Nu-Mixx Klazzics

In fall 2003, Death Row dipped into its own tape archives: ten well-known songs from 1996 were fitted with new instrumentals in the style of the early 2000s, some of them with new guest features as well. Tupac's estate was not involved in the project. The result was titled Nu-Mixx Klazzics. Commercially the move paid off; artistically the album is considered one of the weakest bearing Tupac's name.

Separate from the Estate: Death Row Taps Its Own Catalog

After Tupac's death, the recordings from his Death Row era remained with the label. While Afeni Shakur's Amaru released the posthumous studio albums with Interscope, Death Row used its own catalog for compilations. Nu-Mixx Klazzics was released shortly before the soundtrack Tupac: Resurrection, distributed through the independent label Koch.

For the remix album, Death Row selected songs exclusively from All Eyez on Me and The Don Killuminati, as well as Hit 'Em Up and Never Had a Friend Like Me. Tupac's vocal tracks remained unchanged, while the producers completely replaced the beats.

Crooked I Instead of Snoop Dogg: Club Tempo and Synthesizers

The most striking change involves 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted: the verse by Snoop Dogg, who had left Death Row in 1998 amid a dispute, is replaced here by Long Beach rapper Crooked I, whom Suge Knight had signed in the early 2000s. Other guest appearances were retained: Toss It Up keeps K-Ci & JoJo, Danny Boy, and Aaron Hall; Hail Mary and Hit 'Em Up keep the Outlawz; and All Eyez on Me keeps Big Syke.

The new beats rely on slick synthesizers and club tempo.

No. 15 Without Promotion: The Tupac Name Still Draws in 2003

Despite almost non-existent promotion, the album entered at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Independent Albums chart. Sales were driven primarily by the name: a new Tupac album still sold reliably in 2003. A double A-side single featuring the Nu-Mixx versions of Life Goes On and 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted was released.

Critical Pan and a 2007 Sequel

Reactions from the music press were blunt. AllMusic gave it one and a half out of five stars, seeing yet another Death Row project pushing inferior versions of familiar songs onto the market; RapReviews was milder in its assessment.

Many fans view Nu-Mixx Klazzics as an example of how Tupac's legacy was ground down between competing rights holders. A sequel nonetheless followed in 2007: Nu-Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2.