| | Thug Life Volume I CD Thug Life Discography of CDs
 (8 Customer Reviews)
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His third solo album still warm on the racks, controversial rapper 2PAC follows up with this group side project. It's a gangsta record, of course, loaded with tales of young men and their guns. But neither 2PAC nor anyone else in the genre has ever sounded so buoyant or light.
Floating on soulful loops borrowed from the Isley Brothers, Curtis Mayfield and others, these tales soften their inevitable outcome (either you get killed, or your best friend does) with humor and warmth. And a good half of them actually swing. The chorus of "Stay True" bends the melody of Prince's anti-drug song "Pop Life" into a recitation of the code of the street, "gotta do what you gotta do"--a neat little irony that makes the rhythm that much sweeter. "Pour Out A Little Liquor" and "How Long Will They Mourn Me" are poignant, even spiritual--buddy songs played out amidst street warfare.
On his solo albums, 2PAC can be didactic, carefully laying out causes and effects as if he knows critics are staring over his shoulders. THUG LIFE is about causes and effects too. "Cradle To The Grave" is a 6-minute epic of what a bad environment can do for you. Yet on THUG LIFE, the group sounds freer to swing both its beats and its lyrics. Having your buddies around can help.
Additional personnel includes: Albert Washington, Jr., Rochell (background vocals); Nate Dogg.
Recorded at Echo Sound Studios and Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, California; Blue Palm Studios, North Hollywood, California; Unique Studios, New York.
Y.N.V. includes: Natasha Walker.
Producers include: Thug Music, Jay, Mopreme, Johnny Jay, Warren G.
Engineers: Norman Whitfield, Barry Goldberg, Paul Arnold.
Personnel: Richard Pryor, The Isley Brothers, The O'Jays, Bootsy Collins (sampler); Albert Washington, Jr., Albert Washington, Jr. (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Moe Z.M.D.
Audio Remixer: Lea Reis.
Recording information: Blue Palm Studios, North Hollywood, CA; Echo Sound Studios, LA, CA; Unique Studios, New York, NY; Unique Studios, NY, NY; Westlake Studios, LA, CA.
Photographer: Michael Miller .
Thug Life: 2Pac, Syke, Macadoshis, Mopreme, The Rated R (vocals).
Entertainment Weekly (10/14/94, p.60) - "...You've got to hand it to Tupac...Where his solo releases have often dragged, ONE crackles with kinetic energy...ONE proves that more isn't necessarily merrier, but it's definitely more thrilling..." - Rating: A-
Melody Maker (6/3/95, p.37) - "...slinky/nasty G-funk in excelsis..." Volume I Music | List Price | $18.98 (You save $3.49) | | Category | Rock/Pop Albums, R&B CDs, Rap, Urban Soundtrack, Gangsta | | Label | Amaru / Jive | | Orig Year | 1994 | | All Time Sales Rank |  26376  | | CD Universe Part number | 1004926 | | Catalog number | 41635 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Mar 10, 1998 | | Studio/Live | Studio | | Mono/Stereo | Stereo | | Personnel | 2Pac
Rated R - vocals
Macadoshis
Syke
Also: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Barry Goldberg, Bootsy Collins, Unique Studios, Jay, Albert Washington Jr., Mopreme, Rochell, Blue Palm Studios, New York.
Personnel: Richard Pryor, Paul Arnold.
Recorded at Echo Sound Studios and Westlake Studios, Warren G.
Engineers: Norman Whitfield, Nate Dogg, Natasha Walker, Y.N.V. |
Volume I Music Review Average Rating: (4.4 out of 5 stars)   List All Reviews Great songz
top songz,stories from the outside,nice sounds good words. strong content but makes sense specially in the streets where one has to listen muzic like this to stay on!
Submitted by Luis Naveda (Lima city) 
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Solid Album
this album signifies what Rap music was in 94 without an ounce of commerialism or a single drop of desire of catoring to the mainstream. Thug Life consists of Mopreme, Rated R, Macadoshis, Big Syke & 2Pac... this was orignally suppose to be a Pac solo album, but he converted it into a Thug Life group effort to bring his boys into the light. The production at times is dusty, vintage and staticy, but in a way, that's kind of what makes it sound so good... added with the gritty rhymes and the group's street knowledge bravado, realistic troubled childhood tales, both painfully violent darker sides as well as the celebratorial playful lighter sides of the innercity community, this album in a sense does what is now considered a term that was so overused, it lost all meaning: "keepin' it real". The album has samples from the Isley Bros & Bootsy Collins, to early production of Warren G on "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" featuring Nate Dogg on the hook, tighwork. Classic cuts like the heavily bassed Bluesy melody "Pour Out a Little Liquor", the laid-back "Str8 Ballin" & the hardcore "Under Pressure" alone make this CD worth copping. But don't think that it's only Pac riding on these tracks, to my surprise, Big Syke has the tightest verse on the whole album towards the end of "Cradle to the Grave". The ONLY!! thing wrong with this album is that there are only 10 songs. I like 9 of them a LOT and one of them is alright, "Sh*t Don't Stop". But you still get your money's worth because with other CD's, you only get about 8 or 9 really tight songs anyway. This album is perfect for any Hip-Hop head, east, west, south, doesn't matter. If you're a new school Hip Hop fan, you might wanna cop this CD too incase you're looking for something with more meaning in content, or if you're looking for something a little bit more street and less glamourous.If not, cop it and add it to your 2Pac collection. So many reasons to pick up this CD.
Submitted by Key II thee Underground (Miami, Fl)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Thug Life
This Is Goin Be 4 all em Outlawz Stand up Wit Yo Homies Pac R.I.P
Submitted by outlawz4life101 (Michigan)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No VINTAGE CLASSIC.
Another notch on 2pac's belt under the greatest Hip-Hop catalog. This album is a pure classic. VINTAGE 2pac rips this album thoroughly. That's not to say that Thug Life didn't hold it down aswell. Complete from beginning to end. This album is the epitome of gangsta rap. On a side note this album was originally set out to be a 2pac solo record. But 2pac decided to make it a group project and release it under "THUG LIFE". CLASSIC! 5/5
Submitted by Johnny Dakota (Massachusetts)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No  Tupac fans
If you are a tupac fan who doesnt have this album your not a true tupac fan. Urguably his best material an underground gem. The hot tracks on this album shadow the weak ones. The cd is worth it for two track alone. Cop it you will see. Hit me one my email to tell me what you think.
Submitted by bobbyva2001 (roc, ny)
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