Shakur also co-produces four tracks on the album. The only producer with whom Shakur had worked prior to this album was QD3, the son of Quincy Jones and half-brother of Kidada Jones, Shakur's girlfriend. Many of Shakur's usual producers were not involved with the project. Before that, it was going to be a sort of an underground. George 'Papa G' Pryce, former head of publicity for Death Row, claimed that 'Makaveli which we did was a sort of tongue-in-cheek, and it was not ready to come out, after Tupac was murdered, it did come out. The album cover, which features Shakur on the cross in an attempt to convey his crucifixion by the media, was created in mid-August 1996. Ronald 'Riskie' Brent is the creator of The 7 Day Theory cover painting. Tupac wanted the album to be called Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, with Makaveli the Don as the artist name. Mean of the Outlawz rap group and Ronald 'Riskie' Brent revealed in an August 2014 interview that the official name of the album was mixed up in the rush to release the album following Tupac's death. The album's preliminary title was 'The 3 Day Theory' and it originally consisted of around 14 tracks. These are some of the last songs Shakur recorded before he was shot on September 7, 1996. The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four days. The album was completely finished in seven days during the first week of August 1996. 5.1 Opinions of the hip hop community and of other rappers.Critical reception has improved in later years and it is now ranked as one of Shakur's greatest albums, as well as one of the greatest rap albums of all time.

The album received polarizing reviews from critics with praise directed at his vocal performance and its production and criticism directed towards its lyrical content and inferior quality in comparison to his previous albums. None of its singles charted within the Billboard Hot 100, but all charted within the top twenty of UK Singles chart. and Hail Mary were released later as singles and both garnered praise as standout tracks from the album. By 1999, it was certified four times platinum by the RIAA. Originally intended as an underground release and preceded by the release of Toss It Up as the lead single, the album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 664,000 copies within its first week of release.

It is his only album released under the new alternative stage name and features guest appearances from his rap group Outlawz and rapper Bad Azz, as well as R&B singers Aaron Hall, Danny Boy, K-Ci and JoJo, Val Young and Tyrone Wrice, along with uncredited vocal contributions from reggae musician Prince Ital Joe. Recorded in just seven days in August 1996, it was released on November 5, 1996, almost two months after his death, under the stage name of Makaveli, through Death Row Records, Makaveli Records and Interscope Records. The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (commonly shortened to The 7 Day Theory or Makaveli) is the fifth studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur, his first posthumous record and the last released with his creative input.

Makaveli album cover backside