You know, there used to be a time when a new posthumous 2Pac release was greatly anticipated by the public. Right after Tupac Shakur was murdered in 1996, we were relieved to hear that he had left tons of unreleased material just “waiting” to be heard. And so it was that the first few posthumous albums sold by the millions, to the point that 2Pac sold more records from the grave than when he was alive. Hell, the dude became the biggest-selling rapper of all time due to that!

But then, slowly but surely, the unabated string of releases grew from highly anticipated, to annoying, and finally downright reprehensible. Gradually fans were alarmed by the redundant material, the tampering with the vocals, the unnecessary guest spots and the ill-fitting production that became characteristic of ‘Pac’s posthumous work. So it is no surprise that the sixth album of posthumous ‘Pac material, (and thirteenth album overall since his death), 'Pac’s Life, was relatively greeted with indifference. This is nowhere more evident than on the Billboard Top 200, where it debuted at #9 with a mere 160,000 copies sold. That is the lowest debut and numbers of ‘Pac’s posthumous career.

So can we finally toll the bell for the end? I sure hope so. For one thing, at this point there is nothing that anyone hasn’t heard before from 2Pac – the celebration of survival (e.g. "'Pac’s Life"), the intense paranoia and violence (e.g. "Dumpin'"), the courting (e.g. “Playa Cardz Right [Female]”), the introspection (e.g. “Whatz Next”), everything. There just isn’t anything of distinction here. And what’s worse is that most of these verses have been heard before – disconnected clumps and strands floating around in cyberspace or bootleg CDs for years now. The most telling example has to be “Untouchable”, in which ‘Pac’s opening verse actually showed up earlier as the second verse of Still I Rise’s “Killuminati”. What’s more, two of the songs - "Untouchable" and “Pac’s Life” – appear at the beginning and end of the album as slightly different versions, thus 'Pac’s Life actually contains nine songs instead of thirteen. Now add the fact that this album has more than thirty guest spots, and the theory that 2Pac’s well of unreleased material has more or less run dry rings truer than ever.

Moreover, I’m not buying that whole “we’re-doing-this-to-keep-2Pac-relevant-to-the-times” nonsense as an excuse to putting something like this out. Some of rap’s and R&B’s established stars and present sensations (mostly from the South) – including some of 2Pac’s friends - are on board here for vocal and production duties. A few moments do work, like “Dumpin’” where Sha Money XL and Canei Finch create an eerie bed of pianos, strings, bells and synthesizers for guest rapper Papoose to steal the show with his creative verse: “I always thought I'd have to die to do a record with Pac/So I wrote from the perspective of a graveyard box…” Other bright spots include “Sleep” where Young Buck and Chamillionaire deliver some impressive verses over Sha Money XL’s vibrant boardwork; and “Soon As I Get Home”, the only original song in the entire album and in where 2Pac sounds right at home surrounded by the G-Funk provided by All Eyez On Me collaborator QDIII. Otherwise 2Pac seems lost in the contemporary and glossy production (e.g. "'Pac's Life" and “Don’t Stop”), and it is one clutter of uninspired guest appearances after another by largely unknown rappers (e.g. “Whatz Next” and “International”) or the lyrically deficient proteges from Thug Life and the Outlawz (e.g. “Don’t Stop”).

But while I’m tackling the “we’re-doing-this-to-keep-2Pac-relevant-to-the-times” thing, you know what is the most atrocious thing about these guest spots? The fact that some of them – those who had never known Tupac when he was alive - have the nerve to create the illusion that they did. Ah, screw “atrocious” – try “laughable”. Here we have Ludacris trading words with ‘Pac at the end of “Playa Cardz Right (Male)” like as if they are close buddies having a lively conversation. And in "'Pac’s Life" (both versions, with the latter one containing a verse from Snoop Dogg - a guy who actually knew 2Pac, by the way), T.I. says, “Ey, what's happening, ‘Pac? Yeah, I know we never got to meet/But we know all the same people, so we got the speed/You taught me first - fake n***a can't stop a G/And all that s**t you went through meant a lot to me.” Oh, cut it out, Tip!

I mean, when will it ever be enough? Maybe my question has already been answered, as it is rumored that ‘Pac’s Life might very well be the last such album. If that is true, I’d say it’s about time. It’s been about time. When Ashanti sings in the title track, “What do you know about ‘Pac’s life?”, I’m almost tempted to blurt out in reply, “More than I need to know!” This guy has the documentaries, the feature magazine articles, the TV specials, the t-shirts, the university courses, the biographical books, the art center, and an extensive music catalog – all within the space of a decade! Tupac Shakur has a personal legacy that is enough to make any other rapper who has ever lived turn green with envy. So why do we need yet another mediocre CD of 2Pac’s “songs”? I mean, it’s already bad enough that there are several other (minor) compilations of the same quality around the place. Amaru Entertainment needs to stop feeding the public with this overcooked tripe again and again. We know and remember the man - enough already! Let 2Pac finally rest in peace. Sheesh!

TRACK LISTING:

1. Untouchable (Swizz Beatz Remix)
2. 'Pac’s Life
3. Dumpin’
4. Playa Cardz Right (Female)
5. Whatz Next
6. Sleep
7. International
8. Don’t Sleep
9. Soon As I Get Home
10. Playa Cardz Right (Male)
11. Don’t Stop
12. 'Pac’s Life (Remix)
13. Untouchable

REVIEWS IN MY 2PAC SERIES:

2Pacalypse Now (1991)
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993)
Thug Life, Vol. 1 (1994)
Me Against the World (1995)
All Eyez On Me (1996)
The Don Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory (1996)
R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1997)
Greatest Hits (1998)
Still I Rise (1999)
Until the End of Time (2001)
Better Dayz (2002)
Tupac: Resurrection Soundtrack (2003)
Loyal to the Game (2004)
'Pac's Life (2006)

Recommended: No