Foreword:
Tupac Shakur is one of the most influential people in my life. Not only as an entertainer, but as a individual as well. Throughout the years of his life and since his untimely death, I have immersed myself in his movies, music, and interviews. I have used that knowledge to write this dedication to him on the 15 year anniversary of his death. Many people merely know the public profile of Tupac, and saw him as a rapper with a bad attitude. However, if you were to delve deeper into his work you would see that he was a complicated man with many great ideas and intentions. This will be educational for those who had not researched his life, and to those who have, I hope it is entertaining. I have used a creative way to relay the message that I heard through his music and interviews. 2Pac lives on through his music and will continue to do so into the future, but what if?...
15 years after surviving his second shooting in two years, Agree Two Disagree’s BFoxHF was able to sit down with Tupac Shakur for an exclusive interview, here is how it went down:
A2D: Take us back to the night of September 7, 1996, what are your memories of that day?
2Pac: (long exhale) Wow B, you getting right into it huh? Well, that day had such a wide range of emotions and feelings. First, I remember euphoria. My man, Mike (Tyson) knocked out Bruce Seldon. Ya know, there is nothing like being at a live boxing event, and the magnitude of that night as a heavyweight fight is just indescribable. Adding to that, it’s my friend that’s winning and I remember feeling proud. I also felt that Mike was finally on the path starting to get his life back together after all the trials and tribulations he had been through. Mike and I have a bond because we’ve been through a lot of similar situations throughout the years so I was genuinely happy at that point of the night.
Later on, I remember rage. See, at that time in my life there was always anger inside. It was just a matter of when and where it would manifest itself. Everybody has seen the tapes of myself and others beating down Orlando Anderson in the lobby of MGM Grand so I don’t have to say much about that. Now I know you’re more asking about the shooting but I really don’t remember much. It happened real fast and I blacked out. I remember hearing the shots, trying to get away from them, and being scared, then…black. Ya know, if somebody says that they ain’t scared when they getting shot at, they lying to you. Getting shot at, no matter how jaded you are, is not a natural thing man…it’s scary.
A2D: You mentioned Orlando Anderson, do you think he was responsible for the shooting?
2Pac: I don’t know and it doesn’t really matter. I was responsible for the shooting. My actions, the life I was living, the things I was doing got me in that situation to be shot. Whether it be retaliation or plain jealousy. I was living fast and when you live fast, you die fast.
A2D: Can you elaborate on that?
2Pac: Between when I got out of prison and when I got shot that second time, life was a blur. It was less than a year since I had been out. I was smoking, drinking like crazy and spent damn near all my free time in the studio. Writing, rapping, putting in work. The big homie, Suge, bailed me out by paying 1.4 million dollars, 1.4 million dollars to get me out! I had to repay him, and the only way I knew how, was to sell records for him. I felt obligated to give him whatever I could. I mean, he gave me my freedom. So everything happened so fast because all I did was work and party 24/7. And you know, I went after Big (Notorious B.I.G.). He was my friend back in the day, but I thought he was responsible for my first shooting, or at least knew who was.
I was also convinced that he knew about it BEFORE it happened. I felt betrayed; I had helped him come up from nothing. Letting him rap at my shows, introducing him to people in the industry and whatnot. Then I went to jail and nothing. Nobody was helping me out, then came Suge. I saw that controversy was helping record sales and there were legit problems between me and Big so I just kept going at him. There was so much rage inside me at the time. I grew up poor, without my biological father, and then I started to make something of myself. I was a positive voice for women in the rap game, making songs like Brenda’s Got a Baby and Keep Ya Head Up. Now you have to remember that this was at a time when every other rapper was only talking that bitches and hoes stuff. I did a lot to show the immense value of women who are too often the mommy and daddy in our society. Then what happens? A woman lies and gets me locked up. After all I’ve done, it’s a female that takes my freedom. Then, while in jail, everyone seemed to turn their back on me. So I was just…just angry. The community that I had always tried to take care of gave up on me. I’m not making any excuses, I’m just explaining what was in my head at the time.
A2D: What were you going through directly after the shooting?
2Pac: Well, once I finally came to, I thought I was gonna die. A body can only take so much trauma. I took nine shots in two years; two in the head, one to the chest. As you can see in a lot of my music, I was always ready to die, even expected it. After the second shooting though, I realized that I didn’t want to die. There was so much in this world that I still wanted to do…that I NEEDED to do. The first time I got shot, I was thinking…damn, I’m a survivor. It almost made me feel invincible. Funny thing is, getting shot that first time and living, is what ultimately led to me getting shot the second time. I felt like nobody could touch me, even though in the back of my head I knew better. The second time was much worse though. Surgeries, life support. I didn’t just see the light at the end of the tunnel; I saw the tunnel in my rearview. I was pronounced dead on September 13, 1996. Somehow, someway, it just wasn’t my time. After being so lucky and surviving that, I realized I needed to change, inside and out. See, I’m the son of a black panther; I have it in my blood to do more.
A2D: Although albums came out, you really stepped back from the public eye after the shooting. What were you doing at the time?
2Pac: Well, like I said, I knew I needed to make changes. All Eyez On Me came out and then Makaveli, but those were recorded before the shooting and were already scheduled to be released. That’s the voice of the angry man that lived up through those few months before the shooting. I stepped back because before you can make tangible changes you first must change within. I took some time to realize who I wanted to be, what I wanted my legacy to be. Being so close to the end helps you reflect in a way nothing else can. Looking back, between the first and second shooting, I felt like I was on borrowed time. That might be why I was living so fast…that and the anger. After the second shooting though, I didn’t want to that angry person anymore. I always wanted to do good for our community but I finally realized that I couldn’t live the way I was living and do that at the same time. So, pretty much in that time frame I was reflecting on what I had done and trying to plan on what I wanted to do.
A2D: You mentioned that you are the son of a black panther. Your music always dealt with so many issues and was just as political as many rappers out there. However, they get typecast as a political rapper. You never did, why do you think that is the case?
2Pac: I think it’s because a lot of times rappers who are political are rapping TO you. Almost telling you what to think and what to do. I never wanted to do that.
I always felt, if you can relate to the struggle that I went through, and truly thought about what is going on in the world, you would probably agree with me. So instead of beating people over the head with issues I would report them and give my opinion. If you talk down to your audience they are less likely to listen and will just tune you out. My goal was to open people’s minds and show them the horrors that people go through on a daily basis. If you see the truth, and you have even one ounce of compassion inside you, you will definitely want to help and be a part of the solution, not the problem. I would see other’s struggles and talk about them in a first person tense, but give those stories from all angles. That way, everyone could relate to what I’m saying. They would hear it and say ‘ya know what? I been through that.’ Sometimes all you need is to know you’re not alone and that shared experiences can lead to shared triumphs. I always wanted to reach the people that felt like they didn’t have a voice, people that thought their opinions and feelings didn’t matter...the lost souls. Those are the people that can foster righteous change because they aren’t corrupted by having power, they have been humbled by life. That’s who I try to speak to and that’s who I try to speak for.
A2D: You had mentioned way back in ’96 that you wanted to create a new political party and be on the other side of the table with politicians. What were your goals in that situation?
2Pac: As I’ve said, I always wanted to be a voice for the voiceless and the people who have no voice is the youth. The youth has no influence in the political arena, yet most of the decisions made by our leaders are going to impact the youth more than anyone. The actions taken by politicians usually take years before they have any real effect. I still want to do that today. Now that I’m 40, me speaking for the youth is kind of funny, but I still recognize that this is a part of society that needs to change. It’s nothing that can be done overnight so I’m still out there, holding community events, encouraging the disenfranchised to be active in the community and in political process. I’m still educating in an entertaining way through my music. I’m using whatever public influence I have to foster a better future. In order to make life better for all, we need to band together and cause change to occur. Life in 2011 is better than it was in 1996 but there is still a long way to go and we can never become complacent. We have to keep striving for equality and peace.
A2D: You alluded to it, you turned 40 on June 16, 2011. Looking back, what do you think of your life? What are your regrets? What would you change?
2Pac: As a grown man, you can never have regrets. Everything you have been through and everything you have done has made you who you are today. There may be things that you are not proud of, but you can’t take it back so there is no use in dwelling on those. Looking back is purely for nostalgia and to use as an educational tool on how to treat the present and future. Living is a learning process and like anything, it takes a while until you get it right.
A2D: And what does your future entail?
2Pac: I would like to continue to grow and educate myself. As I improve myself, I’ll strive to uplift the lives of those around me, and they help those around them, and so on. This can lead to endless self improvements that will force us to grow as people, and subsequently, make society better. No one man can do everything; it will take a joint effort to reach our goals. I realized on September 14, 1996 that I had been here all along to spark change for the betterment of society…so as long as I live, I will continue that quest.
P.S. This article will be posted this at 4:03pm Pacific Time on September 13, 1996. 15 years to the minute 2Pac was pronounced dead. R.I.P. Tupac Amaru Shakur. Like Naughty By Nature said we will “Mourn You Till We Join You.” (I hope I did Pac justice with this piece).
Tupac Shakur is one of the most influential people in my life. Not only as an entertainer, but as a individual as well. Throughout the years of his life and since his untimely death, I have immersed myself in his movies, music, and interviews. I have used that knowledge to write this dedication to him on the 15 year anniversary of his death. Many people merely know the public profile of Tupac, and saw him as a rapper with a bad attitude. However, if you were to delve deeper into his work you would see that he was a complicated man with many great ideas and intentions. This will be educational for those who had not researched his life, and to those who have, I hope it is entertaining. I have used a creative way to relay the message that I heard through his music and interviews. 2Pac lives on through his music and will continue to do so into the future, but what if?...
15 years after surviving his second shooting in two years, Agree Two Disagree’s BFoxHF was able to sit down with Tupac Shakur for an exclusive interview, here is how it went down:
A2D: Take us back to the night of September 7, 1996, what are your memories of that day?
2Pac: (long exhale) Wow B, you getting right into it huh? Well, that day had such a wide range of emotions and feelings. First, I remember euphoria. My man, Mike (Tyson) knocked out Bruce Seldon. Ya know, there is nothing like being at a live boxing event, and the magnitude of that night as a heavyweight fight is just indescribable. Adding to that, it’s my friend that’s winning and I remember feeling proud. I also felt that Mike was finally on the path starting to get his life back together after all the trials and tribulations he had been through. Mike and I have a bond because we’ve been through a lot of similar situations throughout the years so I was genuinely happy at that point of the night.
A2D: You mentioned Orlando Anderson, do you think he was responsible for the shooting?
2Pac: I don’t know and it doesn’t really matter. I was responsible for the shooting. My actions, the life I was living, the things I was doing got me in that situation to be shot. Whether it be retaliation or plain jealousy. I was living fast and when you live fast, you die fast.
A2D: Can you elaborate on that?
2Pac: Between when I got out of prison and when I got shot that second time, life was a blur. It was less than a year since I had been out. I was smoking, drinking like crazy and spent damn near all my free time in the studio. Writing, rapping, putting in work. The big homie, Suge, bailed me out by paying 1.4 million dollars, 1.4 million dollars to get me out! I had to repay him, and the only way I knew how, was to sell records for him. I felt obligated to give him whatever I could. I mean, he gave me my freedom. So everything happened so fast because all I did was work and party 24/7. And you know, I went after Big (Notorious B.I.G.). He was my friend back in the day, but I thought he was responsible for my first shooting, or at least knew who was.
I was also convinced that he knew about it BEFORE it happened. I felt betrayed; I had helped him come up from nothing. Letting him rap at my shows, introducing him to people in the industry and whatnot. Then I went to jail and nothing. Nobody was helping me out, then came Suge. I saw that controversy was helping record sales and there were legit problems between me and Big so I just kept going at him. There was so much rage inside me at the time. I grew up poor, without my biological father, and then I started to make something of myself. I was a positive voice for women in the rap game, making songs like Brenda’s Got a Baby and Keep Ya Head Up. Now you have to remember that this was at a time when every other rapper was only talking that bitches and hoes stuff. I did a lot to show the immense value of women who are too often the mommy and daddy in our society. Then what happens? A woman lies and gets me locked up. After all I’ve done, it’s a female that takes my freedom. Then, while in jail, everyone seemed to turn their back on me. So I was just…just angry. The community that I had always tried to take care of gave up on me. I’m not making any excuses, I’m just explaining what was in my head at the time.
A2D: What were you going through directly after the shooting?
2Pac: Well, once I finally came to, I thought I was gonna die. A body can only take so much trauma. I took nine shots in two years; two in the head, one to the chest. As you can see in a lot of my music, I was always ready to die, even expected it. After the second shooting though, I realized that I didn’t want to die. There was so much in this world that I still wanted to do…that I NEEDED to do. The first time I got shot, I was thinking…damn, I’m a survivor. It almost made me feel invincible. Funny thing is, getting shot that first time and living, is what ultimately led to me getting shot the second time. I felt like nobody could touch me, even though in the back of my head I knew better. The second time was much worse though. Surgeries, life support. I didn’t just see the light at the end of the tunnel; I saw the tunnel in my rearview. I was pronounced dead on September 13, 1996. Somehow, someway, it just wasn’t my time. After being so lucky and surviving that, I realized I needed to change, inside and out. See, I’m the son of a black panther; I have it in my blood to do more.
A2D: Although albums came out, you really stepped back from the public eye after the shooting. What were you doing at the time?
2Pac: Well, like I said, I knew I needed to make changes. All Eyez On Me came out and then Makaveli, but those were recorded before the shooting and were already scheduled to be released. That’s the voice of the angry man that lived up through those few months before the shooting. I stepped back because before you can make tangible changes you first must change within. I took some time to realize who I wanted to be, what I wanted my legacy to be. Being so close to the end helps you reflect in a way nothing else can. Looking back, between the first and second shooting, I felt like I was on borrowed time. That might be why I was living so fast…that and the anger. After the second shooting though, I didn’t want to that angry person anymore. I always wanted to do good for our community but I finally realized that I couldn’t live the way I was living and do that at the same time. So, pretty much in that time frame I was reflecting on what I had done and trying to plan on what I wanted to do.
A2D: You mentioned that you are the son of a black panther. Your music always dealt with so many issues and was just as political as many rappers out there. However, they get typecast as a political rapper. You never did, why do you think that is the case?
2Pac: I think it’s because a lot of times rappers who are political are rapping TO you. Almost telling you what to think and what to do. I never wanted to do that.
A2D: You had mentioned way back in ’96 that you wanted to create a new political party and be on the other side of the table with politicians. What were your goals in that situation?
2Pac: As I’ve said, I always wanted to be a voice for the voiceless and the people who have no voice is the youth. The youth has no influence in the political arena, yet most of the decisions made by our leaders are going to impact the youth more than anyone. The actions taken by politicians usually take years before they have any real effect. I still want to do that today. Now that I’m 40, me speaking for the youth is kind of funny, but I still recognize that this is a part of society that needs to change. It’s nothing that can be done overnight so I’m still out there, holding community events, encouraging the disenfranchised to be active in the community and in political process. I’m still educating in an entertaining way through my music. I’m using whatever public influence I have to foster a better future. In order to make life better for all, we need to band together and cause change to occur. Life in 2011 is better than it was in 1996 but there is still a long way to go and we can never become complacent. We have to keep striving for equality and peace.
A2D: You alluded to it, you turned 40 on June 16, 2011. Looking back, what do you think of your life? What are your regrets? What would you change?
2Pac: As a grown man, you can never have regrets. Everything you have been through and everything you have done has made you who you are today. There may be things that you are not proud of, but you can’t take it back so there is no use in dwelling on those. Looking back is purely for nostalgia and to use as an educational tool on how to treat the present and future. Living is a learning process and like anything, it takes a while until you get it right.
A2D: And what does your future entail?
2Pac: I would like to continue to grow and educate myself. As I improve myself, I’ll strive to uplift the lives of those around me, and they help those around them, and so on. This can lead to endless self improvements that will force us to grow as people, and subsequently, make society better. No one man can do everything; it will take a joint effort to reach our goals. I realized on September 14, 1996 that I had been here all along to spark change for the betterment of society…so as long as I live, I will continue that quest.
P.S. This article will be posted this at 4:03pm Pacific Time on September 13, 1996. 15 years to the minute 2Pac was pronounced dead. R.I.P. Tupac Amaru Shakur. Like Naughty By Nature said we will “Mourn You Till We Join You.” (I hope I did Pac justice with this piece).
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