"Ghetto Gospel" is a song by American rapper

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...

, which was released as the lead single from his 2004 posthumous album ''

Loyal to the Game ''Loyal to the Game'' is the ninth studio album and fifth posthumous studio album by American rapper Tupac. The album was produced by Eminem and consists of remixes of previously unreleased music recorded by Tupac before his death in 1996. Release ...

''. The song was produced by American rapper

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

and features a sample of

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

's 1971 song "

Indian Sunset "Indian Sunset" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was released on John's 1971 album ''Madman Across the Water''. Background The song chronicles the story of an unnamed ...

". The single topped the charts in the UK (for 3 weeks), Australia, Czech Republic, and Ireland. In New Zealand it peaked at number 3. The song was written by Tupac as an outcry to "end the war on the streets", addressing the futility of racial difference and dissidence, particularly under the unifying banner of poverty. He also pays tribute to murdered black activists

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of Is ...

and

Bobby Hutton Robert James Hutton (April 21, 1950 – April 6, 1968), also known as "Lil' Bobby", was the treasurer and first recruit to join the Black Panther Party.

in the song. In response to Eminem's remix, Elton John said: "how he's managed to meld ndian Sunsetwith Tupac, I'll never know. It's just genius."

Original version

Tupac recorded the song for inclusion on the 1992 Christmas-themed compilation album '' A Very Special Christmas 2'', but due to his legal issues, the song was dropped from the compilation and was never released. This version has a much faster tempo and has a third and fourth verse which didn't feature in the 2004 remix. This version was produced by Big D The Impossible, a regular producer on Tupac's first two albums; '' 2Pacalypse Now'' and ''

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. ''Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...'' is the second studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released on February 16, 1993, by Interscope and Jive Records. N.I.G.G.A. in the title is punctuated to refer to 2Pac's backronym "Never Ignorant in Getting Go ...

'' and does not contain the "Indian Sunset" sample, but builds on a sample of Tracy Chapman's song "Crossroads" instead.

Music video

"Ghetto Gospel" was the only song on ''Loyal to the Game'' with an accompanying . The music video showcases the last day of a man's life before he is fatally shot in the evening. Neither 2Pac nor Elton John physically appeared in the video - though clips of 2Pac are shown on a television. Towards the end of the music video, the actor (

J. D. Williams J.D. Williams (born May 22, 1978) is an American actor known for his starring roles in the HBO television programs '' Oz'' as Kenny Wangler, ''The Wire'' as Bodie Broadus and ''Pootie Tang'' as Froggy, ''Surviving Family'' (2012) as Bobby, ''T ...

) is shot but then appears at his own funeral, fueling rumors that the rapper's death was faked. At the end of the video, there is a message from his mother,

Afeni Shakur Afeni Shakur Davis (born Alice Faye Williams; January 10, 1947 – May 2, 2016) was an American political activist and member of the Black Panther Party. Shakur was the mother of rapper Tupac Shakur and the executor of his estate. She founded t ...

, saying "Remember to keep yourself alive, there is nothing more important than that".

Track listing

;CD single ;UK CD single

Official versions

* Ghetto Gospel (Album Version Explicit)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

* {{Authority control Elton John songs 2005 singles 2004 songs Tupac Shakur songs UK Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Songs released posthumously Songs with music by Elton John Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin Song recordings produced by Eminem Gangsta rap songs Songs written by Tupac Shakur Gospel songs