, but "Strictly 4 My..." was the best consistent LP in terms of themes and production values-- to be sure, there is somewhat of a laundry list of producers here, like on several of his albums-- sonically, Tupac is close to the Bomb Squad here, with screechy sounds and buzzing accompanying the rhythm tracks-- this is not the slower, mellow "G-Funk" that most West Coast heads are used to, but it's a more universal sound..

and his pre-death row albums (No, Tupac was NOT signed to Death Row for his first three LPs) weren't focused on the east-west drama that overwhelmed him in the end..

1. Holler If Ya' Hear Me

2. Pac's Theme (Interlude)

3. Point the Finga

4. Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)

5. Last Wordz- Produced by DJ Bobcat (Ice Cube and Ice-T show up here)

6. Souljah's Revenge

7. Peep Game- another Bobcat banger, with guest Threat..

8. Strugglin'- Stretch appears here, on one of two cuts

9. Guess Who's Back- Brooklyn's Special Ed produced this cut, and it's a standout--

10. Representin' 93

11. Keep Ya Head Up-- Tupac's love letter to the ladies..

12. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.- great funky guitar track, produced by Laylaw..

13. Streetz R Deathrow--

14. I Get Around-- his crossover radio breakthrough, produced by Shock G (miscredited to DJ Daryl)

15. Papa'z Song

16. 5 Deadly Venomz- naughty by nature and stretch appear here--

This was the first 2Pac album I got together with All Eyez On Me. Even though All Eyez On Me was the album I bump the most, this always got spins in my CD-player. What I love about Strictly 4 My Niggaz is the old school hip-hop sounding beats, the lyrics, guest apperances, Pac's flow and the variety in the music. You'll find most of party anthems, but you also get songs like Keep Ya Head Up (has to be the best on the album), Souljah's Revenge and a couple of others political issues. 2 interludes aimd at the then vice-president. Production by Live Squad, Shock-G, Raw Fusion and a numerous of others. Guest apperances comes from a hot list of rappers like Ice Cube, Ice-T, Live Squad, Digital Underground, Treach of Naugthy by Nature, Strech (Pac's true homie R.I.P.) and more.
No songs are weak but of course some one are better than the other. Get this if you a hip-hop or 2Pac fan. Great music.

This was the first album that I bought of 2 Pac's and needless to say I wasn't disapointed at all. I remember the first time I saw "I get around" on MTV. I was stunned at first that someone could come from where he had and survived to make a name for himself. I bought the CD at first for "I get around" and "Keep ya head up" but as soon as I heard "Holla if ya hear me", I was HOOKED from his awesome portrait of what the hood looked like from the inside.

I was as sadened as most to hear that 2 Pac had been gunned down and his voice had been silenced. Thank God, he had so many tracks already laid down that he could come out with so many albums after his murder. It's like he's still among us chantin' "Thug til ya die".

For someone that is just jumping on the 2 Pac bandwagon, Strictly 4 my N.I.G.G.A.Z. is a must have.

A lot of people say All Eyez On Me is 2pac's best album, but I 100% disagree with that. In my opinion Yall say All Eyez On Me is his best album because you never have heard this 2pac or you didnt listen to rap in the early 90's. 2pac just goes so deep in this album its like all of his albums in this one Cd. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. is a very off balance CD, 2pac talks about how wrong men are about women, but then he talks about Phukking them, but its not the lyrics that are off balance 2pac couldnt have wrote better lyrics for this CD, Its the beats. This CD is 2PACALYPSE NOW and THUG LIFE VOL.1 combined into one. Plus there are some very hard songs on here like the Thrid hit off the CD "Holla If Ya Hear Me," this is one of the hardest songs ever made in rap history. In "Holla If Ya Hear Me," 2pac is one angry Muthaphukkah, he screams in that song. Then theres the sad "Papa'z Song," where 2pac is Angry, ...and upset about not having a father his whole life, its the 4th hit off the CD and PAC's basically saying POP's Step Tha Phukk Off. Then theres "Last Wordz," Feat. Ice-T and Ice Cube and this might be a Faster and Harder song then "Holla If Ya Hear Me". "5 Deadly Venomz," is a good song with a lot of bass. The song where 2pac gets really deep is in "keep ya head up," it was the 1st hit off the CD and PAC talks about how we should treat or women better and he samples "Ooh Child," from Fivestair Steps. My favorite song off this CD is "I Get Around," with Digital Underground , it was the 2nd hit off the CD and its one of 2pac's best songs ever. There isnt a bad song Off this CD thers "Strugglin," "Peep Game," and A lot of other tracks. If you havent heard this Pac you have to hear it.