Editing 2Pacalypse Now

{{Infobox album
| name         = 2Pacalypse Now
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]]
| cover        = 2pacalypse now.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = {{Start date|1991|11|12}}
| recorded     = September 1990 – October 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2paclegacy.net/thug-life-volume-1-september-26-1994-official-album/|title=THUG LIFE: VOLUME 1 [OFFICIAL ALBUM], OCTOBER 11, 1994|publisher=2PacLegacy|date=November 28, 2015|accessdate=February 4, 2022}}</ref>
| studio       = Starlight Sound ([[Richmond, California|Richmond, CA]])
| genre        = [[Political hip-hop]]
| length       = {{Duration|m=55|s=07}}
| label        =
* TNT
* [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]
| producer     =
* Atron Gregory ([[Executive producer#Music|exec.]])
* Big D the Impossible
* J-Z
* [[Live Squad]]
* [[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Pee-Wee]]
* [[Raw Fusion]]
* [[Shock G]]
| prev_title   = 
| prev_year    = 
| next_title   = [[Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...]]
| next_year    = 1993
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name = 2Pacalypse Now
 | type = studio
 | single1 = [[Trapped (Tupac Shakur song)|Trapped]]
 | single1date = September 25, 1991
 | single2 = [[Brenda's Got a Baby]]
 | single2date = October 20, 1991
 | single3 = [[If My Homie Calls]]
 | single3date = December 20, 1991
}}
}}
'''''2Pacalypse Now''''' is the debut solo studio album by American rapper [[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]]. It was released on November 12, 1991, through TNT Recordings and [[Interscope Records]], while EastWest Records America, a division of Atlantic distributed the album.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=McAdams |first1=Janine |date=November 30, 1991 |title=2Pac Files Claim Against Oakland |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1991/BB-1991-11-30.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121005730/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1991/BB-1991-11-30.pdf |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |access-date=February 16, 2023 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=BPI Communications, Inc. |location=New York, NY, USA |page=20 |language=English |volume=103 |issue=48 |issn=0006-2510 |quote=Details were revealed at a Nov. 12 press conference..."2Pacalypse Now," was released the same day as his press conference.}}</ref> The recording sessions took place at Starlight Sound Studio in [[Richmond, California]]. The album was produced by the [[Digital Underground]] production team the Underground Railroad, made up of Big D the Impossible, [[Shock G]], [[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Pee-Wee]], DJ J-Z, [[Raw Fusion]], and [[Live Squad]]. It features contributions from [[Stretch (rapper)|Stretch]], Angelique, [[Dave Hollister]], Pogo, Poppi, [[Ray Luv]] and Shock G among others. The album's title is a reference to the 1979 [[war film]] ''[[Apocalypse Now]]''.

In the United States, the album reached number 64 on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], number 13 on the US [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] and number three on both the [[Heatseekers Albums]] and [[Catalog Albums]] charts. On April 19, 1995, it was certified Gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] for selling 500,000 copies. In commemoration of its twenty-fifth anniversary, it was re-released on [[Phonograph record|vinyl]] and [[Cassette tape|cassette]] on November 11, 2016,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Angus |date=November 13, 2016 |title=Tupac's "2Pacalypse Now" Released On Vinyl For The First Time |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/53612-tupacs-2pacalypse-now-released-on-vinyl-for-the-first-time-news |access-date=April 2, 2024 |website=[[HotNewHipHop]] |language=en}}</ref> which peaked at number 21 on the ''Billboard'' [[Vinyl Albums]] chart.

The album produced three singles with accompanying music videos: "[[Trapped (Tupac Shakur song)|Trapped]]", "[[Brenda's Got a Baby]]" and "[[If My Homie Calls]]". The second single off of the album, "Brenda's Got a Baby", made it to number 23 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]], number three on the [[Hot Rap Songs]] and number 55 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales]]. The song "[[I Don't Give a Fuck]]" from the album was included in 2004 video game ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'' in-game radio station ''Radio Los Santos''.

==Content==
''2Pacalypse Now'' is a socially conscious hip hop album. It serves as the artist's commentary on contemporary social issues facing American society, such as [[Racism in the United States|racism]], [[Police brutality in the United States|police brutality]], [[Poverty in the United States|poverty]], [[race and crime in the United States|gang violence]], [[Teenage pregnancy in the United States|teenage pregnancy]] and [[Substance abuse|drug abuse]]. The album poetically addresses black urban concerns relevant to the present day. Although a relatively tame album compared to Shakur's later works, ''2Pacalypse Now'' was known for its violent lyrics aimed at police officers and the government in the songs "[[Trapped (Tupac Shakur song)|Trapped]]", "[[I Don't Give a Fuck]]" and "Soulja's Story".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Vaught |first=Seneca |date=Spring 2014 |title=Tupac's Law: Incarceration, T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E., and the Crisis of Black Masculinity |url=https://www.academia.edu/8258642/Tupacs_Law_Incarceration_and_the_Crisis_of_Black_Masculinity <!-- alternate URL: http://muse.jhu.edu/article/540809 --> |url-status=live |journal=Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men |volume=2 |pages=93–94 |doi=10.2979/spectrum.2.2.87 |s2cid=144439620 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306233517/http://www.academia.edu/8258642/Tupacs_Law_Incarceration_and_the_Crisis_of_Black_Masculinity |archive-date=March 6, 2017 |access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chadwick |first=Justin |date=November 8, 2021 |title=Revisiting 2Pac’s Debut Album ‘2Pacalypse Now’ (1991) {{!}} Tribute |url=https://albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-30-years-of-2pac-debut-album-2pacalypse-now |access-date=April 2, 2024 |website=Albumism |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Controversy==
The album generated significant controversy stemming from then-[[Vice President of the United States|U.S. Vice President]] [[Dan Quayle]]'s public criticism after [[Ronald Ray Howard]] murdered a [[Texas Highway Patrol]] trooper and his defense attorney claimed he was influenced by ''2Pacalypse Now'' and its strong theme of [[police brutality]]. Quayle made the statement, "There's no reason for a record like this to be published. It has no place in our society".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Broder |first1=John |date=September 23, 1992 |title=Quayle Calls for Pulling Rap Album Tied to Murder Case |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-23-mn-1144-story.html |access-date=November 27, 2016 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

== Critical reception ==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="AM">{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Marisa |title=2Pacalypse Now 2Pac|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/2pacalypse-now-mw0000676677 |access-date=April 2, 2024 |website=[[AllMusic]] |language=en}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=McCann |first=Ian |date=April 1997 |title=Q Reviews: reissue reviews |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''RapReviews''
| rev3score = 8/10<ref name="RR">{{Cite web |last=Woods |first=Emilee |date=February 24, 2009 |title=2Pac 2Pacalypse Now|url=https://www.rapreviews.com/2009/02/2pac-2pacalypse-now-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_2pacalypse.html |archive-date=February 24, 2009 |access-date=April 2, 2024 |website=RapReviews |language=en-US}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&q=2Pacalypse+Now&pg=PA830 |title=(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide |last2= |first2= |author-link2= |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7432-0169-8 |editor-last=Brackett |editor-first=Nathan |editor-link=Nathan Brackett |edition=4th |location=New York |pages=830–832 |editor-last2=Hoard |editor-first2=Christian David |editor-link2=Christian Hoard |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Tom Hull – on the Web]]'' 
| rev5score = B+ ({{Rating-Christgau|hm1}})<ref>{{cite web |last=Hull |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Hull (critic) |date=August 3, 2015 |title=Grade List: 2Pac |url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/nm/get_gl.php?n=2Pac |access-date=February 13, 2022 |website=tomhull.com}}</ref>
}}
''2Pacalypse Now'' received generally positive reviews from critics. Although the album's political messages, lyrics and his storytelling were praised, Tupac Shakur's debut album was criticized for its production. In a retrospective review, ''RapReviews'' gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and said: "It's not an extraordinarily long album, but it is a dense and heavy listen that will take a lot out of you if you pay close attention to the persistent theme. The beats overall fail to make much of an impression, but perhaps that is as it should be, since nothing should be allowed to outshine this kind of lyrical performance. Tupac's vitriol is carried by his sincerity and charisma, both of which would emerge as key traits of the figure that blossomed in the years to come. Over the course of Tupac's career, the political got suffused by the personal and receded from the central position it occupied on his debut."<ref name="RR"/>

==Commercial performance==
Upon its release, ''2Pacalypse Now'' debuted at number 197 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], number 77 on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] and number 31 on the [[Heatseekers Albums]] charts in the United States. The album peaked at No. 64, No. 13 and No. 3 on the respective charts in the first third of 1992. The [[Recording Industry Association of America]] certified the album gold on April 19, 1995 for passing the sales mark of half a million copies.

After [[Murder of Tupac Shakur|2Pac's death in 1996]], the album made it to the US Catalog Albums, peaking at number 3. It also made its charting debut on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart, reaching number 35.

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_writing   = 
| extra_column  = Producer(s)
| title1        = Young Black Male
| writer1       = {{hlist|[[Tupac Shakur]]|Deon Evans|[[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton Jr.]]|[[Papa Dee Allen|Sylvester Allen]]|Harold Brown|Morris Dickerson|[[Lonnie Jordan]]|[[Charles Miller (musician)|Charles Miller]]|[[Lee Oskar]]|[[Howard E. Scott]]}}
| extra1        = Big D the Impossible
| length1       = 2:35
| title2        = [[Trapped (Tupac Shakur song)|Trapped]]
| writer2       = {{hlist|Shakur|[[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Ramone Gooden]]|[[Ray Luv|Raymond Tyson]]}}
| extra2        = [[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Pee-Wee]]
| length2       = 4:44
| title3        = Soulja's Story
| writer3       = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans|[[Isaac Hayes]]}}
| extra3        = Big D the Impossible
| length3       = 5:05
| title4        = [[I Don't Give a Fuck]]
| note4         = 
| writer4       = {{hlist|Shakur|Gooden}}
| extra4        = Pee-Wee
| length4       = 4:20
| title5        = Violent
| writer5       = {{hlist|Shakur|[[Money-B|Ronald Brooks]]|[[DJ Fuze|David Elliott]]|[[Maceo Parker]]}}
| extra5        = [[Raw Fusion]]
| length5       = 6:25
| title6        = Words of Wisdom
| writer6       = {{hlist|Shakur|[[Shock G|Gregory Jacobs]]|[[Herbie Hancock]]}}
| extra6        = [[Shock G]]
| length6       = 4:54
| title7        = Something Wicked
| writer7       = {{hlist|Shakur|Jeremy Jackson}}
| extra7        = J-Z
| length7       = 2:28
| title8        = Crooked Ass Nigga
| note8         = featuring [[Stretch (rapper)|Stretch]]
| writer8       = {{hlist|Shakur|[[Stretch (rapper)|Randy Walker]]}}
| extra8        = [[Live Squad]]
| length8       = 4:17
| title9        = [[If My Homie Calls]]
| writer9       = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans|[[Arlester Christian]]|Hancock}}
| extra9        = Big D the Impossible
| length9       = 4:18
| title10       = [[Brenda's Got a Baby]]
| writer10      = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans}}
| extra10       = Big D the Impossible
| length10      = 3:53
| title11       = Tha' Lunatic
| note11        = featuring Stretch
| writer11      = {{hlist|Shakur|Jacobs|Clinton Jr.|Ron Banks}}
| extra11       = [[Shock G]]
| length11      = 3:29
| title12       = Rebel of the Underground
| writer12      = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans}}
| extra12       = [[Shock G]]
| length12      = 3:17
| title13       = Part Time Mutha
| note13        = featuring Angelique
| writer13      = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans|[[Stevie Wonder]]}}
| extra13       = Big D the Impossible
| length13      = 5:13
| total_length  = 55:07
}}

==Personnel==
{{div col}}
*Tupac "[[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]]" Shakur – lyrics, vocals, co-producer
*Gregory "[[Shock G]]" Jacobs – background vocals <small>(tracks: 2, 12)</small>, keyboards <small>(track 8)</small>, producer
*Playa-Playa – outro vocals <small>(track 2)</small>
*Dank – outro vocals <small>(track 2)</small>
*Wiz – outro vocals <small>(track 2)</small>
*Mickey Cooley – telephone voice <small>(track 4)</small>
*Rodney Cooley – telephone voice <small>(track 4)</small>
*Pogo – telephone voice <small>(track 4)</small>
*Ronald "[[Money-B]]" Brooks – background vocals <small>(track 5)</small>, producer
*David "[[DJ Fuze]]" Elliot – background vocals <small>(track 5)</small>, producer
*Descaro "Mac Mone" Moore – background vocals <small>(track 5)</small>
*Ramon "[[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Pee-Wee]]" Gooden – background vocals <small>(track 7)</small>, producer
*Randy "[[Stretch (rapper)|Stretch]]" Walker – rap vocals <small>(tracks: 8, 11)</small>
*[[Dave Hollister]] – vocals <small>(track 10)</small>
*Roniece Levias – vocals <small>(track 10)</small>
*Raymond "[[Ray Luv]]" Tyson – background vocals <small>(track 12)</small>
*Yonni – background vocals <small>(track 12)</small>
*Di-Di – background vocals <small>(track 12)</small>
*Poppi – vocals <small>(track 13)</small>
*Angelique – background vocals <small>(track 13)</small>
*Deon "Big D the Impossible" Evans – producer
*Jeremy "J-Z" Jackson – producer
*[[Live Squad]] – producers
*Darrin Harris – engineering
*Steve Counter – engineering
*Marc Senasac – engineering
*Matt Kelley – engineering
*Kenneth K. Lee Jr. – mastering
*Atron Gregory – executive producer
*Kevin Hosmann – art direction
*Victor Hall – photography
*David Provost – photographic prints
*Tom Whalley – A&R
*Leslie Gerard-Smith – coordinator
{{div col end}}

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1992)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|64|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=December 23, 2021}}
|-
{{Album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|13|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=December 23, 2021}}
|-
{{Album chart|BillboardHeatseekers|3|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=December 23, 2021}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (1996)
! scope="col" | Peak<br />position
|-
{{Album chart|BillboardCatalog|3|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=April 2, 2024}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (1997)
! scope="col" | Peak<br />position
|-
{{Album chart|UKR&B|35|artist=2Pac|date=19970209|rowheader=true|access-date=April 2, 2024}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (2016)
! scope="col" | Peak<br />position
|-
{{Album chart|BillboardVinyl|21|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=April 2, 2024}}
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (1992)
! Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1992/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1992|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 39
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=2 Pac|title=2 Pacalypse|award=Gold|relyear=1991|certyear=1995}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Discogs master|1216|2Pacalypse Now|type=album}}

{{Tupac Shakur}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2pacalypse Now}}
[[Category:1991 debut albums]]
[[Category:Tupac Shakur albums]]
[[Category:T.N.T. Recording albums]]
[[Category:Political hip-hop albums]]
[[Category:Interscope Records albums]]