The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory

The album was completely finished in seven days during the first week of August 1996.[2] The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four days. These are the last songs Shakur recorded before his fatal shooting on September 7, 1996 (and dying six day later). The album's preliminary title was "The 3 Day Theory", (originally consisted of around 14 tracks). E.D.I. Mean of The Outlawz & Ronald "Riskie" Brent revealed in an August 2014 interview that the official name of the album was mixed up in the rush to release the album following Tupac's death. Tupac wanted the album to be called; "Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory," with Makaveli the Don referenced as the artist name and Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory as the main title. Death Row's tumultuous staff at the time would incorrectly label the title as "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory."[3] Ronald "Riskie" Brent is the creator of The 7 Day Theory cover painting. 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 and was created in mid-August 1996.[4][5]

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 ready to come out, [but] after Tupac was murdered, it did come out... Before that, it was going to be a sort of an underground [release]."[6]

Many of Shakur's usual producers were not involved in the project. The only producer with whom Shakur had worked prior to this album was QD3, the son of Quincy Jones and half-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 [Studios] 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."[7]

The album was recorded at Can-Am Studios in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California during August 1996. During those days 21 songs were completed, 12 of which made the final product. The album did not feature the star-studded guest list that All Eyez on Me did. Most of the guest verses are supplied by Shakur's group The Outlawz. The only verse that was not from one of the Outlawz was from Bad Azz. Young Noble of the Outlawz recalled: We had started writing the shit and we was taking long. 'Pac was like, "Who got something? Bad Azz you got something?" and it fit perfect, so it was meant for Bad Azz to be on that song. We had already been on a million 'Pac songs. That was his way of motivating us like, "If y'all ain't ready, then you don't make the song."[8]

The song "Me and My Girlfriend" was inspired by the rapper Nas' song, "I Gave You Power"

The album cover for The Don Killuminati was done by Compton based artist Ronald "Riskie" Brent, known artistically as "Riskie Forever."[12] According to Riskie, Death Row Records C.E.O Marion "Suge" Knight introduced Riskie to Tupac on the set of the California Love (Remix) video shoot in Compton, California. Riskie, while in Tupac's trailer showed him his art portfolio, impressing Tupac with his artwork. Upon seeing his artwork Tupac agreed that Riskie had good artistic talent and requested for Riskie to do his next album cover. Riskie received a phone call from the then President of Death Row Norris Anderson with Tupac's request that he be drawn on a cross for the album cover of The Don Killuminati: The Seven Day Theory.[13]

The Don Killuminati album cover draws on Renaissance portrayals of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Tupac is by himself in the image with his head tilted to the side, possessing the classic wound in his right side similar to the wound of Jesus as depicted in the accounts of his crucifixion. There is a bandana covering the head of Tupac and barbed-wire covering both his hands and his feet. Absent from the painting is Tupac's iconic "Thug Life" tattoo as it is covered up by the parental advisory sticker covering his genitals. On the cross of Tupac there is a map connecting various cities from across the country. The cities listed are cities with large African-American populations, including the major urban centers of the East, West, and Southern parts of the United States. The color pattern of the cultural production is a gloomy red and black. The only light in the artistry is the moon and the few beams of light that emerge from the cracks on the cross. Near the bottom of the image is a written disclaimer: "In no way in this portrait an expression of disrespect for Jesus Christ. -Makaveli"

There are many interpretations of this album cover, the primary theme communicates that through depiction, Tupac is highlighting what he perceives to be his being vilified by the media and left alone to suffer his fate. The parental advisor sticker could be a reference to both what he perceived to be his demonization due to his promiscuous lifestyle, but also and most importantly, it could be a reference to his conviction of sexual assault, a charge in which he maintained his innocence against.[14] The names of the cities that are on the album cover may be a representation of Tupac's belief that he represents the entirety of the African-American community in his public vilification, that he, like African-American people as a whole, is on display to be gazed upon and judged through the Euro-American racial prism. Furthermore, this theme of representation is also connected to the political commitments of Tupac Shakur as he was in the midst of deepening his political activity in the form of the creation of a Hip-Hop political party prior his murder.[15]

The first two singles, "Toss It Up" and "To Live & Die in L.A" were released on September 26, 1996 and November 16, 1996. Dr. Dre's former Death Row colleagues, including Shakur, recorded and attempted to release "Toss It Up", containing numerous insults aimed at Dr. Dre and using a deliberately similar instrumental to "No Diggity", but were forced to replace the production after Blackstreet issued the label with a cease and desist order stopping them from distributing the song.[16] "Toss It Up" music video features Shakur, Danny Boy, K-Ci & JoJo, Aaron Hall, and was directed by Lionel C. Martin.[17] According to Death Row Records, it was the last music video Shakur filmed. The video also includes an appearance from actress LisaRaye McCoy.[18] An unreleased version of the video was leaked some years later, known online as "Toss It Up Beach Version".[19]

"To Live & Die in L.A, was produced by QDIII who was the only outside Death Row producer on the album besides Demetrius Shipp who did "Toss It Up". QDIII was one of Shakur's favorite producers. QDIII told XXL Magazine:

I was in the studio with 'Pac, I had some records with me, and there was this old song that I played for him to see if he liked the vibe. He felt it and told me to go home and hook up a beat like that. I went home and hooked it up as fast as I could, and I think I came back the same night and he listened to the track three times, and in like 15 minutes he was already done with his lyrics. He went in the booth without telling anyone what the track was about he just laid it in one take--over about three tracks. Then he told Val Young what the concept was, and she went in and laid her chorus vocal in one take, too. After the vocals were done, 'Pac had Ricky Rouse [Makaveli musician] replace my keyboard bass and guitar parts with live bass and guitar parts, and the song was done--less than two hours total. This song just flowed out of everyone that was a part of it. No one thought twice no one doubted anything. It was full speed ahead until it was done--as if it was guided or meant to be. Ever since recording like that, without thinking twice like that, I have changed the way I look at making music.[20]

A music video for "To Live & Die in L.A" was shot in July 1996. It features Shakur working at a fruit stand, driving around Los Angeles in a car filled with women, and also features various scenes and pictures of notable places and events in Los Angeles. It was the first video shot for the album.[21]

The album's final single, "Hail Mary" was released, February 11, 1997. The videos for "Hail Mary" and "To Live & Die in L.A can be found on the DualDisc of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.[22]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[23]
Entertainment Weekly	D[24]
Los Angeles Times	[25]
MVRemixReview	9/10[26]
RapReviews	7.5/10[1]
Rolling Stone	[27]
XXL	[28]
Muzik	[29]

The album has retrospectively been met with critical acclaim. "The tracks are fat with funky menace…" observed Rolling Stone, "and the choral-vocal effect in many of the raps has a street-corner, pass-the-bottle charge. Alas, the record – issued just two months after 2Pac's murder – merely perpetuates Los Angeles hip-hop gangland stereotypes, in particular the East Coast/West Coast feud that has gone beyond pointless all the way to deadly."[30] Writing for The New York Times, Neil Strauss commented on the album saying, "as Mr. Shakur's last stand, The Don Killuminati fares a lot more poorly than his previous album, All Eyez on Me, does. This one was clearly meant as filler, a way to burn off creative energy, put down his rivals at Bad Boy Entertainment and tide fans over until the next album.[31]

AllMusic's Thomas Erlewine gave the album 2.5 out of 5 stars saying:

Everything about The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory smacks of exploitation. Released only eight weeks after Tupac Shakur died from gunshot wounds, Death Row released this posthumous album under the name of Makaveli, a pseudonym derived from the Italian politician Niccolo Machiavelli, who advocated using deception and fear on one's enemies. Naturally, the appearance of Don Killuminati so shortly after Tupac's death led many conspiracy theorists to surmise the rapper was still alive, but it was all part of a calculated marketing strategy by Death Row – the label needed something to sustain interest in the album, since the music here is so shoddy. All Eyez on Me proved that Tupac was continuing to grow as a musician and a human being, but Don Killuminati erases that image by concentrating on nothing but tired G-funk beats and back-biting East Coast/West Coast rivalries.[23]

Los Angeles Times critic Cheo Hodari Coker said, "While there are moments of power and poignancy in The Don Killuminati, it lacks the full ambition and range of Shakur's epic All Eyez on Me and Me Against the World packages. It's in those albums--and songs such as "Brenda's Got a Baby", "Lord Knows" and "Only God Can Judge Me"—that the legacy of this tortured, talented artist will be best found."[25] In a negative review from People, they commented saying: "In light of how he died, all the bloodletting seems both preordained and sad. At the same time, Don Killuminati may be seen as Tupac's last grand artistic statement. Quite frankly, the CD is not that good."[32]

The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 664,000 copies in its first week, becoming the second-highest first week sales of the year.[36][37][38] On June 15, 1999, the album was certified quadruple platinum for sales of over four million copies in the United States.[39]

• Credits adapted from album booklet.[40]

Notes

• ^{^a} signifies a co-producer
• "Blasphemy" features vocals by Prince Ital Joe & JMJ
• "Life Of An Outlaw" features vocals by Bo-Roc
• "Me And My Girlfriend" features vocals by Virginya Slim

Credits for The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day of Theory adapted from AllMusic.[41]

• List of number-one albums of 1996 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1996 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 (U.S.)
• List of hip hop albums considered to be influential