2Pac was finally honored with his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and among the speakers were the late rapper’s sister, radio legend Big Boy and Dear Mama director Allen Hughes.
The ceremony took place on Wednesday (June 7) on Hollywood BLVD., which comes nearly 27 years following the West Coast legend’s tragic murder and a little over a week shy of what would have been his 52nd birthday.
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The late rapper’s younger sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, was presented with a resolution by the City of Los Angeles honoring the work 2Pac did in the community and his legacy prior to her emotional speech.
“2Pac knew deep down that he was always meant for something great. As his little sister, I had the privilege to watch that greatness unfold,” she said. “From the first time he stepped foot on stage at the Apollo Theater at 13 years old before anyone recognized his name, he knew he had the dream to have a star here on the Walk of Fame.”
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Set continued: “Not only paying tribute to his contribution in the music industry but speaks volumes to he lasting impact he’s had on this world.
“Today, we’re not just honoring a star on the ground but honoring the world and the passion he put into making his dreams come true. His heavenly star will shine a little brighter today.”
Allen Hughes, who helmed the five-part Dear Mama docuseries, and ‘Pac had their differences in the past but the director spoke glowingly about the late rapper’s complexities and symbolism of rebellion.
“What an incredibly complex human being and artist 2Pac is. When making the film series Dear Mama I was separately searching for the melody in 2Pac’s journey,” he said. “When you look around the world and you see those murals of him in Africa, Asia, South America and Europe, then one day it hit me — Tupac Amaru Shakur has become a global symbol of rebellion.
He added that 2Pac is “a symbol as visible and important as Malcolm X and Che Guevara and an inspiration for activists today.”
Plenty of special guests were in attendance such as YG, DJ Quik, Alex Thomas, Mopreme Shakur, Ray Luv, Macadoshis, QDIII, Mike Epps and Treach of Naughty By Nature.
The California love has been a long time coming for ‘Pac, who was shot in Las Vegas in the hours following a Mike Tyson fight on September 7, 1996 and died in a local hospital six days later.
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The polarizing rap star was loved for much more than his multi-platinum albums, as he was a decorated actor with roles in Juice, Poetic Justice, Above the Rim and Gridlock’d throughout the ’90s.
Even over 25 years after his passing, Shakur’s legacy continues to be honored. In addition to the Hollywood star, a street will be renamed after him in Oakland, where his career began as a member of Digital Underground.
