When you listen to All Eyez on Me now, it’s impossible not to hear the clock ticking. On “Shorty Wanna Be a Thug,” he raps: “Is it a crime to hustle? Is it a crime to ride? / Is it a crime to keep a forty and a nine inside?” You realize he wasn’t bragging. He was documenting a war he knew he might not win. All Eyez on Me is bloated. It’s excessive. It has a few skits that go on too long and a few tracks that feel like filler. But that’s exactly why it works. It is an album with no filter, no restraint, and no fear.
It is the sound of a 24-year-old man who was shot five times, went to jail, and came out determined to enjoy every second of his fame—even if it killed him. All Eyez on Me
5/5 Champagne Bottles. Best listened to: Driving down the Strip at sunset. Windows down. Bass up. When you listen to All Eyez on Me