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R U Still Down? (Remember Me)

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R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
Studio album by
2Pac
ReleasedNovember 25, 1997 (1997-11-25)
Recorded1992–1994
Genre
Length102:40
Label
Producer
2Pac chronology
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
(1996) 		R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
(1997) 		Greatest Hits
(1998)
Singles from R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
  1. "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto"
    Released: September 21, 1997
  2. "Do for Love"
    Released: February 27, 1998

R U Still Down? (Remember Me) is the sixth studio album and second double album by American rapper, 2Pac, released on November 25, 1997. It is his second posthumous release and his first to be released without his creative input. It contains previously unreleased material from the time period of his albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., Thug Life: Volume 1 and Me Against the World. Throughout the album, 2Pac airs his views on life from a time before he became involved in the controversial East Coast–West Coast rivalry. His lyrics foreshadow his death in songs like "Open Fire", "Thug Style" and "Only Fear of Death." The album spawned two hits, "Do for Love" and "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto", of which "Do for Love" was certified Gold by the RIAA. R U Still Down? (Remember Me) sold 549,000 copies in its first week,[2] and topped the R&B charts in the United States for three weeks.

Background

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The album was the first to be released from 2Pac's mother's imprint, Amaru Entertainment and features almost all previously unreleased material, all of which was recorded between 1992 and 1994. Of the material previously released is: "Definition of a Thug Nigga"; previously released on the 1993 soundtrack Poetic Justice (soundtrack). Two retitled remixes of "I Wonder If Heaven's Got A Ghetto"; first released as a B-side to the 1993 single "Keep Ya Head Up". "I'm Getting Money"; although technically unreleased, features the same lyrics as the 1994 song "Str8 Ballin'", only with the words, "Straight ballin'", being replaced with the words, "I'm gettin' money." "Nothin' But Love" was originally released on the "I Get Around" single, but the version here is a different mix (and shorter).

The album's production was overseen by the mysterious producer(s), We Got Kidz Productions; producing entirely new instrumentals for numerous songs, adding new production to various original instrumentals and serving as the album's executive producer, alongside Afeni Shakur and Lisa Smith-Putnam. Other producers hired to create new music for the album were QDIII, Soulshock & Karlin, Mike Mosley, and Ricky Rouse (in partnership with We Got Kidz Productions).

R U Still Down? was the name of several handwritten track lists 2Pac had written in 1993 and 1994 that featured both, unreleased songs and songs that would later be issued on Me Against The World and Thug Life: Volume 1.[3] Interscope Records originally planned to release an album under the same name in December 1995, during 2Pac's imprisonment. With no new material being able to be recorded, like R U Still Down? (Remember Me), the album was to feature unused songs from his previous three albums, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., Thug Life: Volume 1 and Me Against the World. However, this version was never released due to 2Pac's early release from prison, by virtue of signing to Death Row Records.[4]

Two more unreleased songs from this period of 2Pac's career, "Changes" and "God Bless the Dead", were released the following year on the next posthumous release, Greatest Hits. This period of 2Pac's career would then go unexplored until the release of the 2003 song "Runnin' (Dying to Live)", which was followed by the 2004 album Loyal to the Game, all of which was recorded during this same period.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Daily VaultB[5]
Entertainment WeeklyB[6]
Spin8/10[7]
Rolling Stone[8]

"As always, there's ample self-destructive bullshit," noted Spin, "but as a whole the album's eerie and undeniable."[9] Matt Diehl of Entertainment Weekly give a mixed review, observing how "many of the 26 tracks are barely demo-worthy gangsta pap ... Still, 2Pac's raw talent burns through when his voice goes hoarse with rage [and] his blend of charismatic confidence and Travis Bickle paranoia is a bittersweet reminder of a gifted yet contradictory artist lost in the rap wars."[6]

Track listing

[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[10]

Disc 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Redemption"Ricky Rouse
1:48
2."Open Fire" (featuring Akshun)
Akshun2:52
3."R U Still Down? (Remember Me)"
Tony Pizarro & 2Pac4:07
4."Hellrazor" (featuring Stretch & Val Young)
4:15
5."Thug Style"
  • We Got Kidz Productions
  • (original production by Chris Rosser[c] & Conrad Rosser)[c]
4:16
6."Where Do We Go from Here (Interlude)"
4:31
7."I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto"
4:21
8."Nothing to Lose" (featuring Y?N-Vee)
  • 2Pac & Live Squad
3:39
9."I'm Gettin' Money"
  • Shakur
  • Mike Mosley
  • Mike Mosley
  • Natures Fynest[a]
3:32
10."Lie to Kick It" (featuring Richie Rich)
Warren G3:39
11."Fuck All Y'all"
  • Shakur
  • Greenidge
  • Cox
We Got Kidz Productions4:32
12."Let Them Thangs Go"
  • Shakur
  • Greenidge
  • Cox
  • Clinton, Jr.
  • Collins
  • Worrell
3:33
13."Definition of a Thug Nigga"
  • 2Pac & Warren G
4:09
Total length:41:43
Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Ready 4 Whatever" (featuring Big Syke)
Johnny "J"4:05
2."When I Get Free"
  • Shakur
  • Greenidge
  • Cox
  • Rouse
  • We Got Kidz Productions
  • Ricky Rouse[a]
4:46
3."Hold On, Be Strong" (featuring Stretch)
Choo4:11
4."I'm Losin' It" (featuring Big Syke & Spice 1)
3:55
5."Fake Ass Bitches"
  • Shakur
  • J. Jackson
  • Johnny "J"
  • We Got Kidz Productions[b]
3:10
6."Do for Love" (featuring Eric Williams of Blackstreet)
Soulshock & Karlin4:42
7."Enemies with Me" (featuring Dramacydal)
  • We Got Kidz Productions
  • (original production by Live Squad)[c]
4:15
8."Nothin' but Love" (featuring Dave Hollister)
  • DJ Daryl & 2Pac
4:28
9."16 on Death Row"Shakur
  • 2Pac
  • We Got Kidz Productions[b]
5:42
10."I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto (Hip-Hop Version)" (featuring Maxee)
Soulshock & Karlin4:40
11."When I Get Free II" (featuring Yaki Kadafi)
  • Chris Rosser & Conrad Rosser
3:22
12."Black Starry Night (Interlude)"
  • Shakur
  • Anderson
  • R. Troutman
  • L. Troutman
DJ Daryl0:48
13."Only Fear of Death"
Live Squad5:09
Total length:48:45

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[c] signifies the original producer

Samples

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Definition of a Thug Nigga

Ready 4 Whatever

R U Still Down (Remember Me)

Hellrazor

Do for Love

F*** All Y'all

I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto (hip hop version/single release)

Let Them Thangs Go

Nothin' but Love

  • "Something About That Woman" by Lakeside

Nothing to Lose

When I Get Free II

  • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
  • "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Part I" by Stanley Clarke

Where Do We Go From Here

Black Starry Night (Interlude)

I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto (OG remake version)

Lie to Kick It

Only Fear of Death

Cultural references

[edit]

On his 2008 album, Untitled, Nas sampled "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" on his song, "Black President". On his verse from Tyler, The Creator’s song Smuckers Kanye West raps “I dreamt of 2Pac, he asked me “Are you still down?” Yeah, my nigga”.

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI)[25] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Gold 100,000*
United States (RIAA)[28] 4× Platinum 2,166,117[27]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "R U Still Down? (Remember Me) - 2Pac | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  2. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Shakur, Tupac. "R U Still Down Handwritten Tracklist". Goldinauctions. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  4. ^ Shakur, Tupac (May 6, 2013). "Engineer Paul arnold Interview Part 1: About Unreleased Pre-Deathrow Album, Call from Jail and more". YouTube. 2PacForumChannel. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021.
  5. ^ "2Pac: | Daily Vault". dailyvault.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "R U still down? (remember me)". EW.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  7. ^ 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."
  8. ^ Sheffield, Rob (January 22, 1998). "R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  9. ^ Spin May 1998
  10. ^ R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (booklet). Amaru, Interscope, Jive. 1997.
  11. ^ "Australiancharts.com – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  12. ^ "Austriancharts.at – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  13. ^ "2Pac Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  14. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  15. ^ "Lescharts.com – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  17. ^ "Charts.nz – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  18. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  19. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  20. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  21. ^ "2Pac Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  22. ^ "2Pac Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  23. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  24. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  25. ^ "Dutch album certifications – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved August 24, 2020. Enter R U Still Down? (Remember Me) in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1999 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  26. ^ "British album certifications – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". British Phonographic Industry. 2002. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  27. ^ XXL Staff (September 16, 2011). "Tupac Month: 2Pac's Discography". XXL. Harris Publications. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  28. ^ "American album certifications – 2 Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". Recording Industry Association of America. June 23, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.

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