Me Against the World

Me Against the World is a gangsta rap album by Tupac Shakur, released on March 14, 1995 (see 1995 in music). The album was recorded while Shakur was recovering from a gunshot wound, and released while imprisoned for sexual assault. Perhaps as a result of these circumstances, Me Against the World has become known as the most incendiary of Shakur's releases, expressing an intensely personal mix of emotions and reactions to the events of his life. The album has been labelled both optimistic and pessimistic in its outlook. While some observers were disgusted with the apparent nihilistic apathy[?], others found the frequent digressions into the dangers of paranoia, organized crime and the moral repercussions of violence extremely refreshing in the mid-1990s world of hard-edged, nearly cartoonish thug rap albums.

Especially after the mainstream success of Eminem's, Shakur's work in general, and this album in particular, has been scrutinized by onlookers. Shakur's hard-hitting blend of violent and intensely emotional rhymes (such as on the tribute "Dear Mama") made him an oddity in 1990s mainstream hip hop, and his subject matter could rarely be broached so directly in hip hop until Eminem made a career of emotionally charged lyrics of desperate violence and drug use. Many critics have pointed to the glaring race issue, of Shakur's virtual uniqueness in his mainstream success with emotional lyrics and Eminem's instant acclaim for the same from a white perspective. Others find Shakur's occasional denouncement of violence and introspective lyrics shallow and superficial, and argue that hip hop has since evolved a greater sense of social and personal responsibility.

Since Shakur's death soon after Me Agains the Worlds release, the lyrics have been scrutinized for clues to Shakur's mental state. Some believe he faked his own death, or was assassinated by any of a number of possible candidates.

Me Against the World topped the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts.

Table of contents 1 Track listing 2 Personnel 3 Charting singles 4 External links

Track listing

1. "Intro"
2. "If I Die 2 Nite" (Clarke/Durham/Harvey/Two Pac/Wright)
3. "Me Against the World" (with Dramacydal[?])
4. "So Many Tears" (Baker/Jacobs/Two Pac/Walker/Wonder)
5. "Temptations" (Clinton/Harvey/Murdock/Shider/Spradley/Troutman/Troutman/Two Pac)
6. "Young Niggaz" (Blackmon/Jenkins/Leftenat/Moe Z/Singleton/Two Pac/Tyler)
7. "Heavy in the Game" (with Ritchie Rich[?])
8. "Lord Knows" (Two Pac)
9. "Dear Mama" (Pizarro/Sample/Two Pac)
10. "It Ain't Easy" (Pizarro/Two Pac)
11. "Can U Get Away" (Beverly/Mosley/Two Pac)
12. "Old School" (Buchanan/Tilery/Two Pac)
13. "Fuck the World" (Jacobs/Two Pac)
14. "Death Around the Corner" (Johnny J/Two Pac)
15. "Outlaw" (with Dramacydal)

Personnel

• 2Pac - Vocals
• Kim Armstrong - Vocals (bckgr)
• Paul Arnold - Engineer, Mixing
• Reggie Green - Vocals (bckgr)
• Jeff Griffin - Mixing
• Puff Johnson - Vocals (bckgr)
• Jay Lean - Engineer, Mixing
• Eric Lynch - Engineer
• Bob Morris - Engineer
• Ronnie Vann - Guitar
• Kevin Davis - Engineer, Mixing
• Tony Pizarro - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Eric Altenburger - Art Direction, Design
• Tim Nitz - Engineer
• Eboni Foster - Vocals (bckgr)
• Sam Bostic - Producer
• Jill Rose - Vocals
• Natasha Walker - Vocals (bckgr)
• Dramacydal - Performer
• Richard Serrell - Vocals (bckgr)

Charting singles Billboard - North America

 1995	Dear Mama/Old School	The Billboard Hot 100	                No. 9
 1995	So Many Tears	        The Billboard Hot 100	                No. 44
 1995	Dear Mama/Old School	Hot Rap Singles	                        No. 1
 1995	So Many Tears	        Hot Rap Singles	                        No. 6
 1995	Temptations	        Hot Rap Singles	                        No. 13
 1995	So Many Tears	        Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks        No. 21
 1995	Temptations	        Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks        No. 35
 1995	Dear Mama	        Rhythmic Top 40	                        No. 16
 1995	Dear Mama/Old School	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales      No. 1
 1995	So Many Tears	        Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales      No. 41
 1995	Dear Mama	        Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks        No. 3
 1995	Temptations	        The Billboard Hot 100	                No. 68

External links

• lyrics (http://hem.passagen.se/deathrow/meagainst_lyrics.htm)