THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.
Ready to Die released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album features productions by Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, Lord Finesse, among others. According to Tupac in a 1996 interview he mentioned that the album sounded like his first Me Against the World album and therefore had to change it.
MAC MALL
In 1993, Mac Mall released his debut album Illegal Business? on Young Black Brotha Records. Entirely produced by Khayree Shaheed, the album featured Ray Luv and Mac Dre. Illegal Business? moved over 200,000 units independently, a major feat for an independent artist and record label. He met Tupac Shakur shortly after the album's release, who after praising Mac's music offered to direct a video for the single "Ghetto Theme".
C-BO
A rapper from Sacramento, California released several albums, Gas Chamber, The Autopsy and Tales From The Crypt before he met up and recorded songs with Tupac Shakur in 1995 for All Eyez On Me. Tupac admired him and told the Outlaw members to study his music.
CELLY CEL
In a interview with Mike Mosley in 2016 with Art of Dialogue. He met Tupac Shakur at Jack The Rapper and told him the track "Ballin Thru My Hood" on the album Heat 4 Yo Azz released in 1994 was one of his favorite songs.
RELATED ARTIST & GROUPS
UGK
Ridin' Dirty is the third studio album by American hip hop duo UGK. It was released on July 30, 1996, by Jive Records. Despite no music videos or official singles being released, it is their best selling album with over 850,000 copies sold to date, with 70,000 copies sold in its first week. The album became one of the most influential albums in Southern hip hop, especially the Houston hip hop scene. Prior to his murder in 1996, West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur listened to the album after being introduced to the group by Houston rapper Scarface. Shakur would go on to praise the album.
ICE CUBE
Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popularity, and his political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were all critically and commercially successful. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016.
Tupac sampled several of Ice Cube songs on his albums 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My Niggaz.
THA DOGG POUND
Dogg Food is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Tha Dogg Pound, released on October 31, 1995. The album features guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Michel'le, The Lady of Rage, Tray Deee, and Mr. Malik. Two singles were released from the album: "Let's Play House" (featuring Michel'le and Nate Dogg) and "New York, New York" (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg).
According to Kurupt when Tupac came to Deathrow he told him when he was in jail that all he would listen to was "New York, New York". Tupac could also be seen dancing to the song "Let's Play House" in Club 662 in 1995.
PUBLIC ENEMY
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group formed by Chuck D and Flavor Flav on Long Island, New York, in 1985. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as American racism and the American media. Their debut album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, was released in 1987 to critical acclaim, and their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), was the first hip hop album to top The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll. Their next three albums, Fear of a Black Planet (1990), Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991) and Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (1994), were also well received. The group has since released twelve more studio albums, including the soundtrack to the 1998 sports-drama film He Got Game and a collaborative album with Paris, Rebirth of a Nation (2006).
Tupac sampled several songs from Public Enemy on his albums 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My Niggaz.
EVIL MIND GANGSTAS
Big Syke: I made the evil mind gangstas album in 92, actually it was a tape at the time,which was sold out the back of my car syke said. I formed the Evil Mind Gangstas with Mental Illness (RIP),Domino, my homeboy Surge,me and my little brother DJ Chainsaw and Big Kato (RIP) who helps me to fund the project (Big Kato whose the song How Long Will They Mourn Me pays tribute to him) Tupac became a fan of the group and made a cameo appearance in the music video Livin On the Edge.
COOLIO
Gangsta's Paradise is the second studio album by American rapper Coolio, released on November 7, 1995. It is Coolio's best-selling album, with over two million copies sold in the United States. The album produced three singles, which became hits: the title track (which was first used in the 1995 film Dangerous Minds. According to the producer Doug Rasheed in a interview with 2Pac-forum Tupac was a fan of Gangsta Paradise and was surprise to know that Doug produced the song. Gangsta's Paradise” sampled the Stevie Wonder 1976 single, “Pastime Paradise.”
NAS
It Was Written is the second studio album by Nas, released on July 2, 1996. After the modest commercial success of his debut album Illmatic (1994), Nas pursued a more polished, mainstream sound for It Was Written. Produced largely by Trackmasters, it departed from the debut's raw, underground and embraced mafioso and gangsta themes. The recording also marked the first appearance of Nas's short-lived group The Firm, featuring the rappers Foxy Brown, AZ, and Cormega.
Tupac Shakur would listen to Nas music and took offense to the opening line of the song "The Message", and in retaliation insulted Nas on a song titled "Against All Odds" In an interview for King magazine, Nas later confirmed that the song was intended as a diss towards The Notorious B.I.G., with the line "There's one life, one love, so there can only be one King."
On the Makaveli: The 7 Day Theory album Tupac Shakur compared his girlfriend to a gun on the song "Me and My Girlfriend." Although the song was released posthumously, Young Noble, a close friend of Tupac Shakur, said that "I Gave You Power" served as the main inspiration for Shakur's "Me and My Girlfriend".
BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (formerly known as B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e and also known as Bone Thugs) is an American hip hop group composed of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone. Formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio, the group signed to fellow American rapper Eazy-E's Ruthless Records in late 1993, on which they debuted with their EP Creepin on ah Come Up the next year. The EP included their breakout hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone". In 1995, the group released its second album E. 1999 Eternal, which included hits "1st of tha Month" and "East 1999".
According to Krazy Bone interview with BET Networks in 2016. Tupac told him that when he was in jail he would listen to the original Crossroads everyday. Bone Thugs went on to later record the song "Thug Luv" ft 2Pac on the album Art of War.
SPICE 1
Welcome to the Ghetto" is a 1992 single by Spice 1. The lyrics depict the everyday struggles of ghetto life such as black-on-black crime, constant death, drugs, gun violence, and gangs. The song made it to two Billboard charts, peaking at #39 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart and #5 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The song would later influence 2Pac's song "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" as that song's title is directly named after a line from the first verse of this song.