The first double album in rap history, the release may grab even more attention than Tupac’s tough talk. With guests like Snoop Doggy Dogg – who’s awaiting the verdict in his murder trial this week – it’s expected to debut near No. 1. An ambitious, audacious chronicle of the gangsta life, full of “bytches,” “ho’s,” danger and cash, “All Eyez on Me” follows through on a primary Tupac rule: say what’s on your mind, and say it loud and strong. “I’d rather die like a man than live like a coward / There’s a ghetto up in heaven and it’s ours,” he raps in one tune. Producer Dr. Dre says Tupac’s one of the most gifted lyricists in rap. “You put down the music and he hands the words to you in a flash,” he says. “I’ve never seen anyone work that fast.” “When I sat down to write this album, I thought a lot about the night I got shot and how I thought I was going to die and s–t,” says Tupac. “I thought about the kids I’d never have. The words began to flow.”
Don’t let those sentiments throw you. Tupac is concerned enough about his skin that he brought bodyguards when he performed on “Saturday Night Live.” Of course, trouble only enlarges his myth. The bigger it gets, the bigger he gets.
