People always ask me “what was 2pac like?” I usually tell em “We don’t have enough time to really do him any justice, So…” Then they usually give me a look like…”Whatever, asshole…” (LOL!) It’s not that I’m trying to be rude, but it’s such a broad question, that for me to really answer it, truthfully, I would have to break down a person that @ 25 had more layers to him than an onion! Had done more than most will do in a lifetime and did it in a span of about 5-7 years, roughly. Had and still does, influence generation after generation of rappers with this body of works. More than just some rapper, dude is a movement still in motion. Literally, has given birth to numerous careers, accidentally. Niggaz owe his moms, A revolutionary in her own right, racks on racks on racks… SO as we embark on his 41st birthday, of course the phone rings a little more this time of year. Promoters wanna book the typical “Happy Birthday 2pac bday bash parties/shows.” Journalist call to do the “In memory of Tupac interviews…etc” Dj’s will make mixtapes of his music for die hards to buy, even though they already have these songs. Fake friends of the man will spark up blunts and pour out liquor, all claiming love for their “nigga.” Ever the “prophet” he said this very thing would happen to him. He would say “When Nat Turner died, the slave masters feared him so much they chopped his body up into as many pieces as possible and sold him as soap and other house hold products! They gonna do me like that too!” Cats take bits and pieces of Pac everyday, whether its with a quote of some of his lyrics or a bogus project “dedicated” in his memory, or during some VH1 “Behind The Music” interview littered with inaccuracies and blatant lies. Quick question for some of these artist “If your so great, why cant you tell your story minus 2pac? Oh yea not much of a story then, huh?” Sad.

“STREETZ CAN’T LET EM GO!” I said this on the GMIX version of “2PAC BACK” we dropped a year ago. I was actually, somewhat incorrect, because the WORLD can’t AND hasn’t since that dreadful September 13th day we all despise. I’m always amazed when Pac’s name pops up in some new rappers rhymes, still to this day. The irony is that he didn’t fell appreciated, musically, right up until the day he passed. He worked like a cat tryin to get in the game instead of someone, who at the time, was King on top of the hill to many. Recently, Dr.Dre did a historic concert at Coachella that drew ohhs and ahhs worldwide, when he unveiled the 2pac hologram. The faux Pac came out arms swingin, thug walkin and talkin shit before a shocked and awed crowd. I was in the studio when my phone began blowing up about the event and had little interest in seeing it. Actually I still haven’t in it’s entirety, and probably never will. Not hatin 1 bit, but im not a fan of fake shit, and the older I get the less I am am willing to front to make other people feel good about themselves. But, I will say this, Dre took care of his biz ($$$) with Moms so at least, karmectically speaking, He did his thing. 16 years later he’s still snatching headlines and attention form the competition and I’m sure they love it. Yeah, they love it because he’s not here. He’s just the big mouth, naturally talented, tragic hero, who got taken out way to soon, but is no longer a problem for them. They’ll give him shoutouts and such, but it’s the empty kind. 16 years later, 23 years in the public eye, 25 years on earth, the peoples champ lives on. Thanks to YouTube, and the Internet in general, “the general, Makaveli” can be scene in HD, live in living color!
(2pac hologram eat ya heart out! Ha) Fuckin sucks celebrating the Born Day of a man that’s been gone for…16 years. The Irony, right? 41? Tupac will for ever be 25 to us, because he was snatched from the world in the beginning of his prime. The greatest? Top 5 dead or alive? Best rapper ever? Cut it out, it’s almost an insult to the man to even put him in these silly little back and forth debates. Son, was and is, beyond the rhetoric, in my opinion. Of course some will label me bias, and there could be some truth to that. Still you can’t argue with the numbers, haters. The impact is there, still. “Niggaz talk alotta shit but that’s after I’m gone….” You know the classic line from “Troublesome96” and how real as that? Everybody from Jimmy Henchman to Prodigy of Mobb Deep have foolishly stuffed their feet into their own mouths with mis-information and blatant lies. Not here to fight Pac’s battles I just call it like I see it…. But again, they must feel they can’t tell their own stories without mentioning the big homie. So yea I get it…

I was at the Tupac center, down in Stone Mountain Ga recently and proud to see a full scale school filled with vibrant young minds and spirits. You wanna know Pac? You gotta go there and fill his spirit looming all over the place. Pieces of his art and image scattered about amongst the smiles of the very children he championed. He was about the kids and not just the ones in his own family. Telling me on more than one ocaasion “Be the Father you never had…” Can’t begin to tell you what he taught me, because the truth is, we learned together. I’m still learning from him to this very day. To the fans, its’syall who lift his spirit up more and more everyday, so the glory really goes to yall. The die hards that wont take no for an answer when they say to me “I know he’s in Cuba somewhere smoking a fat ass Cohiba filled up with the loudest of the loud, chillin with Assata…” That would be the perfect ending to this story, wouldn’t it? Fortunately, the saga continues….

SALUTE

P.S. NEW SONG! “IT’S GON SHOW” PRODUCED BY ME AND @AKTUAL4EVER
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