R U Still Down? (Remember Me)

R U Still Down? (Remember Me) is the sixth studio album by American rapper, 2Pac, released in November 25, 1997, and the first to be finished without his creative input. Tupac left a large body of work behind, this was the first release from his mother's imprint, Amaru Entertainment, set up to control 2Pac's posthumous releases. The album contains previously unreleased material from the time period of his albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., Thug Life: Volume 1 and Me Against the World. The album title was named after several handwritten tracklist by 2Pac from 1993 and 1994 that featured both unreleased songs and material that would be issued on "Me Against The World" & "Thug Life Vol. 1".[2] Interscope also planned a 1995 version of "R U Still Down" album that also included a different tracklisting. However, this version was never released due to 2Pac signing to Death Row Records.[3]

R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
Studio album by 2Pac
Released	November 25, 1997 (1997-11-25)
Recorded	1992–1994 (2Pac's vocals) 1997 (Production, guest vocals, and mixing)
Genre	Hip hop gangsta rap[1]
Length	1:42:40
Label	Amaru Interscope Jive
Producer	Afeni Shakur (exec.) Lisa Smith-Putnam (exec.) Tony Pizarro Akshun Choo Def Jef DJ Daryl Warren G Khalid A. Hafiz Johnny "J" Laylaw Live Squad Levant Marcus Michael Mosley QDIII Quimmy Quim Chris Rosser Conrad Rosser Ricky Rouse Soulshock & Karlin 2Pac
2Pac chronology
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996) R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1997) Greatest Hits (1998)
Singles from R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
"I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" Released: September 21, 1997 "Do for Love" Released: February 27, 1998

The first release on Amaru, R U Still Down? (Remember Me) was overseen by 2Pac's mother, Afeni Shakur. This album airs his views on life from a time before he became involved in the controversial East Coast–West Coast rivalry. His lyrics foreshadow his death in songs like "Open Fire" and "Thug Style." "Definition of a Thug Nigga" also appears on the soundtrack of the 1993 film, Poetic Justice. It spawned two hits, "Do for Love" and "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto", of which "Do for Love" was certified Gold by the RIAA. R U Still Down? sold 549,000 copies in its first week.[4] The album reached multi-Platinum status (4 million sold) under a month on December 15, 1997, a trend followed by some of his subsequent posthumous albums.[5] It topped the R&B charts in the United States for three weeks.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
The Daily Vault	B[7]
Entertainment Weekly	B[8]
Spin	8/10[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]

"As always, there's ample self-destructive bullshit," noted Spin, "but as a whole the album's eerie and undeniable."[11] Matt Diehl of Entertainment Weekly give a mixed review, observing how "many of the 26 tracks are barely demo-worthy gangsta pap ... Still, 2Pac's raw talent burns through when his voice goes hoarse with rage [and] his blend of charismatic confidence and Travis Bickle paranoia is a bittersweet reminder of a gifted yet contradictory artist lost in the rap wars."[12]

Track listing

Disc 1

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Redemption"	We Got Kidz & Ricky Rouse	1:48
2.	"Open Fire" (featuring Akshun)	Akshun	2:52
3.	"R U Still Down? (Remember Me)"	Tony Pizarro	4:07
4.	"Hellrazor" (featuring Stretch & Val Young)	QDIII	4:15
5.	"Thug Style"	We Got Kidz	4:16
6.	"Where Do We Go from Here (Interlude)"	Tony Pizarro & 2Pac	4:31
7.	"I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto"	Soulshock & Karlin	4:21
8.	"Nothing to Lose" (featuring Y?N-Vee)	2Pac & Live Squad	3:39
9.	"I'm Gettin' Money"	Mike Mosley	3:32
10.	"Lie to Kick It" (featuring Richie Rich)	Warren G	3:39
11.	"Fuck All Y'all"	We Got Kidz	4:32
12.	"Let Them Thangs Go"	We Got Kidz	3:33
13.	"Definition of a Thug Nigga"	Warren G	4:09

Disc 2

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Ready 4 Whatever" (featuring Big Syke)	Johnny "J"	4:05
2.	"When I Get Free"	We Got Kidz	4:46
3.	"Hold On, Be Strong" (featuring Stretch)	Choo	4:11
4.	"I'm Losin' It" (featuring Big Syke & Spice 1)	Tony Pizarro	3:55
5.	"Fake Ass Bitches"	Johnny "J"	3:10
6.	"Do for Love" (featuring Eric Williams of Blackstreet)	Soulshock & Karlin	4:42
7.	"Enemies with Me" (featuring Dramacydal)	We Got Kidz	4:15
8.	"Nothin' but Love" (featuring Dave Hollister)	2Pac & DJ Daryl	4:28
9.	"16 on Death Row"	2Pac	5:42
10.	"I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto (Hip Hop Version)" (featuring Maxee)	Soulshock & Karlin	4:40
11.	"When I Get Free II" (featuring Yaki Kadafi)	Chris Rosser	3:22
12.	"Black Starry Night (Interlude)"	DJ Daryl	0:48
13.	"Only Fear of Death"	Live Squad	5:09

Leftover tracks

• "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto (Mike Mosley Remix)"[13]

Samples

Definition of a Thug Nigga

• "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" by Willie Hutch
• "Ashley's Roachclip" by The Soul Searchers
• "Wind Parade" by Donald Byrd
• " Nuthin but a G' Thang (freestyle Remix) by Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre

Ready 4 Whatever

• "1980" by Gil Scott-Heron

R U Still Down (Remember Me)

• "He's a Fly Guy" by Curtis Mayfield

Hellrazor

• "Free 'Em All" by J-Flexx

Do for Love

• "What You Won't Do for Love" by Bobby Caldwell

F*** All Y'all

• "Street Life" by Geto Boys

I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto (hip hop version/single release)

• "Two of Us" by Cameo

Let Them Thangs Go

• "Flash Light" by Parliament

Nothin' but Love

• "Something About That Woman" by Lakeside

Nothing to Lose

• "The Grand Finale" by The D.O.C.
• "Us" by Ice Cube
• "I Wanna Hold On to You" by Mica Paris

When I Get Free II

• "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
• "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Part I" by Stanley Clarke

Where Do We Go From Here

• "May the Force Be With You" by Bootsy's Rubber Band

Black Starry Night (Interlude)

• "Do It Roger" by Roger

I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto (OG remake version)

• "Do It Roger" by Roger

Lie to Kick It

• "Funky President" by James Brown
• "Haboglabotribin'" by Bernard Wright

Only Fear of Death

• "Hihache" by Lafayette Afro Rock Band

Cultural references

On his 2008 album, Untitled, Nas sampled "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" on his song, "Black President".

Charts

Charts (1997–98)	Peak position
Australian Charts[14]	50
Austrian Charts[15]	23
Canadian Charts[16]	12
German Charts[17]	25
Dutch Charts[18]	29
French Charts[19]	52
New Zealand Charts[20]	20
Swedish Chart[21]	41
UK R&B Albums Charts[22]	6
UK Albums Chart[23][24]	44
US Billboard 200[16]	2
US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums[16]	1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[25]	Gold	100,000^^
United States (RIAA)[26]	4x Platinum	4,000,000[27]
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1998 (U.S.)

References

1. "R U Still Down? (Remember Me) - 2Pac | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
2. Shakur, Tupac. "R U Still Down Handwritten Tracklist". Goldinauctions. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
3. Shakur, Tupac. "Engineer Paul arnold Interview Part 1: About Unreleased Pre-Deathrow Album, Call from Jail and more". YouTube. 2PacForumChannel.
4. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
5. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
6. "R U Still Down? (Remember Me) - 2Pac | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
7. "2Pac: | Daily Vault". dailyvault.com. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
8. "R U still down? (remember me)". EW.com. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
9. Spin (3/98, pp. 130-131) - 8 (out of 10) - "... As always, there's ample self-destructive bullshit, but as a whole, the album's eerie and undeniable.... Even after death, 2Pac isn't going gentle into that good night; if this album is any gauge, he's not letting us go either, at least not anytime soon."
10. Sheffield, Rob; Sheffield, Rob (1998-01-22). "R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
11. Spin May 1998
12. "R U still down? (remember me)". EW.com. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
13. Mosley, Mike. "Producer Mike Mosley Reveals Several MCs Who Witnessed Tupac Record "Hit 'Em Up" (Video)". ambrosiaforheads. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
14. Steffen Hung (1997-12-21). "2 Pac - R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
15. Steffen Hung. "2 Pac - R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
16. "2Pac". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
17. "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche". musicline.de. Archived from the original on 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
18. Steffen Hung. "2 Pac - R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
19. Steffen Hung (1997-12-13). "2 Pac - R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". lescharts.com. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
20. Steffen Hung. "2 Pac - R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". charts.nz. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
21. Steffen Hung. "2 Pac - R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
22. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
23. "2Pac - R U still down remember me". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
24. "2PAC | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
25. "British album certifications – 2Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". British Phonographic Industry. 2002. Retrieved December 8, 2011. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type R U Still Down? (Remember Me) in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
26. "American certifications – 2 Pac – R U Still Down? (Remember Me)". Recording Industry Association of America. June 23, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
27. Caulfield, Keith (March 13, 2015). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: 'Hozier' Has Sold a Half-Million". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 14, 2015.