To Live & Die in L.A. (song)

"To Live & Die in L.A." is the second single from Tupac Shakur's final album he worked on during his life, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. It was produced by QD3, son of producer Quincy Jones. The radio edit was recorded the same day and a video was shot. The album version contains a Dr. Dre diss at the end of the song. The clean version has altered lyrics and is longer. The single peaked number 82 Netherlands and 9 New Zealand, number 10 in the UK and on the UK R&B chart number 2.

"To Live & Die in L.A."
Single by Makaveli featuring Val Young
from the album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Released
  • November 4, 1996
RecordedAugust, 1996
StudioCan-Am Studios Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length
  • 4:34 (album version)
  • 4:29 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)QDIII
Makaveli singles chronology
"Toss It Up"
(1996)"		 "To Live & Die in L.A."
(1996)		 "Hail Mary"
(1997)
Music video
"To Live & Die in L.A." on YouTube

Production

The song was produced by QDIII who was the only outside Death Row producer on the album besides Demetrius Meech Shipp who did "Toss It Up". QDIII was one of Makaveli's favorite producers. QDIII told XXL Magazine:

I was in the studio with 'Pac, I had some records with me, and there was this old song that I played for him to see if he liked the vibe. He felt it and told me to go home and hook up a beat like that. I went home and hooked it up as fast as I could, and I think I came back the same night and he listened to the track three times, and in like 15 minutes he was already done with his lyrics. He went in the booth without telling anyone what the track was about he just laid it in one take--over about three tracks. Then he told Val Young what the concept was, and she went in and laid her chorus vocal in one take, too. After the vocals were done, 'Pac had Ricky Rouse [Makaveli musician] replace my keyboard bass and guitar parts with live bass and guitar parts, and the song was done--less than two hours total. This song just flowed out of everyone that was a part of it. No one thought twice no one doubted anything. It was full speed ahead until it was done--as if it was guided or meant to be. Ever since recording like that, without thinking twice like that, I have changed the way I look at making music.[2]

The song samples Prince - Do Me, Baby.[3]

Also of note the sample interpolation might actually be inspired by Eddie Hazel - Frantic Moment.

Music video

A music video was shot. It features Shakur working at a fruit stand, driving around Los Angeles in a car filled with women, and also features various scenes and pictures of notable places and events in Los Angeles. The video can be found on the DualDisc of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, and was the first video shot for the album as well as one of the last videos that Tupac filmed before his death.

  • 1. To Live & Die In L.A. (Radio Edit)

Featuring – Val Young
Producer – QD III
4:33

  • 2. To Live & Die In L.A. (Album Version)

Featuring – Val Young
Producer – QD III
4:33

  • 3. Just Like Daddy (Album Version)

Featuring - The Outlawz
Producer – Hurt-M-Badd
5:08

  • Total length = 14:14

Credits
  • Engineer – Tommy D. Daugherty
  • Assistant engineer – Lance Pierre
  • Executive producer – Suge Knight
  • Producer – QD III
  • Featuring, written by Val Young
  • Written by Makaveli

References
  1. Drew Tewksbury (2009-07-30). "Songs For Our City: Tupac Lives And Dies In L.A." LA Weekly. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  2. "The Making of Makaveli - The 7 Day Theory | African American Music | Hip Hop". Scribd.com. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  3. "Makaveli's 'To Live & Die in L.A.' sample of Prince's 'Do Me, Baby'". WhoSampled. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
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