"It ain't easy being me -- will I see the penitentiary, or will I stay free?" wonders Tupac Shakur, who calls himself 2Pac on his latest album, "Me Against the World." That question was answered last winter when Shakur was sentenced to a New York prison on a sex-abuse charge after a string of legal battles across the nation. But even behind bars, Shakur still remains a step ahead of the rap pack with "Me Against the World," a stellar mix of thought-provoking rhymes backed up by smooth base sounds and slick beats. In Shakur's mind, most of his problems are the cause of a troubled ghetto childhood and jealous people out to get him. His fury and anger are peppered throughout the disc, most prominently on "F The World," a fierce and foul rebuke of his many critics. But this album is more than a troubled man's outburst against the world; just when you think he is about to explode, Shakur switches gears and drops his guard to reveal a softer side. On the disc's most poignant track, "Dear Mama," a solemn Shakur gives thanks to his mother for supporting him through all the rough times. And "Old School" represents the album's rare lighthearted moment, as he gives props to all the old school rappers in a tune that will make any true-blue fan of the genre want to break out that old Run DMC or Slick Rick tape. "Me Against the World" is rife with contradictions; on "Young N!ggaz," he chastises young black males who see the thug life as their only way out of poverty; yet on other songs, he empathizes with drug selling and gang banging, a life he so often has embraced. But that doesn't take away from this disc's power, it just highlights the complexity of urban street life, and how hard it is to present difficult issues in black and white terms. - The Associated Press, 1995. My favorite song on the album: "So Many Tears." What's yours?
Arguably the best 2Pac album - yes or no?
