Like many hip-hop fans in Los Angeles, I spent the last weeks of 2024 listening to Kendrick Lamar's GNX. While listening, I couldn't help but review the Kendrick-Drake battle that erupted after years of bubbling tension. There was one thing in particular that incensed Kendrick (and Tupac fans like myself). That was Drake's use of … Continue reading GNX Was Inspired by Seven Day Theory
tupac
Wake Me When I’m Free Experience: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Tupac Shakur
The Tupac Shakur Wake Me When I’m Free experience opened last weekend. My wife and I attended Saturday with the hope of reconnecting with a voice that’s been a part of our lives since the 90s. The exhibit is something every fan of Tupac Shakur needs to see. It is scheduled to run at Canvas … Continue reading Wake Me When I’m Free Experience: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Tupac Shakur
Damaged Petals: The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
On September 7, 1996, while stopped at a red light on the Las Vegas Strip, Tupac Shakur was shot numerous times. I was a high school junior at the time. Having already survived five shots, I wasn’t really surprised he did not die immediately. Shakur had already proven to be a fighter. This was … Continue reading Damaged Petals: The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Damaged Petals: All Eyez On Me
Prison is not a healthy place. It changes every person it holds within its walls. Prison is likely one of the reasons the follow-up to Tupac’s most personal work is its antithesis: an album full of bravado and anger, featuring a bombastic 2Pac backed by some of the largest voices in the industry. Shakur was … Continue reading Damaged Petals: All Eyez On Me
Damaged Petals: Me Against The World
Tupac Shakur is beloved in hip-hop and certainly in Los Angeles. He was not from L.A. but his music and message transcended location. His break came in Oakland, he was born in New York, and his biggest years came in Los Angeles. His impact still ripples through the streets of Los Angeles and the souls … Continue reading Damaged Petals: Me Against The World
Damaged Petals: Thug Life: Volume 1
The year was 1994. The rap world had absorbed Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. for a year in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Riots. It was time for new 2Pac music but it didn’t arrive in the form of a third solo album. Instead, Shakur spearheaded a group project. The group was Thug Life and … Continue reading Damaged Petals: Thug Life: Volume 1
Los Angeles Noise 