Tupac's contribution to rap music was, as we know, prodigious.
Never afraid to speak his mind, he had a penchant for self-expression and telling stories that few of rap's many stars have ever been able to come close to.
He had another side too of course - he was always in trouble with the law (various charges against him range from sexual assault to attempted murder) and he often advocated violence for the Black Panther cause.
Featuring a glut of contemporary artists from the rap, poetry, acting and world music scene's, this collection focuses - for the most part - on Tupac's more introspective and conscious sides.
Dan Rockett, for example, offers a softly acoustic version of 'Sometimes I Cry' and poetess Nikki Giovanni tackles the title track to a laid back r & b groove. 'Wake me when I'm free' is performed by Babatunde Olatunji and Sikiru Adepoju, a patiently delivered insight into his love of freedom and self-expression, also spoken in Yoruba.
The hip hop tracks take the pulse rate up a few notches, particularly Mos Def's version of the potent 'Can U C The Pride In The Panther' which addresses the Black Panther struggle, and Q Tip's take on 'The Fear In The Heart Of A Man'.
Despite his brash, bragging, violent side, Tupac was capable of writing touching poetry. Like Curtis Mayfield before him, he often managed to link a deep spirituality with a conscious reality and this collection which swings between the righteous and the frustrated - amply shows the breadth and depth of Shakur's lyrical abilities.
