Background · Ghetto Gospel
Almost nine years after his death, Tupac stood at the top of the British charts for the first and only time. Ghetto Gospel comes from the Eminem-produced album Loyal to the Game and pairs a 1992 recording with a song by Elton John. In Europe, alongside Changes and California Love, it is Tupac's best-known song.
Call Against the Street War: From Christmas Song to Elton John
Tupac wrote the song as a call to end the "war on the streets." He asks why people who share poverty fight each other over skin color and background, and remembers the murdered Black activists Malcolm X and Bobby Hutton.
According to Wikipedia, Tupac recorded the track in 1992 for the Christmas compilation A Very Special Christmas 2; because of his legal troubles, it was not used there. This original version was faster, had more verses, and was built on Tracy Chapman's Crossroads.
Eminem paired Tupac's voice with Elton John's Indian Sunset. Elton John was thrilled and called the result genius.
Without Tupac and Elton John: The Last Day of a Young Man
Neither Tupac nor Elton John appears in the video. The storyline tells of the last day of a young man (played by J. D. Williams) who is shot dead in the evening and afterwards appears at his own funeral. At the end is a message from Afeni Shakur: keep yourself alive-nothing is more important.
The 2005 European Enhanced CD
This edition is the 2005 European enhanced CD maxi.
