Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
| Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... | ||||
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| Studio album by 2Pac | ||||
| Released | February 16, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | June 1992 – January 1993 | |||
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| Length | 63:55 | |||
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| Singles from Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... | ||||
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Robert Christgau |  |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| Q | |
| Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| The Source | |
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... is the second studio album by rapper Tupac Shakur, released by T.N.T. Recordings, Interscope Records and EastWest Records America on February 16, 1993. The rights now belong to Amaru Entertainment. N.I.G.G.A.Z. in the title is an acronym for ("Never Ign'ant Getting Goals Accomplished'); the "Z" in the title makes it a plural.
Similar to his debut, 2Pacalypse Now, the album contains many tracks emphasizing 2Pac's political and social views. The original album was going to be named "Troublesome 21" and released in September 1992, but it was scrapped. Debuting at number 24 on the Billboard 200, this album saw more commercial success than its predecessor, and there are many noticeable differences in production. While Tupac's first effort included a more underground or indie-rap-oriented sound, this album was considered his "breakout" album. It spawned the hits "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Get Around" and has since reached double platinum status.
On vinyl, Side A (tracks 1-8) was labeled the "Black Side" and Side B (tracks 9-16) the "Dark Side."
The album features guest appearances from the group Live Squad, 2Pac's stepbrother The Wycked (later known as "Mopreme", later a member of 2Pac's groups Thug Life and The Outlawz), Ice-T, Ice Cube, Treach, Apache, Poppi, Deadly Threat, R&B singer Dave Hollister and Digital Underground.
The album has sold 1,639,584 units in the United States as of 2011.
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…, wrote Ian McCann in Q, "found 2Pac feted by Hollywood and Ice Cube no longer an influence but a guest. Bitter, more distant, it offers the legendary 5 Deadly Venomz, Keep Ya Head Up and, ominously, Something 2 Die 4, on which 2Pac's ma warns him if he can't find something to live for, he should find something worth dying for. Gulp."
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Wikipedia