Police Brutality Protest

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Lore & Background

The song's origins trace back to 1992 during Shakur's tenure at Interscope Records, produced by Big D The Impossible (Deon Evans). Although recorded early, the version released in 1998 was not a remix by Poke from Trackmasters; the final released version is the original production, with Poke only handling a remix that was ultimately unused. This final iteration incorporates specific lyrical reuses from "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto," also recorded in 1992. The chorus rewords the line "That's just the way it is," originally from Bruce Hornsby and the Range's song, not from Talent, who provided additional vocals but did not originate that line. The track evolves through its choruses: the first includes a sample of 'The Way It Is' by Bruce Hornsby in the intro, not a Run-DMC vocal sample. The second chorus does not include Ice Cube's line "Dope dealers, you're as bad as the police" from his song "Us" in the final 1998 release; that sample appears only in the original 1992 demo. The third chorus does not feature a B-boy-style chant of "Clap your hands and feel it!"—that chant is absent from the final released version.

In Their Own Story

In the music video directed by Chris Hafner, Tupac's protest against brutality is visualized not through new footage but as a compilation of previous videos, home movies, and never-before-seen pictures. This format mirrors The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Dead Wrong" (1999), creating a retrospective look at the artist's life. Lyrically, the song references Huey P. Newton, founder of the Black Panther Party, with the line "two shots in the dark, now Huey's dead," grounding the protest in historical activism. The final verse sees Shakur imagining his own death, mimicking gunshots with the phrase "rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat." Released after his death, the song tackles racism, police brutality, drugs, and gang violence directly. It even speculates on a black president of the United States, claiming "we ain't ready," highlighting the deep-seated societal barriers preventing such progress.

Reader's Guide

For listeners seeking to understand the protest elements in this work, focus on the specific samples and lyrical callbacks that anchor the song in reality. The track interprets Bruce Hornsby and the Range's "The Way It Is" (1986) while integrating the drum loop from Strafe's "Set It Off" (1984). To hear the full scope of the protest, listen for the Ice Cube sample regarding dealers and police in the second chorus. The song's legacy is confirmed by its nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2000 Grammy Awards, making it the only posthumous song nominated in that category. It also received MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best Editing in a Video and Best Rap Video in 1999. Recognized as one of the greatest rap songs of all time, Consequence ranked it number two on their list of the 20 greatest Tupac Shakur songs in 2017.

Did You Know?

• The song was originally recorded in 1992 but not released as a single until October 13, 1998.
• It was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards (2000), though it is not the only posthumous song to receive that honor—The Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Hypnotize' was also nominated in 1998.
• The second chorus of the final 1998 release does not feature a sample of Ice Cube's line "Dope dealers, you're as bad as the police" from his song "Us"; that sample appears only in the original 1992 demo.
• The music video, directed by Chris Hafner, features Tupac in a studio setting with footage of him and scenes of social unrest, not a compilation of previous videos and home pictures.
• Tupac mentions Huey P. Newton in the lyrics with the line "two shots in the dark, now Huey's dead."