Holla If Ya Hear Me

Single infobox
Name = Holla If Ya Hear Me


Artist = 2Pac
from Album = Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
Released = February 4, 1993
Format =
Recorded = 1993
Genre = Rap
Length = 4:38
Label = Interscope
Writer = Tupac Shakur
Producer =
Chart position =
Last single = "Papa'z Song"
(1993)
This single = "Holla If Ya Hear Me"
(1993)
Next single = "How Long Will They Mourn Me?"
(1994)

"Holla If Ya Hear Me" is a song by Tupac Shakur, from his second solo album, "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.". It was the first single released from this album in 1993. The track, which uses a sample from Public Enemy's "Rebel Without a Pause" is an anthem of resistance. Frustrations with black poverty, police injustice, and Tupac's own persecution from political figure Dan Quayle fuels the majority of the track. Hustling, bearing arms, and refusal to conform are the key methods of combating said issues, and the chorus leads those listeners in agreement to join in the movement.

Music video

The video made for the single was shot completely in black and white. Much like the track, the video clips were shot in an energetic, nearly-chaotic pace. The video starts off from the viewpoint of a young boy who witnesses his father's death. Tupac's lyrics of resistance to injustice and encouragement to bear arms and fight back are backed by his gathering groups of young black men and women to march in the streets. Between these are clips of the young boy in the aftermath of his father's death. After seeing his mother reminiscing on her lost husband, the young boy finds money in the house and takes to the street, later seen buying a gun from someone in an alley. Near the end of the video, Tupac, sporting a bulletproof vest, is walking around in a shooting range with a group of young people taking shots at paper targets (notably accurate in hitting "rib cage" and other vital locations on each target). In the final scene, Tupac and company have left, and the young boy is seen standing alone at the shooting range. He takes off his baseball cap and reveals himself to be a girl--the cap concealing her long hair. She reaches into her coat to retrieve her gun and, now aiming at the target, fires a round.

Success

The song went uncharted on Billboard's Hot 100. The chaotic track and controversial content of this single made it difficult to market even on urban radio, which ultimately led to it being one of Tupac Shakur's least commercially successful tracks. However, shortly after releasing Holla If Ya Hear Me, Interscope would release singles and videos for "I Get Around" and "Keep Ya Head Up", respectively. These two songs became major hits for Tupac that year and would make up for the first singles' lack of commercial success and radio airplay.

In later years, the phrase "holler if ya hear me" received some popularity from being used by pro wrestler Scott Steiner as his catchphrase in World Wrestling Entertainment.

amples

*"Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
*"Get Off Your Ass and Jam" by Funkadelic
*"Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice
*"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Roger Troutman
*"Rebel Without a Pause" by Public Enemy