“Me Against the World” is the straight-up baring of a tortured soul, the meanderings of a highly intelligent mind that has produced a f*ck up of a person, knows it, and attempts repair through lamentations of fear, wistful nostalgia, and consistent self-examination. The surface of “Me Against the World” resembles a somewhat formulaic, yet stellar hip hop album, yet when the layers are pulled away and the events of 2pac’s personal life during the recording are examined, it transcends its peers and becomes something a hell of a lot more. Sure, the presence of a gangsta anthem (If I Die 2Night), a few hooky sex romps (Temptations, Can U Get Away), and the quintessential ballad (Dear Mama) are present, yet the record tramples pure formula, flows, and beats. “Me Against the World” is more than a 90’s hip hop album. It’s clear 2pac himself couldn’t figure out just who the f*ck he really was, and never before was this internal conflict more blatant and surfaced during the time he recorded his one true masterpiece, the self-reflective canvas “Me Against the World.” The same man who plastered gangsta mantras like “Thug Life” and “Live By the Sword, Die By the Sword” in ink across his body rarely faltered in demanding young people choose a better path. The same mind that opined on one of the most touching, soul searching songs in Hip Hop history in “Dear Mama” also conjured “Hit Em Up,” an over the top, scathing clinic of vindictive fire that, if you listen to the rumors, could have gotten him killed. 2Pac, a byproduct of growing up in the streets yet surrounded by political and influential people, was the personification of the mythological angel on one shoulder, devil on the other persona.
The depth of 2Pac’s glaring lack of consistent serenity, or more astutely, his tendency to revel in bi-polar madness is not entirely clear, but there remains nary a shred of doubt the man was constantly torn in a whirlwind of multiple personalities. When analyzing the life of Tupac Shakur, it’s fairly safe to assume he was more than just a little f*cked in the head. It has been said that truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence. Review Summary: A Coward Dies a Thousand Deaths, a Soldier Dies But Once.
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