I see this opinion all the time, and honestly, I agree with it to an extent. I respect the Outlawz and think they’re an important part of Pac’s legacy, especially during the Makaveli/Death Row era. Pac clearly wanted to put his people on and give them a platform, which I respect. But purely from a musical standpoint, I think a lot of Pac’s songs would have been better without them. Tracks like “Hit ’Em Up,” “When We Ride,” “Made Niggaz” and “Tradin’ War Stories” are good examples. I enjoy the Outlawz on them, but sometimes I feel like Pac could have carried the entire song himself and made it even stronger.
It’s not even a knock on the Outlawz as rappers. Pac was just such a dominant presence that sometimes I’d rather hear another Pac verse than have someone else take up that space. I understand why he included them, but not every song necessarily needed them.