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Changes (Tupac Shakur song)

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"Changes" (alternatively titled "That’s Just the Way It Is") is a song by American rapper 2Pac. It was recorded in 1992 before being remixed and released as a single from Shakur's Greatest Hits compilation on October 13, 1998. The song features Talent, an R&B trio from Kansas City consisting of Marlon “Castor Troy” Hatcher, Keith “Casino” Murrell and Ernest “Bishop” Dixon that was active from 1998 to 2005.[2] The song makes references to the many wars in the Middle East, the war on drugs, the treatment of black people by the police, racism, the reconciliation between the black and white people in America, the perpetuation of poverty and its accompanying vicious-cycle value system in urban African American culture, and the difficulties of life in the ghetto.

"Changes"
Single by 2Pac
from the album Greatest Hits
ReleasedOctober 13, 1998 (1998-10-13)
Recorded
  • 1992
  • 1998 (remix)
Genre
Length
  • 4:43
  • 4:30 (remix)
  • 4:54 (remix) (with longer piano intro)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Big D The Impossible, Trackmasters (Remix)
2Pac singles chronology
"Do for Love"
(1998) 		"Changes"
(1998) 		"Unconditional Love"
(1999)
Music video
"Changes" on YouTube

"Changes" samples Bruce Hornsby and the Range's 1986 song "The Way It Is". The chorus was sung by Talent. "Changes" received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2000 Grammy Awards, making it the only posthumous song to be nominated in this category. The song is widely regarded as one of the greatest rap songs of all time, as well as one of Shakur's greatest songs. In 2017, Consequence ranked the song number two on their list of the 20 greatest Tupac Shakur songs, and in 2020, Far Out ranked the song number six on their list of the 10 greatest Tupac Shakur songs.

Production and recording

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The song was originally recorded during his tenure at Interscope Records in 1992 and was produced by Big D The Impossible (Deon Evans). "Changes" was later remixed in 1998 by Poke from Trackmasters.

The song re-uses lines from "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" which was recorded during the same year, and samples the 1986 hit "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby and the Range. The chorus of "The Way It Is" was slightly reworded and sung by Talent and was used for this song. At times Tupac re-used lines from other unreleased songs because he planned to make an updated version at a later date. However, since his death many of the unreleased and unmastered songs have been officially released.

The remixed version released in 1998 has notably different percussion, and a few minor changes to the musical elements. The chorus on the original track features a notable difference in a vocal sample of the line, "It's like that and that's the way it is", from Run DMC's "It's Like That", which is also played twice during the intro. The second chorus adds the Ice Cube line, "Dope dealers, you're as bad as the police", from his song, "Us". The third chorus omits the Ice Cube sample and adds B-boy-style chant with an unknown person repeating, "Clap your hands and feel it, clap your hands and feel it!" until the song ends.

Samples

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The song is an interpretation of the 1986 hit "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, and samples the drum loop from the 1984 song "Set It Off" by Strafe. Bay Area rapper E-40 had interpreted the song already on his track, "Things'll Never Change", for his album Tha Hall of Game. The Tupac "Changes" instrumental was used by Insane Clown Posse in "Mom Song", a Mother's Day song. Nas sampled the song for his song "Black President". Polo G interpolated "Changes" on his 2020 song "Wishing for a Hero".

Overview

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The song was a number-one hit in Norway and the Netherlands and reached the top ten in the singles charts of several other countries, including number three in the United Kingdom, which gained Tupac a broader audience.

Released posthumously on his album Greatest Hits, the song talks about all of the different issues that were related to Tupac's era of influence—notably racism, police brutality, drugs and gang violence. The "Huey" that 2Pac mentions in the song ("two shots in the dark, now Huey's dead") is Huey P. Newton, founder of the Black Panther Party.[3] The song refers to the possibility of a black president of the United States, claiming "we ain't ready". Further, the last verse of the song refers to Tupac's imagining himself being shot to death, mimicking the sound of the gun with the phrase "rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat".

The Chris Hafner-directed music video is a compilation of a number of previous music videos Tupac released in addition to home videos and never-before-seen pictures, similar to the format of The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Dead Wrong", also released in 1999.

Critical reception

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Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote, "This latest posthumous Tupac Shakur release is an unquestionable smash. Cleverly sampling Bruce Hornsby and the Range's No. 1 "The Way It Is" from 1986, the rapper masterfully talks to his disciples like a pastor delivering a motivating and positive sermon to his congregation. He tells of the trials and tribulations of life in the ghetto and is blunt about the need for change and an end to black-on-black violence, saying that 'misplaced hate makes disgrace to races.' This track is a must for any playlist and ironic in that its all-important message surfaces after the artist became a victim of what his song addresses."[4] The track was selected by the Vatican as part of their 2009 MySpace music playlist.[5]

"Changes" is widely regarded as one of Shakur's greatest songs. In 2017, Consequence ranked the song number two on their list of the 20 greatest Tupac Shakur songs,[6] and in 2020, Far Out ranked the song number six on their list of the 10 greatest Tupac Shakur songs.[7]

Accolades

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"Changes" was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards of 2000 and remains the only posthumous song to be nominated in this category. It was also nominated at the MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing in a Video & Best Rap Video in 1999.

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[46] Gold 25,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[47] Platinum 90,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[48] Gold 250,000^
Italy (FIMI)[49] Gold 50,000‡
Netherlands (NVPI)[50] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[51] Gold 5,000*
Sweden (GLF)[52] Platinum 30,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[53] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[54] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Ascap entry for song[permanent dead link] ASCAP, accessed May 1, 2011
  2. ^ "Hidden Talent". March 15, 2001. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  3. ^ "2Pac | Universal Music Publishing Group". Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  4. ^ Taylor, Chuck (December 12, 1998). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 21. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  5. ^ Tupac song selected for Vatican playlist, archived from the original on August 4, 2022
  6. ^ Graves, Wren (June 14, 2017). "Tupac Shakur's Top 20 Songs". Consequence. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  7. ^ Milenko, Mike (June 16, 2020). "Tupac Shakur's 10 greatest songs of all time". Far Out. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  8. ^ "2Pac – Changes". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  9. ^ "2Pac – Changes" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  10. ^ "2Pac – Changes" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. ^ "2Pac – Changes" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  12. ^ "2Pac Chart History | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7495." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  14. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 7478." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  15. ^ "2Pac – Changes". Tracklisten.
  16. ^ "Hits of the World Continued". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 20. February 27, 1999. p. 53. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  17. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "2Pac". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 6. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  18. ^ "2Pac – Changes" (in French). Les classement single.
  19. ^ "2Pac – Changes" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  20. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Changes". Irish Singles Chart.
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – 2Pac" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  22. ^ "2Pac – Changes" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  23. ^ "2Pac – Changes". Top 40 Singles.
  24. ^ "2Pac – Changes". VG-lista.
  25. ^ "Major Market Airplay - Week 11/1999" (PDF). Music & Media. March 13, 1999. p. 27. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  27. ^ "2Pac – Changes". Singles Top 100.
  28. ^ "2Pac – Changes". Swiss Singles Chart.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  30. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  31. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  32. ^ "2Pac Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  33. ^ "2Pac Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  34. ^ "2Pac Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1999". Ultratop. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  36. ^ "Rapports Annuels 1999". Ultratop. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  37. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1999" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  38. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1999". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  39. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1999". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  40. ^ "End of Year Charts 1999". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  41. ^ "Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 1999" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on January 22, 2005.
  42. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1999" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  43. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1999". hitparade.ch. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  44. ^ "Best Sellers of 1999: Singles Top 100". Music Week. January 22, 2000. p. 27.
  45. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  46. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1999". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  47. ^ "Danish single certifications – 2Pac feat. Talent – Changes". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  48. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (2 Pac; 'Changes')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  49. ^ "Italian single certifications – 2Pac – Changes" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 11, 2023. Select "2023" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Changes" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  50. ^ "Dutch single certifications – 2 Pac – Changes" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved August 24, 2020. Enter Changes in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1999 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  51. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – 2Pac – Changes". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  52. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  53. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Changes')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  54. ^ "British single certifications – 2Pac ft Talent – Changes". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
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