I never knew Stretch from Thug Life (2pac's group) and Live Squad produced "Take it in Blood" and "Silent Murder" that's cray.
I also didn't know Nas was with him the day he got killed....
shyt's cray....... Pac dissed the hell outta Stretch on "Holla at me" tho.
And then people wonder why Pac felt as though Nas was rapping about HIS life. Shock G has stated in interviews that from the moment Pac and Stretch met they pretty much were like brothers and hung out almost every single day until the '94 shooting and now Nas says the same thing about him and Stretch.
Nas pretty much admits here that The Message wasn't just some made up sh*t but about the lives of other people in the game. Can't say that that second verse doesn't match Pac's situation at the time more than anyone else's..
Also:
[I sang the hook on that and] I was definitely the first guy from my era that was singing."
----->
Though you can't really say one guy started it anyway..Like they said, the old school did it long before them.
The influence of Pac on Nas is so obvious and this album was where it really started and it has continued through all his albums after this one. Yet Nas seems to downplay the influence now and when he speaks of Pac it's like he doesn't want to say he looked up to/took a lot from him but that they were always equals in the game while he was alive. But Pac clearly influenced Nas a lot more than Nas did Pac.
Nas is still a legend now though and unquestionably top 5 doa. And this album is a major part of his legacy. Good to see it getting a Making Of.
