Holler If Ya Hear Me

Following the controversy surrounding 2Pacalypse Now, Dan Quayle had called for a ban. Tupac's answer followed on February 4, 1993: with Holler If Ya Hear Me, he launched the first single from Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.—an anthem of resistance after a year full of attacks.

No Intimidation: A Challenge to Police and Politics

The song combines personal experiences with political indictment: poverty in Black neighborhoods, police abuse, and politicians' campaigns against rappers like him. Tupac urges listeners not to be intimidated, speaking explicitly for a generation of young people that feels left behind. An editor of Vibe magazine told Time Magazine at the time that the song struck a chord with many disaffected youth.

The hard, driving beat was supplied by Stretch of the New York group Live Squad, a close friend of Tupac's during those years.

Not a Chart Hit, but the Blueprint for Broadway

The single did not become a major chart hit. That success was achieved only by its follow-ups, I Get Around and Keep Ya Head Up. Still, the title lived on: in 2014, a musical called Holler If Ya Hear Me ran on Broadway, built entirely around Tupac's songs.

Five Versions and a B-Side on Vinyl and Cassette

This edition is the US maxi-single with five versions and the B-side Flex. Discogs lists it as 12" 0-96080 and cassette 4-96080, dated January 29, 1993.