Better Dayz

Better Dayz is the eighth studio album and fourth posthumous album by the late American rapper 2Pac, and is his last to be a double-album.

It was released on November 26, 2002, debuting at number five on the US Billboard 200. This album is the second of two albums (the first being Until the End of Time) that consists of a collection of previously unreleased material by way of remixed songs from Tupac's "Makaveli" period while signed to Death Row Records, and was produced by Johnny "J", Jazze Pha, Frank Nitty, and E.D.I. Mean of Outlawz. It includes "Military Minds" which features Boot Camp Clik members Buckshot and Smif-n-Wessun (credited as Cocoa Brovaz) which was supposed to be part of a collaborative album between Shakur and BCC titled One Nation but was never officially released due to Shakur's death. Better Dayz has no censored references to Death Row Records unlike the previous album, Until the End of Time. The only track on the album pre-Death Row era is "My Block (Remix)", which was recorded in 1994–1995 during Shakur's time with Interscope Records, and which the original version was released prior on the 1995 soundtrack album The Show. The songs ‘’Late Night’’ and "Who Do You Believe In" were also released previously on Death Row's 1999 compilation Chronic 2000. "Late Night" is currently unavailable on all digital versions of the album for unknown reasons.

The album features appearances by Outlawz, Ron Isley, Nas, Mýa, Jazze Pha and Tyrese, among others. The hit single, "Thugz Mansion," comes in two versions: an acoustic version featuring Nas and J. Phoenix, on which the music video is based, and a hip hop version featuring Anthony Hamilton.

Recording
It features unreleased recordings from the 1994–1996 period, the majority of which are remixed mainly between Thug Life Volume 1 & The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. Others retain their original form or are complete finished mixes, such as "Fuck 'Em All", "Late Night", "Ghetto Star", "Better Dayz", "Who Do U Believe In?" and "They Don't Give a Fuck About Us".

Critical reception
John Bush from AllMusic wrote: "Better Dayz shouldn't be overlooked [...] A lengthy two-disc set, it benefits from a raft of still-compelling material by one of the two or three best rappers in history, as well as excellent compiling by executive producers Suge Knight and Afeni Shakur, 2Pac's mother. Organizing the set roughly into one disc of hardcore rap and one of R&B jams makes for an easier listen, and the R&B disc especially has some strong tracks, opening with a remix of 1995's 'My Block' and including quintessentially 2Pac material—reflective, conflicted, occasionally anguished—like 'Never Call U Bitch Again,' 'Better Dayz,' 'Fame,' and 'This Life I Lead.' [...] It's 2Pac's best album since his death." Kludge magazine included it on their list of best albums of 2002. The track "Ghetto Star" has appeared on the soundtrack to the video game 25 to Life.

Commercial performance
Better Dayz debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 366,000 copies in its first week. This became 2Pac's eighth US top-ten album. In its second week, the album dropped to number eight on the chart, selling an additional 163,000 copies. As of September 2011, the album has sold 1,765,597 copies in the United States. On July 23, 2014, the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over three million copies.

In May 2003, the album was also certified triple platinum in Canada for sales of over 300,000 copies in Canada.

Samples

 * "Better Dayz"
 * "Let's Fall in Love (Parts 1 & 2)" by The Isley Brothers
 * "Catchin' Feelins"
 * "Peter Piper" by Run-DMC
 * "Late Night"
 * "Have Your Ass Home by 11:00" by Richard Pryor
 * "Wind Parade" by Donald Byrd
 * "Last Night Changed It All (I Really Had a Ball)" by Esther Williams
 * "This Life I Lead"
 * "Naturally Mine" by Al B. Sure!
 * "Who Do U Believe In"
 * "Manifest Destiny" by Jamiroquai

Personnel

 * 2Pac – vocals
 * Johnta Austin – featured artist
 * Rob "Fonksta" Bacon – guest artist, guitar
 * Bill Bennett – assistant engineer
 * Big Syke – featured artist
 * Ian Blanch – assistant engineer, engineer
 * Warren Bletcher – assistant engineer
 * Ian Boxill – engineer, mixing
 * Leslie Brathwaite – engineer, mixing
 * Briss – instrumentation, producer
 * Buckshot – featured artist
 * Coco Brothers – featured artist
 * Courtney Copeland – background vocals
 * Kevin Crouse – engineer
 * Claudio Cueni – digital editing, engineer, mixing, producer
 * Chris DeLaPena – assistant engineer
 * DJ Quik – engineer, producer
 * E.D.I. – featured artist, mixing, Music Supervisor, remixing
 * Steve Fisher – assistant engineer
 * Nanci Fletcher - featured artist
 * G Mack – guitar
 * Brian "Big bass" Gardner – mastering
 * A. Gobi – photography
 * Anthony Hamilton – featured artist
 * Darryl Harper – producer
 * Kimmy Hill – featured artist
 * Ronald Isley – guest artist
 * Jazze Pha – featured artist, producer
 * Johnny J – arranger, mixing, producer
 * Troy Johnson – instrumentation, producer
 * Kadafi – featured artist
 * Kastro – performer
 * Ronnie King – keyboards
 * Suge Knight – executive producer
 * Mr. Biggs – featured artist
 * Chicu Modu – photography
 * Molly Monjauze – project director
 * Mussamill – featured artist
 * James Musshorn – assistant engineer
 * Mya – featured artist
 * Napoleon – featured artist
 * Nas – featured artist
 * Duane Nettlesbey –
 * Nutso – featured artist
 * Outlawz – featured artist
 * J. Phoenix – featured artist,
 * Frank Nitty Pimentel – drum programming, Keyboards, producer
 * Will Pyon – digital editing
 * Chuck Reed – digital editing
 * R.J. – bass, guitar
 * 7 Aurelius – instrumentation, producer
 * Afeni Shakur – executive producer
 * Shorty B. – bass, guitar
 * Dexter Simmons – mixing
 * Alex Stiff – bass, guitar
 * T.I. – featured artist
 * Ellis Taylor – background vocals
 * Trick Daddy – featured artist
 * Tyrese – featured artist
 * Mark Vinten – assistant engineer
 * Corey Williams – assistant engineer
 * Dwight DeLemond Williams - featured artist
 * Jasmine Wilson – background vocals
 * Keston Wright – engineer
 * Young Noble – featured artist