The 1990s saw a massive surge in the popularity of West Coast hip-hop. Following the earthquake that was NWA in the 1980s, gangsta rap became California’s defacto sound. In the early-90s, while working on his album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…, 2Pac (real name Tupac Shakur) called upon two LA legends to help him with a track.
Released in 1993, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… was considered Shakur’s breakout album. Although the emcee had been on Oakland’s underground alongside Shock G and others, singles such as ‘I Get Around’ and ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ firmly placed 2Pac on the map.
Having lived in New York and Baltimore prior to moving to Oakland, Shakur always professed that he was born on the East Coast but made on the West Coast, and, as such, he has a lot of love and respect for artists in the region—particularly those who told raw, unfiltered stories of the streets.
This is why Shakur asked Los Angeles legends Ice Cube and Ice-T to jump on his track ‘Last Wordz.’ The West Coast producer Bobcat made the instrumental in collaboration with the late icon Jam Master Jay.
Ice-T recently took to Twitter to share the rare moment that was captured on video of the three in the studio. Ice-T and Ice Cube are seen working on a song collaboration while others observe, and 2Pac is visibly present. In the caption for the video, Ice-T wrote, “Throwback: Super Rare. Me, Ice Cube, and 2Pac in the studio.”
After Ice-T (real name Tracy Marrow) posted the clip, fans were quick to comment, with one user writing, “OMG. Wow, that was amazing having [been] together in one room with 2Pac and, of course, my other two favourites of all time, Ice-T and Ice Cube. Wow. Wow!” While another wrote, “It’s all about the music. You three are icons. [I] love you all.”
You can watch the footage of 2pac, Ice Cube and Ice-T in the studio in the video below.
