Tupac-Inspired Pop-Up Cafe Heads to New York for Rock Hall Induction
Tupac’s Powamekka Café, a pop-up eatery inspired by the rapper’s own restaurateur aspirations and approved by the Tupac Shakur estate, is heading to New York this weekend to celebrate his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The café, which first popped up in Los Angeles in September 2016 to mark the 20th anniversary of the rapper’s death, will station itself at the Lower East Side’s Sweet Chick, a chicken and waffles joint co-owned by Nas, from April 7th to 9th.
In addition to serving one of Shakur’s favorite meals – his cousin Jamala’s fried chicken wings – the café will also feature personal photos from Shakur’s archives, as well as poetry and other memorabilia. The rapper mapped out his vision for the restaurant in his notebook.
“Tupac’s creative vision was limitless. He was constantly working on ideas and plans that reached far beyond music and film. One of the things he was extremely passionate about was opening a restaurant; he even sketched out plans and a concept for a menu. We are proud to bring Tupac’s Powamekka Café to life,” Tupac Shakur estate trustee Tom Whalley said in a statement.
In his notebook, Shakur wrote of the vibe of his planned restaurant, “Peaceful but lavish & comfortable. Soft 2 the eyez & touch. Wonderful smell of food & flowers & incents with acoustic music 2 soothe your soul while u soothe your hunger.
The rapper even sketched out his own menu, although the Powamekka Café that popped up outside Los Angeles featured more Shakur-inspired fare like California Love Chicken Sandwich, Hennessey Apple Butter chicken wings, a Mac-and-Cheeseburger and Thug Passion cake pops. It’s unclear whether those same items will feature at the New York pop-up.
Shakur will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this Friday at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, with his friend and collaborator Snoop Dogg delivering the induction speech.