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==Music video==
==Music video==
[[File:HitEmUpVideo.png|thumb|Shot from the music video, with stand-in Biggie on the left and Lil' Kim on the right.]]
[[:File:HitEmUpVideo.png|thumb|Shot from the music video, with stand-in Biggie on the left and Lil' Kim on the right.]]<!--Non free file removed by DASHBot-->
The music video for "Hit 'Em Up" was filmed in a warehouse off of Slauson Avenue near Fox Hills Mall,<ref name=alex>Alexander; Cuda, p. 132.</ref> in Los Angeles in May, 1996.<ref name=sax>Saxon, p. 107.</ref> It was filmed by the production company Look Hear Productions.<ref name=alex/> Shakur raps in a white room with The Outlawz, as well as in purple-caged room and a black room with bullet holes in the background. TV monitors in the background show clips of Shakur, Puffy, and Biggie Smalls, and even clips from the video "Made Niggaz". The video featured actors who were recalled from their prior roles in the music video for "[[2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted]]" to impersonate some of those who were attacked in "Hit 'Em Up".<ref name=ro/> This included Biggie, whose stand-in stares dully into the camera and sports a [[Kangol]] and jacket, similar to one Biggie would wear. During the moments where Shakur raps about his claimed affair with Evans, Biggie crouches near the camera while Shakur yells in his face. Puffy was also impersonated, appearing with a high-top fade and leaning towards the camera, lowering and raising his sunglasses.<ref name=ro>Ro, p. 90.</ref>
The music video for "Hit 'Em Up" was filmed in a warehouse off of Slauson Avenue near Fox Hills Mall,<ref name=alex>Alexander; Cuda, p. 132.</ref> in Los Angeles in May, 1996.<ref name=sax>Saxon, p. 107.</ref> It was filmed by the production company Look Hear Productions.<ref name=alex/> Shakur raps in a white room with The Outlawz, as well as in purple-caged room and a black room with bullet holes in the background. TV monitors in the background show clips of Shakur, Puffy, and Biggie Smalls, and even clips from the video "Made Niggaz". The video featured actors who were recalled from their prior roles in the music video for "[[2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted]]" to impersonate some of those who were attacked in "Hit 'Em Up".<ref name=ro/> This included Biggie, whose stand-in stares dully into the camera and sports a [[Kangol]] and jacket, similar to one Biggie would wear. During the moments where Shakur raps about his claimed affair with Evans, Biggie crouches near the camera while Shakur yells in his face. Puffy was also impersonated, appearing with a high-top fade and leaning towards the camera, lowering and raising his sunglasses.<ref name=ro>Ro, p. 90.</ref>


Revision as of 05:03, 31 October 2010

"Theornamentalist/Sandbox5"
Song

"Hit 'Em Up" is an infamous and controversial diss song by rap artist 2Pac, featuring his group the Outlawz. It is the B-side to the 1996 single "How Do U Want It". The song viciously insults several East Coast rappers, chiefly Tupac Shakur's former friend and rival, The Notorious B.I.G.. "Hit 'Em Up" was produced by long-time collaborator Johnny J and samples "Don't Look Any Further" by Dennis Edwards. A video with Biggie, Puffy and Lil' Kim impersonators was made and viewed as infamous as well. The East Coast rappers responded in kind, putting out diss songs of their own, and only months after the release of "Hit 'Em Up" Shakur had been murdered. It has been viewed as the turning point in the rivalry, and speculated that the song could have angered Biggie enough to have desired to seek revenge. "Hit 'Em Up" has also been called the greatest diss song of all time.

Background and lyrics

"Hit 'Em Up" was written[2] and recorded in Can Am Studios in Los Angeles, California in May, 1996.[3] Shakur recruited members from the former group "Dramacydal", whom he had worked with previously, and was eager to work with again. These three New Jersey rappers joined the then newly formed group, The Outlawz.[4] The first and third verses are performed by Shukar, who during the takes was accompanied in the recording booth by a woman named Tiffany, who sat beside him on a stool and grew close to him during that time.[5] The ferocity of Shakur's raging vocals,[6] as said by long time collaborator and producer of "Hit 'Em Up" Johnny "J",[2] was entirely authentic. He stated that he had never seen him so angry and that the words he rapped were in no way an act,[7] and that Shakur was initially fueled by his anger against Biggie and used this adrenaline, which he described as "superhuman" to attack the other East Coast rappers.[2] The second verse was performed by Hussein Fatal, the fourth by Yaki Kadafi and the fifth by E.D.I. Mean.

Shakur's anger stemmed from the belief that Biggie, as well as other members of Bad Boy Records had a role in the November 30, 1994 shooting outside of Manhattan recording studio, Quad Studios, or at least advanced knowledge that he would be robbed and shot.[8] He also felt that Biggie carelessly released the song "Who Shot Ya?", and although it did not mention Shakur's name, he felt it was mockingly directed towards him.[9] Shakur admittedly released "Hit 'Em Up" as a response to "Who Shot Ya?",[10] almost two months after the shooting incident.[11] Lyrically, the song was aimed primarily at The Notorious B.I.G.[12] and Sean "Puffy" Combs.[8] Among other insults, Shakur calls Biggie a "fat motherfucker",[11] and threatens retaliation in "Hit 'Em Up", saying "Now you're about to feel the wrath of a menace".[13] He also used the song as a platform to express his belief that Biggie was guilty of stealing his style of rapping, and was merely imitating his lifestyle.[14] This notion is addressed in the verse in "Now it's all about Versace, You copied my style". He also touches topically on their early friendship with the line "Biggie, remember when I used to let you sleep on the couch?" and their subsequent fallout.[15]

Faith Evans, who at the time was Biggie's estranged wife[16] after a public breakup,[17] was reportedly seen with Shakur.[18] According to Shakur she had given him gifts of clothing, which he offered as proof of a relationship in an interview. Using this against Biggie in "Hit 'Em Up", Shakur continued to fuel the rumors of a sexual relationship with Evans in the line "You claim to be a player, but I fucked your wife".[3] Claims of an affair with Evans appear three times in the song.[4] By extension, Shakur also attacked many other associated of Bad Boy Records and of Biggies,[13] such as Lil' Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A., and most notably Lil' Cease,[19] He exclaimed that their lifestyle and what they rapped about were fraudulent, and that they were not from the streets. He believed that they were only perpetuating the drama and did not understand the situation they had gotten themselves into.[4] Chino XL also came under fire,[20] as well as Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy,[21] who was mocked for suffering sickle-cell disease with the line "Don't one of you niggas got sickle-cell or something?"[10] Shakur also went on to threaten the lives of the children of his enemies, particularly with his .44 Magnum.[20] In "Hit 'Em Up", the word "fuck" and "motherfucker" were used explicitly over thirty-five times.[22]

Johnny "J" stated that the recording of "Hit 'Em Up" was the most "hard-core he had ever done". Although he was very happy with the work he had put into it and the resulting song, he went on to say that he had no desire to work on anything of that magnitude again.[2]

Music

Several musical components of "Hit 'Em Up" featured samples from other songs, even an interpolation some songs from the Bad Boy's catalog. The bassline in "Hit 'Em Up" is sampled from the 1984 song "Don't Look Any Further", by Dennis Edwards.[23] The phrase "take money" is repeated throughout the song, which is a play on Junior M.A.F.I.A's recent release "Get Money", which is also the beat used in "Hit 'Em Up".[24] The chorus of "Hit 'Em Up" is a play on the chorus of Junior M.A.F.I.A's "Player's Anthem",[10] which is itself an interpolation of the melody from Yellowman's "Zunguzung".

Releases

Upon finishing recording, Shakur felt very positively about the track, saying "...this song is going to be playing in every club. Deejays are calling from everywhere, wanting to get a piece of this."[25] "Hit 'Em Up" appeared first as a B-side,[13] on the single "How Do U Want It",[26] by Tupac featuring The Outlawz.[9] In June, 1996 under the label Death Row Records,[11] "Hit 'Em Up" was released on compact disc, as well as 12-inch.[26] It also appeared posthumously on several compilations, including the 2004 release of Shakur's last recorded live performance, Live at the House of Blues.[27] Upon the release, "Hit 'Em Up" received frequent radio airplay, which was attributed to the public interest in the ongoing feud and radio stations' desire to garner high ratings.[8] However, some radio stations refused to play it, such as the Los Angeles based KPWR.[28]

The original cover for the single had Puffy's head on a snake body, and Biggie's head on a pig's.[29] The followup to "Hit 'Em Up" was the song "Bomb First (My Second Reply)".[30]

Music video

thumb|Shot from the music video, with stand-in Biggie on the left and Lil' Kim on the right. The music video for "Hit 'Em Up" was filmed in a warehouse off of Slauson Avenue near Fox Hills Mall,[31] in Los Angeles in May, 1996.[29] It was filmed by the production company Look Hear Productions.[31] Shakur raps in a white room with The Outlawz, as well as in purple-caged room and a black room with bullet holes in the background. TV monitors in the background show clips of Shakur, Puffy, and Biggie Smalls, and even clips from the video "Made Niggaz". The video featured actors who were recalled from their prior roles in the music video for "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" to impersonate some of those who were attacked in "Hit 'Em Up".[32] This included Biggie, whose stand-in stares dully into the camera and sports a Kangol and jacket, similar to one Biggie would wear. During the moments where Shakur raps about his claimed affair with Evans, Biggie crouches near the camera while Shakur yells in his face. Puffy was also impersonated, appearing with a high-top fade and leaning towards the camera, lowering and raising his sunglasses.[32]

During the shooting of the video, Shakur was engaged in an argument with someone, who was heard telling him "You'll get shot." He and his bodyguard, who was armed, ensured that he had nothing to worry about.[31] He had also broken up a fight Muta had gotten into during the filming,[33] and fired a production assistant on set.[34] The assistant was answering his pager and without his consent, returning his personal calls. Some of those calls were to women who became either confused or angry that the female assistant was answering his calls. The assistant had even mistakenly lost the pager, but by the time she had found it, Shakur had already had enough, and he fired her.[35]

The video for "Hit 'Em Up" has been called infamous as well.[36] It surpassed the song and video for "New York, New York", by DPG in popularity.[36]

Response

From Biggie

After hearing "Hit 'Em Up" Biggie continued ensuring his innocence in the shooting incident. He also remarked that the song "Who shot ya?" was written before Shakur was shot and thus, was not about him.[10] In an interview after its' release, and regarding Shakur's belief in his presumed involvement in the shooting, as evidenced by the lyrics in "Hit 'Em Up", Biggie stated:

He ain't mad at the niggas that shot him; he knows where they're at. He knows who shot him. If you ask him, he knows, and everybody in the street knows, and he's not stepping to them, because he knows that he's not gonna get away with that shit. To me, that's some real sucker shit. Be mad at everybody, man; don't be using niggas as scapegoats. We know that he's a nice guy from New York. All shit aside, Tupac is a nice, good-hearted guy.[13]

Regarding the lyrics aimed at his wife Faith, Biggie expressed an inability to find merit in what Shakur had claimed. He believed that Shakur intended to attack him through Faith, although he remained unsure of whether or not an encounter between them had occurred. Ultimately, he thought that if something had occurred it was none of his business, and that Shakur should not have disclosed this information publicly in a song.[3] Biggie did respond to this matter in a similar fashion, rapping in a joint release by himself and Jay-Z in the song "Brooklyn's Finest",[37] where he says "If Faye have twins, she'd probably have two packs. Get it? TuPacs?" Shortly after the release of "Hit 'Em Up" Evans went on the radio, denying that she had been with Shakur.[38]

From other artists

Puffy could not understand the sheer rage Shakur had expressed for Biggie in "Hit 'Em Up". He also responded by reinforcing his and Biggie's innocence regarding the shooting and went on to say that prior to the incident they "were friends", and that they "would have never done nothing to hurt him".[39] Lil' Cease had said after the release that Biggie still had love for him, and even respected Shakur.[40] The attack on Prodigy came as a surprise to him,[10] and together with the rest of Mobb Deep they responded to 2Pac and Death Row with the track "Drop a Gem on 'em".[41] It was first released as a promotional single, and later appeared on their album Hell on Earth. Lyrically, it did not specifically name Shakur, but it did allude to the shooting incident. It has also been noted for erroneously informing the amount of money the jewelry was worth that Shakur had taken from him during the shooting incident.[42]

Reception

"Hit 'Em Up" has been called many things; controversial,[28] infamous,[13] as well as disturbing,[43] and brutal.[10] Shakurs' insults against virtually the entire East Coast scene of rappers was said to be ferocious,[44] and it has been viewed as one of Shakur's songs that resonated and was spoken of the most by young people, the other being "Dear Mama".[45] XXL Magazine has slated it the greatest diss song of all time.[46] Some felt that "Hit 'Em Up" showcased Shakur ranting and raving like a fool,[47] and J.R. Reynolds of Billboard magazine called it horrendous, noting that Shakur revealed his true colors upon recording the song. He also went on to say that although sympathetic to the shooting, "Hit 'Em Up" had "fan(ned) the flames of hatred.. ..and affects an entire black culture's psyche", calling it "repugnant and unacceptable".[8] Among associates of Shakur, it had been called a "bad-luck song".[25] Los Angeles radio director Bruce St. James called the song "the be-all, end-all, curse-word, dirty-lyric, violent song of all time".[28] Those in the rap industry have referred to it as the best diss record.[48] Documentary filmmaker Carl Weston believed that "most people in Biggie's shows would have wanted to at least hurt Tupac" in a Spin magazine interview.[40]

Among musicians, the song drew criticism from singer Dionne Warwick,[49] and disapproval from Kool Moe Dee and Chuck D, who felt that although Shakur was one of the most substantive rappers of that period, he had gone too far with "Hit 'Em Up".[50] It also may have caused some of Shakurs' fans to turn on him.[51]

Aftermath

In retrospect of the events which ensued only a few months afterward, the song has been viewed as the turning point in the feud between Shakur and Biggie, where things were said and sung which could never be taken back during the remainder of Shakur's life.[52] This has led to it being dubbed as the beginning of the war between the East Coast and the West Coast,[52] and the centerpiece in what became the most venomous battle in rap history.[53] Shakur and the Death Row crew attended a boxing match in Las Vegas,[54] which resulted in his murder in 1996. Discussions began as to the cause, and as to whether "Hit 'Em Up" may have angered Biggie enough to the point of desiring to kill Shukar.[55] It has appeared numerously on compilations of Shakur's and has been sampled several times as well.

"Hit 'Em Up" has been studied academically,[56] and it has been used as a part of a series of lessons for building the means to communicate with younger people.[57] Its' main role in these lessons is on defining anger in rap music.[58]

Appearances

Remixes and samples

  • "Quitter" by Eminem - the second half of the song is a remix of "Hit 'Em Up" and in itself is a diss track aimed towards Everlast.
  • "Hit 'Em Up" by Khia - the beat and part of the hook in her diss to female rappers Trina and Jacki-O.
  • "What I Think About You" by Bow Wow - reinterpolation of "Hit 'Em Up" and diss song to fellow rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'em.

References

Notes
  1. ^ Gilmore, p. 223.
  2. ^ a b c d Brown, p. 109.
  3. ^ a b c the Blacklist, p. 103.
  4. ^ a b c Lang, p. 45.
  5. ^ Sandy; Daniels, p. 74.
  6. ^ Gilmore, p. 460.
  7. ^ Brown, p. 110.
  8. ^ a b c d Reynolds, p. 19.
  9. ^ a b Golus, p. 58.
  10. ^ a b c d e f the Blacklist, p. 104.
  11. ^ a b c Saxon, p. 114.
  12. ^ Strong, p. 1126.
  13. ^ a b c d e the Blacklist, p. 100.
  14. ^ Dimitriadis, p. 75.
  15. ^ Jones; Jenson, p. 150.
  16. ^ Hess, p. 405.
  17. ^ Scott, p. 38.
  18. ^ Scott, p. 39.
  19. ^ Jenkins; Wilson, p. 239.
  20. ^ a b McClairne, p. 25.
  21. ^ Strong; Peel, p. 1573.
  22. ^ McClairne, p. 24.
  23. ^ "2Pac feat. Outlawz Hit 'Em Up". WhoSampled. WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  24. ^ Caramanica, p. 138.
  25. ^ a b Alexander; Cuda, p. 139.
  26. ^ a b Strong, p. 1127.
  27. ^ Strong, p. 1128.
  28. ^ a b c McAdams, p. 86.
  29. ^ a b Saxon, p. 107.
  30. ^ Hess, p. 392.
  31. ^ a b c Alexander; Cuda, p. 132.
  32. ^ a b Ro, p. 90.
  33. ^ Alexander; Cuda, p. 205.
  34. ^ Alexander; Cuda, p. 65.
  35. ^ Alexander; Cuda, p. 66.
  36. ^ a b Attaway, p.215.
  37. ^ Heos, p. 20.
  38. ^ Scott, p. 53.
  39. ^ Scott, p. 170.
  40. ^ a b Jenkins, p. 85.
  41. ^ H., Bill (May 6, 2008). "Mobb Deep vs. 2Pac". The Top 11 Diss Songs in Hip-Hop. UGO Networks. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  42. ^ Jenkins; Wilson, p. 195.
  43. ^ Strong, p. 316.
  44. ^ Brown, p. 109.
  45. ^ Dimitriadis, p. 135.
  46. ^ (registration required) Wilson, Elliot. "Shots Fired". XXL Magazine. Harris Publications, Inc. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  47. ^ Boyd, p. 93.
  48. ^ Tzar, p. 85.
  49. ^ Hall; Hall, p. 630.
  50. ^ Kool Moe Dee; Chuck D., p. 80.
  51. ^ Kool Moe Dee; Chuck D., p. 223.
  52. ^ a b Mills, p. 74.
  53. ^ Brown, p. 108.
  54. ^ McClairne, p. 26.
  55. ^ Dimitriadis, p. 139.
  56. ^ McCarthy.
  57. ^ Elligan, p. 68.
  58. ^ Elligan, p. 178.
Bibliography
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  • Attaway, Kenny (2006). In the Arms of Baby Hop. AuthorHouse. p. 416. ISBN 1425971059.
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  • Boyd, Todd (2004). The New H.N.I.C.: The Death of Civil Rights and the Reign of Hip Hop. NYU Press. p. 192. ISBN 0814798969.
  • Brown, Jake (2005). Tupac Shakur, (2-Pac) in the studio: the studio years (1989-1996). Amber Books Publishing. p. 192. ISBN 0976773503.
  • Caramanica, Jon (October 2000). "You gotta have faith: Tupac, Biggie and the Diva". Spin Magazine. 16 (10). SPIN Media LLC: 202. ISSN 0886-3032.
  • Dimitriadis, Greg (2009). Performing identity/performing culture: hip hop as text, pedagogy, and lived practice. Peter Lang. p. 187. ISBN 1433105381.
  • Elligan, Don (2006). Rap therapy: a practical guide for communicating with youth and young adults through rap music. Dafina Books. p. 196. ISBN 0758203969.
  • Gilmore, Mikal (2000). Night Beat: A Shadow History of Rock & Roll. Random House, Inc. p. 480. ISBN 0385500297.
  • Golus, Carrie (2007). Tupac Shakur. Lerner Publications. p. 112. ISBN 0822566095.
  • Hall, Dennis (2006). American icons: an encyclopedia of the people, places, and things that have shaped our culture. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 284. ISBN 9780275984298. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Hess, Mickey (2007). Icons of hip hop: an encyclopedia of the movement, music, and culture. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 640. ISBN 9780313339042.
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  • Jenkins, Sacha (January, 2000). "Controversy: Was Notorious B.I.G. connected to Tupac Shakur's murder?". Spin Magazine. 19 (1). SPIN Media LLC: 106. ISSN 0886-3032. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  • Jenkins, Sacha (1999). Ego trip's book of rap lists. Macmillan. p. 352. ISBN 0312242980. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Jones, Steve (2005). Afterlife as afterimage: understanding posthumous fame. Peter Lang. p. 293. ISBN 0820463655. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Kool Moe Dee (2003). There's a god on the mic: the true 50 greatest MCs. Thunder's Mouth Press. p. 342. ISBN 1560255331. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Lang, Holly (2007). The Notorious B.I.G.: A Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 115. ISBN 0313341567.
  • McAdams, Janine (June 29, 1996). "Rap Lyrics Bleeping up the Airwaves". Billboard Magazine. 108 (26). Nielsen Business Media, Inc: 104. ISSN 0006-2510.
  • McCarthy, Cameron (1999). Sound identities: popular music and the cultural politics of education. Peter Lang. p. 490. ISBN 0820441392.
  • McClairne, Denard (2003). Tupac and Elvis: Inevitably Restless. Trafford Publishing. p. 142. ISBN 1553956915.
  • Mills, Clifford W. (2007). Tupac Shakur. Infobase Publishing. p. 104. ISBN 0791094952.
  • Reynolds, J.R. (June 8, 1996). "How low can you stoop? Just ask 2Pac". Billboard Magazine. 108 (23). Nielsen Business Media, Inc: 120. ISSN 0006-2510.
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  • Sandy, Candace (2006). How Long Will They Mourn Me?: The Life and Legacy of Tupac Shakur. Random House, Inc. p. 159. ISBN 0345494830. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Saxon, Shani (October, 1999). "Back 2 the Essence". Vibe Magazine. 7 (8). Vibe Media Group: 206. ISSN 1070-4701. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  • Scott, Cathy (2000). The murder of Biggie Smalls. Macmillan. p. 210. ISBN 0312266200.
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  • Tzar, Jennifer (December, 2006). Spin Magazine. 22 (12). Spin Media LLC: 120. ISSN 0886-3032. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
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