Better Dayz

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Better Dayz
Beterdayz.jpg
Studio album by 2Pac
Released November 26, 2002 United States
Recorded <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • 1994, October 23, 1995 - August 29, 1996
  • (2Pac's vocals)
  • 2001-2002
  • (Production, guest vocals, and mixing)
Genre Hip hop, Gangsta Rap, West Coast Hip Hop, Acoustic hip hop, Political Rap
Length 112:38
Label Amaru Entertainment, Death Row Records, Interscope Records
Producer Afeni Shakur, Johnny "J"
2Pac chronology
Until the End of Time
(2001)Until the End of Time2001		 Better Dayz
(2002)		 Nu-Mixx Klazzics
(2003)Nu-Mixx Klazzics2003
Singles from Better Dayz
  1. "Thugz Mansion"
    Released: October 17, 2002
  2. "Still Ballin"
    Released: May 21, 2003
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars link
Entertainment Weekly C[1]
HipHopDX 4/5 stars link
RapReviews (7.5/10) link
The Rolling Stone Album Guide 4.5/5 stars link
Sputnikmusic 5/5 stars link
Mobster Music 5/5 stars

Better Dayz is the fifth posthumous studio album by late American rapper Tupac Shakur, the third to be released without the artist's creative input and is the last so far to be a double-album.

It was released on November 26, 2002, debuting at number 5 on the Billboard 200. This album is the second of two albums (The first being Until The End Of Time) that consists of a collection of previously unreleased material by way of remixed songs from Tupac's "Makaveli" period while signed to Death Row Records, and was produced by Johnny "J", Jazze Pha, Frank Nitty, and E.D.I. of Outlawz. It includes "Military Minds" which features Boot Camp Clik members Buckshot and Smif-n-Wessun (credited as Cocoa Brovaz) which was supposed to be part of a collaborative album between Shakur and BCC titled One Nation but was never officially released due to Shakur's death. Better Dayz has no censored references to Death Row Records unlike the previous album Until The End Of Time. The only track on the album pre-Deathrow era is My Block (remix)". Recorded in 1994-1995 during Shakur's time with Interscope, the original version can be found on The Show (1995 Soundtrack).

It features 23 unreleased recordings from the period 1994-1996, the majority of which are remixed. Others retain their original form or are complete finished mixes, such as "Fuck 'Em All", "Late Night", "Ghetto Star", "Better Dayz", "Who Do U Believe In?" and "They Don't Give A Fuck About Us". The album features appearances by Outlawz, Ron Isley, Nas, Mýa, Jazze Pha, Tyrese and among others. The hit single, "Thugz Mansion," comes in two versions: the Nas acoustic version, on which the music video is based, and a hip hop version featuring Anthony Hamilton.

Reception

John Bush from AllMusic wrote: Though it was released on the eve of the busiest year in 2Pac's posthumous career, Better Dayz shouldn't be overlooked—and with the schedule including a feature documentary (with soundtrack), plus two books and another double album, it might be easy for this one to slip from the radar. A lengthy two-disc set, it benefits from a raft of still-compelling material by one of the two or three best rappers in history, as well as excellent compiling by executive producers Suge Knight and Afeni Shakur, 2Pac's mother. Organizing the set roughly into one disc of hardcore rap and one of R&B jams makes for an easier listen, and the R&B disc especially has some strong tracks, opening with a remix of 1995's "My Block" and including quintessentially 2Pac material—reflective, conflicted, occasionally anguished—like "Never Call U Bitch Again," "Better Dayz," "Fame," and "This Life I Lead." Most of the tracks are previously unreleased, the rest coming from scattered compilations like Knight's Chronic 2000: Still Smokin' or 1995's The Show soundtrack. It's 2Pac's best album since his death, and bodes well for future material by, and concerning, rap's most legendary figure.[2] Kludge magazine included it on their list of best albums of 2002.[3]

The track "Ghetto Star" has appeared on the soundtrack to the video game 25 To Life.

Commercial success

Better Dayz sold 366,000 copies in its first week on the charts.[4] It has sold 1,765,597 copies in the United States as of 2011.[5] On January 31, 2003, it was certified 2x Platinum in the U.S and then certified 3x Platinum on August 2014.[6] The album was also certified 3x Platinum in Canada May 2003.[7]

Track listing

Disc 1

No. Title Producer(s) Length
1. "Intro"   7 Aurelius 0:56
2. "Still Ballin'" (featuring Trick Daddy) Johnny "J" - Remixed by Nitty 2:50
3. "When We Ride on Our Enemies"   Johnny "J" - Remixed by BRISS 2:54
4. "Changed Man" (featuring T.I. & Johnta Austin) Johnny "J" - Remixed by Jazze Pha 3:52
5. "Fuck Em All" (featuring Outlawz) Johnny "J" 4:26
6. "Never B Peace" (featuring E.D.I. & Kastro) Johnny "J" - Remixed by Nitty 4:59
7. "Mama's Just a Little Girl" (featuring Kimma Hill) Johnny "J" - Remixed by Kip "KP" Wilson 4:58
8. "Street Fame"   Daz Dillinger - Remixed by BRISS 4:30
9. "Whatcha Gonna Do?" (featuring Outlawz) Johnny "J" - Remixed by E.D.I. 3:39
10. "Fair Xchange" (featuring Jazze Pha) Johnny "J" - Remixed by Jazze Pha 3:52
11. "Late Night" (featuring DJ Quik & Outlawz) DJ Quik 4:18
12. "Ghetto Star" (featuring Nutt-So) Go-Twice 4:15
13. "Thugz Mansion (Acoustic Version)" (featuring Nas & J.Phoenix) Johnny "J" - Remixed by A. "Pitboss" Johnson, Aulsondro "Emcee N.I.C.E." Hamilton, and Claudio Cueni 4:13

Disc 2

No. Title Music Producer(s) Length
1. "My Block (Remix)"   Remixed by Nitty Easy Mo Bee 5:22
2. "Thugz Mansion" (featuring Anthony Hamilton) Remixed by 7 Aurelius Johnny J 4:07
3. "Never Call U Bitch Again" (featuring Tyrese)   Johnny J 4:38
4. "Better Dayz" (featuring Ron Isley)   Johnny J 4:17
5. "U Can Call" (featuring Jazze Pha) Remixed by Jazze Pha Johnny J 3:49
6. "Military Minds" (featuring Cocoa Brovaz & Buckshot) Remixed by E.D.I. Mean Darryl “Big D” Harper 5:29
7. "Fame" (featuring Bad Azz & Outlawz)   Hurt M Badd 4:50
8. "Fair Xchange (Remix)" (featuring Mýa) Remixed by Troy Johnson Johnny J 3:56
9. "Catchin' Feelins" (featuring Outlawz)   E.D.I. Mean 4:54
10. "There U Go" (featuring Big Syke, Outlawz & Jazze Pha)   Johnny J 5:30
11. "This Life I Lead" (featuring Outlawz)   Johnny J 5:21
12. "Who Do U Believe In?" (featuring Yaki Kadafi)   Johnny J 5:30
13. "They Don't Give a Fuck About Us" (featuring Outlawz)   Johnny J 5:08
14. "Outro"       0:13

Samples

  • "Better Dayz"
  • "Catchin Feelins"
  • "Late Night"
    • "Have Your Ass Home by 11:00" by Richard Pryor
    • "Wind Parade" by Donald Byrd
    • "Last Night Changed It All (I Really Had a Ball)" by Esther Williams
  • "This Life I Lead"
  • "Who Do U Believe In"

Album chart positions

Chart Peak positions
Billboard 200 #5[8]
Canadian Charts #7[8]
Deutsche Charts #45[9]
Dutch Charts #36[10]
French Charts #52[11]
Irish Charts #40[12]
New Zealand Charts #20[13]
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums #1[8]
Switzerland Chart #60[14]
UK Chart #68[15][16]

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[17] 3× Platinum 300,000
United States (RIAA)[18] 3× Platinum 3,000,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Gold 100,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Personnel

  • 2Pac - Primary Artist
  • Phalon Alexander - Composer
  • Asif Ali - Engineer
  • Delmar "Daz" Arnaud - Composer
  • Seven Aurelius - Composer
  • Johnta Austin - Featured Artist, Primary Artist
  • Rob "Fonksta" Bacon - Guest Artist, Guitar
  • Bill Bennett - Assistant Engineer
  • Big Syke - Featured Artist, Primary Artist
  • Ian Blanch - Assistant Engineer, Engineer
  • Warren Bletcher - Assistant Engineer
  • Ian Boxill - Engineer, Mixing
  • Leslie Brathwaite - Engineer, Mixing
  • Briss - Instrumentation, Producer
  • Ricardo Brown - Composer
  • Buckshot - Featured Artist, Primary Artist
  • Coco Brothers - Featured Artist
  • Sean Cole - Composer
  • Courtney Copeland - Vocals (Background)
  • Kevin Crouse - Engineer
  • Claudio Cueni - Composer, Digital Editing, Engineer, Mixing, Producer
  • Chris DeLaPena - Assistant Engineer
  • DJ Quik - Composer, Engineer, Primary Artist, Producer
  • DRP - Composer
  • E.D.I. - Composer, Featured Artist, Mixing, Music Supervisor, Primary Artist, Remixing
  • Steve Fisher - Assistant Engineer
  • G Mack - Guitar
  • Brian "Big Bass" Gardner - Mastering
  • A. Gobi - Photography
  • Anthony Hamilton - Composer, Featured Artist, Primary Artist
  • Darryl Harper - Composer, Producer
  • Mýa Harrison - Composer
  • Michael Herring - Composer
  • Kimmy Hill - Featured Artist
  • Ernie Isley - Composer
  • Ronald Isley - Guest Artist
  • Johnny Jackson - Composer
  • Chris Jasper - Composer
  • Jazze Pha - Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Primary Artist, Producer
  • Johnny J - Arranger, Mixing, Producer
  • Troy Johnson - Composer, Instrumentation, Producer
  • Kadafi - Featured Artist
  • Kasbro - Featured Artist
  • Kastro - Composer, Performer, Primary Artist
  • Jason Kay - Composer
  • Ronnie King - Keyboards
  • Suge Knight - Executive Producer
  • Larry Loftin - Composer
  • Mr. Biggs - Featured Artist, Primary Artist
  • Larry Mizell - Composer
  • Chicu Modu - Photography
  • Molly Monjauze - Project Director
  • Mussamill - Featured Artist
  • James Musshorn - Assistant Engineer
  • Mya - Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Primary Artist
  • Napoleon - Composer, Featured Artist
  • Nas - Composer, Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Primary Artist
  • Duane Nettlesbey - Composer
  • Nutso - Featured Artist
  • Outlawz - Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Primary Artist
  • J. Phoenix - Featured Artist, Primary Artist
  • Frank Nitty Pimentel - Drum Programming, Keyboards, Producer
  • Will Pyon - Digital Editing
  • Chuck Reed - Digital Editing
  • R.J. - Bass, Guest Artist, Guitar
  • 7 Aurelius - Instrumentation, Producer
  • Afeni Shakur - Executive Producer
  • Tupac Shakur - Composer
  • Shorty B. - Bass, Guitar
  • Dexter Simmons - Mixing
  • Toby Smith - Composer
  • Alex Stiff - Bass, Composer, Guitar
  • T.I. - Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Primary Artist
  • Ellis Taylor - Vocals (Background)
  • Trick Daddy - Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Primary Artist
  • Tyrese - Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Primary Artist
  • Mark Vinten - Assistant Engineer
  • Corey Williams - Assistant Engineer
  • Jasmine Wilson - Vocals (Background)
  • Tyrone Wrice - Composer
  • Keston Wright - Engineer
  • Young Noble - Featured Artist
  • Maurice "Mo" Young - Composer

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/better-dayz-mw0000663367
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  6. ↑ RIAA database search, 18 November 2007
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Better Dayz in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
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