2Pac: with a lot of Shady help, it's $hakur

More than 8 years ago Tupac Shakur died but that hasn’t stopped the whole industry that has sprung since that fateful day. Now, Eminem’s taken upon himself to bring you another album by the great lost rapper. The result is ‘Loyal to the Game’, or $hakur-meets- Em.

Eminem has taken hours of old 2pac tapes and produced 13 tracks foe this disc that is also loaded with four bonus cuts. Eminem first worked on unfinished 2Pac recordings for the soundtrack to 'Tupac:Resurrection'. Still, ‘Loyal’ is an uneven affair of few goodies and more tracks that come up shorter…

Aside the opening track, ‘Soldier Like Me (a.k.a. Return Of The Soulja)’, that kicks in seriously, or the following string-assisted ‘The Uppercut’ orchestra, the next half dozen are rather too polite, safe, rap-conventions and not really enlarging 2Pac’s legacy but updating it, contemporising it… It is only when song No. 8 blasts, ‘N.I.G.G.A.’ [standing for 'Never Ignorant About Getting Goals Accomplished'], featuring Jadakiss, that things truly pick up and some serious beats are sounded off. 2Pac’s rhymes are not to blame - ‘Out of Bail’ alone would have earned him ‘Explicit Content’ sticker, ably supported with dozen of ’muthaf**kers’ call-out - but music that has renovated it to the present day offering.

The disc features guest performers including Eminem (‘Black Cotton’, ‘Soldier Like Me’), 50 Cent (with Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, aka G-Unit, on ‘Loyal To The Game’), Nate Dogg (‘Thugs Get Lonely Too’), Obie Trice (‘Hennessey’) and the Outlawz (‘The Uppercut’). ‘Ghetto Gospel’ includes an unlikely [incredulous?] sample from Elton John), whilst the first bonus, ‘Po Nigga Blues’ features Ron of the Isley Brothers. ‘Crooked Nigga Too’ is remixed by Raphael Saadiq…

Eminem also re-employs an old idea - remember ‘Stan’ and whom he sampled for it? - and Dido makes an ‘appearance’ on ‘Don't You Trust Me’. It is almost a mash-up that brings 2Pac, Dido and a funky brass-section to a spectacular union… The remaining two bonus tracks are different mixes of ‘Hennessey’ and the title cut.

The inclusion of so many hot guest artists, and following on from the success of 2003’s ‘Better Dayz’, ‘Loyal To The Game’ will also ensure a new generation of hip-hop fans are exposed to the legend that is 2Pac. Tupac Shakur was shot dead in September 1996; to date, his killer has not been found.

One person who is pleased Em’s done more work with 2Pac is his mother Afeni Shakur. "2Pac channeled through Eminem and Eminem unselfishly allowed him to do so in producing this album. Together, they have created a masterpiece," she said in a statement.

You wish…

7/10