February 13, 1996, 20 years ago on this date, 2Pac’s classic double CD “All Eyez on Me” was officially released by Death Row Records. 2Pac already had a successful career prior to this, but Death Row had established a reputation for having the hottest tracks in the industry due to classic multi-platinum albums by artists like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, as well as soundtracks like “Above the Rim” and “Murder Was the Case“. 2Pac joining Death Row created a major buzz in the industry, and major anticipation for his first album on the label. Promo copies of “All Eyez on Me” were on the street Feb. 9th, and some record stores were selling it early to get a jump on their competitors. The opening track “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” and the hit collaboration with K-Ci & JoJo, “How Do U Want It“, can still be heard at clubs to this day; even when the party goers weren’t old enough to be in school yet when the album dropped. “I Ain’t Mad At Cha“, “All Bout U“, and “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” with Snoop Dogg still play as well. Ironically the original hit version of the song that started the buzz for the album, “California Love” with Dr. Dre & the late Roger Troutman, wasn’t on the CD. Instead, “All Eyez on Me” included a remix of it. The original “California Love” played by radio stations wasn’t made available to the public until the “How Do U Want It” single was released in June of 1996. By that time “All Eyez” was well established as THE party CD of 1996, and it still sounds great 20 years later. RIP Tupac Shakur, and thanks for giving us this classic album to enjoy for many years to come.
