Reactions on his death
"The most unfortunate thing that has ever happened in the hip hop culture. It saddens me. I hope this is a wake up call for a lot of us. I pray for him and his loved ones."
-- Recording Artist, actor and Uptown Records Chief Executive Officer Heavy D
"This is so, so sad. Sometimes the lure of violent culture is so magnetic that even when one overcomes it with material success, it continues to call. He couldn't break the cycle."
-- Rev. Jesse Jackson
"Despite some of his shortcomings, he always gave you something with his music. He gave you some things to think about or he gave you something to laugh about or he gave you something to cry about."
I know for a fact that it's not an East Coast/West Coast thang. What happened was, you know, it was a street thang. Sometimes when you put yourself in a situation, you get caught up in another situation. Tupac had a knack for doing that.
-- Coolio
"I hope in the midst of this tragedy, we can put together an aggressive and strong drive against violence among young people and dedicate it to Tupac's memory."
-- Rev. Al Sharpton, who counseled Shakur in prison
I fee we need to come up with some soft of Tupac Black on Black Crime fund. And some sort of ceasefire. If it was an East Coast/West Coast or not, we need to put a stop to this before it gets out of hand.
-- Snoop Doggy Dogg
If you want to mourn, do it for your own personal loss. Dont mourn for 'Pac, remember him for his art and dont be sad for his death. 'Pac lived a short, fast, concentrated, an intense life. He lived a 70 year life in 25 years. He went out the way he wanted: in the glitter of the fast life, hit record on the charts, new movie in the can, and money in the pocket. All 'Pac wanted was to hear himself on the radio and see himself on the movie screen. He did all that --- and more.
-- Shock G/Money-B (Digital Underground)
I feel very fortunate to have seen another side of Tupac, someone who was very caring and loving, a contrast to his public image. He will be missed by many.
-- Janet Jackson (Poetic Justice)
'Pac was just the truth. He always brought it from the heart. Sometimes the truth hurts or the truth can set you free. In his case, it did both. Some said he was the rappin' Nostradamus, like he could prophesy. But he was just saying that ill shit that niggas be thinking and no one wanted to say. The thing was, he lived his life in a way that the lyrics had to come true. He just went all out. Everyday was his first and last.
-- Omar Epps (Juice)
'Pac was hated by a few but loved by many, and those who hated him didnt even know him, I truly believe that there will never be another rapper who can uplift spirits and explain the ups an downs of everyday life through rap music like 'Pac.
-- E-40
The tragic death of Tupac Shakur is a tremendous loss to his family, his friends, his millions of fans, and the entire music industry. On behalf of the Bad Boy Entertainment Family. I want to offer my deepest Condolences.
-- Sean "Puffy" Combs
I loved him before the confrontation; I loved him, and I loved his music. We was planning to see him be we didn't even get the chance. It's sad, man. I think the streets killed him. It wasn't no East Coast/West Coast thing, it was the streets. I think it was his mouth that killed him.
-- Havoc (Mobb Deep)
Between my crew and people over there on the West Coast, it's sad to see where it's going. I don't know how this started, but we need to get together. Once everybody can calm down, relax and put our troubles behind us, we can strive for a better tomorrow.
-- Prodigy (Mobb Deep)
My man 'Pac, he didn't have a criminal record until he made a record. Once you get into the light, a lot of stuff comes on to you. One thing I can say, he was one of the realest niggas that lived. He said whatever was on his mind; he never bit his tongue for nuthin'.
-- Treach (Naughty by Nature)
To lose a young man like Tupac Shakur will brilliance and talent, at 25 years old, is indicative of what black males in this society are facing. We are not living long enough to realize our full potential. Malcolm X, in his young years, was a gangbanger, a drug dealer. Tupac would have evolved naturally, but black men are dying before they get.
-- Minister Conrad Muhammad
When i saw Juice, Tupac's performance jumped out at me like a tigar. Here was an actor who could portray the ultimate crazy nigga. A brother who could embody the freedom that an "I dont give a fuck" mentality gives a black man. I thought this was some serious acting. Maybe I was wrong. During the filming of Poetic Justice, 'Pac both rebelled and accepted my attitude towards him as a director/advisor. This was our dance in life and work. We'd argue, then make up. Tupac spoke from a position that cannot be totally appreciated unless you understood the pathos of being a nigga, a displaced African soul, full of power, pain, and passion, with no focus or direction for all that energy except his art.
-- John Singleton
To me he's like the James Dean of our times. Basically, a rebel without a cause. And the industry and the media are partially responsible for whatever goes down: in accenting the negative aspects of a black celebrity. It's the soup-up, gas-up treatment. They soup him up, they're not there on the downside. People thing that this man's life was entertainment. One of our best talents is gone over some bullshit. I'm fuckin' pissed. I ain't putting up tears. Tears ain't gonna do a damn thing. Interscope will go on to sell 10 million copies of this album. Make a scholarship fund out of their share of the money. That's what I call making things happen.
-- Chuck D
Me and 'Pac, we laughed a lot during Above the Rim. It's not like being with this ill gangsta that everyone portrayed his as. We used to go in the trailer and just crack jokes. We used to tease him and say he should cross out the T on his chest and change his image to HUG LIFE.
-- Marlon Wayans
First time I ever saw Tupac, he was in eighth grade. I seen this kid that had this shirt with the old school iron-on letters, MC NEW YORK. And he was rhyming. All these people was aroung him -- even back then. We was adversaries at first, but we formed a crew. Born Busy and shit, MC New York, DJ Plain Terror, Ace Rocker, and my man D on the beat box. Taking mad peoples out--the invincibles. Then we started writing little rhymes for Jada (Pinkett). Jada was rhyming a little bit too. Dont Sleep.
-- Gerard (High School Friend)
Copyright 1998- Djochen