2Pac

Released: August 10, 2004

Songwriter: 2Pac Dr. Dre Ronnie Hudson Roger Troutman Mikel Hooks Lester Troutman Joe Cocker Chris Stainton

Producer: Dr. Dre

[Spoken Word]
California Love, y'all!
Throw your motherfuckin' hands in the air, you know what I mean?
Keep your hand up! All of y'all stand up!
Throw your motherfuckin' hands up!
This here is the city of L.A. and we're gonna party
Get those hands up!

[Chorus]
California love
California knows how to party
California knows how to party
In the city of L.A
In the city of good ol' Watts
In the city, the city of Compton
We keep it rockin', we keep it rockin'

[Verse 1]
Out on bail, fresh out of jail, California dreamin'
Soon as I step on the scene, I'm hearin' hoochies screamin'
Fiendin' for money and alcohol, the life of a Westside player
Where cowards die and the strong ball
Only in Cali where we riot, not rally, to live and die
In L.A. we wearin' Chucks, not Ballys
Dressed in Locs and Khaki suits, and ride is what we do
Flossin' but have caution: we collide with other crews
Famous because we program
Worldwide, let them recognize from Long Beach to Rosecrans
Bumpin' and grindin' like a slow jam
It's Westside, so you know the Row won't bow down to no man
Say what you say, but give me that bomb beat from Dre
Let me serenade the streets of L.A
From Oakland to Sac-town, the Bay Area and back down
Cali is where they put their mack down, give me love!

[Chorus]
California love
California knows how to party
California knows how to party
In the city of L.A
In the city of good ol' Watts
In the city, the city of Compton
We keep it rockin', we keep it rockin'

[Bridge]
Shake, shake it, baby
Shake, shake it, mama
Shake it, shake it, Cali
Shake it, shake it, baby
Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it
Shake, shake it, baby
Shake, shake it, mama

[Spoken Word]
The world won't be the same no more
They should've never let me on Death Row
Said it's always gonna be poppin', from '96 to 2000's
Best believe when I tell you that
We are out this bitch
I love California
And y'all better love California too
We're all representing
Fuck most of these bitch ass niggas in the mouth
When they start [?]
What the fuck is wrong with you East Side?
Let them niggas know what time it is
West Side baby! That's right New York
West Side! We are west side!

[Chorus]
California knows how to party
California knows how to party
In the city of L.A
In the city of good ol' Watts
In the city, the city of Compton
We keep it rockin'

[Bridge]
Shake, shake it, baby
Shake, shake it, mama
Shake it, Cali
Shake it, shake it, baby
Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it
Shake, shake it, baby
Shake, shake it, mama

[Indiscernable rapping]

[Outro]
The shit don't stop, it don't stop
The shit don't stop, it don't stop
It's all BL
Turn that dawg right thought before we get started
1, 2, 1, 2, check it

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an actor and a highly influential rapper who is considered by many to be the greatest of all-time due to the revolutionary spirit and thug passion he mixed into his music. During his music career, he made appearances in movies such as his acclaimed debut in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), and Above the Rim (1994).

Born in Harlem, New York City to Black Panther Party members Billy Garland and Afeni Shakur, Tupac would later move to Baltimore before settling in the Bay Area cities of Oakland and Marin City in the late 1980s. There, he joined his first rap group Strictly Dope with Ray Luv before connecting with Shock G and Digital Underground. He was a roadie and backup dancer for the group before his breakthrough performance on their 1991 song “Same Song.”

2Pac released his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, which featured intense storytelling on singles such as “Trapped” and “Brenda’s Got a Baby.” His sophomore album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z featured one of his signature songs, the Digital Underground-assisted “I Get Around.” After working on the Thug Life group album in 1994, 2Pac released Me Against the World the following year, which is considered by many to be his best album, peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200 and receiving a Grammy nomination—all while he sat in prison.

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