Considering all that he contributed to hip hop in such a short amount of time, it's hard to imagine Tupac Shakur being a fan, but a never-before-heard phone call reveals that very side of the late lyricist.
Sanyika "Monster Kody" Shakur released his first phone conversation with Tupac, recorded on October 18, 1995. Pac was a huge fan of the ex-gang banger, who penned the 1993 critically-acclaimed autobiography Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member.
Their talk, which took place a month after Sanyika was released from the Pelican Bay State Prison, was secretly recorded by his wife. "My wife pressed record on the answering machine and unbeknown to either of us, caught some bomb a-- history," Sanyika said in a statement posted online with the video.
Pac sounds extremely honored to be speaking with the former inmate and squeals with excitement at Sanyika complimenting his "So Many Tears" single. "I represented for you," Pac assures him. "I got all of those dudes in New York who hate the West Coast screaming out your name. I was passing your autobiography to n----s 'cuz they didn't understand the West Side."
He continues by touching on some of his internal troubles and goes into detail about a community outreach plan. "I just been strugglin' out here, lookin' for you man. I need some help," admits Pac before breaking down the project that he wanted Sanyika's assistance in launching. "We start this youth league ... football, basketball, softball, for girls and boys," he explained. "I'mma get all the rappers to adopt a team … and we play, and the rappers put the money up. We have the churches come out and sell food. We have the fathers and the uncles and all of the men in the community, they do security, get they respect back for the kids and everything. Then we have the FOI [bodyguards from the Nation of Islam] come out, we have the deacons from the church, they do security, then we just play football, baseball … get that community spirit going again."
Added in his strategy was free weekend shows in the 'hood and a good will tour to make the streets safer for children. The idea was that he and other rap artists would drive around drug-infested areas asking dealers and gang members to stop the violence and criminal activity between specific hours.
Throughout the call, Pac casually talks about what would become some of the more infamous moments in his life story, like getting shot in New York City and going to jail for rape. Before they hang up, he makes plans to meet with Sanyika.
Unfortunately, the Death Row Records artist never got a chance to fully live out the goals he discussed with Sanyika. He died a year later from injuries sustained in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting.
