Tupac Recalls Being at War in Unearthed Interview From Weeks Before Death
A little over two weeks before his death, Tupac Shakur said he was “in the midst of war” during a junket with his fellow Gang Related actor Jim Belushi. The previously unreleased interview – which took place on August 27th, 1996, 18 days before the rapper was murdered in Las Vegas at the age of 25 – surfaced on a Tupac message board, according to HipHopDX.
While answering a question about the meaning behind his name – which references a Peruvian “warrior similar to myself” named Túpac Amaru II – he said that to him it means “determined.” He explained that’s “because I’m determined to never, ever negotiate again. We are in the midst of war. Nobody’s gonna give me the breath out of their mouth for me to live longer, so therefore I’m not giving anybody the breath out of my mouth for them to live longer.” The question and answer begin at around the 9:50 mark of the YouTube below.
Elsewhere in the interview, Tupac offered his opinion about what “the biggest myth about fame” is. “That all actors want to be famous,” he said. “That when you’re an actor, you’re supposed to want this. And, like, when people come up to you and tear all your clothes off, ‘Quit complaining. You’re an actor. You’re supposed to want this. You’re famous.’ No, our job is to only come to work, give the best job we can give you and then move away from the picture. We’re not supposed to suck your dick while you watch the movie or put my finger in your ass while you watch the movie or play our record.”
A biopic about Shakur’s short life is currently in the works. The film’s producer, Randall Emmett, said in a recent interview with Collider that production would begin in June. “The script is great and we’re ready to make the movie,” he said. “We’re just prepping the logistics.” Oscar-nominated director John Singleton – who worked with Shakur as an actor on the 1993 film Poetic Justice – is attached to direct the still-untitled movie. Its cast has yet to be announced.