R U Still Down? (Remember Me) [PA]

Performer: 2Pac
Artist: Richie Rich; Big Syke; Spice 1; Eric Williams; Maxee; Val Young; Dramacydal; Cool Russell
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: R U STILL DOWN? (REMEMBER ME) contains rare and previously unreleased songs from Tupac's personal vault. Personnel includes: Tupac Shakur, Val Young, Y.N.V., Richie Rich, Big Syke, Spice 1, Eric Williams, Dramacydal, Dave The Black Angel, Cool Russell, Maxee (vocals); Soulshock, Karlin (various instruments); Ricky Rouse (guitar, keyboards, bass); Darrell Crooks (guitar); Mike Mosley (keyboards, drum programming); Brycyn Evans (keyboards); Tommy "D" Daugherty, Michael Denton (programming); Crystall (background vocals). Producers include: Tony Pizarro, QDIII, Soulshock, Warren G., Karlin. Engineers include: Bob Morse, Tommy Daugherty, Tim Nitz, Manny Marroquin, Michael Calderon. Includes liner notes by Afeni Shakur. Personnel: 2Pac (vocals); Cool Russell, Dave the Black Angel (vocals); Ricky Rouse (guitar, keyboards); Darrell Crooks (guitar); Michael Mosley (keyboards, drum programming); Brycyn "Juvie" Evans (keyboards); Tommy "D" Daugherty (programming); Y.N.V., Crystall (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Manny Marroquin; Tommy "D" Daugherty; Tim Nitz; Gabe Chiesa; Josh Chervokas; Michael Denten; Paul Arnold; QDIII; Ricky Rouse; Soulshock; Tony Pizarro. Audio Remixer: Paul Arnold. Recording information: Dollar Cablab; Echo Sound; Encore Studios; QDIII Soundlab; Soulpower Studios; Soundcastle Studios; Westlake Audio. Photographer: Amadeo. Arrangers: Karlin; Soulshock. Shortly after 2Pac died, there were rumors that hundreds of unreleased songs remained in the vaults; a mere two months after his death, the first posthumous record, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, appeared. Death Row released the record, and shortly afterward, 2Pac's mother, Afeni Shakur, gained the rights to all of his unreleased recordings from both the Interscope and Death Row labels. She founded the Amaru label and released the double-disc R U Still Down? (Remember Me) in late 1997. Culled from 2Pac's unreleased Interscope recordings between 1992 and 1994, including several tracks that have had backing musical tracks "reconstructed," R U Still Down? doesn't have the aura of exploitation that haunts the Makaveli album. For the most part, Shakur sounds good, spinning out rhymes that are alternately clever or startling, although he eventually begins repeating himself. As for the music itself, it's pretty much standard-issue gangsta rap that never deviates from the course. There are enough hidden gems to make R U Still Down? worthwhile for hardcore 2Pac fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Shortly after 2Pac died, there were rumors that hundreds of unreleased songs remained in the vaults; a mere two months after his death, the first posthumous record, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, appeared. Death Row released the record, and shortly afterward, 2Pac's mother, Afeni Shakur, gained the rights to all of his unreleased recordings from both the Interscope and Death Row labels. She founded the Amaru label and released the double-disc R U Still Down? (Remember Me) in late 1997. Culled from 2Pac's unreleased Interscope recordings between 1992 and 1994, including several tracks that have had backing musical tracks "reconstructed," R U Still Down? doesn't have the aura of exploitation that haunts the Makaveli album, but it isn't much better, either. For the most part, Shakur sounds good, spinning out rhymes that are alternately clever or startling, but he eventually begins repeating himself and running out of ideas. That's much better than the music itself, which is pretty much standard-issue gangsta rap that never deviates from the course. There are enough hidden gems to make it worthwhile for hardcore 2Pac fans, but it doesn't necessarily bode well for the Amaru label's series of unreleased recordings. If this mediocre mess is the top of the heap, they'll truly be hurting for strong material once they reach the bottom of the allegedly hundreds of unreleased 2Pac recordings. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Even after Tupac Shakur was tragically gunned down in Las Vegas, his legacy continued to live on through his music. In addition to the 2pac albums we all love and have become familiar with, there are posthumous testaments to his talent like R U STILL DOWN, which contains songs that were unreleased at the time of his death. Having left a large body of work behind, 2Pac continues to voice his opinion and is still among the most powerful rappers, even after his untimely passing. The first release on his own Amaru Records, R U STILL DOWN? [REMEMBER ME] was overseen by 2Pac's mother, Afeni Shakur. This album features a younger, more inexperienced 2Pac, and it airs his views on life from a time before he became involved in the controversial east coast/west coast rivalry. His lyrics ironically foreshadow his death in songs like "Open Fire" and "Thug Style." Yet another look at the slain rapper, R U STILL DOWN? [REMEMBER ME] gives fans more of 2Pac to remember him by.

Spin (3/98, pp.130-131) - 8 (out of 10) - "...As always, there's ample self-destructive bullshit, but as a whole, the album's eerie and undeniable....Even after death, 2Pac isn't going gentle into that good night; if this album is any gauge, he's not letting us go either, at least not anytime soon." Entertainment Weekly (12/19/97, p.78) - "...a bittersweet reminder of a gifted yet contradictory artist lost in the rap wars." - Rating: B Vibe (2/98, p.118) - "...hip-hop's complex crown prince is given new voice....[I]t's the 2Pac of the '90-'91 DU era that commands attention..."

Beginning his career in the early 1990s as a member of the Oakland rap-funksters Digital Underground, 2Pac rose to become perhaps the single most controversial figure in rap music, easily equal in popularity and notoriety to Snoop Dogg on the West Coast and sometime rival Notorious B.I.G. out East. Taking his moniker from a South American revolutionary, 2Pac managed to embrace themes of black self-determination and social conscience without dulling the edge of his thug image. Achieving almost unrivalled popularity while alive, 2Pac had a penchant for religious and iconic motifs, ensuring his status as a rap martyr after his murder in 1996.

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