Hit 'Em Up promo CD single

[FroDawgg]

A few months back, I saw on ebay a promo CD single for "Hit 'Em Up". I didn't mention it here because I was afraid someone else would swoop in and scoop it up . Turns out, the bids got too high so I didn't get it anyway .

Anywho, I haven't seen it again since (or before), so I was wondering if someone can actually confirm its legitimacy. If I remember correctly, it had six tracks: Video version, explicit, instrumental, a cappella (I think), and two other versions that I can't really recall. Does anyone know if this is real, and have any other info about it?

On that note, for the longest time, I have been searching (well, not really; just hoping one would appear) for good quality audio of the video version. As far as I know, the video itself has been commercially released twice, on Live at the House of Blues and 15 Years on Death Row. The quality on both sounds like the producers of the DVDs ripped the song from the radio, and the one of 15YoDR even edits out words. Is this sound quality the best there is for this version?

 

[Pittsey]

I will have to check my collection and see if I have this. How much did it go for?

 

[Preach]

im wondering the same. iirc this was never released. i do mean to think it leaked a while back, but not from a single or promo. my pc is fried atm but i go here often so i might be able to retrieve the rip i think leaked within the last year. the promo smells fake but i havent been actively following this stuff for years.

 

[FroDawgg]

I will have to check my collection and see if I have this. How much did it go for?

I don't really remember. I just know that once it get above like $50, although I would like to get it, I really can't afford to spend that much. I'm pretty sure it went for more than that, too.

 

[LOGIC_INC]

On June 4, 1996 under the label Death Row Records,[11] "Hit 'Em Up" was released on compact disc and as a 12-inch,[26] as well as 45 RPM.[27] The original cover for the single had Puffy's head on a snake body, and Biggie's head on a pig's.[28]

Very interesting... I would LOVE to see that cover!

 

[FroDawgg]

Yeah, I've read that before...I guess I forgot.

 

[Preach]

I don't know if this is it, but this is a painting on Riskie's site that fits the description

edit: never mind, only the description for piggie fits

 

[Pittsey]

I don't know if this is it, but this is a painting on Riskie's site that fits the description

edit: never mind, only the description for piggie fits

If it fitted it, I would have come to the conclusion that it fitted because it was drawn after reading.

 

[DJ LV]

That hit em up single is just a fake fanmade cd.

Seriously dumbasses who pay 200+ dollar for it lol.

 

[Preach]

On that note, for the longest time, I have been searching (well, not really; just hoping one would appear) for good quality audio of the video version. As far as I know, the video itself has been commercially released twice, on Live at the House of Blues and 15 Years on Death Row. The quality on both sounds like the producers of the DVDs ripped the song from the radio, and the one of 15YoDR even edits out words. Is this sound quality the best there is for this version?

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ucahm6

Here's a rip that's not taken from the video but from a DAT. It leaked in the past couple of years. It's the best quality you will find. And it has a little outro where Pac talks for a few seconds longer, screams "MOB" and throws his headset to the ground, which was faded out in the video. Rare!

 

[Preach]

Btw, the reason why this (and many other video edits, All Bout U solo version is another that comes to mind) sound narrow and "low quality" is because they're mixed for TV speakers, not sound systems. To me they just sound very mono.

 

[FroDawgg]

Hmm...okay. That's odd that they would make an edit primarily for video/TV and not for radio, but I guess that's why it explains why it sounds like that. I agree that it sounds "mono"?

Is there another link? This has me downloading a downloader application rather than the song. Thanks!

 

[Pittsey]

Hmm...okay. That's odd that they would make an edit primarily for video/TV and not for radio, but I guess that's why it explains why it sounds like that. I agree that it sounds "mono"?

Is there another link? This has me downloading a downloader application rather than the song. Thanks!

You're clicking the wrong button. Scroll down a bit.

 

[FroDawgg]

Got it...thanks!

 

[Preach]

Hmm...okay. That's odd that they would make an edit primarily for video/TV and not for radio, but I guess that's why it explains why it sounds like that. I agree that it sounds "mono"?

In my experience, radio edits were mixed to sound like the explicit album versions. They sound like full sound recordings, because they were included on promos and singles, and intended to be played everywhere from the radio to in clubs. So they were expected to be played on good sound systems. Video edits were synced with the video and put on tape, but never included on any releases. They were played on television sets.

Now for "Hit 'Em Up", I'm just assuming the song was never played on the radio. And they never expected it would, either. Seeing as how there was never a promo for it including the edited version, there's no proper mix of it that sounds like the album version (which was released as its own single, but never intended for radio or club play either.) If they had shipped the song to radio stations and marketed it as a traditional single however, they would have made a mix that sounded more like the explicit version.

 

[S O F I]

PREACH!

 

[FroDawgg]

You had mentioned the solo "All Bout U"...is there a high quality version like the DAT-rip of "Hit 'Em Up" you just shared?

 

[Preach]

Well, not exactly. There is a rip of it that leaked in a batch of songs that apparently came from Tha Realest. It was included on the 2Pac Evolution set along with a remaster. The remaster is probably the best version you'll hear.

Like with Hit 'Em Up, the edited version never ended up on a release so it's never been mixed for anything other than the video. So this is another mono-sounding release. Judge for yourself. Also, everything on 2Pac Evolution is in WAV format so it's a big file, I don't have an MP3 of it.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/du2y6k

And since you'll probably ask, 2Pac Evolution is a collection of 10 DVDs worth of originals and unreleased songs. It included everything that had leaked up until 2008, in the best quality available at the time. And most of these tracks haven't leaked in better quality since/were as good as they could be unless they were finalized and mastered. There is a "private version" of the set that was only sold to members of a closed collectors forum called "the" THC." There's another public version of it too, that was sold on public forums, but in degraded quality or whatever. Both have since leaked so that makes for a headache when trying to find the private version, because the degradation isn't very significant I think.

 

[FroDawgg]

The best available is the best available; I can't ask for anything more than that. I'm sure it'll be great; the "Hit 'Em Up" was light years better than the DVD rip I had. Also, I love that it's in WAV. I'm a stickler for lossless rather than mp3, if available. I just didn't want to be too naggy by asking directly. You've already helped out a ton.

Thanks so much!