How did you become a role model for the Black com-
munity? What is it with you that they identify with?
First of all, Black people, we don’t really do nothing but
exist. The one thing we [the Black community and
Tupac himself ] have in common is that we share that
poverty. So, the thug side is closer to that poverty than
me being rich. When I say ‘we’, they know what I mean
– I’m a thug, and they thugs – they can relate.
I have something to offer this business that hasn’t been
shown before, you know. I have a whole energy that
represents not just Black youths, but White youths,
Mexican youths, youths. I believe strongly that um, my
audience empathize with me, because I show that side.
I show that emotion raw, uncut, good and bad. So, I
think I can bring that more frontal, more directed into
screenplays, more albums, producing, managing…
Everything I do, I do to represent my people. I do
because I think that this is what they want me to do.
What do you intend to achieve through your artistry?
The things I write in my albums, in my songs, are to
bring out the truth. Every time I speak, I want the truth
to come out.
See, I had no [police] record, until I made a [music]
record. When my first album debut, I was behind bars
getting beat up. My song, ‘Trapped’, discussed police
brutality, and it hit home.
Another thing is, we know they don’t put the same
security in the ghetto like they do in the White neigh-
borhoods. For me, if I didn’t talk about the violence in
my albums… we as rappers, we bought that violence
and we put it in our records for years! And after 3, 4
years, people finally starting to see it because all the sta-
tistics start going out on the streets. If we stopped
talking about it, then they wouldn’t take statistics. And
when they stop takin’ statistics, we be killing each other
on the streets and these White people won’t care no
more.
In the media, they don’t talk about it. So, in my raps, I
have to talk about it. Nothing I ever say is meant to be,
um, something where innocent people get hurt. Noth-
ing.
Everything I ever say, as it pertains to my peers, is only
in self-defense. Right now, where I’m at, the world is
harsh and I just don’t got no beautiful stories. And I
made some mistakes, so right now my job is to stop
someone from making those same mistakes.
Everything I’m sayin’ is a warning. It’s a plea for help.
And if people gonna cheer for me then cheer for what
I’m doing, for what I stand for.
As far as the media goes, they look at something differ-
ent. They don’t care about me not getting in trouble,
that’s just another story, you know.
So, you think the media should, in part, be blamed
for perpetuating certain stereotypes?
Yeah definitely, see, I believe honestly that I can talk. I
believe that I have the ability to reason, I have logic, I
have compassion, I have understanding… If we talk,
there’s no problems. But that’s not what happens.
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