The 100 Best 2Pac Songs
By Rob Marriott | Nov 3, 2011 | 12:54 pm | Permalink
1. 2Pac f/ Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman "California Love" (1996) / 2Pac f/ Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman "California Love (Remix)" (1996)
Producer: Dr. Dre
Album: All Eyez On Me
Label: Death Row/Interscope
2Pac f/ Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman "California Love"
2Pac f/ Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman "California Love (Remix)"
This track represents a defining moment for the g-funk era, for Tupac, and for West Coast rap as a whole. Dr. Dre was already crowned Cali's reigning producer, and when he connected with rap's most controversial star, they created an anthem as colossal as hip-hop itself. Pac was clearly ready for his moment.
He jumped on this "bomb beat from Dre" in rare form: his energy was high, even for him, and his rhymes and cadence were precise and infectious. While Dre kept his attention on praising California, Pac couldn't help but clown the “other” side as not being as real. “L.A. is where we riot not rally.” Dre came away with the illest line tho: “I been in the game for ten years making rap tunes/Ever since honeys was wearing Sassoons.”
With the gangsterific Suge Knight scaring the bejeesus out of everyone in the industry, this track could only be interpreted as the opening salvo of a prolonged and potentially violent propaganda war—a takeover bid, if you will.
The futuristic Mad Max style video only added to militaristic underpinning of this hometown funk celebration. Dre's layered production is full of suspense and big basslines. Zapp's Roger Troutman, the original Auto-Tunist, kills the hook, tying the record directly to its electro-funk roots. Fifteen years later, "California Love" still hits like an earthquake.
Brian Kidd November 3rd, 2011 at 02:03 PM
So where is "If My Homies Call"????????? Def. should be in the top 25!!!
P-Body November 3rd, 2011 at 02:51 PM
Runnin been out for years just mainstream didn't know about it, the original version had Stretch (RIP), Dramacydal (RIP Kadafi) & Bujo Baton on the song also which sounded better than the remix stuff.
king November 3rd, 2011 at 03:33 PM
Good list my only problem is so many tears should be top ten
crackaveli November 3rd, 2011 at 04:26 PM
thought provoking, just a few minor issues... Staring Through My Rearview first appeared on the Gang Related SDTK The text below "Ghost" seems to refer to Hail Mary no mention of Stanley Burrell on your "unconditional love" riff? this obviously took time and attention...much appreciated diversion from day to day stuff...thx...
crackaveli November 3rd, 2011 at 04:28 PM
thought provoking, just a few minor issues... Staring Through My Rearview first appeared on the Gang Related SDTK...The text below "Ghost" seems to refer to Hail Mar...no mention of Stanley Burrell on your "unconditional love" riff? this obviously took time and attention...much appreciated diversion from day to day stuff...thx...
KUNGFoo November 3rd, 2011 at 04:34 PM
No "Pain" feat Stretch off Above The Rim ost ?? that's definately one of Pac's BEST song
johnbox November 3rd, 2011 at 10:14 PM
po nigga blues should b on the list somewhere.not one of his most famous.i think it has two of the best verses he ever wrote.good list though
Shanti November 3rd, 2011 at 11:16 PM
dopeness.
Hannibal November 4th, 2011 at 12:42 AM
Complex is sure pushing that terrible Loyal to the Game Eminem produced trash. Lots of posthumous overproduced stuff like the patch up job that is realist killas.. 2pac and Elton John?no thanks...Glaring omissions: Pain, Life's So Hard, High Til I Die, R U Still Down, Life is A Traffic Jam, Lost Souls, Made Niggaz, High Til I Die, The Original My Block from The Show soundtrack, Definition of a Thug Nigga from Poetic Justice, Lie to Kick It, Mamas Just A Little Girl, Im Gettin Money, Only Fear Of Death, From The Cradle To the Grave, Last Wordz with Cube and Ice T,Baby Dont Cry, Toss it Up.. 2pac had a huge catalogue of songs he actually worked on, not any studio trickery with big names, its like going out of your way to push the Loyal to the game produced stuff to the front ....pS: 83 Nothing To Lose, you guys have Nuttin But Love playing instead.
P4L November 10th, 2011 at 03:28 AM
Oh, you aint know, Complex is on Eminem's dick hard, which makes me think that they're mostly a bunch of wiggers.
dopewill November 4th, 2011 at 09:09 AM
dope list but i strongly disagree with #1