2Pac

Released: November 21, 2000

Featuring: Mac Mall Quincy Jones Rashida Jones

Songwriter: 2Pac

Producer: QDIII

[Intro: Quincy Jones]
Starry night.. an unknown creation
Written by, and from the archives of 2Pac Shakur
Dedicated to the memory of Vincent Van Gogh
A creative heart obsessed with satisfying
This dorment and uncaring society
You have given them the stars at night
And you have given them bountiful bouquets of sunflowers
But for you there's only contempt
Though you pour yourself into that frame and present it so proudly
This world could not accept your masterpieces, from the heart
So on that starry night, you gave to us and you took away from us
The one thing we never acknowledged, your life..

[Interlude: Mac Mall]
Yeah, game laid down by Q, you know what I'm saying?
Vocals by Rasheeda, fly beat by QDIII
And flows by the M-A-C y'all, Mr. M-A-C Mall

[Hook: Rasheeda]
Starry night, your life
You gave to us, and took away from us
Starry night, your life
You gave to us, and took away from us

[Verse 1: Mac Mall]
Uhh, uhh.. watch me live my art; writing words from my soul in blood
And speak the truth on every thing I love
I'll probably sacrifice my life.. to send my message through mics
It's like a war drum calling soldiers at night
It's bigger than music I spit it straight from the heart
So it's cold and dark and deep like the universe, but nah don't start
It's for your entertainment but it's my life y'all
And I can't rewind, fast forward, or press pause
But when you give your all, it's like the fans demand more
And after the tour I sit alone like before
When your name is hot it's all love, the world is yours
But when you fall off, you get ignored

[Hook: Rasheeda]
Starry night, your life
You gave to us, and took away from us

[Verse 2: Mac Mall]
You on the cover of the magazine, flossing on the TV screen
Toasting with your champagne, playin life like a game
Loaded in the limousine, love to hear the fans scream
Swimming with the sharks now, ain't no love - money king
People got they hands out but ain't nobody lending hands
Can you really blame them for trying to get what they can?
Late night, bright lights, lust and lies
And anything goes under the Hollywood sign
Well you might lose your soul and who knows what you'll find
But go ahead man we all want to shine...
But go ahead man we all want to shine...

[Hook: Rasheeda]
Starry night, your life
You gave to us, and took away from us
Starry night, your life
You gave to us, and took away from us

[Outro: Mac Mall]
There you have it..
You know, when I was younger I prayed, to get in this game
You know to hold this microphone in my hand
I asked the man upstairs, to let me rock a crowd one day
You know let people out there feel the way I feel through my music
Like my homeboy 2Pac did for sure
And he gave that to me
But he didn't, he didn't, he didn't let me know
About all the shady shit that's in, in between
You and your dream, you know?
See it's more than the music, I spit it from the heart
So sometime it's cold and it's dark, but it's raw
And that's how I'mma bring it to you every time, you know?

[Hook: Rasheeda]
Starry night, your life
You gave to us, and took away from us
Starry night, your life
You gave to us, and took away from us

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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