--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tupac Back' was the first single I had…" description: "\"Tupac Back' was the first single I had, but prior to that I already had 20-something songs in the street.\" — Mike Will Made It" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/mike-will-made-it-6431_back_tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-bu_2729342.jpg" --- # Tupac Back' was the first single I had, but prior to that… ![“Tupac Back' was the first single I had, but prior to that I already had 20-something songs in the street.” quote by Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/mike-will-made-it-6431_back_tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-bu_2729342.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/mike-will-made-it-6431_back_tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-bu_2729342.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/mike-will-made-it-6431_back_tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-bu_2729342.jpg) > “Tupac Back' was the first single I had, but prior to that I already had 20-something songs in the street.” [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist notes that while “Tupac Back” was his first official single, he had already created many songs informally. **In simple terms:** First single came after many unreleased songs. Key Takeaway Recognize effort before public recognition. Themes music production career development perseverance hip‑hop industry Mood reflective inspirational Type creative professional When to use this quote - studio sessions - street performances - networking - marketing Key Concepts Creative process artist branding Questions to Reflect On - How does early unreleased work shape an artist’s identity? - What role does a debut single play in a career? A Different Perspective Early work may not reflect final style. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [20 Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/20-songs-955279/) [Back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Prior 20](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prior-20-2943421/) [Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapper/) [Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs/) [Songs Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs-street-2943422/) [Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/street/) [Tupac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tupac/) [Tupac Single](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tupac-single-2943420/) ## Related quotes > [My songs have some street talk in them, but that's the way I talk and the way a lot of people I know talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maren-morris/my-songs-have-some-street-talk-in-them-but-that-s-the-way-i-talk-and/) [Maren Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maren-morris/) > [In 2011, a lot of people didn't even know I did 'Tupac Back.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/in-2011-a-lot-of-people-didn-t-even-know-i-did-tupac-back/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [You know, when you're making a record, you come up with 15, 20 songs. Then they start to fall by the wayside as your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/you-know-when-you-re-making-a-record-you-come-up-with-15-20-songs/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [I think the Internet is an awful lot like FM radio was when it broke out in the late '60s. It's kind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mcguinn/i-think-the-internet-is-an-awful-lot-like-fm-radio-was-when-it-broke/) [Roger McGuinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mcguinn/) > [Whenever a songwriter writes a big hit, then the next 20 songs they write - no matter how bad they are - get recorded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmet-ertegun/whenever-a-songwriter-writes-a-big-hit-then-the-next-20-songs-they/) [Ahmet Ertegun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmet-ertegun/) > [“By law, buskers in Dublin must have a repertoire of at least 20 songs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/by-law-buskers-in-dublin-must-have-a-repertoire-of-at-least-20-songs/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [To a certain extent, yes, we do. But there's - but there's a very limited menu. There's only about sort of 20 songs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/to-a-certain-extent-yes-we-do-but-there-s-but-there-s-a-very-limited/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [I'm the type of guy where, if I see, like, 20 songs, I don't even wanna listen to one of 'em 'cause it's too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaytoven/i-m-the-type-of-guy-where-if-i-see-like-20-songs-i-don-t-even-wanna/) [Zaytoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaytoven/) > [Radio in the U.K. is so formulaic. You've got commercial stations who play the same 20 songs all day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keren-woodward/radio-in-the-u-k-is-so-formulaic-you-ve-got-commercial-stations-who/) [Keren Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keren-woodward/) > [Right now I feel so inspired, it's hard to believe. I've written about 20 songs in the last two days. I'd gone about four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-bolin/right-now-i-feel-so-inspired-it-s-hard-to-believe-i-ve-written-about/) [Tommy Bolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-bolin/) > [I've been writing songs all along, and since moving to Nashville in the late-'80s, I'd begun writing something like 15-20 songs a year, instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-leadon/i-ve-been-writing-songs-all-along-and-since-moving-to-nashville-in/) [Bernie Leadon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-leadon/) > [I have a crazy work ethic. I'll do 20 songs a day. I love music that much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/future/i-have-a-crazy-work-ethic-i-ll-do-20-songs-a-day-i-love-music-that/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/future/) > [I listened to a lot of Jamaican vibes growing up. A lot of Bob Marley, Shabba Ranks, but also, Lil Wayne and Tupac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nle-choppa/i-listened-to-a-lot-of-jamaican-vibes-growing-up-a-lot-of-bob-marley/) [NLE Choppa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nle-choppa/) > [Tupac is my favorite artist, and he had mad style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/tupac-is-my-favorite-artist-and-he-had-mad-style/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Guru's like Tupac. He just records and records and records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/guru-s-like-tupac-he-just-records-and-records-and-records/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) ## More by Mike Will Made It > [Putting together a hit record is like putting together a puzzle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/putting-together-a-hit-record-is-like-putting-together-a-puzzle/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [Whoever has a next-level ear needs to be an Eardrummer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/whoever-has-a-next-level-ear-needs-to-be-an-eardrummer/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [With 'HUMBLE.,' I knew that beat was going to capture a moment. It just felt real urgent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/with-humble-i-knew-that-beat-was-going-to-capture-a-moment-it-just/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [For 'Black Beatles' to be so true to us and our sound - we weren't chasing a sound - it solidifies that the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/for-black-beatles-to-be-so-true-to-us-and-our-sound-we-weren-t/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [I love the grind. Gucci taught me to never stop working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/i-love-the-grind-gucci-taught-me-to-never-stop-working/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [I used to listen to songs on the radio and play that junk back on that little keyboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/i-used-to-listen-to-songs-on-the-radio-and-play-that-junk-back-on/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [I feel like Rae Sremmurd is just a whole new sound culturally. People don't understand, but they learn to understand. The melody choice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/i-feel-like-rae-sremmurd-is-just-a-whole-new-sound-culturally-people/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [2012, I feel like I was still grinding. It was a good year for me, but that was my year breaking down the barriers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/2012-i-feel-like-i-was-still-grinding-it-was-a-good-year-for-me-but/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [A lot of people slept on Rae Sremmurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/a-lot-of-people-slept-on-rae-sremmurd/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [In 2011, a lot of people didn't even know I did 'Tupac Back.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/in-2011-a-lot-of-people-didn-t-even-know-i-did-tupac-back/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [I like making dope music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/i-like-making-dope-music/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [I like blessing others around me. When you work hard, it's just dope to give back to the people around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/i-like-blessing-others-around-me-when-you-work-hard-it-s-just-dope-to/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [At the end of the day, I was listening to the big homies and they were saying, 'Yo, man, you got talent, man, stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/at-the-end-of-the-day-i-was-listening-to-the-big-homies-and-they-were/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [I wouldn't say money can buy happiness. Happiness starts with yourself. Money can buy a smile, though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/i-wouldn-t-say-money-can-buy-happiness-happiness-starts-with-yourself/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) > [I want to make sure that I sign dope artists, old and new, just to make sure that we come up with something new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/i-want-to-make-sure-that-i-sign-dope-artists-old-and-new-just-to-make/) [Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) [Explore all 99 Mike Will Made It quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/) ## More Back quotes > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I honestly would like to get that Frankie fight back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/i-honestly-would-like-to-get-that-frankie-fight-back/) [Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/) > [Drumming's pretty physical. We sit at the back of the stage getting beat up like a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/drumming-s-pretty-physical-we-sit-at-the-back-of-the-stage-getting/) [Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/) > [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/) [Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/) > [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/) [George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/) > [I've always stuck my arms behind my back anyway when trying to block a shot in the penalty area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/i-ve-always-stuck-my-arms-behind-my-back-anyway-when-trying-to-block/) [Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/) > [I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/i-m-sure-at-some-point-i-will-get-back-into-coaching-but-right-now-i/) [Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/) > [Any time someone achieves success before they've earned it, it always comes back to haunt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/any-time-someone-achieves-success-before-they-ve-earned-it-it-always/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [We're all painfully aware of how suddenly violence can occur, how crippling it is, and how survivors have to find a way back from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dini/we-re-all-painfully-aware-of-how-suddenly-violence-can-occur-how/) [Paul Dini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dini/) > [Ronaldo is just an athlete. He works so hard and back to back; he is always there. But if you work hard, can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/ronaldo-is-just-an-athlete-he-works-so-hard-and-back-to-back-he-is/) [Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) [Browse all 9,709 Back quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Tupac Back' was the first single I had, but prior to that I already had 20-something songs in the street.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike Will Made It" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-but-prior-to-that-i-already-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Back" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-but-prior-to-that-i-already-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/mike-will-made-it-6431_back_tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-bu_2729342.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/mike-will-made-it-6431_back_tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-bu_2729342.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/mike-will-made-it-6431_back_tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-bu_2729342.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Tupac Back' was the first single I had, but prior to that I already had 20-something songs in the street.” — Mike Will Made It", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mike Will Made It", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Tupac Back' was the first single...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-but-prior-to-that-i-already-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/tupac-back-was-the-first-single-i-had-but-prior-to-that-i-already-had/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```