Tupac Shakur

Apr
1
New Music: Tyga f/ 2Pac & Jadakiss – ‘Hit ‘Em Up’

Hit Em Up

Tyga resurrects Tupac on “Hit ‘Em Up,” a posthumous collaboration off his new album Hotel California. The DJ Mustard-produced track samples the hook from C-Murder’s “Down 4 My Ni**az” and includes a previously unreleased verse from the late West Coast legend.

“A lot of people think it’s a remake of ‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ his song—which it’s not a remake, it’s original,” Tyga told MTV News of the song, which borrows its title from Tupac’s 1996 Biggie diss. “When you’re talking about ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ you ain’t really dissing nobody, but you lettin’ it be known that you don’t rock with certain people.”

New York MC Jadakiss also makes an appearance, but Tyga originally had plans to feature another rapper. “I wanted Nicki to be on the song at first and then we never did it, so then I went back to the song later,” he said.

Due April 9, Hotel California also features collaborations with Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, Future, 2 Chainz, and Wiz Khalifa.

Take a ride on the west side with T-Raww and Tupac.

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Dec
10
New Music: James Brown and 2Pac – ‘Unchained (The Payback/Untouchable)’

Django Unchained

The legendary James Brown and Tupac Shakur rise up on the posthumous collaboration “Unchained,” which serves as the theme song to Quentin Tarantino’s western Django Unchained, in theaters December 25.

The funky mash-up, mixed by Tupac’s engineer Claudio Cueni, takes 2Pac’s hook from “Untouchable” and places it over the Godfather of Soul’s ’70s joint “The Payback,” adding in gunshots and sound bites from the film.

In addition to the late icons, the soundtrack also features contributions from Rick Ross (“100 Black Coffins”) and John Legend (“Who Did That to You?”).

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Aug
21
Rap-Up TV: Jhené Aiko Talks ‘Souled Out’ Debut, Love for Kid Cudi and Tupac

Jhené Aiko takes Rap-Up TV on her journey from being signed to Sony/Epic at the age of 12 to touring with B2K to meeting up with No I.D., who brought her to Def Jam. Now at 24, the much-buzzed-about singer has found her own lane and is working on her debut album Souled Out with some help from No I.D. (Kanye West, Nas), KeY Wane (“Amen”), and the Fisticuffs, who produced the majority of her 2011 mixtape Sailing Soul(s). She is also eyeing a collabo with Big Sean (Jhené has recorded a song for his next album) and some Top Dawg Entertainment artists.

Kid Cudi is at the top of her wish list. “That’s pretty much one of the only people that I listen to consistently. No matter what he puts out, I’m one of those fans. He can do no wrong in my eyes,” said Jhené, who would also like to collaborate with Eminem and Kendrick Lamar.

One artist who’s had a major impact on her career is Tupac Shakur. “He’s an icon for speaking your mind and being you even if it’s controversial,” shared the L.A. native. “He’s been a big inspiration for me just to stick to who I am and to actually stand for something through music.”

Just last month, Jhené lost her older brother to cancer. She penned the touching tribute “For My Brother” in his honor and played it for him on the day he passed away. “It was really special for me and I’m just glad that he got to hear it,” she said.

For more on Jhené, check out her latest music video for “3:16AM.”

Aug
18
Willow Smith Pens Letter to Tupac

Willow Smith

Willow Smith is wise beyond her years. The 11-year-old singer has shared a letter that she wrote to Tupac Shakur years ago. In the handwritten note, she asks the late hip-hop icon to come back because her mother Jada Pinkett-Smith misses him. Jada and Pac had a close relationship, which some believed was more than a friendship.

“Can you come back so mommy and me can be happy?” asks Willow, who will star in a remake of the 1982 musical Annie.

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Apr
23
Kendrick Lamar: Tupac Hologram Was ‘Next Level’

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar made history when he shared the stage with Dr. Dre while performing his single “The Recipe” at Coachella. While he knew about the much-talked-about Tupac Shakur hologram before the rest of the world, he didn’t expect it to take on a life of its own.

“I didn’t know it was going to be that serious,” the Compton MC told Fuse. “I should have expected, this dude is a perfectionist and he’s always taken the game to the next level, and that my friend is the next motherfu**ing level. It don’t get any better.”

After hopping offstage, he was able to enjoy the show as a fan. “I was in amazement like everybody else,” he added. “After my set, I jumped back into the crowd all the way to the back and just watched the show. That was my first time actually getting to see Dre and Snoop, Kurupt, Warren G perform. I didn’t go to the ‘Up in Smoke’ tour when I was a kid.”

The memory will last a lifetime. “I can almost assure you that nothing else probably mattered after that in the world. It’s one of them nights where you’ll remember it forever.”

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Apr
23
Dr. Dre Dispels Tupac Hologram Tour Rumors

Dr. Dre

Shortly before taking the stage on the final day of Coachella, Dr. Dre made a video to thank everyone for their love and support for his two shows in the desert. Checking in from backstage at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., the West Coast icon also shot down reports that he created the Tupac Shakur hologram for a tour with Snoop Dogg.

“I want to get rid of all the rumors out there,” said Dre. “This was not done for a tour. If a tour happens, we’ll see. This was done strictly for Coachella 2012.”

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Dre and Snoop were plotting a tour involving themselves and the holographic Pac, which reportedly cost between $100,000 and $400,000 to produce.

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Apr
17
Tupac Hologram May Tour with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur

The Tupac Shakur hologram may be coming to a city near you. If you didn’t get to see the haunting image in-person at Coachella this weekend, you may be in luck. There are already talks for the resurrected rapper to tour with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg in the coming months.

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Apr
16
5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Tupac Hologram

Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur stole the show with his lifelike performance of “Hail Mary” and “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” during Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Coachella set on Sunday. The haunting hologram of the late legend was all the buzz by Monday morning, with many questions being asked and answered. Find out what Pac’s mother thought, who envisioned the idea, and how much it cost.

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