The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
The Don Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory is the fifth studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur, his first posthumous album and the last released with his creative input. Recorded in July and August 1996, it was released on November 5, 1996, almost two months after his death, under the stage name of Makaveli, by Death Row Records, Tupac's Makaveli Records, and Interscope Records.
It is his only album released under the alternative stage name and features guest appearances from his rap group Outlawz and rapper Bad Azz, as well as R&B singers Aaron Hall, Danny Boy, K-Ci and JoJo, Val Young, and Tyrone Wrice, along with uncredited vocal contributions from reggae musician Prince Ital Joe. Originally intended as a mixtape and preceded by the release of "Toss It Up" as the lead single, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 664,000 copies within its first week of release.
By 1999, it was certified four times platinum by the RIAA. "To Live & Die in L.A." and "Hail Mary" were released later as singles and both garnered praise as standout tracks from the album, particularly the latter. None of its singles charted within the Billboard Hot 100, but all charted within the top twenty of UK Singles chart. The album was originally set to be released in March 1997, but because of Tupac’s death, it was released four months early. The album received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for the emotion displayed by Shakur, the production, album cover, and themes. It was ranked by critics as one of the greatest hip hop albums, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time.
Recording
Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory was completely finished in seven days during the first week of August 1996. These are some of the last songs Shakur recorded before he was shot on September 7, 1996. The album's preliminary title was "The 3-Day Theory" and it originally consisted of around 14 tracks. In a 2014 interview, E.D.I. Mean of the Outlawz rap group and Ronald "Riskie" Brent revealed that the official name of the album was mixed up in the rush to release the album following Tupac's death. Tupac wanted the album to be called Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory, with Makaveli the Don as the artist name. However, the album went through numerous changes. The liner notes on August 12th show the track list used for the final album as well as a name change to Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory. George "Papa G" Pryce, former head of publicity for Death Row, claimed that "Makaveli, which we did was a sort of tongue-in-cheek, and it was not ready to come out, after Tupac was murdered, it did come out... Before that, it was going to be a sort of an underground ."Many of Shakur's usual in-house producers, most notably Johnny J, were not involved with the project. The only producer with whom Shakur had worked prior to this album was QD3, the son of Quincy Jones and half-brother of Kidada Jones, Shakur's girlfriend. Shakur also co-produces four tracks on the album. The other two producers were Hurt-M-Badd and Darryl "Big D" Harper. E.D.I. Mean of the Outlawz recalls: "At the time Hurt-M-Badd, who was just an up-and-coming producer at Death Row, and Darryl Harper, who was an R&B producer – Suge had him working on all the R&B projects – they had a green room up in Can-Am , which everybody around Death Row called the wack room because they said 'Ain't nothing but wack shit come out of there.' But we was up in the studio one day and we trying to get music done – ain't none of us producers – we see them two niggas in the 'Wack room' and 'Pac like, 'Go get them niggas.' So niggas go bring them, 'Pac just putting niggas to work like, 'I need a beat here, I need y'all to do this, do that.' And these are niggas that nobody at Death Row was fucking with. They'll tell you themselves."
The album was recorded at Can-Am Studios in Tarzana during July and August 1996. During those weeks, 21 songs were completed with only 12 of them making the final track listing. The album’s guest features were also toned down dramatically, as the album did not feature the star-studded guest list that All Eyez on Me did. Most of the guest verses are supplied by Shakur's Outlawz rap group. The only verse that was not from one of the Outlawz was from Bad Azz, a member of the LBC Crew, while the album also features vocals from Death Row R&B singer Danny Boy, Aaron Hall, Val Young and multi-platinum R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo. Credited as Tyrone Wrice, Hurt-M-Badd, a rapper, singer and the lead producer for the album, provided vocals for "Hold Ya Head"'s hook. Young Noble of the Outlawz recalled: "We had started writing the shit and we was taking long. 'Pac was like, 'Who got something? Bad Azz you got something?' and it fit perfect, so it was meant for Bad Azz to be on that song. We had already been on a million 'Pac songs. That was his way of motivating us like, 'If y'all ain't ready, then you don't make the song.'"
Tracks
While All Eyez on Me was considered by Shakur "a celebration of life", Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory is much darker and more complex. Shakur's rapping is still emotional, but is intensified throughout. Some songs on the album contain both subtle and direct insults to Shakur's rivals at the height of the East Coast–West Coast feud. "Bomb First " contains disses toward Bad Boy Records, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, Nas and Xzibit. "Toss It Up" contains disses towards Shakur's former Death Row label-mate Dr. Dre and subliminals toward Teddy Riley. "To Live & Die in L.A." also disses Dr. Dre at the end of the song.The track "Against All Odds" contains disses toward Nas, Dr. Dre, Mobb Deep, Puff Daddy, Kool G Rap, De La Soul, as well as New York hip hop executives Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond, Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant, and Walter "King Tut" Johnson, who were accused of being associates of Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records in orchestrating the 1994 Quad Studio assault.
Although Shakur insulted Nas on "Intro/Bomb First " and "Against All Odds", rapper Young Noble, who appeared on several songs on The 7-Day Theory, stated in an interview that Nas's "I Gave You Power" was the main inspiration for Shakur's "Me and My Girlfriend". Shakur and Nas squashed their beef at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards days before Shakur was murdered. They were scheduled to meet in Las Vegas but never had the chance. Death Row associate Kurt "Kobane" Couthon revealed in an interview in 2016 that Shakur was listening to Nas's It Was Written the day he was murdered, during his drive to Las Vegas.
"Watch Ya Mouth" is another dis song that was supposed to be on the album but got cut and still remains unreleased, but it has been leaked online. It contains disses toward Dr. Dre, Nas, Biggie, Puffy, De La Soul, and Wendy Williams.
Singles
The first two singles, "Toss It Up" and "To Live & Die in L.A", were released on September 26 and November 16, 1996, respectively. Dr. Dre's former Death Row colleagues, including Shakur, recorded and attempted to release "Toss It Up", containing numerous insults aimed at Dr. Dre, and using a deliberately similar instrumental to Dre's production on "No Diggity" by Blackstreet, but were forced to replace the production after Blackstreet issued the label with a cease and desist order stopping them from distributing the song. The "Toss It Up" music video features Shakur, Danny Boy, K-Ci & JoJo, and Aaron Hall, and was directed by Lionel C. Martin. According to Death Row Records, it was the last music video Shakur filmed. The video also includes an appearance from actress LisaRaye McCoy. An unreleased version of the video was leaked some years later and is known as the "Toss It Up Beach Version"."To Live & Die in L.A" was produced by QDIII, who was the only outside Death Row producer on the album besides Demetrius Shipp, the producer of "Toss It Up". QDIII was one of Shakur's favorite producers. QDIII told XXL Magazine:
A music video for "To Live & Die in L.A" was shot in July 1996. It features Shakur working at a fruit stand and driving around Los Angeles in a car filled with women, and also features various scenes and pictures of notable places and events in Los Angeles. It was the first video shot for the album.
The album's final single, "Hail Mary" was released on February 11, 1997. The videos for "Hail Mary" and "To Live & Die in L.A can be found on the DualDisc of Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory.
Packaging
The album cover for Killuminati was done by Compton based artist Ronald "Riskie" Brent, known artistically as "Riskie Forever." According to Riskie, Death Row Records C.E.O Marion "Suge" Knight introduced Riskie to Tupac on the set of the California Love video shoot in Compton, California. Riskie, while in Tupac's trailer showed him his art portfolio, impressing Tupac with his artwork. Upon seeing his artwork Tupac agreed that Riskie had good artistic talent and requested for Riskie to do his next album cover. Riskie received a phone call from the then President of Death Row Norris Anderson with Tupac's request that he be drawn on a cross for his next album cover.The Killuminati album cover draws on Renaissance portrayals of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Tupac is by himself in the image with his head tilted to the side, possessing the classic wound in his right side similar to the wound of Jesus as depicted in the accounts of his crucifixion. There is a bandana covering the head of Tupac and barbed-wire covering both his hands and his feet. Absent from the painting is Tupac's iconic "Thug Life" tattoo as it is covered up by the parental advisory sticker. On the cross of Tupac there is a map connecting various cities from across the country. The cities listed have large African-American populations, including the major urban centers of the East, West, and Southern parts of the United States. The color pattern of the cultural production is a gloomy red and black. The only light in the artistry is the moon and the few beams of light that emerge from the cracks on the cross. Near the bottom of the image is a written disclaimer: "In no way is this portrait an expression of disrespect for Jesus Christ. —Makaveli"
There are many interpretations of this album cover, the primary theme communicates that through depiction, Tupac is highlighting what he perceives to be his being vilified by the media and his enemies and left alone to suffer his fate. The parental advisor sticker could be a reference to both what he perceived to be his demonization due to his promiscuous lifestyle, but also and most importantly, it could be a reference to his conviction of sexual assault, a charge for which he viciously maintained his innocence. The names of the cities that are on the album cover may be a representation of Tupac's belief that he represents the entirety of the African-American community in his public vilification, that he, like African-American people as a whole, is on display to be gazed upon and judged through the Euro-American racial prism. Furthermore, this theme of representation is also connected to the political commitments of Tupac Shakur as he was in the midst of deepening his political activity in the form of the creation of a Hip-Hop political party prior to his murder.