I Get Around (Tupac Shakur song)


"I Get Around" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his second studio album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.... It was released on June 10, 1993, by Interscope Records as the album's second single and features Shakur's mentor Shock G and Money-B of Digital Underground, Shakur's old group. It was produced by Shock G, who produced it under the alias, The D-Flow Production Squad. AllMusic notes that in the song, Shakur "brags about his sexual conquests". Chart-wise, it was the album's most successful single, reaching numbers eleven and nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100.

Composition and writing

According to both Money-B and Shock G, the song originated as a sample and was originally intended to be used by Digital Underground. However, after six months the group could not compose lyrics that they felt were worthy of the sample. Shock-G initially offered the sample to bandmate Saafir when 2Pac began preparing his second studio album and needed material. Shock-G took the sample away from Saafir and gave it to Shakur, inflaming tensions between Shakur and Saafir, who had fallen out previously.
Shakur had asked his former bandmates to guest star on the track, but was concerned that neither of his bandmates would have time to write their own lyrics, so Shakur ghostwrote lyrics for Shock-G and Money-B. Shock-G's verse, as written by Shakur, would appear unaltered on the final version, but Money-B opted to write and perform his own lyrics, which Shock-G produced. The original third verse appears on a remix featured on Death Row Greatest Hits.

Commercial success

"I Get Around" peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It spent 25 weeks on the chart, and also peaked at number nine on the Cash Box Top 100 and number five on the Billboard R&B chart. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on December 7, 1993 and sold 700,000 copies.
The song was then certified platinum on March 31, 2021.
PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
The SourceUnited StatesThe 100 Best Rap Singles of All Time1998*
Ego TripUnited StatesHip Hop's 40 Greatest Singles by Year 1980-98 19996
BlenderUnited StatesTop 500 Songs of the 80s-00s2005307
Bruce PollockUnited States The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-20002005*
PitchforkUnited StatesThe Pitchfork 5002008*
PitchforkUnited StatesTop 200 Tracks of the 1990s2010107

Music video

The accompanying music video for "I Get Around" was directed by American director, producer and screenwriter David Dobkin and filmed in Malibu, California on March 19, 1993.

Live performances

Shakur performed the song live on The Arsenio Hall Show on July 19, 1993. He performed it on MTV Jams on July 28, 1993. He also performed the song live on January 4, 1996 at Gund Arena in Cleveland during the Tribute to Eazy-E tour.

Track listing

12"
  1. "I Get Around" – 4:19
  2. "I Get Around" – 6:07
  3. "Nothing but Love" – 5:04
  4. "I Get Around" – 6:06
  5. "I Get Around" – 6:04
  6. "I Get Around" – 3:3612"
  7. "I Get Around" – 6:06
  8. "I Get Around" – 3:36
  9. "Holler If Ya Hear Me" – 4:31
  10. "Flex" – 4:1912"
  11. "I Get Around" – 4:19
  12. "Keep Ya Head Up" – 4:25
  13. "Keep Ya Head Up" – 4:25
  14. "I Get Around" – 4:19CD
  15. "I Get Around" – 4:19
  16. "I Get Around" – 3:36CD
  17. "I Get Around" – 4:19