There's always something weird to me when a hip hop artist remakes another hip hop record. I'm a huge Tupac fan so I wasn't too happy with Jay-z's version. I'm growing to like it a little.

Any thoughts?

I don't like it at all myself. To me hip hop artists remaking other hip hop songs just seems so unoriginal and pointless.

The Hip-Hop genre has sampling and re-making other musical works at its core.

I don't percieve like many people, that Jay-Z's version is insulting. I think its great to see Jay-z giving both 2PAC and Prince their due.

Many youngsters listening to Jay-Z Albums right now, may know very little about either Prince's or 2pacs influence.

Rhondab said:

Complete rip-off. Jay Z is the poor man's P-Diddly-Doo. And he's UGGGLEEE.

its not a remake totally tupacs version was about a gun...and jay-z's version i gotta say i kinda like it and the video to.

U can't steal from 2pac and Prince, that's just out of line. I heard his album was just one sampled song after the next. Where is the originality man?

I would consider it more of an updated version - it's nearly identical, Jay ain't even TRYING to be different. To call it a rip off implies that Jay contributed SOMETHING new to it & he didn't. He changed the meaning & made it a weaker song. I like the meaning of Pac's better, it was more interesting (whether or not I agree w/ it, lol). Basically, he shouldn't have fucked with it...

And hearing Beyonce sing a Prince hook???

Well what makes it more interesting as a "new spin" of a 2Pac song is the fact that Pac didn't like JZ very much at all...Biggie wasn't the only one that Pac cut down with his lyrics/words. So that 2 me says alot about JZ willing 2 overlook such things, 2 show he can B the better man & add a peaceful chapter & ending 2 what they shared between each other.