Forget the bluster and Dre-induced funk of All Eyez On Me; Tupac’s best work was the introspective Me Against The World, recorded in the midst of his troubles with the law and “So Many Tears” can be considered one of the finest cuts on the album. While mainstream hip-hop has always been renowned for its braggadocio, here was a rapper laying bare his emotions, paranoia and weaknesses for all to see.
The verses are sequenced in a way that illustrates Tupac’s descent into depression in a poignant way. Mourning the loss of his “peers”, his only allies in a life of struggle, before his soul is crushed and he becomes obsessed with death.
“My every move is a calculated step, to bring me closer
To embrace an early death, now there's nothing left”
His anticipation of going to Hell, while pleading to be sent to Heaven, is harrowing to listen to but poetically supreme.
“So Many Tears” was one of the few 2Pac singles with a totally new track as a B-side. “Hard To Imagine” features Dramacydal, Tupac’s supporting crew later known as the Outlawz. It has lighter, jazzier tones than the main track and while keeping the subject matter serious, is something of a reprieve from suicidal thoughts.
What is it that’s so hard to imagine? Dramacydal fantasise over getting paid while having peace and justice in the ghetto. Tupac, rapping on the second verse which was later used for the Eminem-produced single “One Day At A Time”, paints another picture of his mind and his environment bringing him down, but proceeds to call for change. Ultimately, while trapped in despair himself, he still appeals to the youth around him to rise up and find another way; an optimism carried by the sound of the saxophone sliding through the chorus.
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