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Dummy Hoy

2025-10-12T23:23:39Z

2600:8802:3712:5100:F978:27C6:3CEC:95F:

{{Short description|American baseball player (1862–1961)}}
{{Distinguish|Dummy Boy{{!}}''Dummy Boy''}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name = William Hoy
| image = Dummy Hoy.jpg
| width = 225
| position = [[Center fielder]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1862|5|23}}
| birth_place = [[Houcktown, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1961|12|15|1862|5|23}}
| death_place =[[Cincinnati|Cincinnati, Ohio]], U.S.
| bats = Left
| throws = Right
| debutleague = MLB
| debutdate = April 20
| debutyear = 1888
| debutteam = Washington Nationals
| finalleague = MLB
| finaldate = July 17
| finalyear = 1902
| finalteam = Cincinnati Reds
| statleague = MLB
| stat1label =[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
| stat1value = 288
| stat2label = [[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
| stat2value = 2,048
| stat3label = [[Runs batted in]]
| stat3value = 725
| stat4label = [[Stolen base]]s
| stat4value = 596
| teams =
*[[Washington Nationals (1886–1889)|Washington Nationals]] ({{mlby|1888}}–{{mlby|1889}})
*[[Buffalo Bisons (PL)|Buffalo Bisons]] ({{mlby|1890}})
*[[St. Louis Browns (NL)|St. Louis Browns]] ({{mlby|1891}})
*[[Washington Senators (1891–99)|Washington Senators]] ({{mlby|1892}}–{{mlby|1893}})
*[[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1894}}–{{mlby|1897}})
*[[Louisville Colonels]] ({{mlby|1898}}–{{mlby|1899}})
*[[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1901}})
*[[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1902}})
|highlights=
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders|NL stolen base leader]] (1888)
* [[Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum|Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame]]
}}
'''William Ellsworth "Dummy" Hoy''' (May 23, 1862 – December 15, 1961) was an American professional [[baseball]] [[center fielder]] in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) who played for several teams from 1888 to 1902, most notably the [[Cincinnati Reds]] and two Washington, D.C. franchises.

Hoy is the most accomplished [[deafness|deaf]] player in MLB history, and is credited by some sources with causing the establishment of signals for safe and out calls.<ref name="timeline1">Sandy and Miller, p. 48.</ref><ref>Gould, pp 127–9 refutes this.</ref><ref>Gannon, Jack. 1981. ''Deaf Heritage–A Narrative History of Deaf America'', Silver Spring, Maryland: National Association of the Deaf, pp. 291–295 ([http://saveourdeafschools.org/Deaf_Heritage_by_Jack_Gannon_page_292.pdf PDF] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424042945/http://saveourdeafschools.org/Deaf_Heritage_by_Jack_Gannon_page_292.pdf |date=2012-04-24 }})([http://saveourdeafschools.org/Deaf_Heritage_by_Jack_Gannon_page_293.pdf PDF] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424041241/http://saveourdeafschools.org/Deaf_Heritage_by_Jack_Gannon_page_293.pdf |date=2012-04-24 }})</ref> He held the MLB record for games in center field (1,726) from 1889 to 1902, set records for career [[putout]]s (3,958) and [[total chances]] (4,625) as an outfielder, and retired among the leaders in outfield games (2nd; 1,795), [[assist (baseball)|assists]] (7th; 273), and [[double play]]s (3rd; 72).

He was an excellent [[baserunning|baserunner]], scoring over 100 [[run (baseball)|runs]] nine times, and often finishing among the top [[stolen base|base stealers]]. He is one of only 29 players to have played in four different Major Leagues. His 1,006 career [[base on balls|walks]] put him second in MLB history behind [[Billy Hamilton (baseball, born 1866)|Billy Hamilton]] when he retired. He ended his career ranking eighth in career [[games played]] (1,796).

== Career ==

Born in the small town of [[Houcktown, Ohio]], Hoy became deaf after [[meningitis]] at age three. He graduated from the [[Ohio School for the Deaf|Ohio State School for the Deaf]] in [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]] as class [[valedictorian]]. He opened a shoe repair store in his hometown and played baseball on weekends, earning a professional contract in {{baseball year|1886}} with an [[Oshkosh, Wisconsin]], team which was managed by [[Frank Selee]] in 1887. In 1888, with the [[Washington Nationals (1886–1889)|Washington Nationals]] of the [[National League (baseball)|National League]], Hoy became the third deaf player in the major leagues, after pitcher [[Ed Dundon]] and pitcher [[Tom Lynch (pitcher)|Tom Lynch]]. In his rookie year he led the league in stolen bases (although the statistic was defined differently prior to 1898),<ref name="timeline2-03-2000">Sandy and Miller, p. 50.</ref> and also finished second with 69 walks while [[batting average (baseball)|batting]] .274. At 5'4" and batting left-handed, he was able to gain numerous walks with a small [[strike zone]], leading the league twice and compiling a .386 career [[on-base percentage]].

Hoy's speed was a great advantage in the outfield, and he was able to play shallow as a result. On June 19, 1889, he set an MLB record (which has since been tied twice) by throwing out three runners at home plate in one game, with catcher [[Connie Mack]] recording the outs. In 1890, he and Mack joined the [[Buffalo Bisons (PL)|Buffalo Bisons]] of the [[Players' League]]. In {{baseball year|1891}} Hoy returned to the AA with the [[St. Louis Browns (NL)|St. Louis Browns]] under player-manager [[Charles Comiskey]] for the league's final season, leading the league with 119 walks and scoring a career-high 136 runs, second in the league. He returned to Washington for two years with the [[Washington Senators (1891–99)|Washington Senators]] of the [[National League (baseball)|National League]]. He was traded to the Reds in December 1893, where he was reunited with Comiskey.

Hoy later joined the [[Louisville Colonels]], where his teammates included [[Honus Wagner]], [[Fred Clarke]] and [[Tommy Leach]], who was his roommate. He hit .304 and .306 in his two seasons with the club. In {{baseball year|1899}} he broke [[Mike Griffin (outfielder)|Mike Griffin]]'s Major League record of 1,459 games in center field. After playing for the [[Chicago White Sox]] in the [[American League]] during its [[Western League (original)|last minor league season]] in 1900, where Comiskey was now the team owner, Hoy stayed with the team when the AL achieved major league status in 1901, helping them to the league's (and his) first pennant.

In 1901, he broke [[Tom Brown (center fielder)|Tom Brown]]'s record of 3,623 career outfield putouts, and led the league with 86 walks and 14 times [[hit by pitch]]. He finished fourth in runs (112) and on-base percentage (.407). He ended his Major League career with the Reds in 1902, batting .290 and breaking Brown's record of 4,461 career total chances in the outfield. He played for Los Angeles in the [[Pacific Coast League]] in 1903. He played his final professional season that year for the Reds. On May 16, he batted against pitcher [[Dummy Taylor]] of the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] in the first (and so far, only) faceoff between deaf players in the Major Leagues. Hoy got two [[hit (baseball)|hits]].<ref>https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-100th-anniversary-of-dummy-vs-dummy/</ref>

Hoy retired with a .288 batting average, 2,048 hits, 1,429 runs, 725 [[run batted in|runs batted in]], 248 doubles, 121 [[triple (baseball)|triples]] and 40 [[home run]]s. He had 488 stolen bases from 1888 through 1897, and 108 more after the statistic was redefined to its present meaning in 1898. His 1,795 games in the outfield ranked second to [[Jimmy Ryan (baseball)|Jimmy Ryan]] (then at 1,829) in MLB history. [[Jesse Burkett]] broke his MLB record for career putouts in 1905, and Clarke topped his record for career total chances in 1909. His record for career games in center field was broken by [[Tris Speaker]] in 1920.

== Personal life ==
[[File:Dummy Hoy baseball card.jpg|thumb|150px|A baseball card of Hoy]]

In Hoy's time, the word "dumb" was used to describe someone who could not speak, rather than someone who was stupid. But since the ability to speak was often connected to one's intelligence, the epithets "dumb" and "dummy" became interchangeable with stupidity. Hoy himself often corrected individuals who addressed him as William, and referred to himself as Dummy.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}} Said to have been able to speak with a voice that resembled a squeak,<ref>''Buffalo Morning Express'', April 13, 1890, p.14</ref> he was one of the most intelligent players of his time.<ref name="timeline3-03-2000"/>

He is sometimes credited with developing the hand signals used by [[umpire (baseball)|umpires]] to this day, though this view is widely disputed. [[Cy Rigler]] is believed to have created signals for balls and strikes while working in the minor leagues. In the November 6, 1886 issue of ''[[The Sporting News]]'', the deaf pitcher [[Ed Dundon]] is credited as using hand signals while umpiring a game in [[Mobile, Alabama]] on October 20, 1886. [[Bill Klem]] is credited with introducing those signals to the Major Leagues, in the early 20th century.<ref name="timeline3-03-2000"/>

No articles printed during Hoy's lifetime have been found to support the suggestion that he influenced the creation of signals, nor did he ever maintain that he had such a role. Nonetheless, due to the possibility that he may have played a role in the use of signals, as well as for his all-around play, there is a movement to support his election to the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[Cooperstown, New York]].<ref name="timeline3-03-2000">Sandy and Miller, p. 49.</ref>

In retirement, Hoy and his wife Anna Maria, who was also deaf, operated a dairy farm in [[Mount Healthy, Ohio]], outside [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]]. Among their six children was Carson, an Ohio judge, and their grandson, Judson, became a member of the [[Ohio House of Representatives]]. They raised his nephew, [[Paul Helms|Paul Hoy Helms]], the founder of the [[Helms Athletic Foundation]] in Los Angeles. Hoy also worked as an executive with [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]] after supervising hundreds of deaf workers during World War I.<ref name="timeline4-03-2000"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Drebinger |first=John |date=October 7, 1961 |title=Reds Bow in Ninth |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1961/10/08/118053214.pdf |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=Cincinnati |access-date=September 12, 2020}}</ref>

In 1951 he was the first deaf athlete elected to membership in the [[American Athletic Association of the Deaf]] Hall of Fame. At the age of 99 and just two months before his death in Cincinnati following a [[stroke]], the Reds brought him back to [[Crosley Field]], built on the site of his former home field, to [[ceremonial first pitch|throw out the first ball]] before Game 3 of the [[1961 World Series]].<ref name="timeline4-03-2000">Sandy and Miller, p. 53.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Drebinger |first=John |date=October 7, 1961 |title=Reds Bow in Ninth |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1961/10/08/118053214.pdf |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=Cincinnati |access-date=September 12, 2020}}</ref> He could see, if not hear, the standing ovation he received. Upon his death that December, his remains were cremated according to family tradition and were scattered at [[Lytle Park]] in Cincinnati.

== Legacy ==

Upon his death in 1961 at the age of 99, Hoy was the longest-lived former MLB player ever. In 1973, [[Ralph Miller (right-handed pitcher)|Ralph Miller]] broke Hoy's record by becoming the first ex-major leaguer to reach the age of 100. Altogether, 25 former big league ballplayers have become [[centenarians]], with one of the 25, [[Silas Simmons]], becoming an [[supercentenarian]], dying at the age of 111 in 2006.

At the time of his death, Dummy Hoy was the last surviving participant of both the [[American Association (19th century)|American Association]] and the [[Players' League]].

In {{baseball year|2001}} the baseball field at [[Gallaudet University]] was named the William "Dummy" Hoy Baseball Field. He was inducted into the [[Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame]] in {{baseball year|2003}}. Hoy was inducted into the [[Baseball Reliquary]]'s [[Baseball Reliquary#Shrine of the Eternals|Shrine of the Eternals]] in 2004.<ref name="BRSOTE Inductees">[http://www.baseballreliquary.org/awards/shrine-of-the-eternals/shrine-of-the-eternals-electees "Shrine of the Eternals – Inductees"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919092503/http://www.baseballreliquary.org/awards/shrine-of-the-eternals/shrine-of-the-eternals-electees |date=2020-09-19 }}. Baseball Reliquary. Retrieved 2019-08-14.</ref> In 2018, he was selected as SABR's Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend for that year.<ref>https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-48-dummy-hoy-selected-2018-overlooked-19th-century-baseball-legend-2018/</ref>

The William "Dummy" Hoy Classic is a baseball game held every two years during [[Rochester, New York]] Deaf Awareness Week; it is contested between members of the Rochester Recreation Club of the Deaf and the [[Buffalo, New York]] Club of the Deaf, at a recreated 19th-century ballpark at [[Genesee Country Village and Museum]].<ref name=Memmott>{{cite news|last=Memmott|first=Jim|title=Playing a game to honor a baseball legend|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012309180049|access-date=September 19, 2012|newspaper=[[Democrat and Chronicle]]|date=September 19, 2012|agency=[[Gannett Company]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120920004352/http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012309180049|archive-date=September 20, 2012|location=[[Rochester, New York]]|pages=1B,4B|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2008, the [[DOC: The Documentary Channel|Documentary Channel]] aired the biography ''Dummy Hoy: A Deaf Hero'' (aka: ''I See the Crowd Roar''). The documentary, using photographs of Hoy and actors to recreate certain events, chronicled the highlights of Hoy's life and his contributions to baseball; Hoy was portrayed by [[Ryan Lane]].<ref name="Evansville Courier & Press">{{cite web|url=http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/oct/19/back-in-the-day/|title=Crew films documentary on 19th century deaf baseball player 'Dummy' Hoy|author=Rich Davis|date=19 October 2008|work=Evansville Courier & Press}}</ref>

At least three picture books for children have been published: ''Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William Hoy'' by Bill Wise (2012), ''The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game'' [[Nancy Churnin]] (2016).,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.albertwhitman.com/book/the-william-hoy-story/|title=The William Hoy Story}}</ref> and ''The Little-Known Heroes: William 'Dummy' Hoy'' by Kaushay and Spencer Ford (2021).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thelittleknownheroes.com/product/william-dummy-hoy-hard-cover/|title = William 'Dummy' Hoy (Hard Cover)|date = 26 February 2021}}</ref>

The 2019 limited-release movie ''The Silent Natural'', tells the story of Hoy, who is played by [[Miles Barbee]], who is deaf in real life.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6506478/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title = The Silent Natural (2019) - IMDb| website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

== References ==

*Sandy, Steve; Miller, Richard. "No Dummy: William Ellsworth Hoy." ''Timeline'', March–April 2000, pp. 48–53.
*{{cite book |author-link=Stephen Jay Gould |last=Gould |first=Stephen Jay |title=Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville |url=https://archive.org/details/triumphtragedyin00step |url-access=registration |chapter=The Amazing Dummy |publisher=W.W. Norton |location=New York |year=2003 |isbn=0-393-32557-1 }}

== External links ==

{{commons category}}
{{Baseballstats |mlb=116238 |br=h/hoydu01 |fangraphs=1006111 |brm=hoy---001wil |retro=H/Phoy-d101}}
*{{sabrbio|763405ef|Ralph Berger|2016-01-13}}
*[http://www.dummyhoy.com/ DummyHoy.com] – website promoting his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120527100307/http://www.iseethecrowdroar.com/ The Dummy Hoy documentary film, I See the Crowd Roar]

{{S-start}}
{{S-ach|rec}}
{{Succession box| before = [[John Leighton (baseball)|John Leighton]] | title =Oldest recognized verified living baseball player| years = October 31, 1956 – December 15, 1961 | after = [[Buster Burrell]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Buffalo Bisons (PL) all-time roster|state=collapsed}}
{{1901 Chicago White Sox}}
{{NL stolen base champions}}
{{Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoy, Dummy}}
[[Category:1862 births]]
[[Category:1961 deaths]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball center fielders]]
[[Category:19th-century baseball players]]
[[Category:19th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]]
[[Category:Washington Nationals (1886–1889) players]]
[[Category:Buffalo Bisons (PL) players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Browns (AA) players]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1891–1899) players]]
[[Category:Louisville Colonels players]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Hamilton County, Ohio]]
[[Category:National League stolen base champions]]
[[Category:Oshkosh (minor league baseball) players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Chicago White Stockings (minor league) players]]
[[Category:American disabled sportspeople]]
[[Category:Deaf baseball players]]
[[Category:People from Hancock County, Ohio]]
[[Category:American deaf people]]
[[Category:People from Mount Healthy, Ohio]]

2Pacalypse Now

2025-10-12T20:26:07Z

2600:8802:3712:5100:F978:27C6:3CEC:95F:

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = 2Pacalypse Now
| type = studio
| artist = [[Tupac|2Pac]]
| cover = 2pacalypse now.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1991|11|12}}
| recorded = September 1990 – October 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2paclegacy.net/thug-life-volume-1-september-26-1994-official-album/|title=THUG LIFE: VOLUME 1 [OFFICIAL ALBUM], OCTOBER 11, 1994|publisher=2PacLegacy|date=November 28, 2015|accessdate=February 4, 2022}}</ref>
| studio = Starlight Sound ([[Richmond, California|Richmond, CA]])
| genre = * [[Hip hop music| Hip hop]]
* [[political hip-hop]]
| length = {{Duration|m=55|s=07}}
| label = * TNT
* [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]
| producer = * Atron Gregory ([[Executive producer#Music|exec.]])
* Big D the Impossible
* J-Z
* [[Live Squad]]
* [[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Pee-Wee]]
* [[Raw Fusion]]
* [[Shock G]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = [[Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...]]
| next_year = 1993
| misc = {{Singles
| name = 2Pacalypse Now
| type = studio
| single1 = [[Trapped (Tupac Shakur song)|Trapped]]
| single1date = September 25, 1991
| single2 = [[Brenda's Got a Baby]]
| single2date = October 20, 1991
| single3 = [[If My Homie Calls]]
| single3date = December 20, 1991
}}
}}
'''''2Pacalypse Now''''' is the debut solo studio album by American rapper [[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]]. It was released on November 12, 1991, through TNT Recordings and [[Interscope Records]], while [[EastWest Records America]], a division of Atlantic distributed the album.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=McAdams |first1=Janine |date=November 30, 1991 |title=2Pac Files Claim Against Oakland |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1991/BB-1991-11-30.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121005730/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1991/BB-1991-11-30.pdf |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |access-date=February 16, 2023 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=BPI Communications, Inc. |location=New York, NY, USA |page=20 |language=English |volume=103 |issue=48 |issn=0006-2510 |quote=Details were revealed at a Nov. 12 press conference..."2Pacalypse Now," was released the same day as his press conference.}}</ref> The recording sessions took place at Starlight Sound Studio in [[Richmond, California]]. The album was produced by the [[Digital Underground]] production team the Underground Railroad, made up of Big D the Impossible, [[Shock G]], [[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Pee-Wee]], DJ J-Z, [[Raw Fusion]], and [[Live Squad]]. It features contributions from [[Stretch (rapper)|Stretch]], Angelique, [[Dave Hollister]], Pogo, Poppi, [[Ray Luv]] and Shock G among others. The album's title is a reference to the 1979 [[war film]] ''[[Apocalypse Now]]''.

In the United States, the album reached number 64 on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], number 13 on the US [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] and number three on both the [[Heatseekers Albums]] and [[Catalog Albums]] charts. On April 19, 1995, it was certified Gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] for selling 500,000 copies. In commemoration of its twenty-fifth anniversary, it was re-released on [[Phonograph record|vinyl]] and [[Cassette tape|cassette]] on November 11, 2016,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Angus |date=November 13, 2016 |title=Tupac's "2Pacalypse Now" Released On Vinyl For The First Time |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/53612-tupacs-2pacalypse-now-released-on-vinyl-for-the-first-time-news |access-date=April 2, 2024 |website=[[HotNewHipHop]] |language=en}}</ref> which peaked at number 21 on the ''Billboard'' [[Vinyl Albums]] chart.

The album produced three singles with accompanying music videos: "[[Trapped (Tupac Shakur song)|Trapped]]", "[[Brenda's Got a Baby]]" and "[[If My Homie Calls]]". The second single off of the album, "Brenda's Got a Baby", made it to number 23 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]], number three on the [[Hot Rap Songs]] and number 55 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales]]. The song "[[I Don't Give a Fuck]]" from the album was included in 2004 video game ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'' in-game radio station ''Radio Los Santos''.

==Content==
''2Pacalypse Now'' is a socially conscious hip hop album. It serves as the artist's commentary on contemporary social issues facing American society, such as [[Racism in the United States|racism]], [[Police brutality in the United States|police brutality]], [[Poverty in the United States|poverty]], [[race and crime in the United States|gang violence]], [[Teenage pregnancy in the United States|teenage pregnancy]] and [[Substance abuse|drug abuse]]. The album poetically addresses black urban concerns relevant to the present day. Although a relatively tame album compared to Shakur's later works, ''2Pacalypse Now'' was known for its violent lyrics aimed at police officers and the government in the songs "[[Trapped (Tupac Shakur song)|Trapped]]", "[[I Don't Give a Fuck]]" and "Soulja's Story".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Vaught |first=Seneca |date=Spring 2014 |title=Tupac's Law: Incarceration, T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E., and the Crisis of Black Masculinity |url=https://www.academia.edu/8258642/Tupacs_Law_Incarceration_and_the_Crisis_of_Black_Masculinity  |url-status=live |journal=Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men |volume=2 |pages=93–94 |doi=10.2979/spectrum.2.2.87 |s2cid=144439620 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306233517/http://www.academia.edu/8258642/Tupacs_Law_Incarceration_and_the_Crisis_of_Black_Masculinity |archive-date=March 6, 2017 |access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chadwick |first=Justin |date=November 8, 2021 |title=Revisiting 2Pac’s Debut Album ‘2Pacalypse Now’ (1991) {{!}} Tribute |url=https://albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-30-years-of-2pac-debut-album-2pacalypse-now |access-date=April 2, 2024 |website=Albumism |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Controversy==
The album generated significant controversy stemming from then-[[Vice President of the United States|U.S. Vice President]] [[Dan Quayle]]'s public criticism after [[Ronald Ray Howard]] murdered a [[Texas Highway Patrol]] trooper and his defense attorney claimed he was influenced by ''2Pacalypse Now'' and its strong theme of [[police brutality]]. Quayle made the statement, "There's no reason for a record like this to be published. It has no place in our society".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Broder |first1=John |date=September 23, 1992 |title=Quayle Calls for Pulling Rap Album Tied to Murder Case |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-23-mn-1144-story.html |access-date=November 27, 2016 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

== Critical reception ==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="AM">{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Marisa |title=2Pacalypse Now 2Pac|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/2pacalypse-now-mw0000676677 |access-date=April 2, 2024 |website=[[AllMusic]] |language=en}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=McCann |first=Ian |date=April 1997 |title=Q Reviews: reissue reviews |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''RapReviews''
| rev3score = 8/10<ref name="RR">{{Cite web |last=Woods |first=Emilee |date=February 24, 2009 |title=2Pac 2Pacalypse Now |url=https://www.rapreviews.com/2009/02/2pac-2pacalypse-now-2/ |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240401235452/https://www.rapreviews.com/2009/02/2pac-2pacalypse-now-2/ |archive-date=April 1, 2024 |access-date=April 2, 2024 |website=RapReviews |language=en-US }}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&q=2Pacalypse+Now&pg=PA830 |title=(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide |last2= |first2= |author-link2= |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7432-0169-8 |editor-last=Brackett |editor-first=Nathan |editor-link=Nathan Brackett |edition=4th |location=New York |pages=830–832 |editor-last2=Hoard |editor-first2=Christian David |editor-link2=Christian Hoard |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Tom Hull – on the Web]]''
| rev5score = B+ ({{Rating-Christgau|hm1}})<ref>{{cite web |last=Hull |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Hull (critic) |date=August 3, 2015 |title=Grade List: 2Pac |url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/nm/get_gl.php?n=2Pac |access-date=February 13, 2022 |website=tomhull.com}}</ref>
}}
''2Pacalypse Now'' received generally positive reviews from critics. Although the album's political messages, lyrics and his storytelling were praised, Tupac Shakur's debut album was criticized for its production. In a retrospective review, ''RapReviews'' gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and said: "It's not an extraordinarily long album, but it is a dense and heavy listen that will take a lot out of you if you pay close attention to the persistent theme. The beats overall fail to make much of an impression, but perhaps that is as it should be, since nothing should be allowed to outshine this kind of lyrical performance. Tupac's vitriol is carried by his sincerity and charisma, both of which would emerge as key traits of the figure that blossomed in the years to come. Over the course of Tupac's career, the political got suffused by the personal and receded from the central position it occupied on his debut."<ref name="RR"/>

==Commercial performance==
Upon its release, ''2Pacalypse Now'' debuted at number 197 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], number 77 on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] and number 31 on the [[Heatseekers Albums]] charts in the United States. The album peaked at No. 64, No. 13 and No. 3 on the respective charts in the first third of 1992. The [[Recording Industry Association of America]] certified the album gold on April 19, 1995 for passing the sales mark of half a million copies.

After [[Murder of Tupac Shakur|2Pac's death in 1996]], the album made it to the US Catalog Albums, peaking at number 3. It also made its charting debut on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart, reaching number 35.

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Young Black Male
| writer1 = {{hlist|[[Tupac Shakur]]|Deon Evans|[[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton Jr.]]|[[Papa Dee Allen|Sylvester Allen]]|Harold Brown|Morris Dickerson|[[Lonnie Jordan]]|[[Charles Miller (musician)|Charles Miller]]|[[Lee Oskar]]|[[Howard E. Scott]]}}
| extra1 = Big D the Impossible
| length1 = 2:35
| title2 = [[Trapped (Tupac Shakur song)|Trapped]]
| writer2 = {{hlist|Shakur|[[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Ramone Gooden]]|[[Ray Luv|Raymond Tyson]]}}
| extra2 = [[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Pee-Wee]]
| length2 = 4:44
| title3 = Soulja's Story
| writer3 = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans|[[Isaac Hayes]]}}
| extra3 = Big D the Impossible
| length3 = 5:05
| title4 = [[I Don't Give a Fuck]]
| note4 = featuring Pogo
| writer4 = {{hlist|Shakur|Gooden}}
| extra4 = Pee-Wee
| length4 = 4:20
| title5 = Violent
| writer5 = {{hlist|Shakur|[[Money-B|Ronald Brooks]]|[[DJ Fuze|David Elliott]]|[[Maceo Parker]]}}
| extra5 = [[Raw Fusion]]
| length5 = 6:25
| title6 = Words of Wisdom
| writer6 = {{hlist|Shakur|[[Shock G|Gregory Jacobs]]|[[Herbie Hancock]]}}
| extra6 = [[Shock G]]
| length6 = 4:54
| title7 = Something Wicked
| writer7 = {{hlist|Shakur|Jeremy Jackson}}
| extra7 = J-Z
| length7 = 2:28
| title8 = Crooked Ass Nigga
| note8 = featuring [[Stretch (rapper)|Stretch]]
| writer8 = {{hlist|Shakur|[[Stretch (rapper)|Randy Walker]]}}
| extra8 = [[Live Squad]]
| length8 = 4:17
| title9 = [[If My Homie Calls]]
| writer9 = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans|[[Arlester Christian]]|Hancock}}
| extra9 = Big D the Impossible
| length9 = 4:18
| title10 = [[Brenda's Got a Baby]]
| writer10 = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans}}
| extra10 = Big D the Impossible
| length10 = 3:53
| title11 = Tha' Lunatic
| note11 = featuring Stretch
| writer11 = {{hlist|Shakur|Jacobs|Clinton Jr.|Ron Banks}}
| extra11 = [[Shock G]]
| length11 = 3:29
| title12 = Rebel of the Underground
| writer12 = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans}}
| extra12 = [[Shock G]]
| length12 = 3:17
| title13 = Part Time Mutha
| note13 = featuring Angelique
| writer13 = {{hlist|Shakur|Evans|[[Stevie Wonder]]}}
| extra13 = Big D the Impossible
| length13 = 5:13
| total_length = 55:07
}}

==Personnel==
{{div col}}
*Tupac "[[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]]" Shakur – lyrics, vocals, co-producer
*Gregory "[[Shock G]]" Jacobs – background vocals (tracks: 2, 12), keyboards (track 8), producer
*Playa-Playa – outro vocals (track 2)
*Dank – outro vocals (track 2)
*Wiz – outro vocals (track 2)
*Mickey Cooley – telephone voice (track 4)
*Rodney Cooley – telephone voice (track 4)
*Pogo – telephone voice (track 4)
*Ronald "[[Money-B]]" Brooks – background vocals (track 5), producer
*David "[[DJ Fuze]]" Elliot – background vocals (track 5), producer
*Descaro "Mac Mone" Moore – background vocals (track 5)
*Ramon "[[Pee-Wee (rapper)|Pee-Wee]]" Gooden – background vocals (track 7), producer
*Randy "[[Stretch (rapper)|Stretch]]" Walker – rap vocals (tracks: 8, 11)
*[[Dave Hollister]] – vocals (track 10)
*Roniece Levias – vocals (track 10)
*Raymond "[[Ray Luv]]" Tyson – background vocals (track 12)
*Yonni – background vocals (track 12)
*Di-Di – background vocals (track 12)
*Poppi – vocals (track 13)
*Angelique – background vocals (track 13)
*Deon "Big D the Impossible" Evans – producer
*Jeremy "J-Z" Jackson – producer
*[[Live Squad]] – producers
*Darrin Harris – engineering
*Steve Counter – engineering
*Marc Senasac – engineering
*Matt Kelley – engineering
*Kenneth K. Lee Jr. – mastering
*Atron Gregory – executive producer
*Kevin Hosmann – art direction
*Victor Hall – photography
*David Provost – photographic prints
*Tom Whalley – A&R
*Leslie Gerard-Smith – coordinator
{{div col end}}

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1992)
! scope="col"| Peak position
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|64|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=December 23, 2021}}
|-
{{Album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|13|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=December 23, 2021}}
|-
{{Album chart|BillboardHeatseekers|3|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=December 23, 2021}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (1996)
! scope="col" | Peak position
|-
{{Album chart|BillboardCatalog|3|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=April 2, 2024}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (1997)
! scope="col" | Peak position
|-
{{Album chart|UKR&B|35|artist=2Pac|date=19970209|rowheader=true|access-date=April 2, 2024}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (2016)
! scope="col" | Peak position
|-
{{Album chart|BillboardVinyl|21|artist=2Pac|rowheader=true|access-date=April 2, 2024}}
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (1992)
! Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1992/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1992|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 39
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=2 Pac|title=2 Pacalypse|award=Gold|relyear=1991|certyear=1995}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Discogs master|1216|2Pacalypse Now|type=album}}

{{Tupac Shakur}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2pacalypse Now}}
[[Category:1991 debut albums]]
[[Category:Tupac Shakur albums]]
[[Category:T.N.T. Recording albums]]
[[Category:Political hip-hop albums]]
[[Category:Interscope Records albums]]