Strictly 4 My Tupac - Lyric Analysis [SHORT]

[Yaki]

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. - Lyric Analysis [SHORT]

just for those interested in S4MN ........


Strictly 4 My Tupac - Lyric Analysis

In 1993‘s “Strictly 4 My N.i.g.g.a.z.“ we see Tupac Shakur at his second big hit in his musical career after 1991‘s radical debut „2Pac Alypse Now“. Probably like no other official Tupac album „Strictly 4 My N.i.g.g.a.z.“ has received so many different reviews and answers from the public. Even though most of the people who evaluated it sounded positively impressed (even some dared to say this was Pac’s greatest) I have infact noticed some bad marks about it as well. While VIBE has gone so far as to claim that “Tupac was as his best“ with “Strictly..“, others like the authors of XXL (Issue Oct 01), however, state that „Strictly represents the nadir of Tupac’s musical career“. Pac gets reproached here for having tried to be everyone on this one album, from the sensitive, reflective and introspective narrator as in „Keep Ya Head Up“ or „Papa’z Song“ to the radical anti-popo-anti-Dan Quayle representative like on the fiery „Holler If Ya Hear Me“.
However, through this lyric check I had the chance to make up my own mind about the LP. I have to say that the first half of the album can not at all be compared to the heavy lyrical content and stuff Pac spits on „2Pac Alypse Now“. But the album is getting better in this aspect through diamonds like „Keep Ya Head Up“ and „The Streetz are Death Row“, finally culminating in the hyper-social „Papa’z Song“.
Summarized you have to say that Tupac along with all his friends from Treach to Live Squad spits a lot more „street shit“ as in „2Pac Alypse Now“, a lot more about gun-violence etc. If you would count you would probably find a dozen cases Pac rapping : „I’ve got a glock coked“– revealing his antipathy towards the police but also his self-defending attitude towards all the „niggaz comin at me“. In the album-titled song „Strictly 4 My N.i.g.g.a.z.“ Pac puts it straight: “Cause the police love to break a nigga, send 'em upsate 'cause they straight up hate the niggas“

„Strictly...“ turned out to be the last radical album before Pac changed into the more passive mode beginning with Thug Life, dwelling more into ‚smokin dat shit’ than into political attacks and revolutionary stimulation. Notice: you don’t once find Pac on „Strictly..“ hollering “Thug Life“ – simply because this was not the time yet.)

In addition, the album should also be the last with that classic old school production –„Thug Life Volume 1“ sounds a LOT more of a „today style“ if you listen to the instrumentals, beats, the production itself.

If you are looking for a track that captures the Pac typical of the time period in question, „Representing ‘93“ serves well.. THIS is Pac in 1993 -- giving his shoutouts to all his homeboys from Redman to Raw Fusion, from TLC to Tha Tribe. Steadily tryin’ to keep it real.

 

[Dante]

In 1993‘s “Strictly 4 My N.i.g.g.a.z.“ we see Tupac Shakur at his second big hit in his musical career after 1991‘s radical debut „2Pac Alypse Now“.

2pacalypse was a sleeper that did not achieve any mainstream success. if i recall, it barely went gold. it had no crossover singles, and could hardly be called a hit. pac expressed frustration at this fact in several interviews.

Probably like no other official Tupac album „Strictly 4 My N.i.g.g.a.z.“ has received so many different reviews and answers from the public. Even though most of the people who evaluated it sounded positively impressed (even some dared to say this was Pac’s greatest)

who are "most people" that you speak of? rather pointless and unsupported claim.

I have infact noticed some bad marks about it as well. While VIBE has gone so far as to claim that “Tupac was as his best“ with “Strictly..“, others like the authors of XXL (Issue Oct 01), however, state that „Strictly represents the nadir of Tupac’s musical career“. Pac gets reproached here for having tried to be everyone on this one album, from the sensitive, reflective and introspective narrator as in „Keep Ya Head Up“ or „Papa’z Song“ to the radical anti-popo-anti-Dan Quayle representative like on the fiery „Holler If Ya Hear Me“.

...which stems from the fundamental misunderstanding of the man. strictly is not a conflicted lp - it is misunderstood. pac's anger and souljah tracks preach the same message as keep ya head up, namely the notion that black americans - especially the youth - are downtrodden and disregarded by average America. The solution is black unity, to pool resources and to make an undeniable voice that cannot be ignored. Souljah's revenge, Point The FInger, and Keep Ya Head Up all share this common goal, but approach it from different vantage points.

However, through this lyric check I had the chance to make up my own mind about the LP. I have to say that the first half of the album can not at all be compared to the heavy lyrical content and stuff Pac spits on „2Pac Alypse Now“.

i dare say the opposite. 2pacalypse now did have a political lens, but it was not on the consistent basis as strictly, which is a very angry post-riots album. overall 2pacalypse now helped birth 2pac's consciousness, but it also underscores his then freshman status. the album was dope, but it was rather inconsistent.

But the album is getting better in this aspect through diamonds like „Keep Ya Head Up“ and „The Streetz are Death Row“, finally culminating in the hyper-social „Papa’z Song“.

hyper social would mean that it's an everyman song, but the truth of the matter is that papaz song addresses a problem that has plagued black america more than any other group. while some might, the majority of white america could not immediately identify with the character in the song.

Summarized you have to say that Tupac along with all his friends from Treach to Live Squad spits a lot more „street shit“ as in „2Pac Alypse Now“, a lot more about gun-violence etc. If you would count you would probably find a dozen cases Pac rapping : „I’ve got a glock coked“– revealing his antipathy towards the police but also his self-defending attitude towards all the „niggaz comin at me“.

the gun references are spawned from the post riot atmosphere. in the riots, power was taken back (albeit temporarily) through the use of extreme force, which is where 2pac's fascination with guns stems. a gun is the ultimate equalizer. the self-defending attitude is a reflection of the paradox of the riot-era black community. namely, black on black crime was more prevalent than black on white crime, yet blacks in general were held to inequal standards as whites. therefore, the logical crimes would be perpertrated against whites, but yet black on black crime was still favored. this is why 2pac unfortunately addresses cops and his brothers in the same regard on occasion in the album, but he cannot be faulted for it.

„Strictly...“ turned out to be the last radical album before Pac changed into the more passive mode beginning with Thug Life, dwelling more into ‚smokin dat shit’ than into political attacks and revolutionary stimulation. Notice: you don’t once find Pac on „Strictly..“ hollering “Thug Life“ – simply because this was not the time yet.)

i think you may have missed the point of thug life. thug life was an elaboration of the foundation laid by the strictly album. strictly represented a unified call to arms, and thug life was the answer: a group of black men who would do anything to achieve their goals, with the incorporation of violence or not. the thug life album isn't as obviously revolutionary as strictly, and the smooth beats may fool you, but the album is very much laced with the same fury as strictly.

In addition, the album should also be the last with that classic old school production –„Thug Life Volume 1“ sounds a LOT more of a „today style“ if you listen to the instrumentals, beats, the production itself.

in some cases i'd say it sounds like 90's g-funk. in others it is reminescent of bomb squad minimalist style production typical of ice cube's first solo lp. modern hip hop has too many cheesy bells and whistles, so i disagree with you here.

If you are looking for a track that captures the Pac typical of the time period in question, „Representing ‘93“ serves well.. THIS is Pac in 1993 -- giving his shoutouts to all his homeboys from Redman to Raw Fusion, from TLC to Tha Tribe. Steadily tryin’ to keep it real.

i don't think he was trying, he simply was. the track is good, but it's not the centerpiece of the album. it's a shoutout track in the vein of those that were very typical of early mid-90's hip hop records. i'd favor tracks with more meaning such as the title cut, point the finger, souljah's revenge, or others.

overall your writeup is ok. it didn't analyze the lyrics much more than a superficial glance, but it does show that the album meant very different things for you than it did for me. maybe it's because i was here when all the shit hit the fan that becomes fodder for the content of this album, and so i therefore think it's important to look a level deeper than the face value presentation of the lyrics. "why does pac mention a cocked glock," instead of "pac has a gun." doing so is the avenue to an enhanced understanding and appreciation of what the strictly album in particular represents.

 

[JarG]

anyway i like more 2pacalypse now than s4mn.

 

[Yaki]

i think you may have missed the point of thug life. thug life was an elaboration of the foundation laid by the strictly album. strictly represented a unified call to arms, and thug life was the answer: a group of black men who would do anything to achieve their goals, with the incorporation of violence or not. the thug life album isn't as obviously revolutionary as strictly, and the smooth beats may fool you, but the album is very much laced with the same fury as strictly.

No, Dante, u may be right wit ur view on Thug Life as 'elaboration of....' if Thug life is understood as the movement Pac had put behind it, but I was speakin in the context about Thug Life the LP - which, to me, is unarguably waaay less radical, political, critical and post-riot than S4MN, not even to mention 2PAN. we all know Thug Life-the-short-10-track-LP represented only a slice of what Pac actually meant by Thug Life (e.g. ,Pac didnt even re-define the term t.h.u.g.l.i.f.e on this album, just to name one example of the missing thug-Life-the-movement signs)

 

[Yaki]

@ Dante:
i have to say, perhaps yopu are overestimating 24MN, perhaps you are not, but to me, u seem to underrate 2Pac Alypse Now in all its messages it brings (specifically noteworthy since it was his first album and he was still, like u said it right, a freshmen. That makes his accomplishment with 2PAN even bigger). sumtimes I think even tho Pac may artist-wise still have been unexperienced here and there, Pac wanted to make a biiiig impact wit his debut album and he suceeded in it. I would not call it 'inconsistent' at all as you did.

 

[Dante]

@ Dante:
i have to say, perhaps yopu are overestimating 24MN, perhaps you are not, but to me, u seem to underrate 2Pac Alypse Now in all its messages it brings (specifically noteworthy since it was his first album and he was still, like u said it right, a freshmen. That makes his accomplishment with 2PAN even bigger). sumtimes I think even tho Pac may artist-wise still have been unexperienced here and there, Pac wanted to make a biiiig impact wit his debut album and he suceeded in it. I would not call it 'inconsistent' at all as you did.

i don't think that it's possible that s4mn is overrated by me or anyone else. it's simply a mastery of sound and message. shit, even the cover is significant, as the transparency represents the anyman concept and the fire is the obvious rage of the album. listen to this album and then ice cube's predator and you will see. both perfectly encapsulate the tension of the hour.

i didn't say 2pacalypse is a bad album. i simply stated that once pac developed his voice under the post-riots atmosphere he became more directed. 2pacalypse now was a flashlight, strictly was a laser.

for the sake of your arguments, i'd recommend using more fact and quotes. you only included a couple quotes to support yourself, but they were either misspelled or misquoted.

 

[Dante]

No, Dante, u may be right wit ur view on Thug Life as 'elaboration of....' if Thug life is understood as the movement Pac had put behind it, but I was speakin in the context about Thug Life the LP - which, to me, is unarguably waaay less radical, political, critical and post-riot than S4MN, not even to mention 2PAN. we all know Thug Life-the-short-10-track-LP represented only a slice of what Pac actually meant by Thug Life

i spoke of the album - not the "movement."
listen to the album again, i think you're missing a lot of the subtext.

(e.g. ,Pac didnt even re-define the term t.h.u.g.l.i.f.e on this album, just to name one example of the missing thug-Life-the-movement signs)

um wrong? just because he didn't have some obvious hammer over the head interlude spellling out the acronym for every lame ass doesn't mean that the concept wasn't already long since in place. thug life was an evolution of pac's character from strictly, but this time with the backup of several more people like him. matw began to show the introspective side that came after the realization that soldiers die, and sometimes actions have dramatically different consequences than anticipated. all eyez brought it full circle with the notion that pac was back and rebirthed as a don.

 

[Yaki]

i don't think that it's possible that s4mn is overrated by me or anyone else. it's simply a mastery of sound and message. shit, even the cover is significant, as the transparency represents the anyman concept and the fire is the obvious rage of the album. listen to this album and then ice cube's predator and you will see. both perfectly encapsulate the tension of the hour.

i didn't say 2pacalypse is a bad album. i simply stated that once pac developed his voice under the post-riots atmosphere he became more directed. 2pacalypse now was a flashlight, strictly was a laser.

for the sake of your arguments, i'd recommend using more fact and quotes. you only included a couple quotes to support yourself, but they were either misspelled or misquoted.

and the award for 'the most hating ever since this board existed' goes to ...............Dante.

anyway thanks for your advise, I definitely see sum knowledge in your stuff, but that still doesnt change shit about the fact that you seem obsessed with criticising every board member for the slightest thing for years actually - Ive seen you hating on dozens different board members for years . watever. start seeing in us comrades not enemies, man. we r all in the same boat, have u forgot?.

If Pac knew you'd hate so much on others...shiiiiiiiiit.

PS: I mean your critical arguments do have a point most of the time, but the way you deliver them is just horrible. one can almost smell the hating-sense of humour in your writing, man.

Peace

 

[Dante]

and the award for 'the most hating ever since this board existed' goes to ...............Dante.

anyway thanks for your advise, I definitely see sum knowledge in your stuff, but that still doesnt change shit about the fact that you seem obsessed with criticising every board member for the slightest thing for years actually - Ive seen you hating on dozens different board members for years . watever. start seeing in us comrades not enemies, man. we r all in the same boat, have u forgot?.

If Pac knew you'd hate so much on others...shiiiiiiiiit.

PS: I mean your critical arguments do have a point most of the time, but the way you deliver them is just horrible. one can almost smell the hating-sense of humour in your writing, man.

Peace

oh come off it. just because i have a different opinion then you throw a hissy fit? grow up. did i call you a name? no. did i insult you? no. don't be such a pussy. i was the only one to take the time to have a discussion with you and you ended up being a little bitch.

 

[Yaki]

oh come off it. just because i have a different opinion then you throw a hissy fit? grow up. did i call you a name? no. did i insult you? no. don't be such a pussy. i was the only one to take the time to have a discussion with you and you ended up being a little bitch.

you see, I didnt even call u names in opposite to you. I just stated facts or at least my observations bout your attitude at this board but of course u dun wanna consider them true. do wat u want.

peace

 

[Preach]

dante is right though. there's a lot of questionable aspects of your analysis. dante pointed out what he thought was questionable and reasonably argumented for it. if you don't want criticism, why do you post it up here on the boards? or to re-phrase my question, when you posted it up, did you expect everyone to agree and praise you for it?

prove dante wrong then. base your claims on fact.

 

[Dante]

you see, I didnt even call u names in opposite to you. I just stated facts or at least my observations bout your attitude at this board but of course u dun wanna consider them true. do wat u want.
peace

the fact of the matter is that no one else replied to your two "analyses" with the effort i did, and simply because i disagreed with your rather cursory and superficial dissection of the albums/lyrics you interpret that as me being a "hater." if you think i am beefing with you, you're flat out wrong. i approach arguments such as yours from the perspective of a teacher, and require arguments to be based on supporting fact and conditional, environmental, and historical knowledge. rather than taking the time to understand the music's social relevance and iterative reflection with 2pac's community and himself, it sounded more like you:

a) either liked the melodies of 2pacalypse now more and based your opinions on that
b) you didn't fully understand the albums and how they reflected happenings in america
c) you bought into the generic argument that 2pac was politivcal at first and later became a thug

if you don't like my opinions on the music, then fine, you don't have to. what you do have to do, however, is respect what i said because it was an intellectual discussion of 2pac and how his music reflected both the circumstances of america in 1992, 1993, and 1994, and how his character or hip hop persona (if you will) evolved during the timeline of his releases.

oh, but i'm just a hater right?
please.

 

[Euphanasia]

pac's anger and souljah tracks preach the same message as keep ya head up, namely the notion that black americans - especially the youth - are downtrodden and disregarded by average America. The solution is black unity, to pool resources and to make an undeniable voice that cannot be ignored. Souljah's revenge, Point The FInger, and Keep Ya Head Up all share this common goal, but approach it from different vantage points.

This is a very good point. Although topics such as these are open to myriad interpretations - as Yaki has demonstrated with his much different viewpoint - the idea that 'Pac attempted to instill his convictions through a variety of different and complex ways is, at least to me, evident upon hearing his words. Tupac understood that people were different and this difference was not only one of race, but of individuality. One black man may harbor thoughts and feelings completely alien to another. He realized that not everyone could be reached in the same way. If he was going to be heard, if he was really going to reach his intended audience, he was going to have to be creative as well as flexible. I always thought it interesting and perplexing how C. Delores Tucker could condemn songs such as "Wonda Why They Call U Bytch" when, through my eyes, he was doing just as much to help women with this track as in "Keep Ya Head Up." The difference, of course, was his approach to it. Keep Ya Head Up is a more positive, softer approach meant to reach out to women - particularly young black ones - with an emphasis that he understood their pain and recognized their plight. On the other hand, "Wonda Why They Call U Bytch" was a harsher, more frusturated approach to achieve the same exact goal. It was not, "Come here and cry on my shoulder," but rather, "Wake up, look at how you're degrading yourself and with this newfound awareness of your bad decisions, make yourself something better. Instead of stooping to the level of being a "bitch," "keep your mind on your money and enroll in school."

Anyways, I know this thread was not meant to discuss those two particular songs, but my response was sparked by Dante's observation that seemingly dissimilar tracks can often be intended to achieve the same universal goal.

one

 

[Dante]

This is a very good point. Although topics such as these are open to myriad interpretations - as Yaki has demonstrated with his much different viewpoint - the idea that 'Pac attempted to instill his convictions through a variety of different and complex ways is, at least to me, evident upon hearing his words. Tupac understood that people were different and this difference was not only one of race, but of individuality. One black man may harbor thoughts and feelings completely alien to another. He realized that not everyone could be reached in the same way. If he was going to be heard, if he was really going to reach his intended audience, he was going to have to be creative as well as flexible. I always thought it interesting and perplexing how C. Delores Tucker could condemn songs such as "Wonda Why They Call U Bytch" when, through my eyes, he was doing just as much to help women with this track as in "Keep Ya Head Up." The difference, of course, was his approach to it. Keep Ya Head Up is a more positive, softer approach meant to reach out to women - particularly young black ones - with an emphasis that he understood their pain and recognized their plight. On the other hand, "Wonda Why They Call U Bytch" was a harsher, more frusturated approach to achieve the same exact goal. It was not, "Come here and cry on my shoulder," but rather, "Wake up, look at how you're degrading yourself and with this newfound awareness of your bad decisions, make yourself something better. Instead of stooping to the level of being a "bitch," "keep your mind on your money and enroll in school."

Anyways, I know this thread was not meant to discuss those two particular songs, but my response was sparked by Dante's observation that seemingly dissimilar tracks can often be intended to achieve the same universal goal.

one

very good point. i am in complete agreement.

and with regard to strictly, i wasn't trying to sell my opinion, but certain things shouldn't be glossed over and devalued, as i felt they were.