All Eyez on Me is a double album by rapper Tupac Shakur. It was released on February 13, 1996 (see 1996 in music). The album is one of the most influential albums in hip hop history and is widely considered one of the crowning achievements of 1990s rap . All Eyez on Me reached Platinum qualification in just 4 hours , and reached #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album has sold over twenty million copies which qualifies it for Diamond album status, as each disc in a double-album counts toward certification. The album is one of the best selling albums in hip-hop. It last received an RIAA certification in 1999, when it was certified 9x Platinum. All Eyez on Me was released after Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records, bailed Shakur out of jail, fulfilling part of Shakur's brand new contract with Death Row Records. This double-album served as the first two records of his three album contract. He arrived in the studios just hours after being released from prison to begin work on this 27 track hip-hop "tour de force". The prolific rapper finished this album in only two weeks .
The songs on All Eyez on Me are, in general, unapologetic celebrations of what is called in the idiom the thug lifestyle. Though there is the occasional reminiscence about past and present friends, it is a definite move away from the social and political consciousness of 2Pacalypse Now.
The album features occasional guest spots from Shakur's regulars, such as former-Thug Life members and The Outlawz, as well as Snoop Dogg, and other guests. Most of the album was produced by Johnny "J" and Daz Dillinger, with help from Dr. Dre on the songs "California Love" and "Can't C Me".
