Tupac Amaru Shakur, born in 1971, grew up to become one of the most influential rappers of all time, thanks to his music, his portrayal in the media, and the government’s treatment of him.
His death at just 25 years old has been a subject of discussion and controversy. Many still mourn the legendary artist, while others believe that he is still alive, hiding somewhere in this world.
In 1994, two years before his death, he had a chilling interview with Ed Gordon about his beliefs and ideals, and why he was seen as a controversial person.
Tupac defended the rap game during the interview, mentioning that his peers were those “responsible for bringing widespread attention to violence in the ghettos of America,” as reported by dreadpen.com.
To Tupac, his life was always in danger following a series of attacks attempted against him by people close to him. He explained that he carried weapons to protect himself and not because he wanted violence.
Growing up amid the Black Panther movement, alongside poverty and violence sponsored by the state, his views about the world changed.
Even when he began making money through his rap career, he felt burdened knowing what it was like to live in abundance while everyone else suffered. This continued to torment him, and Tupac described this feeling as being cursed by God.
“If I can’t live free, if I can’t live with the same respect as the next man, I don’t want to be here. God has cursed me to see what life should be like. If God wanted me to be this person and be happy here, he wouldn’t let me feel so oppressed. He wouldn’t let me feel so trampled on. He wouldn’t let me think the things I think.”
Essentially, Tupac saw the good life as a curse because of the way others suffered, an analysis by The Vibe noted. “There was always a part of Pac that thought about his fellow man and how they should feel peace. He knows what it’s like to be at the bottom. Ultimately, he looked at his position of power as a way to be a tool for God,” the platform added.
“I feel like I’m doing God’s work. Just because I don’t have nothing to pass around for people to put money in a bucket don’t mean I ain’t doing God’s work. These ghetto kids ain’t God’s children and I don’t see no missionaries coming through there,” the rapper explained.
“Reverend Jackson do his up in the middle class, and he go to the White House and have dinner and pray over the president. I’m up in the hood… doing work with my folks. Just because I don’t live there don’t mean I don’t go there. I got to go there because I can’t hang nowhere else,” he added.
