Shakur’s passing was announced on his official Instagram account, on July 7, 2023: ”Our beloved Mutulu joined the ancestors this morning at home with family. Please bless him on his path and we will share more soon. rest in power and love ”
After being diagnosed with life-threatening bone cancer yet denied compassionate release, his lawsuit against the US Parole Commission and the Bureau of Prisons for unjust denials was expedited ultimately granting him a new hearing with the Parole Commission court-ordered to follow their own guidelines. He was finally released on parole on December 16, 2022.
Born Jeral Wayne Williams on August 8th, 1950, he was a loving father and grandfather, revolutionary acupuncturist, human rights organizer and former political prisoner of war. Mutulu’s life was transformative to the many people he organized, healed, mentored and inspired. Dr. Mutulu Shakur taught us that “people struggle for liberation because they love [the] people.” He will always be remembered for his continued commitment to an independent and socialist New Afrika and for his battle cry, Straight Ahead!
Mutulu Shakur has six children named Sekyiwa, Mopreme, Nzingha, Chinua, and Ayize. Tupac was the stepson of Shakur.
2PacLegacy.net sends its condolences to Mutulu Shakur’s friends and family.
All the fans around the world recognize Tupac Shakur as the rap icon which he is, the idol of a few generations, the revolutionary, the star, the man with a free, wild and unbreakable mindset. Through his music, Pac delivered a clear image of himself for us to see. He was being real in everything he did and said. But there’s no doubt that at some point, every one of us once wondered what Tupac was like in real life, aside from the media and all the spotlights.
Since his childhood days, his family was moving a lot and they changed several cities and areas in a short period, which for sure is hard for a kid, but still, Pac was described as a shy, sensitive and also a curious child, called by his friends – “Black Prince”.
His mother, the late Afeni Shakur, knew well that her son was meant for something big. In one of her interviews, she reveals why Pac was renamed shortly after he was born.
“From childhood, everyone called him the “Black Prince”. I named him Tupac Amaru Shakur (Shining, Serpent, Blessed One). I wanted him to have the name of the revolutionary, indigenous people in the world. I wanted him to know he was part of a world culture and not just from a neighborhood,” Afeni said.
Behind “Holler If Ya Hear Me”, “Hellrazor”, “Hit ‘Em Up” and many more songs that kept Pac’s enemies awake for countless nights, there’s another side of the legendary rap star. A side where his good heart shows up, but not for the media or the news, it shows up for the people.
On October 14, 1993, a boy named Joshua Torres, who was suffering from Muscular Dystrophy that led to a Cardiomyopathy (Enlargement of the heart) had one wish – to meet Tupac Shakur. In an open letter to Judge G. Wu, Joshua’s parents reveal what Tupac did for their son and their family in a moment that can be hardly described in words.
Joshua’s mother reached out to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in order to fulfill her dying son’s wish but with no success. The young boy’s parents then called a radio station, which helped them to reach out to Tupac. The letter says that 30 minutes later, Pac called them on the phone and spoke with the young boy for 15 minutes. Later that evening (October 14, 1993) Tupac arrived at the Torres’ home and spend nearly an hour with Joshua.
“Holding him and comforting him as much as possible and expressing lots of sympathy for our son Joshua,” the letter reads.
Joshua Torres passes away nearly 45 minutes after Tupac left his home. The appreciation and gratitude of the parents is something that can’t be measured but for sure it shows what a big heart Tupac had and it shows the amazing person he was.
Another amazing story happened In June 1996. After hearing that Lemika (Frank Alexander’s niece) got injured following a car accident, Pac invites her and her family for a 2 days-long visit and lets them join him on the set of “Gridlock’d” movie as well as in the studio for the recording session of “Why U Turn On Me” and “Reincarnation” tracks.
Having the above mentioned in mind, it’s clear that Tupac was at some point a workaholic in real life. Who else does that really? Recording 2 new tracks in the studio and doing a video shoot for a Hollywood production…in the spawn of just 2 days.
This example shows Tupac’s real way of work, motivation, and discipline. Dropping a new song seems like a hard job for some of today’s generation rappers. Now imagine how Tupac did around 500 songs in just 4 years (excluding the year he was in prison).
Despite being on top of the rap game, Tupac was never afraid to show his feelings. From the so-called “real life” he passed those feelings into his art. His love for women is something that really affected his music for good. From his love for his mother and sister to his love for his girlfriends, Pac was inspired by women for some of his greatest songs.
His love for women was expressed through his music, poems and even drawings. Pac loved to spend his time surrounded by women and he didn’t lack attention from women as well. His respect and love for the ladies are well projected into some of his songs.
Stretch and Tupac
During his life, which escalated quickly from the ghetto to the top of the hip-hop industry and not only, 2Pac showed us that he didn’t allow all the money, power and fame to make him forget where he was coming from. Because of his loyalty, he never let down on his origins and he never turned back on his friends and family.
We can say that one of the most important things for the late rap phenomenon in real life was his friends, the people that he really cared for. One of his strongest friendships was with the late Stretch (1968 -1995). However, their friendship didn’t last long. Both met in 1992 forming a strong friendship as they were inseparable until the day of November 30, 1994.
Pac was a man of his beliefs and one thing couldn’t stand was the betrayal. Shortly after the Quad Studios shooting on November 30, 1994, after putting the puzzle pieces together, Tupac felt like Stretch was aware of the shooting and he (Stretch) knew about the ambush that happened on that night. Feeling betrayed by one of his best friends probably was the thing that hurt Pac the most. That led to them breaking ties and never meeting again.
In conclusion, Tupac’s character was deeper than it shows. In real life, Tupac was not any different from what we heard in his eternal music catalog and that’s because he was being real all the time and his art reflected his incredible personality.
Tupac Shakur’s iconic status was carved out thanks to the very strong social messages that his music managed to send out throughout the 90s. His talent was seemingly immeasurable, leaving behind a plethora of legendary songs for the generations to look up to in times of need. Music, however, was far from the only art, which 2Pac was trying to master. His short but intense film career also left an interesting impact on the lives of people from the black community.
Another rare interview from Shakur’s acting days was recently posted on the Entertainment Tonight Youtube channel. It takes us back to 1993 during the shooting of the movie “Poetic Justice”, in which Pac got the opportunity to team up with pop icon Janet Jackson. This part of the interview, however, takes a look at how Tupac views his responsibility to always defend the interests of the black community, regardless of the endeavor he decides to participate in.
Shakur puts the emphasis on representing the young black males instead of being on the look for more publicity if he were to stir up a more spicy political story. Pac was never in it for the scandals and noise but rather was on a mission to improve the life and well-being of all of his brothers. As he himself puts it, Tupac only ever wanted to be political if it meant living by his principles and applying them in his artistic work.
The interview is even more revealing and precious because it includes a teary scene from the “Poetic Justice” movie where Pac admits to shedding real, heartfelt tears. He explains that for himself music played an instrumental role in getting over setbacks and being able to go along with life, the way it is. Yet another strong message from a man who knew all about pain and trauma but managed to battle through, going on to influence an entire generation with his tracks.
Today June 16, 2023, would have been Tupac Shakur’s 52nd birthday.
On this day, 52 years ago on June 16, 1971, at the East Harlem Public Hospital, New York, Afeni Shakur gifted the entire world as she gave birth to a boy named Lisane Parish Crooks, a few days later on June 29, 1971, renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur. A star was born.
The day Pac was born was the beginning of what happened to be an incredible, exciting, inspiring, touching, motivational, and revolutionary story and the impressive life path of one of the most influential hip-hop artists that ever existed.
Since his early years, Pac was related to and committed to art in general. From childhood years at the Baltimore School Of Arts to the stage dancing with Digital Underground and dropping his debut album “2Pacalypse Now” in 1991, Shakur’s personality was outstanding no matter if it was about rap, poetry, or acting. The talent out of this world, well-known sense of humor, compassion, intolerance of injustice and sometimes – like he said – “big mouth” combined with being real in life and in his music granted Tupac his unmeasurable success with ease.
Despite being taken away from us at the early age of 25 (September 13, 1996) following the fatal shooting at Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, Tupac succeed in placing himself at the top of rap music with his eternal music catalog.
With around 500 recorded songs, 4 studio albums and 1 collaborative album for the spawn of 4 years while still alive, 7 posthumous studio albums, 75 million records sold worldwide and a RIAA-certified Diamond album as well as many multi-platinum plaques (singles and albums), Pac was and remains the best as he holds the 1st position in everyone’s top 5 rappers list. From every rap fan around the world to some of the biggest names in the hip-hop industry, there’s nothing but love for Tupac.
Tupac on the set of Above The Rim in Harlem
While changing the game with his music for the period from 1991 to 1996, Pac proved himself on the big screen as well. Starring in titles such as “Juice”, “Above The Rim”, “Poetic Justice”, “Gang Related”, “Bullet” and more, he left his fingerprint in Hollywood too. Let’s not forget the fact that Tupac is the first solo rap artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, also the late rapper was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on June 7, 2023.
The event was announced on Naughty By Nature’s official Instagram page and will take place on June 16, 2023, 9 pm-2 pm at the SoKo Bar located in Orange, NJ. The party will be hosted by DJ Naim. Tickets for the event are available here with starting price of USD 20.
Almost 29 years later, there are still new details coming out about the 1994 shooting that eventually changed the hip-hop game forever and Billy Garland is here to share some. Billy Garland revealed that Biggie himself visited Tupac at the hospital shortly after the Quad Studios shooting on November 30, 1994, where Pac was robbed and shot 5 times.
Tupac leaving the hospital after the Quad Studios shooting.
In the wake of the impressive success of the “Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni & Tupac Shakur” docuseries, Tupac’s father Billy Garland found himself under the spotlights. After revealing how he felt when he first heard the classic “Dear Mama” track, Garland now provides more new and exciting details about the time he spent with his son.
In his recent interview with The Art Of Dialogue, Tupac’s biological father revealed that after Pac was taken to Bellevue Hospital at 462 First Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, he was there in the waiting room alongside Afeni Shakur and other friends and relatives of the late rapper. While waiting for the 2 and a half hours-long surgery to be done, Garland noticed Biggie – “by himself” entering the waiting room to come and check on Tupac’s condition.
“I’m waiting in the waiting room, Biggie came in, by himself. By himself,” Garland says in the video. “So that shit I heard about them being involved in that, I been around, I’ve done these things, okay? I been around a lot of drama. And I know, nobody who does a hit goes to the hospital by they goddamn self.”
“Now, they may go to the hospital mob style, but they taking two or three muthafuckas with them. He was there by himself. Just as innocent as you wanna be. Just as nice as you wanna be. And I knew, and I think Pac’ knew, he had nothing to do with it. I think they was feeding him that bullshit,” Garland continues.
When asked if he told Tupac that Biggie came to visit him in the hospital, Billy confirmed but also clarified that he used his time to talk about other topics with his son.
“Yeah, I think I did, but…I don’t think that was the conversation that we would really talk. We talked about so many other things – his mother, this and that. How you doing pops and sh*t like that,” Garland says in the video.
“I might be the only motherf*cker who didn’t take nothing from my son…who didn’t take nothing from my son,” he adds.
Watch the 3 minutes and 50 seconds-long video above.
Tupac Shakur and Allen Hughes, Photo Credit Courtesy of Atron Gregory
Table of Contents
After coming to terms with the ghosts from the past Allen Hughes takes us on an emotional rollercoaster with the five-part FX docuseries Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur. The director sheds light on the raw personal moments of Tupac’s life and explores the legend’s relationship with his mother Afeni Shakur.
After 26 years of his death, his legacy is alive and well so is there anything new left to be said about Pac? Allen Hughes gives us a resounding “yes” to this question giving us the five-part FX docuseries Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur.
But who is Hughes? What does he believe we are missing for truly understanding the rap giant? Why do you make a documentary series about a guy, who once assaulted you with a pipe? Let’s get to it?
Who is Allen Hughes?
One of those guys you can’t really put in a box. The Detroit-born filmmaker and producer along with his twin brother Albert Hughes made a debut with “Menace II Society” in 1993, which they co-wrote and co-directed.
In the following years, the Hughes Brothers really made some waves in the industry with: “Dead Presidents” in 1995, an acclaimed project exploring themes of race and identity, “From Hell” (2001), starring Johnny Depp, and the post-apocalyptic action peace “The Book of Eli” (2010) starring Denzel Washington.
Allen recently explored some solo projects with “The Defiant Ones” (2017) – a docuseries following the careers of Jimmy Lovine and Dr. Dre.
Allen Hughes is no stranger to directing music videos either, which brings us into…
The relationship between Allen Hughes and Tupac
“I met him (Tupac) at [a San Francisco restaurant] with Digital Underground. We were there for our first paying job. I remember being blown away by this kid at the end of the table. He was so funny and—here’s the overused word with him—so charismatic.” said Allen in an interview with The Ringer.
A friendship between the two hungry young talents shortly formed and Allen went to direct three of Pac’s music videos: ”Trapped”, “Brenda’s Got a Baby“, and “If My Homie Calls“.
The young rapper even starred in “Menace II Society” and this is when things got south.
The fallout between the two
Long story short there were some rumors flying about the possibility of Pac being kicked out of the film. The rapper didn’t take that kindly and allegedly assaulted the Hughes brothers.
Shakur was found guilty of assault and battery charges. The NY rapper was sentenced to 15 days in jail, and 30 months of probation, which Pac just decided not to do. The follow-up was the judge extending the sentence to 120 days of jail time. However, the bail was paid and Pac was clear.
Why did Allen Hughes create Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur?
Following the previous story seems like the odd thing to do, right? Allen himself certainly thinks so, saying in The Rich Eisen Show:
“I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it at first” but quickly followed with “but then I realized I don’t understand him how I wanted to understand Tupac and also releasing that I was raised by a single mother on welfare who was a feminist… and I related to that.”
Allen Hughes firmly believes that the idea of who Pac was is distorted through time. Hughes notes that the people he deems “Not true fans” tend to look at Pac only as his Death Row version.
Allen makes a bold statement with his work on the series. His thesis is basically that If we really want to conceptualize who Tupac Shakur really was we have to look at the most influential figure in his life and career – his mother Afeni Shakur.
So who is his “Dear Mama”?
A political activist, a philanthropist, a rebel, a muse. And so much more.
Born Alice Faye Williams on January 10 in Lumberton, North Carolina, she faced the harsh realities of violence and injustice from a young age with her abusive father. She moved with her mother and sister to NY where Afeni joined Manhattan’s High School of Performing Arts.
Afeni Shakur
The young lady soon became interested in political activism and joined Black Panthers after hearing a speech by Bobby Seale in 1968. Afeni was one of the accused members of the party for planning the bombing of various buildings in New York city in 1969.
Hughes shows us an intimate and visceral side of Tupac and his relationship with his mother. “I knew I would discover him through her,” Allen notes. “What made Tupac so great was everything she gave him: good, bad, and ugly,” he adds.
The director strives for context in the series by unveiling what his mother fought for and endured rather than giving us definite conclusions about her role in Pac’s life. Putting personal issues aside, Allen masterfully directs us through the journey of discovery. Not only about Pac and Afeni but also about our own figures of influence and social issues still relevant in today’s zeitgeist.
Tupac Is Finally Honored With A Star On The Hollywood Walk of Fame
Tupac Shakur received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame a mere few days before what would’ve been Pac’s 52nd birthday.
Skakur’s sister Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur accepted the star on behalf of the family. The emotions were, naturally, overwhelming for Sekyiwa, who started to shed tears upon reminiscing of the thought of how 2Pac himself would’ve reacted if presented with this great honor. She also went on to add that ever since a very young age Tupac dreamed of the day, in which he’d find his name next to those of all other inspirational artists. Seth was so engulfed in her emotions that she needed to take short breaks before continuing with her speech.
This is a historic day for all Tupac fans around the world, whilst the entire thing could’ve happened years ago. The organizers revealed that the decision to honor Pac with a star was made 10 years ago but the family of the rapper had to decide on the exact date.
Shakur’s star is the 2758th on the Walk of Fame. His legendary life and career were cut tragically short after being gunned down in 1996, at the age of only 25 years. We could only imagine the speech that Tupac would’ve produced, had he been alive to witness the moment himself.
Shakur was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Pac also had a short acting career, taking part in some movie productions, such as “Poetic Justice”, “Gang Related”, „Juice”, and “Above the Rim”.
Tupac Shakur’s biological father, Billy Garland, opened up on his true feeling about being dissed in his son’s famous “Dear Mama” track. It’s well documented that Pac never really acknowledged Garland as his true father, even going as far as proclaiming that Garland had passed away in the song. The hit continues to be one of 2Pac’s most emblematic and beloved tracks of all time, which makes Billy’s admissions even more interesting – more than 25 years after the death of Pac.
Garland gave an interview for the Art of Dialogue Youtube channel, admitting that he felt hurt at first, after listening to the song. Shakur’s biological father, however, went on the add that he soon realized someone had brutally lied about his persona. Billy points out the fact that Pac claims he was dead in his lyrics, which clearly didn’t turn out to be the case. Nowadays, Garland has no bad feelings towards his son, stating that he listens to Tupac’s records on a daily basis and is a massive fan of all of his work. Seeing as Shakur is his son, Billy also said that he doesn’t look up to Pac’s persona in the way that many of his other followers do.
Dear Mama Lyrics
Now ain’t nobody tell us it was fair
No love from my daddy cause the coward wasn’t thereHe passed away and I didn’t cry, cause my anger
wouldn’t let me feel for a stranger
They say I’m wrong and I’m heartless, but all along
I was lookin for a father he was gone
2Pac’s dad continued to reveal that the last movie Pac ever watched was Forest Gump, which left the icon quite excited. Although Shakur had the urge to sometimes move away from the spotlight, Garland thinks that Pac always got caught up in the need to be an active part of society, which ultimately led to his untimely demise.
Even though Tupac himself felt Mutulu Shakur was his real father, history will always remember the name of Billy Garland, for good or for bad. We could only imagine how Garland and Pac’s relationship would’ve matured had the rapper not been tragically murdered.
On May 20, 1993, Dr. Dre’s single “Fuck wit Dre Day” began its explosion. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Chronic album, Interscope Records proudly present The Chronic Masters – a slow-burn series of limited edition releases honoring the timeless legacy of this classic.
Kicking off on June 1, 2023, at 12pm PST and 3pm EST, The Chronic Masters will feature exclusive drops throughout the year that pay homage to the legendary work of Dr. Dre.
Fans and collectors alike are invited to join us on this journey as we revisit one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time.
Stay tuned for all the latest updates and don’t miss your chance to own a piece of music history. Visit thechronicmasters.interscope.com
THE CHRONIC SESSION TAPES
Dr. Dre’s The Chronic Session Tapes are an important part of hip-hop and popular culture history and we have preserved them in collectable form with this set of 1:1 scale fine-art reproductions. The boxes included in this set feature the singles and classics that defined an era. Each print is hand-numbered, chop-marked and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Dr. Dre Chronic Session TapesSongs on this Session Tape: G – Thang Old Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat Fuck With Dre DaySongs on this Session Tape: Let Me Ride Little Getto Boy ChronicSongs on this Session Tape: Bitches Ain’t Shit
THE CHRONIC SKATEBOARDS
Archival Pigment Print Transfer on Cold Pressed Steep Natural Skate Deck.
This full-color skateboard features a black-stained top and the official Chronic Masters logo.
If My Homie Calls (Rnb & Street Mix) Cassette Tape Prod. By Greg Beasley Side A
If My Homie Calls (Rnb & Street Mix) Cassette Tape Prod. By Greg Beasley
A1. Public Enemy - Party for your Right to Fight (Retail) A2. Public Enemy - Party for your Right to Fight (Black Wax Metromixx) A3. 2Pac - If my Homie calls (Retail) A4. 2Pac - If my Homie calls (Radio Mix) A5. 2Pac - If my Homie calls (Turbo R&B Mix) A6. 2Pac - If my Homie calls (Turbo Street Mix) A7. Unknown Female R&B RAP - Fund your living A8. Unknown Female R&B RAP - Fund your living (Remix)
B1. Unknown Male R&B - Let me be the One B2. Unknown Male R&B - Let me be the One (Remix) B3. Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers - Good Time (Retail) B4. Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers - Good Time (Beasley Metromix) B5. Whitney Houston - I'm your Baby tonight (Retail) B6. Whitney Houston - I'm your Baby tonight (Remix)
If My Homie Calls (Rnb & Street Mix) Cassette Tape Prod. By Greg Beasley Side B
A Brooklyn prisoner named Dexter Isaac, currently serving a life sentence for other crimes – a man has admitted to shooting Tupac Shakur in 1994 after allegedly being paid $2,500 dollars by James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond inside Manhattan’s Quad Studios in November of 1994.
Dexter Isaac, a former friend of Rosemond, is an inmate currently serving life in prison for murder, robbery, and other offenses.
