There comes a time in every 2Pac fan's life when they must decide whether they will accept the slop being served to them as the posthumous 2Pac catalog or set out on the thankless journey of discovering the unreleased demos he left behind.
It's no secret that 2Pac recorded a great deal of music in the ~6 years he spent as a professional recording artist. A surface-level perusal will reveal 100+ demos, in varying states of completeness, that never saw an official release in his lifetime. Sorting through this collection is further complicated by conflicting information that has built up over the years, whether due to the frequent rights disputes or the dissemination of fake "OG" recordings ("OG" = "original version") created by fans.
The internet will tell you that there are fully formed albums of unreleased, semi-finished material that have not seen the light of day. You can find entire websites, Reddit threads, .zip files and YouTube playlists referencing handwritten tracklists and interviews with 2Pac collaborators in an attempt to reconstruct those albums as they were, supposedly, meant to be heard. There's nothing wrong with the exercise of piecing together what these hypothetical albums might have looked like but the majority of this material is not in a state that 2Pac, nor any of his original collaborators, would have blessed for official release. Listen to any of the 5 albums he finished in his lifetime: even 2Pacalypse Now, which 2Pac released at 20-years old, is a meticulously recorded, mixed and sequenced record. Excellent, even if flawed.
Despite the imperfections I do think it's well-worth exploring these recordings and judging each one on its own merits. There's brilliance to be found in many of the demos that have never officially seen a release as well as the "OG" versions that tend to be vastly superior to their commercially released counterparts.
No one should have to spend such significant time wading around in r/Tupac, a mildly irritating place at best, and YouTube comment sections, a mind-numbingly terrible place at worst, so I've done the dirty work for you and compiled what I believe to be the 50 best unreleased 2Pac tracks. The rules are simple: any legitimate 2Pac recording that has never seen an official release in its original form is eligible. No mash-ups or fan-made "OG Vibe" remixes allowed. Some noteworthy tracks that didn't qualify:
"Runnin' (OG) ft. Dramacydal, Stretch & The Notorious B.I.G." - released on the One Million Strong compilation in 1995.
"Pain" & "Loyal To The Game" - each released on the Above The Rim OST, though "Pain" was initially only available on the cassette version (and recycled for an ill-advised Ja Rule song) and "Loyal To The Game" was recycled by Eminem on the posthumous album of the same name. It's worth seeking out the original version of "Pain" not available on streaming services which includes the original drums and EPMD vocal sample.
"Troublesome '92" - released on Def Jam's How To Be A Player OST in 1997.
"I Wonda If Heaven's Got A Ghetto (OG)" - released on the "Keep Ya Head Up" single in 1993.
"My Block (OG)" - released on The Show OST in 1995.
"Panther Power" - released on Tupac Resurrection OST in 2003.
"Ghost (Fake OG)" - still fooling people as the OG of "Ghost", actually a mash-up of those vocals over the instrumental from an obscure Russian hip-hop song, "Once Upon a Time" by Ellipsis.
Now to the top 50. If you're just here to pull some great hard-to-find 2Pac tracks here's the YouTube playlist for easy access:
HONORABLE MENTION:
Let’s Fight (Jawz Tight) ft. Capital LS, Smif-N-Wessun, Buckshot, Numskull (of Luniz) & Outlawz
Recorded: 1996
Producer: (?)
Official Release: None
The One Nation album was intended as 2Pac's olive branch extended solely to the group of East Coast rappers he actually had respect for. Buckshot, Smif-N-Wessun, Greg Nice, Capital LS and Asu all took part in the initial wave of recording sessions and rumors were that Scarface, Outkast and (surprisingly) Nas were also slated to contribute - it's also safe to assume that the likes of Treach, Method Man, Redman and other big East Coast names would also have been involved.
2Pac + mid-90s Boot Camp Clik sounds incredible in theory, so it's disappointing that the One Nation demos come off as unfinished and a bit uninspired. "Let's Fight" is the best of the bunch: you can see what they're going for and it has promise, but just misses being worthy of inclusion on this list.
50. There U Go (ft. Big Syke, Malik & Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny "J"
Official Release: "There U Go" [Better Dayz (2002)]
Let's take a moment to acknowledge the greatness of Big Syke: the secret weapon of the 2Pac catalog, and the only rapper to consistently match or outshine 2Pac on his own tracks (see: "How Long Will They Mourn Me", "Picture Me Rollin'", "All Eyez On Me", "Check Out Time", and a few entries on this list).
49. Why U Turn On Me
Recorded: 1996
Producer: 2Pac
Official Release: “Why U Turn On Me” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
“I made a song about my enemies and n____s tripped / It was hip hop until 2Pac fucked Biggie’s bitch”
If you were offended by "Hit Em Up" wait until you hear what 2Pac has to say about Wendy Williams!
48. Street Fame
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Daz Dillinger
Official Release: “Street Fame” [Better Dayz (2002)]
“I wasn’t mad until these tricks shot me / It’s time to sanitize my posse / Look how paranoid these n____s got me”
A straightforward mission statement for the majority of 2Pac's post-prison, Makaveli persona material.
47. If There's A Cure For This (ft. Snoop Dogg)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: None
Billed as a freestyle but feels more like a first-take reference track. 2Pac and Snoop's chemistry pops as it always does, fitting in nicely with "Amerikaz Most Wanted", "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Street Life" (another unreleased standout).
46. When Thugz Cry
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny "J"
Official Release: “When Thugz Cry" [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
One of a few unreleased tracks slated for the original version of the Makaveli album. The UTEOT version is mostly listenable aside from the tacked-on chorus, exemplary of the biggest sin of the post-2000 catalog: re-tooling perfectly good tracks to fit the "radio hip hop" sounds of the time. Unsurprisingly, none of those have aged well.
45. First 2 Bomb (ft. Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Daz Dillinger
Official Release: None
"I kick 'em all day / And my motto, make Biggie Smalls pay / I make it ruff enough, you and Puffy crawl away"
A pair of standout 2Pac verses that have never officially seen a release, over a beat that sounds like Daz's scrapped first draft of "Got My Mind Made Up". Please don't feel guilty if you press "next" when the Outlawz come in.
44. Catchin' Feelins
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Darryl "Big D" Harper
Official Release: “Catchin’ Feelins” [Better Dayz (2002)]
An incomplete addition to the Bad Boy diss-track collection from one of 2Pac's final studio sessions in August, 1996.
43. Happy Home
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: “Happy Home” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
File this under COMPLETELY EARNEST 'PAC: it's rare to find songwriting this vulnerable in his post-prison output. It can be a tough listen realizing that this wish fulfillment story about building a family - it doesn't take a huge leap to assume this was at least partially inspired by his partner at the time, Kidada Jones - was recorded just a few months before his death.
42. Judgement Day (ft. Dee Tha Mad Bitch, Mopreme & Stretch)
Recorded: 1994
Producer: Stretch
Official Release: “Soldier Like Me” [Loyal To The Game (2004)]
Fun posse cut that brings Dee Tha Mad Bitch from BO$$ into the Thug Life fold, a welcome addition. You'll notice that many of these OGs ended up in Eminem's hands for Loyal To The Game, and let's just say that the creative decisions made on that record were...misguided.
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny "J"
Official Release: “Mama’s Just a Little Girl” [Better Dayz (2002)]
"Now mama sits quiet sippin' peppermint schnapps / Turned the house into a spot made her watch for cops / How could mama bring a thug like me in this world? / She ain't the cause of all the drama / 'Cause mama's just a little girl"
2Pac was at his best as a storyteller spinning fictional tales inspired by personal experience. Here's a story about a woman becoming pregnant at 16, ill-equipped to raise a son in a high stress environment surrounded by drug-use and crime.
2Pac was very open about his mother's struggles with substance abuse throughout her life and the impact that had on him. "Mama's Just a Little Girl" is a showing of empathy for her circumstances, and forgiveness for her actions - the narrative is fabricated but the emotions are as personal as they get. His last verse closes with: "There ain't a thing I wouldn't do for my mama in this world / Cause you know I ain't mad at cha, you're just a little girl".
40. Tattoo Tearz (ft. Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Kurupt
Official Release: “Tattoo Tears” [StillI Rise (1999)]
One of two unreleased songs performed at the recorded July 4, 1996 House of Blues show in LA, it sounds fantastic as a live recording and for some reason was never released in this form. The Still I Rise version remains one of the most unlistenable posthumous releases.
39. N____z Nature (ft. Val Young)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: QDIII
Official Release: “N____ Nature” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
Did receive a slightly tweaked official release in 2000, but the original with Val Young remains the best version. 2Pac had a famously rocky start with the (Quincy) Jones family, but smoothed things over and QDIII became an important collaborator for the final few months of his musical output (see also: "To Live & Die In LA", "Teardrops & Closed Caskets", "Friendz", "Letter To The President", "Hell Razor").
38. Let’s Get It On (Ready 2 Rumble)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: (?)
Official Release: None
The second of two custom-made walk-out songs 2Pac recorded for Mike Tyson in 1996. Tyson came out to "Let's Get It On (Ready 2 Rumble)" at the September 7, 1996 fight with Bruno Seldon that immediately preceded 2Pac's fatal shooting on the Vegas strip, so this one holds a precarious place in the 2Pac story.
37. U Gotta Take It (One Day At A Time) [ft. LP & Spice 1]
Recorded: 1996
Producer: (?)
Official Release: “One Day At A Time” [Tupac Resurrection (2003)]
Here's one of the better "conscious 2Pac" verses that also happens to utilize one of his most unique rhyme schemes. The Tupac Resurrection official release is appropriately labeled "Em's Version", marking the beginning of the era where Eminem was handed the keys (directly by Afeni Shakur) to the posthumous 2Pac catalog.
After Resurrection Eminem handled sole production duties for Loyal To The Game in 2004. I don't know whether it was Eminem, Interscope, or Afeni herself, but someone made the puzzling decision was to "Shady-ify" demos for every single song on the album. The production feels like a cobbled together selection of Encore throwaway beats, the features sound like they came directly from a Shady Records compilation, and worst of all 2Pac's voice is hacked to bits. Vocal pitches are shifted way up or down to fit different BPMs, and lyrics are warped to make it seem like 2Pac was the newest signing to Shady/Aftermath - Eminem literally makes him shoutout G-Unit at the end of "Loyal To The Game". Drake was taking notes.
Recorded: 1996
Producer: (?)
Official Release: “Whatcha Gonna Do” [Better Dayz (2002)]
"I started out dumb, sprung off a hood rat / Listenin' to the radio, wishin' that I could rap / But nothin' changed I was stuck in the game / 'Cause everybody in the industry was fuckin' me mane"
The Eminem releases are bad, but the Better Dayz "Whatcha Gonna Do" is right up there in the running for "MOST BOTCHED 2PAC DEMO". The E.D.I. Mean production boasts off-beat fake-Neptunes style synths and tacked on Outlawz verses. The original has an unconventional, probably unfinished beat that serves as a fitting backdrop for top notch 2Pac verses and a standout feature from Storm, who is unfortunately mostly absent from any posthumous Outlawz material.
35. Friendz
Recorded: 1996
Producer: QD3
Official Release: “Fuck Friendz” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
"Fuck Jay-Z / He broke and I smoke daily"
Forever immortalized on "Ether", the song only works with the original flip of Whodini's "Friends". And yes MF DOOM did it better but that's OK.
34. Ride 4 Me (ft. Hussein Fatal & Kurupt)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: (?)
Official Release: None
A true "lost" 2Pac recording that didn't hit the internet until 2010. 2Pac + Kurupt is another combo that doesn't miss.
33. U Can Be Touched (ft. Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: “U Can Be Touched” [Still I Rise (1999)]
Unusual situation where the Still I Rise version has Napoleon performing 2Pac's opening verse from the OG. I'd guess this was originally a reference track 2Pac was writing for the Outlawz; or it's possible there were issues with the original audio requiring re-recording for the album.
Recorded: 1993
Producer: (?)
Official Release: “Thugs Get Lonely Too” [Loyal To The Game (2004)]
Speaking of audio issues, aside from "Who Do U Love" (with a sound quality of 0/10), "Thugz Get Lonely Too" is the most difficult demo to find a decent version of on the internet. An skillful Prince flip that makes his other one sound silly.
31. N____z In The Pen (ft. Mouse Man & Mopreme)
Recorded: 1994
Producer: Big D The Impossible
Official Release: “N_._._._. (Never Ignorant About Getting Goals Accomplished)” [Loyal To The Game (2004)]
30. It Hurts The Most (ft. Stretch & Mopreme)
Recorded: 1994
Producer: Stretch
Official Release: None
Each recorded during the Thug Life Vol. 1 sessions, there's speculation that a Thug Life Vol. 2 was finished and would have consisted of these leftovers. If not for 2Pac's falling out with Stretch it's an interesting sliding door, Thug Life Vol. 1 was a good album and Thug Life as a group was infinitely better than the Outlawz.
29. Watch Ya Mouth
Recorded: 1996
Producer: L.T. Hutton
Official Release: None
"Bow down to Death Row, fuck what you say / We untouchable, now that we done shook Doc Dre / He ain't made a beat in six years, swear he the shit / Won't get no record sales suckin' Nas' dick"
"Watch Ya Mouth" features disses aimed towards:
-Dr. Dre
-Nas
-De La Soul
-Wendy Williams
-Puffy
-Biggie
Borderline unhinged, and some of the best 2Pac rapping that has never been released.
28. Reincarnation (ft. Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: (?)
Official Release: None
It feels odd that no one could find a spot for this on any posthumous record. The demo version is unusually polished and you can tell from just the title that this uses an idea 2Pac had already explored countless other times - yes "Only Fear of Death" is a completely different song. I'll let someone else write a thinkpiece on how many 'Pac lines rhyme "Hennessy" with "enemies".
27. They Don’t Give A Fuck About Us (ft. Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: “They Don’t Give A Fuck About Us” [Better Dayz (2002)]
The differences between the OG and the Better Dayz version are subtle: different vocal mixes, strings removed, overproduction. The OG sounds infinitely better, and it's as simple as one feeling authentic and the other manufactured.
26. Words 2 My First Born (Things R Changing)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: DJ Quik
Official Release: “Words 2 My First Born” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
The OG beat is a DJ Quik masterpiece, heavily utilizing Frankie Beverley's "Ain't It Strange". I can't help but think this would have been an essential crossover 2Pac song - in the vein of "Keep Ya Head Up" & "Changes" - if released in the OG form. Quik was brought in to produce the UTEOT version which, despite bringing in Above The Law, does not capture the same magic.
25. If My Enemies Love Their Kidz (ft. Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny "J"
Official Release: None
The Top 25 on this list are all heavy hitters - here we get two perfect 2Pac verses on another demo that has, for whatever reason, never seen an official release in any form.
24. Crooked N____ Too (ft. Stretch)
Recorded: 1992
Producer: Big D The Impossible
Official Release: “Crooked N____ Too” [Loyal To The Game (2004)]
A sequel to one of the best early-career 2Pac tracks, this was slated for the never-realized (or shelved?) second 2Pac album Troublesome 21, which was later reworked as Strictly 4 My N_____z.
23. Don't Go 2 Sleep (ft. Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: (?)
Official Release: “Sleep” [Pac's Life (2006)]
"Pictures aplenty, sippin' my glass full of henney / Hands on my semi-, automatic kill for pennies"
We were robbed of more "2Pac Takes On Horror Films" material. This gives Will Smith a run for his money for the best Nightmare On Elm Street inspired rap song.
22. NY 87 (ft. 2Pac, Deadly Threat & DJ Quik) - Tha Dogg Pound
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Daz Dillinger
Official Release: None
"Calling all cars, and phony rap stars that think they got me / I'm on some Superman shit now, they shouldn't have shot me"
The only feature to make this list. It feels unfair having 2Pac bat cleanup in this lost gem of the East-West beef.
21. Changes
Recorded: 1992
Producer: Big D The Impossible
Official Release: “Changes” [Single; Greatest Hits (1998)]
Don't laugh. Is the 1998 official release of "Changes" the most corny/saccharine/overplayed song in 2Pac's catalog? Yes. Can we link its popularity to a generation of Radiohead fans finding "Tupac Shakur" and explaining to us all that he was "actually a poet and not even a rapper"? Definitely.
I'll never forgive the Trackmasters for sucking all of the soul out of "Changes" because the OG proves that the bones of the song work: it has the same verses over a flip of the same sample, and it only comes together when packaged in Big D The Impossible's very-1992 production.
20. Untouchable (ft. Outlawz) / Untouchable (Drunken Freestyle)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: (?)
Official Release: “Untouchable” [Pac's Life (2006)]
Two different OGs that are each worth your time. The "finished" version with the Outlawz is better song and would have fit seamlessly on 7 Day Theory. But it's the "Drunken Freestyle" that stands out: a fascinating object of the Death Row era showcasing almost 6 minutes of unfiltered, (partially) stream-of-consciousness, losing-his-voice 2Pac.
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: “Never Call U Bitch Again” [Better Dayz (2002)]
Another OG that lives on through the House of Blues performance, this would have been a hit if released as-is in 1996.
18. Breathin'
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: “Breathin’” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: “Until The End Of Time” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
The demos that make up UTEOT comprise the holy grail of unreleased 2Pac material...which makes sense. R U Still Down? had pre-1995 tracks released mostly untouched, so UTEOT got the first crack at diving into the Death Row-era recordings. Released 5 years after those demos were recorded, UTEOT modernized its material for official release. And yes, 2Pac over "2001-type beats" is just as bad as it sounds. So it's the OGs, almost solely produced by Johnny "J", that stand the test of time, capturing the raw energy of 2Pac in his creative prime.
16. Thru My Rearview (Grab The Mic)
Recorded: 1995
Producer: (?)
Official Release: None
No relation to "Starin' Through My Rearview". Features a lovely flip of Patrice Rushen's "Givin' It Up Is Givin' Up", also sampled by Prince Paul on 1994's "Mommy, What's a Gravedigga?".
15. Last Ones Left (ft. Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: “LastOnesLeft” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
2Pac in the zone over one of the best beats Johnny "J" ever supplied, which he sadly botched for the similar-but-flat UTEOT release.
14. Baby Don’t Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: 2Pac (and Johnny "J"?)
Official Release: “Baby Don’t Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)” [Still I Rise (1999)]
Dare I say this unfinished, (supposedly) self-produced, 1-verse demo is better than "Keep Ya Head Up"? The Still I Rise version serves as one of the few "let's modernize for the new millennium"-versions that works.
13. Ghetto Gospel
Recorded: 1992
Producer: Big D The Impossible
Official Release: “Ghetto Gospel” [Loyal To The Game (2004)]
If you've heard it you probably know that Eminem's Loyal To The Game version with the forced Elton John feature in fact takes the cake as the most blatant hack-job of a 2Pac demo in history. If you haven't, I'd check out the original and pretend that one doesn't exist.
2Pac recorded this for "A Very Special Christmas Vol. 2", a holiday-themed charity album spearheaded by Jimmy Iovine, and a sequel to the original installment which included Run-DMC's "Christmas in Hollis". It's more COMPLETELY EARNEST 'PAC at his very best.
12. I’m Losin’ It (ft. Big Syke & Spice 1)
Recorded: 1994
Producer: (?)
Official Release: “I’m Losin’ It” [R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1997)]
Somehow the first entry on this list from the R U Still Down? demos. As discussed above those demos were the least tinkered-with of the posthumous 2Pac releases, save for a radio-play here or there with "I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto" & "Do For Love".
2Pac and Spice 1's friendship produced some great results, with this probably being the highlight.
11. Po N____ Blues ('Cause I Had To)
Recorded: 1992
Producer: (?)
Official Release: Governor (1995) / Loyal To The Game (2004)
This song has a long history, after the "Just The Two of Us" sampling OG was recorded it was subsequently:
-Remixed by Shock G of Digital Underground (good but inferior to the original);
-Sold to Oakland rapper Governor and released on his 1995 album; and
-Remixed/ruined by Scott Storch for the otherwise Eminem produced Loyal To The Game.
10. Fuck All Y’all
Recorded: 1994
Producer: (?)
Official Release: “Fuck All Y’all” [R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1997)]
"About my dollars, make me wanna holla / Drop an album, sell a million, give a fuck about tomorrow"
Sounds so good you have to assume this never saw a release because of sample-clearance issues (track is based on "Breezin'" by George Benson). A shoe-in for one of the Best 2Pac Summer Songs along with:
-"Picture Me Rollin'"
-"I Get Around"
-"To Live & Die In L.A."
-"Str8 Ballin'"
-"All About U"
-"Check Out Time"
-"Definition of a Thug N____"
9. Out On Bail
Recorded: 1994
Producer: L.G.
Official Release: “Out On Bail” [Loyal To The Game (2004)]
Performed live in its OG form at the 1994 Source Awards, and somehow never saw a release for 10 years. Recorded before Me Against The World, but feels like the stylistic bridge between 2Pac's pre- and post- prison eras.
8. Still I Rise
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny "J"
Official Release: “Still I Rise” [Still I Rise (1999)]
"Somebody wake me I'm dreamin', I started as a seed the semen / Swimmin' upstream planted in the womb while screamin' / On the top was my pops, my momma screamin' "stop" / From a single drop, this is what they got"
All-time use of Big Syke's voice (samples his "Picture Me Rollin'" verse), all-time opening verse from 2Pac.
7. Worldwide MOB Figgaz (ft. Big Syke & Outlawz)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: “Worldwide MOB Figgaz” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
On paper this shouldn't work: the beat is goofy, about 70% of the track is just clips from crime-adjacent movies (Goodfellas, Scarface, Heat), and it takes 4 minutes to get to the 2Pac verse. Yet the result is one of the most fun and addictive "2Pac and Friends" songs we have.
6. Road To Glory / This Ain't Livin'
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny “J”
Official Release: None / “This Ain’t Livin’” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
"Throw your hands up, Mr. Bruno, ride / Big Mike Tyson 'bout to brutalize that ass tonight / No hesitation in front of the whole nation / I'll beat that ass so bad I'll probably violate probation"
Two completely different songs using the same Johnny "J" beat. Each works on a different level: "Road To Glory" was recorded as Mike Tyson's walk-out song for his March 1996 rematch with Frank Bruno, and it's hard to think of better bespoke music created for a sporting event (if there are even others to consider); "This Ain't Livin'" was at least partially intended as a reference track for Snoop ("It's Snoop Dogg, n____, Pac would you ride for me"; "I disappeared, reappeared as the Doggfather") and would have been a welcome addition to their joint catalog.
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny "J"
Official Release: “Ballad Of A Dead Soulja” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
Might the most subtle entry on this list in terms of differences between the OG and the official version, but those changes make the difference between all-time 2Pac classic and something cheesy. Any personality existing in the OG is completely gone in the grating UTEOT version.
4. Changed Man (ft. Nate Dogg & Big Syke)
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny "J"
Official Release: “Changed Man” [Better Dayz (2002)]
Nate Dogg might have the only voice that compliments 2Pac better than Big Syke. This is a key addition to the Nate/'Pac pantheon along with "How Long Will They Mourn Me", "All About U", "Skandalouz", and the OG "Teardrops & Closed Caskets".
3. Lil' Homies
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny "J"
Official Release: “Lil’ Homies” [Until The End Of Time (2001)]
"I remember, when you was just a lil' G / Flirtin' with death, playin' Russian Roulette screamin' "kill me!""
The best "2Pac speaks to the youngins" we have, narrowly beating out "Shorty Wanna Be A Thug" and "Young N____z".
2. Secretz Of War (Rules Version) ft. Kurupt & Outlawz
Recorded: 1996
Producer: Johnny "J"
Official Release: “Secrets of War” [Still I Rise (1999)]
There are two really good OG, Willie Hutch-interpolating versions of "Secretz" - here's the alternate version - but the so-called "Rules Version" has a superior 2Pac verse and adds Kurupt. The version on Still I Rise was rendered completely unrecognizable and can be avoided.
Recorded: 1994
Producer: Stretch
Official Release: “Life’s So Hard” [Gang Related ST (1997)]
"I'd rather die young than die old and broke / That's why I stay drunk and I constantly smoke"
This is the one, the crown jewel. It sounds too good to have been real and never released, but nothing I can find hints at any fabrication. Built on a masterful sample of Led Zeppelin's "Ten Years Gone" (I would bet a large sum this sample clearance was denied) and featuring some of 2Pac's best verses bar none, this is a legitimate lost classic.
