By stressing that people try hard against all odds, don't settle for less, be grateful for blessings, and don't ever let society change who they are, he expresses one of his most powerful and moving messages. Although the first and second verses (the second featuring Dramacydal) speak from hopeless and pessimistic standpoints, Tupac in the last verse delivers a message of the exact opposite. The theme of the song, as can be assumed from the title, is about how Tupac feels that his chances for success in life are constantly up against the odds of failure, and the pressure and stress from the ghetto and the media. Utilizing a distorted guitar sample from Isaac Hayes' 'Walk on By' and the beat from Minnie Riperton's 'Inside My Love,' the instrumental creates a sensation of hopeless self-destruction. The track of the same name of the album, Me Against the World, quite possibly has one of the best verses of Tupac's career.

However, whenever I hear the famous Julius Caesar quote issued in the opening, I still get chills crawling up my spine. 'If I Die 2Nite,' the first song on the album, which contains somewhat strong lyrics, is unfortunately brought down by the lackluster instrumental. On top of a gloomy and bleak background instrumental, the voices of different journalists, whether radio broadcasters or TV news anchors, are heard stating news reports about the controversy surrounding Tupac. Beginning with a short introduction track, which Tupac and many other rappers placed in their albums to set the mood of the album, the listener immediately is thrown into the drama surrounding Tupac's life at the time in early 1995.

Me against the world album cover