R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
| R U Still Down? (Remember Me) | ||||
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| Studio album by 2Pac | ||||
| Released | November 25, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1992–1994 (2Pac's vocals) 1992 ("I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" original version and instrumental) 1996–1997 (Production, guest vocals, and mixing) |
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| Length | 102:40 | |||
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| Singles from R U Still Down? (Remember Me) | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    |
| The Daily Vault | B |
| Entertainment Weekly | B |
| Spin | 8/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
R U Still Down? (Remember Me) is the sixth studio album by American rapper, Tupac Shakur, released in 1997, and the first to be finished without his creative input. Her son having left a large body of work behind, this was the first release from his mother's imprint, Amaru Entertainment, set up to control 2Pac's posthumous releases. The album contains previously unreleased material from the time period of his albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., Thug Life: Volume 1 and Me Against the World.
The first release on Amaru, R U Still Down? (Remember Me) was overseen by 2Pac's mother, Afeni Shakur. This album airs his views on life from a time before he became involved in the controversial east coast/west coast rivalry. His lyrics foreshadow his death in songs like "Open Fire" and "Thug Style." "Definition of a Thug Nigga" also appears on the soundtrack of the 1993 film, Poetic Justice. It spawned two hits, "Do for Love" and "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto", of which "Do for Love" was certified Gold by the RIAA. R U Still Down? sold 549,000 copies in its first week. The album reached multi-Platinum status (4 million sold) under a month on December 15, 1997, a trend followed by some of his subsequent posthumous albums. It topped the R&B charts in the United States for 3 weeks.
"As always, there's ample self-destructive bullshit," noted Spin, "but as a whole the album's eerie and undeniable." Rap idol 2Pac might find yet another life after death with his second posthumous release, an improvement on his first. That’s not to say this collection of unreleased material from 1991 to 1994 shows him at his best: Many of the 26 tracks are barely demo-worthy gangsta pap, and none rival "Dear Mama" for tragic grandeur. Still, 2Pac’s raw talent burns through when his voice goes hoarse with rage on "Hellrazor." And on "I’m Losin’ It," his blend of charismatic confidence and Travis Bickle paranoia is a bittersweet reminder of a gifted yet contradictory artist lost in the rap wars.
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Wikipedia