When I was growing up my mother [Afeni Shakur] was going through depression. Her brain was cut off at a certain point, when I needed it. Her fighting times were when Tupac [Shakur] was being developed, between his birth and 13. All this stuff happened between Assata Shakur being broken out [of jail]. My father [Mutulu Shakur] is in jail for breaking Assata Shakur out of prison. This happened when I was 5.
“I’m bipolar. I battle with depression and suicide on a daily.”
I’ve been hospitalized twice. After I left the hospital, I went through intensive therapy for three years, going to the therapist three times a week. I moved to Sausalito, California, where there was nothing but high class white people. They didn’t even know who Tupac was. I really needed to separate myself from the black community and it was almost like I was in refuge there. I was able to build my spirit back. When we moved back to Atlanta, where my family was, is when I was able to put all of my tools in play. So, just coming back home around black people, coming back to society and seeing the difference from how I was, before I went to the hospital, and how I am now and how I walk in my own faith and my own spirit. I’m not Afeni’s daughter, or Tupac’s sister, or Mutulu’s daughter, I’m my own being and I’m powerful.“Your opinion of me is none of my business.”
I deal with a lot of shame. Just growing up the way that I grew up, hiding from the FBI, living in poverty, just being dark-skinned with short hair. You live with a lot of shame. You build up a wall that tells you that you’re bad. So, that phrase, ‘Your opinion of me is none of my business,’ really has gotten me through a lot daily garbage.“My mother said that Tupac was her soul mate.”
I’ve always been the shadow in the corner. I’m actually the heart in my family. My mother is the backbone. ‘Pac is the catalyst. I’m the heart. I’m what keeps us together. My mom never taught me how to cook. She taught my brother how to cook, and I happened to be in the room when she did it. She never taught me about being a woman. She taught Jada [Pinkett]. She was telling Jada, when they were in high school, I just happen to be in the room listening to that.Pretend. You’ve seen “The Cosby Show.”
When my mom was using drugs I was in sixth grade. I went to school everyday. My mother wasn’t home. My brother wasn’t home for like months at a time. I still went to school everyday. So you can create the type of life that you want. You know a lot of men be like, ‘I don’t know what it is, and I can’t take care of my son. I never had a father.” Make pretend, you’ve seen “The Cosby Show.” I don’t need to beat myself up for what happened between my childhood to 18. Whatever happened to me, somebody should have been taking care of me, instead of me taking care of myself. I deserve to allow myself to believe in that, so I don’t have to beat myself for it. From 18 up, it’s my responsibility and I have the right and choice to decide to be what I want my life to be.“Tupac really worked to take care of his family.”
‘Pac died at 25, and before him my mom was on welfare and I was on welfare and my uncle, the only man in the family, worked four shifts, and our grandparents were sharecroppers. We just come from poverty. With that, I struggle with my clothing line [Madamveli]. I want to be able to take over that for him. I want [Tupac] to be able to retire. He’s been dead for 10 years and he’s still working.Her Testimony
I want to thank God that I’m here and that I don’t have the want or the need to want to kill myself. Everyday I used to wake up wanting to die and thinking that that’s an option. Today I know that that’s not an option for me. [SOURCE]
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
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First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
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First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
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First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
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First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
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First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
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”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
;
;
”
;’:
First, that is for damn sure not Bey’s hair. At times I wonder who puts her outfits together. Everyone else looks cute. Kimora is lookin’ FIERCE.
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”
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@ # 43 Meatloaf,
I think your analogy is on point.
I’m from the Bay (Da Town) and had a chance to be in the same area (Not with him, but at the same place) as Pac and you would’ve been surprised at this dudes attitude (Or then again, maybe not). I don’t mean that he was hella snotty or anything, but he had that “don’t come around me with that bullshit” type of attitude. And he lit a few mofo’s up who did have that BS type of attitude too! And I’ll be damned if ol girl don’t have that same type of attitude.
On the Makaveli album track #11 Pac rapped “God coming SHE just taking her time”. With that type of reverence for women, why wouldn’t he be resurrected as a women?
BTW- No disrespect to anyone’s religion regarding the Pac quote: “God coming SHE just taking her time”. I’m not trying to start Bible Study today.
Amazing article. The kind of shit you wished got covered in XXL or the Source! Amazing. Thanks!
trust ya’ll to post only 44 comments on this topic, while posting 440+ for beyounce’s spate with miss jones, is it me or are we always running from real issues? that sister needs kind words which manifest as positive energy, but she gets few from us, most of you arent even better off than her, we need to stop playing too much and concentrate on real things affecting our lives.
am not saying we shouldn’t do trivia etc, we seem to respond to it too much, which means we are trapped in a child-like state and then when no people take us serious we cry racism.
if we could respond to Tupac’s sis properly,then that shows kin spirit and community strengh which is vital for survival in today’s world. pls be more serious and joke around less till the time’s right.
GOD bless you all.
@13 my thoughts exactly!!! sounds like a lot of issues she had to deal with and still dealing with Whew! God Bless her
Pac is not FROM the Bay area.
He wasn’t born there, didn’t grow up there either.
Pac fans should know this.
Ya’ll give Keyshia wayyyyyyyyyyy too much credit. I respect her struggle & come up but she’s not pac…at all. People wont be following her word like scriptures. She’s a cali chick with a fucked up past and an attitude.
i think that this was a great posting…….very insightful…shit..i was forgetting that he even had a sister because everything was always about him…
i hope that those suicide thoughts dont take place..cause i would hate to lose another shakur..
#45 K DUBB & #49 TATA:
Discussion…
Intersting lyrics, K DUBB! Pac was born in Brooklyn, NY, lived in B-more, but his legacy and notoriety laid claim to Cali…if you need proof, Goggle search: Sean “Puffy” Combs and The Noutorious B-I-G!
Pac heart was in “California Love” not Brooklyn!
I make the comparison with Keyshia for this reason, because she IS all the things that TATA said about her past and attitude! But, I also thought that Pac was those things too! He maitained a Thugs Life with many contradictions.
One minute he rapped in support of black woman, including “Brenda’s Got A Baby,and Keep Ya Head Up.” Then, he turns arounds and goes to prison for sexual assualt! His “scriptures” found Genusis in the streets of Oakland California! What is it about OakTown?
Maybe Keyshia is Pac without the contradiction! Time will tell! Women have always made improvments to the original! He saw most of his early life through his mother’s eyes! Most of the time, the male influence was missing! So, he struggled until his death! Hopefully, Keyshia will overcome the contradiction!
I’m not saying he and Keyshia are identical twins, but she has his swagger, his spunk and his level of ruthless!
Well that’s enough about the comparisons. This Thursday 9/07/06, will mark the tenth anniversary since Tupac was gunned down in Vegas with four bullets while riding in the car with Suge Knight!
The rivalry between the Westcoast and Eastcoast rappers has taken a great toll! Sean has soared, Suge has soured! Life goes on! On September 13, 1996, Pac was pronounced dead! I WILL celebrate his legacy my way! And yes, I WILL include some Keyshia Cole!
Tupac:
“Strictly for my Niggaz,”
“Me against the world,”
“All eyez on me”
“The Rose that Grew from ConcreteLoop”
Keyshia:
“I Should’ve Cheated”
“Never”
“The Way it is”
“I Changed My Mind”
developing…
OMT – They both have crazy azz sisters! hehe!
I SEE MOST FOLKS HAD POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY,BUT ONE PERSON WAS TRULY A HATER AND REALLY BEYOND THAT.WHO GIVES A FUK IF THEY HAD DIFFERENT FATHERS THAT’S NOT THE ISSUE AND FOR REAL MOST BLACK SUFFER FROM IDENTITY CRISIS SO WHO GIVES A FUCK SHE HAS GREEN EYES STOP WAYING FROM THE SUBJECT.THE FACT THAT SHE FELT SHE HAD TO MOVE AWAY FROM HER PEOPLE BOTHERS ME BUT AS LONG AS SHE REGAINED HER SPIRIT BACK THAT’S ALL THAT COUNTS.ANOTHER THING NONE OF US LIVED IN HER HOUSEHOLD SO WE DON’T KNOW WHAT KIND OF FAVORTISM WAS PLAYED BETWEEN SIBLINGS SO NOBODY CAN SPEAK ON HER PAIN IN ANY NEGATIVE WAY.I DO REALIZE ALOT OF YALL YOUNGINZ MAKE FUCK ASS COMMENTS SO THAT’S EXPECTED BUT I THINK ANGELA DID A GREAT THING.
Pac = Keisha
HELLLLLLLLLLLL TO THA NO!!!! Not by a long shot. What you’ll been smoking? You’ll trippin. You’ll have made my day with that. That is sooooo funny. LMAO!!!
#54 FOXXY380 lol
This topic is too deep for you!
Meatloaf, sweetie, I think you are right. I have to go home and tell my friends and family about this one.
Foxxy380, would you like for me to write you a note?
Naw Tata, the discussion was merely a comparison of both of their characters and belief in reincarnation. Pac was deep and seemingly prophetic in my opinion, so I’m not trying to say ol girl’s a genius (That’s what I think Pac is). I was simply stating that I didn’t think that it’s impossible that Pac would come back as a woman if there is such a thing as reincarnation.
Bro Meatloaf and I were simply entertaining the thought that there may be such a thing as reincarnation, and if so, would Pac willingly come back as a female? My answer to that was… “On the Makaveli album track #11 Pac rapped “God coming SHE just taking her time”. With that type of reverence for women, why wouldn’t he be resurrected as a women?”.
And ain’t nobody said Pac was FROM the Bay! I said I was from the bay, where Pac happened to lay a lot of the groundwork for what was to come. He was actually from Marine County (North Bay) and found his way to Berkeley and of course Da Town (East Bay) cause that’s where it went down! Tupac became Pac here in the Bay, he was laced here.
I applaud her for her courage!!! If it was about fame and money she wouldn’t have waited 10 years people. Use what little brain you have and try to have some compassion for other people. I will continue to pray for some of my ignorant people. Like God said ” forgive them Lord, for they not know what they do”. Enough said.
Oh! You wouldn’t talkin to me when you were saying Pac ain’t from the Bay huh Tata? My bad.
But I still say Pac became Pac in the Bay.