By John Johnson

There are several names, in the music industry, from the last fifty years that are instantly recognizable. There are even fewer from said enterprise that are known by one name. And I’m not talking about nicknames or stage monikers (Sting, Cher, Slash etc). I mean the entertainers that are simply known more by their actual first names and were at the top of their genre. I’m referring of course to the likes of Elvis, Madonna, Prince and Tupac. This particular article is based on the latter, Tupac. And although he’s absolutely known by his first name, or even 2Pac, it’s the forebearers of his last name Shakur and what they stood for that drove him to the pinnacle of success that allowed him to be a one name artist in the first place. Some may be aware of what I’m alluding to and the history of the Shakur name, but for those that aren’t, let me give you a brief synopsis. There was Mutulu Shakur, a key leader within the Black Liberation Army and 37-year political prisoner; Afeni Shakur, an influential Black Panther Party member (mother of Tupac), Assata Shakur, revered Black Panther, truthteller, and fugitive. There are more but the point being, the Shakur name means as much to Black Liberation, as the name Tupac means to rap music. On February 24th of this year, a first ever insider account was written about the Shakur family, from the early Black Liberation legends to the death of Tupac. Recently I was connected for a phone interview with the writer of that memoir, Mopreme Shakur.

I won’t lie, although having spoken with several big names on the phone before, I wasn’t sure of what to expect, so I was a tad more nervous than usual. Maybe low-key tunnel-vision thought he might be this angry rap artist with a chip on his shoulder that I wouldn’t get a straight answer from, or just the opposite and he wouldn’t answer anything at all and there’d be this awkward silence on the line. For whatever reason I had those scenarios in mind, it didn’t matter once I was connected with Mr. Shakur. Mo, he assured me I could call him, could not have been more forthcoming, knowledgable, humorous and friendly and we had an amazing thirty plus minute chat.

When I got Mo on the phone, and after a brief convo about all the weird weather all over, he informed me that he was in Los Angeles bouncing between book signings and studio time. For a guy who’s spent most of his life making music, releasing a book felt like stepping into a different arena. “I’ve been writing music most of my life. This is my first book,” he told me. The project wasn’t quick either. Between writing and the business headaches that come with publishing, the whole thing took about four years. “One publisher folded, another deal had to be worked out…” he informed me and said that the timeline stretched. “It takes a minute,” he said with a laugh. Still, you could hear the relief in his voice. The hard part, “actually finishing the thing”, was done.

Carrying the Shakur name isn’t exactly light work. Mopreme knows that better than most. The story he tells in the book stretches from his early days all the way through the loss of his brother, Tupac Shakur, and the weight of that history hung over the writing process. When I asked whether writing it down felt more like pressure or power, he didn’t hesitate. “A little of both,” he said. “Because what comes along with the name…it’s heavy.” The toughest moment came when he recorded the audiobook himself. “I was strong through the whole book,” he told me. “Then the very last day… I just broke down. Boo-hooed for like ten or fifteen minutes.” Saying those memories out loud forced him to relive them. “We suppress a lot,” he said. “Hearing it back…it’s heavy.”

Even with the book out, Mopreme isn’t slowing down. Music is still the engine. He’s finishing a new album called Protest Music, and the title pretty much tells you where his head is at. “We all got something to protest about right now,” he said. The idea isn’t to preach but to channel the frustration a lot of people are feeling into something raw and honest. He’s also part of a track called “Mapogo Lions,” alongside artists like Ras Kass and Bishop Lamont, and the song even caught a boost when Dave Chappelle used it in one of his specials. Mopreme sounded genuinely energized by that. “Thirty years in the game and I’m still out here doing my thing,” he said. Having “the likes of Chappelle in my corner” means he’s doing “his thing” right.

Our conversation drifted into politics and the current state of hip-hop culture, and Mopreme didn’t hold back. At one point the subject of Nicki Minaj came up (I brought it up), and his tone shifted from relaxed to frustrated. “I’m so disappointed with my people from Queens,” he said, shaking his head through the phone line. The bigger topic, though, was the political climate in the U.S. When I asked what Pac might think about it all, especially figures like Donald Trump, Mopreme laughed before giving a brutally honest answer. “Oh my goodness… Pac would want to fight him,” he said. “Oh yeah. Because Pac cared about the people. This dude really does not. Simple.”

The book, his first, is entitled “This Thugs Life: An Unapologetically Black Story by Mopreme Shakur”. And although some may remember the phrase THUG LIFE tattooed across the torso of Tupac, it means more than what one initially may take from it. It’s actually an acronym for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everyone”. And although it absolutely signified that Pac was defying societal odds, confidently boasting via his lyrics, and brandishing street-smart swagger, at the end of the day, Mo assured me that Pac “always wanted to look out for the kids, man”. He added “I mean it’s interesting because, that tattoo, was the biggest tattoo on Pac’s body, but, uh, people know the least about it.”

I informed Mo that one of the reasons I wanted to interview him was to broaden the base for Tampa Bay Music News. He mentioned that he was in town in 2021 for the funeral of Shock G (Digital Underground). “Shout out to everyone in Tampa, and all the fine supporters and loved ones in Tampa.” I couldn’t end our conversation without hipping Mo to local musical artist, and friend, Pusha Preme. Preme, who preforms in various masks, mixes rap with electro-soul and is definitely on the rise. “Sounds interesting, I’d love to check him out.” And after assuring him that I would forward links for Preme, I thanked him for his time, he replied cooly “Thank you my brother, I appreciate you. We seem to be on the same sheet of music so I’m pretty sure we’ll be talking again sometime.” I agreed on both counts.

Before we wrapped up, I asked Mopreme what he hoped readers would actually take away from the book once they closed it. His answer came fast and direct. “Never give up,” he said. “Keep going. Stay positive and progressive.” Then he laughed and added the part that probably sums up his whole life philosophy better than anything else: “Ain’t got no choices either. Sink or swim, baby.” Sage words from a man who has experienced so much in life.

Check out his book on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/This-Thugs-Life-Mopreme-Shakur/dp/1496760581), or maybe do what I plan on doing and download the audio recording. I feel it would be more impactful to hear it directly from the source.

As always, Go Out and See, Hear and Feel Live Music. And read a book every now and again.