Tupac Shakur’s Legacy Lives On Through His Close Friends
Tupac Shakur was an influential artist during his time on earth. The West Coast trailblazer championed authenticity, honesty, and vulnerability at a time when hip-hop music was most aggressive and dangerous. Unfortunately, that same danger would claim his life as he became wrapped up in rap beef and street politics tied into his label, Death Row Records.
R&B singer Ashanti came into the game shortly after Pac, but she felt his impact and legacy years after his passing. The “Baby” singer had so much respect for him that she contributed a hook to Pac posthumously on the single “Pac’s Life” from 2006. In an I.G. post from 2020, she spoke fondly of the icon, calling him the greatest. “#latepost Happy Birthday to the Greatest!!!! I truly feel in my heart things would be different if he were still here. He saw this sh*t from the beginning. #Rip#tupac 🐐”
Keyshia Cole has recalled good memories of Tupac as well over the years. The R&B singer was a signee on Death Row Records when she was just a teen. While there, she grew very close with Tupac, who mentored and looked after her. During their time together, Tupac would give her advice, even offering to take her to Quincy Jones label with him when he left Death Row, a conversation they had hours before his passing.
Tupac and Snoop Dogg Were Not On Speaking Terms At The Time Of His Passing
Snoop Dogg and Tupac had very different styles that complemented each other. Snoop was always more laid back and chill, while Pac brought the energy and introspective. Together they collaborated on iconic songs like “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted.” Tupac was like a brother to Snoop, and over the years, he’s told stories and paid tribute to him in many different ways.
In 2012, Snoop performed their hits with a hologram of his late friend while headlining Coachella. He also gave a heartfelt speech while helping to induct Tupac into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Unfortunately, at the time of his passing, Tupac and Snoop were not on speaking terms. The beef between them and East Coast rappers Notorious B.I.G. caused a riff after Snoop said something in an interview that Tupac did not like. Snoop referred to them as “homeboys,” promoting Pac to ignore him during a flight.
Pac would die without making amends with his friend, and Snoop Dogg was distraught. He recalls fainting when he got to the hospital and saw Tupac’s body full of tubes while he was fighting for his life after the incident in Vegas. Tupac’s mother was present and helped Snoop Dogg pull it together, demanding he gets up and speak to her son while he was still there. Snoop Dogg recalls her saying, “My baby ain’t never seen you weak. I don’t want you to be weak in front of him. You go in the bathroom and fix yourself up, and you go back in there, and you talk to him, and you tell him how you feel.”
Marlon Wayans and Tupac Bond While Tupac Was Filming Juice
Marlon Wayans and Tupac bonded while Pac was filming Juice. Marlon and Omar Epps are childhood friends, and the three connected over being art school kids from bad neighborhoods. According to Marlon, Tupac was really silly and had the softest hands and most beautiful eyelashes ever. He recounted his time with Pac during an interview with Big Boy in the Morning a few years ago. “I told him he had eyelashes like Snuffleupagus,” Marlon joked as he mimicked lashes over his face with his hands.
Jada Pinkett Smith’s Daughter, Willow Wrote Tupac A Letter When She Was A Kid
Obviously, one of Tupac’s most polarizing friendships is that with Jada Pinkett-Smith. The celebrated actress has become very open about her life in recent years in an attempt to become more transparent and relatable. She has alluded to having a deep connection with Tupac that has spilled over into her family. While she stresses things never turned sexual or romantic, she had admitted to Pac and Will Smith having some tension over their connection. Jada’s daughter Willow was also very aware of how much her mom missed and loved Tupac and even wrote a letter about him when she was a kid.
Jasmine Guys Hid Tupac At Her Home After Leaving Hospital
Jasmine Guy met Tupac after he did a guest role on her hit series Its a Different World. Jada Pinkett-Smith, who was also on the show, would introduce the two. Guy and Jada are close friends as well, with Jasmine even getting married at Jada’s home. Jasmine and Tupac bonded quickly, and Jasmine even got close with his mother Afeni Shakur. Following an incident in 1994, a vulnerable Tupac was not sure who to trust and who might have targeted him. Jasmine knew that many were not aware of their friendship and thought it would be a good idea if he “hid” at her apartment in New York City while he recovered.
Jasmine would continue her relationship with Pac’s mother following his passing. She helped write Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary, a 2004 book about Afeni’s life. In an interview with Tamron Hall, Guy opened up about how passionate Afeni was and how important it was for her to get her story out to the world in the right way.
