California Love

The harmony of 'California Love' is defined by its use of the Mixolydian mode, a staple of G-Funk. Instead of a standard V-I resolution, it uses the bVII (Ab) to I (Bb) resolution, which creates a 'cooler,' less urgent sense of tension compared to traditional major-key functional harmony. This specific progression, sampled from Joe Cocker's 'Woman to Woman,' is distinctive for its use of a dominant 7th tonic (Bb7) which gives the track its gritty, bluesy, and quintessentially West Coast sound.

The song was originally intended as a Dr. Dre solo single for his upcoming project. However, following Suge Knight's arrangement to bail 2Pac out of prison in October 1995, the track was repurposed as 2Pac's comeback single. Tupac recorded his verses immediately upon his arrival in Los Angeles from the Clinton Correctional Facility. The track interpolates the piano riff from Joe Cocker's 1972 song 'Woman to Woman' and the chorus from Ronnie Hudson & The Street People's 'West Coast Poplock'.

Released as 2Pac's triumphant comeback single after his prison release, this track features Dr. Dre's masterful production and Roger Troutman's iconic talk-box vocals. It became a Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit and remains one of the most recognizable cultural symbols of 1990s rap.