Producer Rick Rock appears on History of the Bay podcast hosted by Dregs One, where he recalled working with Tupac on the album All Eyez On Me.
Not only would Rick Rock go on to record with Tupac, but it was right after Shakur’s altercation with the Bad Boy camp at the 1996 Soul Train Music Awards. (Watch: Tupac Confronting Biggie and Puff Daddy At 1996 Soul Train Music Awards Recalled By Big Gipp).
“It was the most surreal s*** of all time, but to even be there,” said Rick Rock as he recalls sharing a studio with Tupac, Outlawz, E-40, Johnny “J” and others. “I’m walking out and see DJ Quick and he’s mixing it. What’s the one with Richie Rich… not Richie Rich. With Method Man and Redman. I Got My Mind Made Up. He’s mixing it. He’s got the braids hanging. He look to me while I’m walking past.”
After listening to the entire double album All Eyez On Me. Although the album appeared ready to go, Rock was not going to let an opportunity pass. He instantly played one of his beats, which Tupac immediately reacted to. “We writing to this,” said Tupac.
“He wrote it like he was tracing it,” recalled Rock. “I was like goddamn. What the f***. He wrote it like he was tracing it and he told the engineer to just track it in two track. The producers come in later and I’ll track it out. He went in and laid his s*** down. Adlibs, all that s*** came out and he was done. Everybody else was just sitting there, writing.”
The beat that Rick Rock had just blessed Tupac with would turn out to be Tradin War Stories. Featured on disc 1 of All Eyez On Me, the record featured the Outlawz and C-Bo.
Rock also contributed to Ain’t Hard 2 Find, featured on disc 2 of the classic double album. Along with Mike Mosely who laced the track with his keys, Rock provided the drums which also had verses from E-40, Richie Rich, B-Legit, and C-Bo.
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