Tupac Shakur’s All Eyez on Me was released in February 1996, shortly after the rapper was bailed out of prison by Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight.
"Prison ain't changed me," Tupac says on the album. "It made me worse!" The double album had two No. 1 hits—“How Do You Want It” and “California Love”—and was certified diamond by 2014. With production by the late Johnny Jay and Tha Dogg Pound’s Daz Dillinger, the album solidified itself as one of the rapper’s biggest albums—and one of rap’s defining moments. Look for the Tupac biopic bearing the album’s name in 2017.
Tupac Shakur
All Eyez on Me’s release was wedged between Tupac Shakur's time in jail on sexual assault charges and just seven months to the date before he died after being gunned down on the Las Vegas strip. He died Sept. 13, 1996, in Las Vegas. He was 25. Actor Demetrius Shipp Jr. is set to play him in the movie.
Suge Knight, Then
In October 1995, just five months before the release of All Eyez on Me, Suge Knight helped pony up the $1.4 million bail to get Pac out of jail. He is credited as an executive producer on the album, and it was the first album that Pac released on Death Row Records.
Snoop Dogg, Then
Snoop was featured on two songs on the album, “All About You” and “2 of Amerika’s Most Wanted.” Snoop was acquitted of murder charges one week after the release of All Eyez on Me and released his sophomore album, Tha Doggfather, in November 1996.
Snoop Dogg, Now
Snoop is currently starring opposite Martha Stewart on Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party on VH1. In July he released his 14th studio album, Coolaid. In 2015 he launched Leafs by Snoop.
Nate Dogg
Nate Dogg was featured on two songs on the album, “All About You” and “Scandalouz.” Nate Dogg died in March 2011 as a result of complications from multiple strokes. He was 41.
Danny Boy, Then
Danny Boy rose to fame by singing the choruses on “I Ain’t Mad at Cha,” “Picture Me Rollin’” and a couple of others. He recorded a solo album in 1996 called It’s About Time, but it wasn’t released until 2010. He also released a single called "Slip N' Slide" in 1996.
Danny Boy, Now
In a recent interview on Vlad TV, Danny Boy reflected on his time on Death Row Records. In 2013 Danny Boy came out as gay, Advocate reported, but he has also expressed reservations about being in a same-sex relationship. You can follow him on Instagram here.
Suge Knight, Now
In February 2015, Suge Knight was charged with murder and attempted murder after a hit-and-run incident in Compton, Calif. He is set to face a jury in February 2017. In the upcoming Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me, Dominic L. Santana will play Suge.
Johnny J
Johnny J produced several songs on All Eyez on Me, including “Life Goes On,” “How Do You Want It?” and “Picture Me Rollin’.” Through the late ’90s, he produced several tracks for Tupac, many of which landed on the artist’s posthumous albums. In 2008, Johnny J reportedly jumped to his death in a Los Angeles County jail. He was 39.
Daz Dillinger, Then
Daz Dillinger produced “Ambitionz az a Ridah,” “2 of Amerika’s Most Wanted” and “I Ain’t Mad at Cha.” Dillinger was one-half of Tha Dogg Pound, with rapper Kurupt.
Daz Dillinger, Now
TMZ reported in July that the release date for the All Eyez on Me had been delayed because of a dispute over the rights to the track “Ambitionz az a Ridah.” The film has been pushed back to 2017. But for Daz, telling the story of Tha Dogg Pound is his priority. In October he released a trailer for DPG 4 Life—you can watch it here. Azad Arnaud, who is a relative of Dillinger’s, will portray him in All Eyez on Me.
DJ Quik, Then
DJ Quik worked long, hard hours with Tupac in the studio for All Eyez on Me. “I ended up mixing 14 songs in two days, I don’t think I went home; I must have smelled like a goat,” he told Vice in 2015. He also produced “Heartz of Men.”
DJ Quik, Now
In April, DJ Quik collaborated with Compton rapper Problem and put out the EP Rosecrans. In September he released “Black Friday,” which calls up memories of working with Tupac. “If Pac was here, he’d write a song that’d calm you down/And I would maybe produce it, give it that Compton sound.” Recently he has produced albums for the Game, YG and Snoop Dogg, according to All Music.
Dr. Dre, Then
Most notably, Dr. Dre produced the first single on All Eyez on Me, “California Love.” The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also produced “Can’t See Me.” Fun fact: Both of these songs were intended for Dr. Dre, according to Revolt.
Dr. Dre, Now
In April, Dr. Dre was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with fellow members of N.W.A. “But this is proof, this is proof, to all the kids out there, growing up in places like Compton, that anything is possible,” he said. “You just have to find that thing that's special about you that distinguishes you from all the others, and through true talent, hard work and passion, anything can happen.” In 2015, after a 16-year drought, he released Compton, his third studio album.