On the twentieth anniversary week of Me Against The World, Easy Mo Bee discusses producing songs on the Tupac album.
“We recorded a big batch of songs,” Easy Mo Bee says during an interview with RevoltTV. “He did one of the smartest things in the world to take the ‘Temptations’ and ‘If I Die Tonight’ and put that on Me Against The World. He takes ‘Straight Ballin,’ he throw that on Thug Life album. These are all songs that I did.”
A listening session on the set of Shakur’s film Above The Rim led to the creation of the “Temptations” record.
“I went to Rucker Park where he was filming Above The Rim, went into the trailer,” Easy Mo Bee says. “I played them one joint that I already made. That track ended up being ‘Temptations. And for all the beat makers, all the producers who know…it was ‘Computer Love’ filtered, just the bass frequencies. Then I’m drumming it up on top. Then I’m laying some keys.”
Easy Mo Bee says he first met Shakur in conjunction with a Big Daddy Kane performance held at Madison Square Garden.
“I’m walking in the long hallway and we gettin’ closer,” Easy Mo Bee says. “The closer he got, he pointed, ‘Yo, I was lookin for you.’ I was kinda fresh, new and green in the business. [In] ’89 I had just did Kane [produced on Big Daddy Kane’s It’s A Big Daddy Thing album] after that The Genius [Words From The Genius] album, some remixes in between and then I worked on that Miles Davis [Doo-Bop] album. He had just done the Juice movie.”
Easy Mo Bee describes the exchange as he recalls the encounter.
“I was like, ‘What you want from me?’” Easy Mo Bee says. “[Shakur] said, ‘I like the stuff you did on Big’s album [The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die]. I love that ‘Party And Bullshit.’ When he said that I was bugging because he’s from the West Coast. They got a whole different vibe.”
The Notorious B.I.G. was reportedly expecting those tracks for himself.
“He stood next to me and said, ‘Mo, you’re wrong. You know you were supposed give me them ‘Pac joints,’” Easy says. “[Biggie said], ‘You know nothing gets passed me.’”
In a February interview, Easy Mo Bee discussed being one of the few artists to work with Tupac and Biggie.
“A lot of people have said I was the only one to work with B.I.G. and Tupac while they were alive and that’s partially true,” Easy Mo Bee said at the time. “I’m not sure about any other situations.”
For additional Tupac coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
So many articles written about Biggie and Tupac, I’m starting to think hip hop writers are the only ones that actually still care. If neither one of them was murdered and were still rapping today, they’d be like Nas or Jay-Z: Accomplished, but not great.
and its blasphemy when people point that out. even us old heads who were around when pac/big first got started are getting tired of every death/album drop/fart etc. anniversary being celebrated.
One thing that is also getting old is stating that 2pac and Biggie were not that great. you are judging a 24 and 25 yr old who never reached their full potential yet left an impact that has not been matched. who is great in your eyes?
you say this is getting old, but you still throw your 2 cents in. i see you. bitch nigga.
2pac was BIGGER than Hip Hop. The reason blogs/magazines and so on continue to use his name in headlines is that it draws people in.
Also, 90% of his lyrics are still relevant.
Easy Mo Bee is a legend
Mef worked with both while they were alive too. What and Got my mind made up.
I think he’s referring to producers though as the being the only one
Only one to work with both Big and Tupac while they were alive? I can name another right off the top of my head, “Bone Thugs N Harmony.”
Only producer though
Me against the world is/was one of the best hip hop albums ever. It made you think while bobbing your head! The beats were banging, but more importantly, the lyrics were on point! #IfIdietonight #outlaw