Me Against the World

On his third album, the stressed-out West Coast poet turned a critical eye from his bleak surroundings to his own conflicted psyche. Me Against the World marks 2Pac’s official shift from gangsta to philosopher, sacrificing none of the rebellion. He imparts bittersweet brotherly advice over glossy G-funk (“Young N****z”), spits sincere thug love ballads (“Temptations”), and dodges haunting premonitions of his own death on the bluesy “So Many Tears.” And then there’s “Dear Mama,” the best rap song about moms ever made.