The Don Killuminati (The 7 Day Theory)

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The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (commonly shortened to The 7 Day Theory or Don Killuminati and sometimes called Makaveli) is the fifth and final studio album by Tupac Shakur. Released under the new stage name Makaveli, it was his first studio album to be posthumously released.The album was completely finished in a total of seven days during the month of August 1996. The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four days. These are among the very last songs Shakur recorded before his fatal shooting on September 7, 1996. The album was originally due for release in March 1997, but due to his death, Suge Knight released it four months earlier. In 2005, MTV.com ranked The 7 Day Theory at #9 on their greatest hip hop albums of all time list and, in 2006, recognized it as a classic. The emotion and anger showcased on the album has been admired by a large part of the hip-hop community, including other rappers. Ronald "Riskie" Brent is the creator of The 7 Day Theory cover painting. George "Papa G" Pryce, Former Head of Publicity for Death Row, claimed that "Makaveli which we did was a sort of tongue-in-cheek, and it was not really to come out, after Tupac was murdered, it did come out... Before that, it was going to be a sort of an underground." The album peaked at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and the Billboard 200.The album generated the second-highest debut-week sales total of any album that year,selling 664,000 within its first week in stores. The album was certified 3x platinum in April 1997 and then 4x Platinum on June 15, 1999. It had sold 3,911,787 copies in the United States by 2011. Though Shakur had been using the name Makaveli as far back as All Eyez On Me, the Makaveli album was conceived as a sort of introduction for Shakur's alternate stage name. Thus, the album’s sleeve contains the text, "Exit 2Pac, Enter Makaveli". The album cover, which features Shakur on the cross in an attempt to convey his crucifixion by the media, is intended to imply an artistic resurrection. Within the next year in 1997, a music video entitled Smile by Scarface of the Geto Boys on his album The Untouchable featured Shakur as a performer, some showing his name listed as Makaveli. The video showed him depicted in a very similar type of crucifixion resembling the cover of this album. Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory has also gained praise for its production. Although many of Shakur's usual producers were not involved in the project, the producers still managed to come through for the project. The only producer with whom Shakur had worked prior to this album was QD3, the son of Quincy Jones and brother of Shakur's girlfriend Kidada Jones. Shakur also co-produces three tracks on the album. The other two producers were Hurt-M-Badd and Darryl “Big D” Harper. E.D.I. Mean of the Outlawz recalls: At the time Hurt-M-Badd, who was just an up-and-coming producer at Death Row, and Darryl Harper, who was an R&B producer - Suge had him working on all the R&B projects - they had a green room up in Can-Am which everybody around Death Row called the "wack room" because they said "Ain't nothing but wack shit come out of there." But we was up in the studio one day and we trying to get music done - ain't none of us producers - we see them two niggas in the "Wack room" and 'Pac like, "Go get them niggas." So niggas go bring them, 'Pac just putting niggas to work like, "I need a beat here, I need y'all to do this, do that." And these are niggas that nobody at Death Row was fucking with. They'll tell you themselves. Makaveli Records: before Tupac's death Tupac wanted to start his own record label Makaveli Records. Tupac did his three albums in Death row quickly to go from Death Row Records and starting Makaveli Records. According to Frank Alexander, Napoleon Tupac didn`t like Death Row Records. Makaveli Records should be started after Tupac's fifth Studio album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. Artists that tupac was going to have in Makaveli Records was himself, The Outlawz, Storm, Bad Azz & more artists. Credits for The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day of Theory adapted from Allmusic. 2Pac, Makaveli — composer, primary artist, producer Simon, Suge Knight — executive producer Tommy D. Daugherty — Chief Engineer, mixer, additional production Steve Anarden — engineer Bad Ass — composer Ronald "Riskie" Brent — paintings Danny Boy — featured artist Yaki Kadafi - Featured artist Kastro - Featured artist E.D.I. — composer, featured artist Fetal Embrace — composer Scott Gutierrez — associate engineer Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey — composer, featured artist Joel "JoJo" Hailey — composer, featured artist Aaron Hall — composer, featured artist Darryl Harper — producer Hurt-M-Badd — producer Justin Isham — digital editing Marika Kastrouni — composer Reggie Moore — composer, producer John Morris — associate engineer Napoleon — composer Outlawz — featured artist Lance Pierre — associate engineer Ricky Rouse — composer Dametrius Ship — mixing, producer Guy Snider — engineer, track engineer Troy Staton — mixing, producer, unknown contributor role Tyrone Wrice — composer, featured artist Young Noble — composer, featured artist Val Young — composer, featured artist.

via Last.fm