Radio Staples: "Changes" and "California Love"

Eleven years after Tupac’s death, “Changes” was still playing on the radio several times a week, almost daily. “California Love” was also a major presence in clubs and on radio stations. When this short opinion piece appeared on the site’s blog on October 18, 2007 (then Thuglove.de / United-Tupac.Com), one conclusion stood front and center: the world had not forgotten Tupac.

The 2007 Verdict: The Best “After Elvis”

The author considered Tupac the greatest rapper of all time. Hardly anyone, despite a life story like his, had impressed so many people. His remark on the blog that Tupac was regarded as the best “after Elvis,” however, was an exaggeration without evidence.

No. 1 at Death Row, Posthumously to the Grammys

Both songs rank among Tupac’s best-known recordings, for different reasons. “California Love,” featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman, was released in late 1995, shortly after Tupac’s move to Death Row. As a double A-side with “How Do U Want It,” the track spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996 and also topped the charts in Italy, New Zealand, and Sweden.

“Changes” was released only after his death, on October 13, 1998, as a single from the album Greatest Hits. The verses date back to recordings from 1992, while the chorus draws on Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is.” The song was nominated at the 2000 Grammys for Best Rap Solo Performance-to date the only posthumous entry in that category. Greatest Hits was certified Diamond in the US, as one of only a handful of hip-hop albums ever.

No Flash in the Pan: Into the Hall of Fame

That radio presence was no flash in the pan. In 2010, the Library of Congress inducted Tupac’s “Dear Mama” into the National Recording Registry, only the third rap song ever. In 2017, Tupac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. “Changes” and “California Love” reliably continue to play on the radio, in clubs, and across streaming platforms.