2Pac was a man containing multitudes - so he understandably demanded production capable of matching his many mood shifts. No one else could siphon the soul out of a purple-hearted soft-rock ballad, spi …

From his very first verse, 2Pac radiated pure charisma - the sonic equivalent of a Hollywood actor who gets the big break on his first audition. Come to think of it, he was only a teenager when Digital …

2Pac is like Michael Jordan - every few years, someone anoints an heir apparent, but no one can quite fill his shoes. The closest contender was 50 Cent, who declared on his first single that he wanted  …

2Pac's mind may have been preoccupied with homicide and honeys, but his peers also heard the sound of clicking triggers and ladies whispering sweet nothings into their ears. During the early '90s, hard …

Both playa and politico, 2Pac brought a sensuality and race-consciousness that could be traced back to the womb. Born to two Black Panthers, he first inhaled oxygen in the spring of '71, one month afte …

Punk bands descended upon mid-'70s London like a swarm of guitar-wielding hornets, buzzing with passion, potential, and a powerful sting. Queen Elizabeth "celebrated" her Silver Jubilee with a Molotov  …

Elvis' musical DNA scattered across the pop landscape like shotgun pellets, and his progeny thrives on every continent - even in other languages. Welsh roots-rockin' chameleon Dave Edmunds injects a fi …

Concealed beneath that familiar gold lamT exterior, crushed beneath the weight of his mountain of hits, lurks a whole other Elvis, crying out to be heard. On "My Happiness" Presley strips down to an ac …

Elvis (and his producers) sifted through masses of pop music the way old-time prospectors panned for gold - but with dramatically superior results. Sun Studios founder Sam Phillips suggested Arthur "Bi …