Keep Ya Head Up
| "Keep Ya Head Up" | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by 2Pac featuring Dave Hollister | |||||||||||||
| from the album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... | |||||||||||||
| B-side |
I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto Rebel of the Underground | ||||||||||||
| Released | October 28, 1993 | ||||||||||||
| Format | 12" | ||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1992 | ||||||||||||
| Genre | Hip hop, R&B | ||||||||||||
| Length | 4:23 | ||||||||||||
| Label | Interscope | ||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Tupac Shakur | ||||||||||||
| Producer(s) | DJ Daryl | ||||||||||||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | ||||||||||||
| 2Pac featuring Dave Hollister singles chronology | |||||||||||||
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"Keep Ya Head Up" is a 1993 hit single by 2Pac. The song features R&B singer Dave Hollister and is dedicated to black women and Latasha Harlins.
Production and release
The beat is sampled from Zapp's "Be Alright" and the chorus is taken from The Five Stairsteps' "O-o-h Child". It was first released in Shakur's 1993 album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. later appearing after his death in 1998 in his Greatest Hits compilation. A "sequel" to the song, "Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)" was released in 2Pac's posthumous album Still I Rise in 1999.
Music video
The video opens up with the words "Dedicated to the memory of Latasha Harlins, it's still on", in reference to the L.A. Riots. The video has a basic format with Shakur rapping in the middle of a circle surrounded by a crowd of people and in some scenes seen holding a young child. His mother Afeni Shakur also appears in the video. Jada Pinkett Smith (then known as Jada Pinkett) made a cameo appearance in the music video.
Critical reception
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Pollock | United States | The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000 | 2005 | * |
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | The Songs That Shaped Rock | 2011 | * | |
| About.com | Top 100 Rap Songs | 11 | ||
| The Guardian | UK | 1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear | 2009 | * |
Alyssa Rosenberg of Brisbane Times felt the song "weaved together a critique of negligent fathers, an argument for abortion rights and a sharp analysis of misogyny."[1]
Track listing
CDS - maxi single
- "Keep Ya Head Up" (LP Version)
- "Keep Ya Head Up" (Vibe Tribe Remix)
- "Keep Ya Head Up" (Madukey Remix)
- "Rebel of the Underground"
- "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto"
Charts
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[2] | 12 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[3] | 7 |
Credits
- Engineer – Bob Tucker (tracks: A2, B2), Norman "Slam" Whitfield, Jr.* (tracks: A2, B2)
- Engineer [Remix] – Eric Flickinger (tracks: B1), Franklin Purrell (tracks: B1)
- Mixed By – D. Nettlesbey* (tracks: A2), Norman "Slam" Whitfield, Jr.* (tracks: A2)
- Producer – D-Flow Production Squad, The* (tracks: B2), D.J. Daryl* (tracks: A1, B1)
- Remix [Additional] – Norman "Slam" Whitfield, Jr.* (tracks: B2)
Remix,
- Producer [Additional Production] – Bryant "Moe Dee" Johnson* (tracks: B1), Battlecat* (tracks: B2), Howard Johnson (2) (tracks: B2), Kris Kellow* (tracks: B2), Lea Reis (tracks: B1), Paul Arnold (tracks: B2), Vibe Tribe (10) (tracks: A2)
- Vocals – Black Angel, The (tracks: A1, B1), Money B (2) (tracks: B2), Shockalock (tracks: B2)
References
- ↑ "5 songs politicians should listen to before they're allowed to talk about hip-hop". Brisbane Times. April 9, 2015.
- ↑ "2Pac – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for 2Pac.
- ↑ "2Pac – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for 2Pac.