The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory

Background

The album was completely finished in seven days during the first week of August 1996. The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four days. These are the last songs Shakur recorded before his fatal shooting on September 7, 1996. The album's original title was "The 3 Day Theory", (originally consisted of around 14 tracks). E.D.I. Mean of The Outlawz & Ronald "Riskie" Brent revealed in an August 2014 interview that the official name of the album was mixed up upon release. Tupac wanted the album to be called; "Don Makaveli - Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory". Don Makaveli referenced as the artist name and Killuminati as the main title. Ronald "Riskie" Brent is the creator of The 7 Day Theory cover painting. The album cover, which features Shakur on the cross in an attempt to convey his crucifixion by the media, is intended to imply an artistic resurrection.

George "Papa G" Pryce, Former Head of Publicity for Death Row, claimed that "Makaveli which we did was a sort of tongue-in-cheek, and it was not ready to come out, [but] after Tupac was murdered, it did come out... Before that, it was going to be a sort of an underground."

Recording and production

Although many of Shakur's usual producers were not involved in the project, the producers still managed to come through for the project. The only producer with whom Shakur had worked prior to this album was QD3, the son of Quincy Jones and brother of Shakur's girlfriend Kidada Jones. Shakur also co-produces three tracks on the album. The other two producers were Hurt-M-Badd and Darryl “Big D” Harper. E.D.I. Mean of the Outlawz recalls: At the time Hurt-M-Badd, who was just an up-and-coming producer at Death Row, and Darryl Harper, who was an R&B producer - Suge had him working on all the R&B projects - they had a green room up in Can-Am [Studios] which everybody around Death Row called the "wack room" because they said "Ain't nothing but wack shit come out of there." But we was up in the studio one day and we trying to get music done - ain't none of us producers - we see them two niggas in the "Wack room" and 'Pac like, "Go get them niggas." So niggas go bring them, 'Pac just putting niggas to work like, "I need a beat here, I need y'all to do this, do that." And these are niggas that nobody at Death Row was fucking with. They'll tell you themselves.

The album was recorded at Can-Am Studios in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California in 7 days in the month of August 1996. During those seven days 21 songs were completed, 12 of which made the final product. The album did not feature the star-studded guest list that All Eyez on Me did. Most of the guest verses are supplied by Shakur's group The Outlawz. The only verse that was not from one of the Outlawz was from Bad Azz. Young Noble of the Outlawz recalled: We had started writing the shit and we was taking long. 'Pac was like, "Who got something? Bad Azz you got something?" and it fit perfect, so it was meant for Bad Azz to be on that song. We had already been on a million 'Pac songs. That was his way of motivating us like, "If y'all ain't ready, then you don't make the song."

Lyrical themes

While All Eyez on Me was considered by Shakur "a celebration of life", The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is a much darker album. Shakur's style of rapping is still emotional, but is intensified throughout this album. Some songs on the album contain both subtle and direct insults to Shakur's rivals at the height of the East Coast–West Coast feud. Rappers insulted on the album include The Notorious B.I.G., Junior M.A.F.I.A., Puff Daddy, De La Soul, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, Nas and former Death Row label mate Dr. Dre, as well as New York based hip hop executives Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond, Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant and Walter "King Tut" Johnson with accusations of being associates of Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records in orchestrating the 1994 Quad Studio assault.

Although Shakur insulted rapper Nas on "Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply)" and "Against All Odds", rapper Young Noble, who appeared on several songs on The 7 Day Theory, stated in an interview that the Nas song "I Gave You Power" served as a main inspiration for Shakur's "Me and My Girlfriend". Shakur and Nas eventually squashed the beef at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards days before Shakur was murdered. They were scheduled to meet up in Las Vegas, but unfortunately they never got a chance to. Death Row associate Kurt Kobane revealed in an interview in 2016 that Shakur was listening to Nas album It Was Written the day he got shot on September 7, 1996, on his way to Las Vegas.

Singles

The first two singles, "Toss It Up" and "To Live & Die in L.A" was released, September 26, 1996, just under 2 weeks after Shakur's death. After hearing No Diggity (which features Dr. Dre) for the first time, several of Dr. Dre's former Death Row colleagues, including Shakur, recorded and attempted to release "Toss It Up", containing numerous insults aimed at Dr. Dre and using a deliberately similar instrumental to "No Diggity", but were forced to replace the production after Blackstreet issued the label with a cease and desist order stopping them from distributing the song. "Toss It Up" music video features Shakur, Danny Boy, K-Ci & JoJo, Aaron Hall, and was directed by Lionel C. Martin. According to Death Row Records, it was the last music video Shakur filmed. The video also includes an appearance from actress LisaRaye McCoy. A unreleased version of the video was leaked some years later, known online as "Toss It Up Beach Version".

"To Live & Die in L.A, was produced by QDIII who was the only outside Death Row producer on the album besides Demetrius Shipp who did "Toss It Up". QDIII was one of Shakur's favorite producers. QDIII told XXL Magazine:

A music video for "To Live & Die in L.A" was shot. It features Shakur working at a fruit stand, driving around Los Angeles in a car filled with women, and also features various scenes and pictures of notable places and events in Los Angeles. It was the first video shot for the album.

The album's final single, "Hail Mary" was released, February 11, 1997. The videos for "Hail Mary" and "To Live & Die in L.A can be found on the DualDisc of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.

Critical reception

AllMusic reviewer Thomas Erlewine gave the album 2.5 out of 5 stars saying, "Everything about The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory smacks of exploitation. Released only eight weeks after Tupac Shakur died from gunshot wounds, Death Row released this posthumous album under the name of Makaveli, a pseudonym derived from the Italian politician Niccolo Machiavelli, who faked his own death and reappeared seven days later to take revenge on his enemies. Naturally, the appearance of Don Killuminati so shortly after Tupac's death led many conspiracy theorists to surmise the rapper was still alive, but it was all part of a calculated marketing strategy by Death Row - the label needed something to sustain interest in the album, since the music here is so shoddy. All Eyez on Me proved that Tupac was continuing to grow as a musician and a human being, but Don Killuminati erases that image by concentrating on nothing but tired G-funk beats and back-biting East Coast/West Coast rivalries". Los Angeles Times critic Cheo Hodari Coker said, "while there are moments of power and poignancy in The Don Killuminati, it lacks the full ambition and range of Shakur's epic All Eyez on Me and Me Against the World packages. It's in those albums--and songs such as "Brenda's Got a Baby", "Lord Knows" and "Only God Can Judge Me"—that the legacy of this tortured, talented artist will be best found."

Retrospect

The emotion and anger showcased on the album has been admired by a large part of the hip-hop community, including other rappers. "There are a lot of 2Pac records I like," said 50 Cent, "but this is consistent all the way through. You could put this on and clean your whole house."

Commercial performance

The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200. The album generated the second-highest debut-week sales total of any album that year, selling 664,000 within its first week in stores. The album was certified 3x platinum in April 1997 and then 4x Platinum on June 15, 1999. As of 2013, the album had sold 5 million copies in the United States, which made it #24 on a list of highest selling hip-hop albums of all time.

Track listing

Sample credits

"Do Me, Baby" performed by Prince

Personnel

Credits for The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day of Theory adapted from AllMusic.