LL Cool J Vibes Out To Tupac’s “Picture Me Rollin” On Salute The Sample

On another episode of ‘Salute the Sample’ via Rock The Bells YouTube channel, LL Cool J, Greg Nice and DJ Z-Trip breakdown Tupac’s “Picture Me Rollin.”

Released on Tupac’s 1996 Death Row records debut album ‘All Eyez On Me,’ ‘Picture Me Rollin’ featured Danny Boy, Big Skye and C.P.O. The chilled out beat was produced by the late Johnny J, who worked on many of Tupac’s hits in 1996.

Johnny J would go to sample Kool & the Gang’s 1975 single “Winter Sadness.” As explained by DJ Z-Trip, the sample is sped up Kool & the Gang’s, who are the most sampled group of all time, turning into Tupac’s ‘Picture Me Rollin.’

“Rest in power Tupac,” LL Cool J said as he vibed out to the Tupac classic. “He said, ‘I got two Rottweilers by my bed, I feed ’em lead.'” LL Cool J labeling the song as “great,” continued to rap Tupac’s lyrics, ‘He said, ‘My homies is inmates and most of them dead wrong.'”

“Picture me rollin’ in my 500 Benz
I got no love for these niggas, there’s no need to be friends
They got me under surveillance
I swear somebody be tellin’
Know there’s dope bein’ sold, but I ain’t the one sellin’
Don’t want to be another number
I gotta puff a gang of weed to keep from goin’ under
The federales wanna see me dead
Niggas put prices on my head,”

– Tupac

Years later, NLE Choppa, a fan of Tupac Shakur, sampled the classic hit. Choppa’s version took the beginning of Kool & the Gang’s 1975 single “Winter Sadness” to kick off the song. Along with the single, NLE Choppa paid tribute by recreating some of Tupac’s music video and iconic moments. (Watch: NLE Choppa’s 2Pac Tribute With “Picture Me Grapin”)