• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chad Kiser

Conversations With Chad

  • Home
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Contact Us
  • About

Classic Collaborations: Scarface & 2Pac – “Smile” (Prod. Mike Dean, Tone Capone, Scarface)

June 24, 2021 By Chad Kiser

Scarface and 2Pac, two of the most prolific and vivid songwriters in hip-hop history, collaborated to create a deeply introspective masterpiece.  As the lead single from Scarface’s fourth studio album The Untouchable, produced by Mike Dean, Tone Capone, and Scarface -featuring Johnny P on the hook – the song was released shortly after the death of 2pac, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the only single released by Scarface to go Gold.

The song opens to an intro by 2Pac saying, “There’s gon’ be some stuff you gon’ see/That’s gon’ make it hard to smile in the future/But through whatever you see/Through all the rain and the pain/You gotta keep your sense of humor/You gotta be able to smile through all this bullshit.”

Kicking off the first first, ‘Pac establishes and captures the essence exactly as one would imagine with, “Our lifestyles be close-captioned, addicted to fatal attractions/Pictures of actions be played back in the midst of mashin’/No fairy tales for this young black male/Some see me stranded in this land of hell, jail, and crack sales/Hustlers hardly think of culture
/Or the repercussions while bustin’ on backstabbin’ vultures/Sellin’ my soul for material wishes, fast cars, and bitches/Wishin’ I live my life a legend, immortalized in pictures/Why shed tears? Save your sympathy/My childhood years were spent buryin’ my peers in the cemetary/Here’s a message to the newborns waitin’ to breathe/If you believe, then you can achieve just look at me!”

When ‘Face comes in on the second verse, he embodies his infamous dark, crypt keeper of hip-hop persona and opens his verse with nothing less than what one would expect from one of the greatest lyricists hip-hop has ever seen. Vividly and creatively he paints a verbal picture for you, “Now, as I open up my story, with the blaze of your blunts/And you can picture thoughts slowly, up on phrases I wrote/And I can walk you through the days that I done/I often wish that I could save everyone, but I’m a dreamer/Have you ever seen a nigga who was strong in the game/Overlookin’ his tomorrows, and they finally came?/Look back on childhood memories, and I’m still feelin’ the pain/Turnin’ circles in my 9th grade, dealin’ cocaine/Too many hassles in my local life, survivin’ the strain/And a man without a focus, life could drive him insane/Stuck inside a ghetto fantasy hopin’ it change/But when I focus on reality we broke and in chains”.

Closing out the song Scarface speaks to the passing of 2pac, offers up a moment to pray, and envisions the angels carrying him home. In their only official collaboration, the two icons put together a masterful work of art, right down to the the video’s controversial crucifixion imagery.

Check out the video for “Smile” from Scarface, 2Pac, and Johnny P. below:

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Features, Latest News Tagged With: 2Pac, Scarface, Smile

Primary Sidebar

New Music

New Music Videos

Chad Music Exclusives

  1. Get It (Detox Unreleased) Dr. Dre 3:46
  2. Carol ("Truthfully Speaking" unreleased) (Prod. Dr. Dre) Truth Hurts 5:24
  3. Gotta Believe ("Truthfully Speaking" unreleased) (prod. Dr. Dre) Truth Hurts 3:19
  4. 12 Steps To Recovery (Detox Unreleased) Dr. Dre 3:26
  5. Could’ve Been You (ft. 50 Cent & R. Kelly) (Detox Unreleased) Dr. Dre 4:00

Recent News

‘That’s My Word’ Documents Bay Area’s Hip-Hop History & Influence

Symba Drops “Never Change” Music Video Featuring Roddy Ricch

Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Announce “High School Reunion” Dropping In 2023

Bobby Dee Presents Ne-Yo, Robin Thicke & Mario Live In Concert At The Greek Theatre In April 2023

Dae One Preps Female-Led “Diamond Collective” Compilation Featuring Latoiya Williams, Medusa The Gangsta Goddess, Sylk E. Fyne + More

Music & Entertainment Icon Ice-T Set To Receive Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star

Dr. Dre Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of “The Chronic” With Album’s Re-Release

Rick Rock Discusses Richie Rich & 2Pac Calling Him, Living At Mike Mosley’s Studio, Working With Mystikal + More With Unique Access Entertainment

Drink Champs & Interval Presents Premiere Episode Debuts With Math Hoffa

Grammy-Nominated Artist Deante’ Hitchcock Drops New “U Were Right I Was Wrong” Single Via ByStorm Entertainment/RCA Records

MBNel Trots Around The Globe In Newly Released “Don’t Say” Music Video

Chris “The Glove” Taylor Talks Early DJ Years, Putting “Reckless” Together With Ice-T, Being Scouted By Dr. Dre + More With According 2 Hip-Hop Podcast

Fatlip Of The Pharcyde Drops New Single “The Way” Featuring Krayzie Bone; Readies Vinyl Release Of ‘Torpor’ Album

Sir Jinx Drops “What’s Ur Motivation” Music Video Featuring Tony Villah, Ike Turner, Ray Corvé & Toast 187

Too Short Says His Music Production & Mixing Was Better With Ant Banks, Declares “Ain’t No Bass Like Ant Banks Bass”

Dazzie Dee Releases “30 Years Later” (Lench Mob & Alkaholiks Remix)” Featuring Akil The MC & K-Dee

J-Dee Of Da Lench Mob Drops “Cali Connected” Via Kreole Soul Music Group

Ant Banks Celebrated During Soul Beat TV Event Featuring Too Short, Pooh-Man, MC Eiht + More

Jane Handcock Releases “World Of Women” Album Featuring Snoop Dogg, Fredwreck, October London + More

Daz Dillinger Drops New “I Thank You Jesus” Music Video Featuring James Jackson & Atlanta Praise

Mike Mosley Drops Teaser Trailer For New “Mike Mosley Experience” Docuseries Chronicling TQ’s ‘They Never Saw Me Coming’

Too Short, E-40, Sway Calloway & Mistah F.A.B. Join Golden State Warriors In Celebrating NBA Championship At The White House

Logic Announces Debut Independent Studio Album ‘College Park’ Due Feb 24; Drops New Single “Wake Up” Featuring Lucy Rose

RBX Releases Trailer For Upcoming New Documentary “Surviving Tha Row: Past, Present, Future – The X Files”

LL Cool J Says New Album Is On The Way In 2023: “This year B. It’s coming.”

Chad Kiser Mixtape Vol I

  1. 1. World Fluctuation (Prod. Erotic D) Big Mike 2:21
  2. 2. Cant Even Handle The Truth (Unreleased) (Prod. Dr. Dre) Truth Hurts 4:05
  3. 3. Out oF Control (Prod. No Tag The Producer) The Luniz 3:26
  4. 4. Sticky The Pimp (Unreleased) (Prod. Bud'da) Sticky Fingaz 3:56
  5. 5. Just Been Done (Unreleased) (Prod. Bud'da) MC Lyte 3:59
  6. 6. Pussy Beater (Prod. Erotic D) Erotic-D 3:39
  7. 7. Smell Like Money (Prod. No Tag The Producer) Clyde Carson ft. Flacko Slim & Aaron Lee 3:47
  8. 8. All Mine (Unreleased) Truth Hurts ft. Safia Flowers 3:42
  9. 9. Chrome & Paint (OG Mix) (Prod. Bud'da) Ice Cube ft. WC 4:05
  10. 10. Comes and Goes (Prod. Erotic D) Erotic-D ft. Sean "Barney Rubble" Thomas 2:40
  11. 11. Carol (Unreleased) (Prod. Dr. Dre) Truth Hurts 5:24
  12. 12. It's OK (Prod. Nitro) Big V (Of Nappy Roots) 3:59

Archives

Chad Kiser 2018 All Rights Reserved