The Best of 2Pac, Pt. 2: Life

by 2Pac

Overview

The separately packaged two-part Best of 2Pac series released in 2007 absolutely pales in comparison to the double-disc Greatest Hits collection previously released in 1998. Whereas that first collection had been fairly definitive, featuring 25 songs from the late rapper's prime, including all the key hits as well as the non-album favorite "Hit 'Em Up," The Best of 2Pac features four fewer songs, and of the 21 songs spread across two packages (less than an hour of music per disc), about a quarter are posthumous productions or remixes. For every classic like "California Love," there's a latter-day remix such as the newly produced version of "Dear Mama" on the Thug release or the "previously unreleased" song "Dopefiend's Diner" on the Life release. This posthumous material may be worthy of release, but a "best-of" collection sure isn't the place for it, especially one as skimpy as this, where the two separately packaged Thug/Life CDs could easily be combined into one single-disc collection if the latter-day productions and remixes were cut. Truth be told, The Best of 2Pac is yet another in a long line of posthumous cash-ins apparently overseen by 2Pac's mother. With the well-compiled Greatest Hits double disc still on the market, there's no need for a lesser collection such as this (though a single-disc definitive best-of collection would have been welcome). The Best of 2Pac is simply more product to stock at your local big-box retailer (two separately sold products, in this case), and it's no wonder that, like many of its posthumous predecessors, it was released during the holiday shopping season. Clearly, 2Pac has become a cash cow for those who control his catalog; too bad the product being milked annually is almost without exception of poor quality and appears to be hastily or indifferently assembled. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Product Details

Release Date:	12/04/2007
Label:	Amaru/Interscope / Interscope
UPC:	0602517501478

Tracks

1. Definition of a Thug Nigga [From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Poetic Justice]
2. Still Ballin'
3. Until the End of Time
4. Never Call U B**ch Again
5. They Don't Give a F**k About Us
6. Keep Ya Head Up
7. Ghetto Gospel
8. Brenda's Got a Baby
9. Thugz Mansion
10. When I Get Free
11. Dopefiend's Diner

Album Credits

Performance Credits

2Pac   Primary Artist
Tyrese   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Outlawz   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
R.L. Hugger   Primary Artist
Trick Daddy   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Richard Page   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
J. Valentine   Primary Artist
Johnnie "Smurf" Smith   Keyboards
Ronnie King   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Eminem   Producer,Mixing
Tupac Shakur   Composer
Tyrese Gibson   Composer
Katari Cox   Composer
Johnny J   Arranger,Producer,Mixing
DJ Daryl   Producer
Vatana Shaw   Digital Editing
Suzanne Vega   Composer
Claudio Cueni   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Digital Editing
Frank Nitty Pimentel   Producer
Elton John   Composer
Richard Page   Composer
Michelle Lynn Forbes   Assistant Engineer
2Pac   Producer
John Lang   Composer
Johnny Jackson   Composer
Roger Troutman   Composer
Roger   Composer
Luis Resto   Composer,Producer
Jim Danis   Assistant Engineer
Bernie Taupin   Composer
Ian Boxill   Mixing,Engineer
Ethan Mates   Engineer
Anthony Hamilton   Composer
Suge Knight   Executive Producer
Paul "Scooby" Smith   Assistant Engineer
Warren Bletcher   Assistant Engineer
Tony Campana   Engineer
Kevin Reagan   Design
Neal Ferrazzani   Assistant Engineer
Ramon Galbert   Product Manager
Big Simon   Composer
Michael Kachko   Product Manager
Steven "Steve O" George   Composer
TreMayne Maxie   Executive Assistant
Tom Whalley   A&R
Deon Evans   Composer
Warren Griffin III   Composer,Producer
Larry Loftin   Composer
Keston Wright   Engineer
Shannon Steckloff   Production Coordination
Daryl Anderson   Composer
Molly Monjauze   A&R
Ryan Null   Photo Coordination
Ricardo Brown   Composer
Mark Vinten   Assistant Engineer
Marshall Mathers   Composer
Lyn Weiner   A&R
Chris DeLaPena   Assistant Engineer
Maurice Young   Composer
John Ross Lang   Composer
Richard James Page   Composer
Steve King   Mixing,Engineer
Yafeu Fula   Composer
Steven P. George   Composer
Mutah Beale   Composer
Big Simon Says   Composer
Stan Vincent   Composer
Steven George   Composer
Kevin Crouse   Engineer
Ivan Barias   Engineer,Producer,Tracking,Instrumentation
Larry Mizell   Composer
Carvin "Ransum" Haggins   Engineer,Producer,Tracking