Tupac Shakur Drops Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. - Today in Hip-Hop

XXL celebrates 50 years of hip-hop with this second:

Feb. 16, 1993: After the success of his 1991 debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, Tupac Shakur launched his second venture, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., on this present day in 1993. On the album, the late hip-hop icon delivered militant views and Black empowerment rhymes, but additionally drew backlash for his controversial lyrics.

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. encompasses a bevy of rappers, together with Ice Cube, Ice-T and Treach of Naughty By Nature. Additionally, producers The Live Squad, DJ Bobcat, the late Jam Master Jay and extra present the bustling sounds on the LP. But two platinum-promoting songs are the centerpieces on the album: the get together observe “I Get Around” and the uplifting tune “Keep Your Head Up.” Both songs present the dichotomy of a younger rap star attempting to settle into his newfound fame following his powerhouse efficiency in the 1992 movie Juice.

“I Get Around,” which was produced by the late Digital Underground producer Shock G (beneath the alias D-Flow Production Squad), wasn’t initially properly-obtained. Tupac’s bawdy verses about feminine groupies, plus his use of the phrase “ho” in reference to ladies, did not sit properly with radio programmers.

The late radio icon Frankie Crocker, who was vp of The Inner City Broadcasting Corporation on the time, a conglomerate of Black radio stations in New York, banned the tune from its radio playlists in protest of the tune’s misogynistic lyrics. Some West Coast radio stations adopted go well with as properly. Nevertheless, “I Get Around” has turn into a fan-favourite amongst Tupac devotees.

While “I Get Around” could also be considered as hateful to ladies, “Keep Your Head Up” was the alternative, because it options Tupac preaching respect for Black ladies over the Five Stairsteps-sampled chorus, “Ooh child, things are gonna get easier/Ooh child things will get brighter.” The tune’s compelling message linked with rap followers, and its recognition helped it attain No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart in the course of the week of Jan. 15, 1994.

Despite the controversies, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. reached platinum standing on April 19, 1995, and is taken into account a traditional album in Tupac Shakur’s expansive discography.