Pass The 40

Overview

Pass The 40 is a posse cut recorded by Raw Fusion featuring 2Pac, Stretch, Saafir, D The Poet 151, Bulldog, Pee-Wee and Mac Mone. Released during 1992, it is historically significant as the earliest official commercial release to feature both 2Pac and Stretch on the same recording, preceding their later collaborations on 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..

Produced by Money-B and DJ Fuze, the song reflects the close relationship between Raw Fusion, Digital Underground and the emerging New York collective Live Squad. At the time of recording, Tupac was still closely associated with Digital Underground while Stretch was beginning to establish himself as both an MC and producer through Live Squad.

The recording brings together artists from both the East and West Coast during a period when collaboration between the two scenes was commonplace. Looking back, Pass The 40 stands as one of the earliest commercially released recordings linking Tupac and Stretch, years before the East Coast-West Coast rivalry would dominate hip hop.

Recording History

The song was recorded during the sessions for Raw Fusion's debut period and first appeared on the Hollywood Records Sampler in 1992 before later being included on Raw Fusion's retrospective collection Experiments in Bio Stylee Technology: 1991–1996.

Although Stretch's appearance is relatively brief compared to his later work with Tupac, the recording marks the first officially released collaboration between the two artists. Within a year they would work together extensively on 2Pacalypse Now, followed by numerous recordings during the Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. and Thug Life sessions.

The production reflects Raw Fusion's jazz-influenced West Coast sound, quite different from the darker style that Stretch would later develop with Live Squad and Tupac.

Release History

Samples

Samples Used

Sample information is currently being researched.

Lyrics