Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Most Overlooked Album, February 13, 2006
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.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A LEGEND IN THE MAKING, June 30, 2005
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.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent anti-establishment lyrics, September 21, 1999
By A Customer
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.
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