By Fawn Renee
Long gone are the days of conscious rap, where artists embrace themes of self-awareness, Black pride, uplifting women and political struggles. With so much talk about money, cars, clothes, the hoes…I suppose it’s easy to forget that Hip-Hop is deeper than rap.
Over a decade ago, the world lost Hip-Hop’s greatest disciple. And despite his many legal woes and fleeting attachment to thug life, when Tupac Shakur left this Earth he solidified his stance as rap’s most vigilant martyr. He did so by gracefully embodying the internal struggle of all men- the socially conscious and the gang bangers.
It’s no secret that Tupac was a hard worker, and easily one of the greatest lyricists of our time. But to make it unambiguously clear that he’s in a class all his own, while signed to Death Row Records, Tupac recorded hundreds of songs. That’s hundreds of songs in an eleven-month span. That’s hundreds of songs that, despite their premature state, were worthy of reproducing posthumously. That’s easily a far superior accomplishment than your favorite rapper today has achieved. And while, for some, the debate persists as to the who, what, where, when and how of Tupac’s untimely death, others are simply capitalizing off of it.
Despite the recurrent talk of a highly anticipated Tupac album, featuring untouched, original recordings by the rapper to be distributed by Death Row Records, under the guidance of its new guardian Lara Lavi, the latest attempt to exploit, well, profit off of Shakur’s unrivaled talent comes in the form of Picture My Pain. Picture My Pain is a bolstering 18-track compilation album, featuring Tupac at his best- raw and poignant. This album separates itself from comparable titles such as R U Still Down? (Remember Me), Until the End of Time, Better Dayz, and Loyal to the Game (all of which went platinum) in that it’s a bit more sinister.
Lyrically, fans can expect an album as thorough and aggressive as The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory with traces of the compassion and introspection found on Until the End of Time. Production wise, there’s more remixing, more tweaking just as with previous posthumous albums, but there is a more organic sound to this album, reminiscent of the backdrop produced by Johnny “J” and Daz Dillinger in the mid 90s. The title track, “Picture My Pain” is one of the more vulnerable songs on the album, as Tupac pleads, “Somebody save me, lost and crazy. Scared to drop a seed, hoping I ain’t curse my babies. Maybe now, n***as’ll feel me now. Visualize the flames. Will I be smothered by my own pain?” This is an explicit confession of the problematic mind of one of the magnanimous figures in Hip-Hop.
“One Day At a Time” is an open letter to those struggling with societal injustice and inner demons, much like him. Tupac always had an uncanny ability to speak through young men and women’s circumstances, a gift that few of his successors have been able to emulate. The track, with its Bollywood base, vigorous hi-hate, and erratic synths, features a verse from Jadakiss’ “Why,” where he questions, “Why they kill Tupac and Chris? Why at the bar you don’t take straight shots instead of poppin’ Crys? Why them bullets have to hit that door? Why did Kobe have to hit that raw? Why he kiss that whore?”
Tupac has a revolutionary spirit, so as easily as he can inspire positive change; his ability to construct an atmosphere of complete melee is equally as effective. On tracks such as “Bow Down,” featuring Ice Cube, Tupac admonishes his enemies, “Expect me n***a, like you expect Jesus to come back.” The track features an installment of Westside Connections 1996 hit “Bow Down.”
“Untouchable” is easily the toughest song on the album and will give fans a glimpse into what is to be expected of the 2010 release of his unreleased work. Here, Tupac spits with malice over ascending synths and flamboyant keys- that signature West Coast sound that Dr. Dre made hot. On the track, Pac makes it clear that he’s the greatest to ever do it when he exclaims, “No offense to Nas, but this whole fuckin’ world is mine! Even if you blind you can still me my prophecy; my destiny to overthrow those on top of me.” This is the Tupac many grew to know and revere, while others choose to cling to the encouraging activist that was Tupac Shakur.
Shakur wore many hats, and no matter which you identify with, there’s something for everyone on this album. Sure they are tracks many of have heard at some point or another (at one point, unreleased Tupac tracks were selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars on the net), but if time and records sales haven’t already conveyed, Pac’s music and his legacy will subsist. And as a result, Lara Lavi and many others will be eating for years to come. Congrats!
3.5 out of 5
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