Artist: Tupac Shakur
Title: Tupac - Live at the House of Blues
Released By: Death Row / Eagle Rock Entertainment
Mahogany Rating:
Reviewed by: Greg Simms Jr.

Whether you liked Tupac Shakur or hated him, one thing is certain. He mattered. Hell, he more than mattered. He may be the most influential rapper in history. No one has ever blended menace and charm quite like "Pac". The mind boggles at the thought of what Tupac may have become had he not been killed that September night in 1996. What's also fascinating is the person he became before he was killed. After being freed from prison in 1996 (he was convicted of rape) by Suge Knight, Pac became a member of Knight's Death Row Records and became his most fearsome incarnation of 'Pac "The rider" yet. He was a hungry, angry, amped up version of himself, and it's never been more evident than on this DVD, "Tupac Live At The House Of Blues".

This concert performance DVD captures Tupac in all his Thug Life glory. Bald headed, hyped up, and defiant there's never been a better picture of Tupac this ferocious. From the fire and brimstone delivery of his raps, to the pimp strut in his stage movements, this is Pac the warrior on full display. Tupac's actual "set" is pretty well done, although there are parts of it that are haphazard and sloppy. It's Tupac's presence that uplifts the performance. The most fascinating thing about the performance is that Tupac was the opener for Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound: he easily outshines them. Not to say that Snoop and company don't impress. He and his Dogg Pound fam (back then and now on again) run through a number of classics that take you back to the days of St. Ides and blunt smoke.

The downer of the DVD is.... Tupac's death. When you watch him spout insults to Biggie and Faith Evans between songs, you see the venom that caused him to get mixed up in the nonsense that may have caused his death. When you see his "I dare you to say anything to me" attitude (made stronger no doubt by having Suge Knight as your benefactor) near the end of the DVD, you wonder if he'd still be with us today if he'd just...calmed down. But unfortunately, that's why we loved him.

- [ GS ] -