Me Against the World

Yes, the album was largely recorded before 2Pac began his prison sentence, and it was released on March 14, 1995, while he was incarcerated. It became the first album in history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 while the artist was behind bars.

'Dear Mama,' a heartfelt tribute to 2Pac's mother Afeni Shakur, is the standout single and one of the most beloved hip-hop songs ever recorded. 'So Many Tears' was another significant single that showcased the album's darker, more introspective direction.

It was recorded in the aftermath of the November 1994 shooting at Quad Recording Studios in New York, an event that deeply shaped the album's somber and reflective tone. 2Pac was shot five times in that incident, and the trauma permeates tracks throughout the record.

The production was handled primarily by Tony Pizarro, Easy Mo Bee, and Stretch, among others. The beats had a noticeably more soulful and melancholic sound compared to the harder production on his previous albums '2Pacalypse Now' and 'Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.'