Digging into the genres of hip-hop that were blossoming in the mid 90’s has been a total joy. This album lies somewhere between boom-bap and G-funk, the latter being a new favorite of mine, and 2Pac was one of the best of both worlds. From his interest in poetry to his legendary death, Tupac Shakur was a force of nature, and this album is a raw insight into his life both in and out of the public eye.

My favorite parts of this album are the existential explorations, questions about life and death, that show how deeply intelligent Tupac was. There are so many layers to unpack it’s impossible to do without having the lyrics in front of you like a book. This is widely considered one of hip-hop’s greatest albums ever, and it’s easy to see why.

From the roundup Jamwise #48 - Best Albums of 1995.