Fat Joe has co-signed Maino‘s summary of what made 2Pac such a one-of-a-kind talent, saying that no one “spoke to the Black male experience” the way ‘Pac did in his songs.
In an interview with Shirley Ju shared on Wednesday (June 7), Maino reflected back on the late rapper’s influence on Hip Hop, and said that no one has ever been able to capture what he captured about the struggle of the Black man in America.
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“I feel like nobody spoke to the Black male experience like he did,” Maino explained. “The way he was able to put the emotions and the feelings of being a young n-gga trapped in and out of jail, in and out of the streets, dealing with confrontations and conflicts with other Black males.”
He continued: “You know, hustling, getting money, dealing with death of your homies and prison. He spoke to that like no other. Still, even to this day I don’t think nobody speaks to that experience like him.”
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Fat Joe expressed his support in the comment section of a re-shared video of the interview on The Hip Hop Wolf, who had reshared the video, writing: “Correct.”
While Fat Joe seems to agree with Maino’s assertion, the Terror Squad leader previously came under scrutiny when he claimed DaBaby is the 2021 version of the late California legend. He stood by this claim despite its backlash, and took to Instagram Live to reaffirm his commitment to DaBaby.
“But who’s the new 2Pac,” Fat Joe asked in part. “Don’t know but if I’m going to take a guess; by the way I knew Tupac Shakur in real life. Not as a mythical person. I knew the man in real life. He was the realest rapper ever. So now when I think ‘Pac, not just musically or whatever the case may be, I’m thinking DaBaby a real one. Certified real one, whether you like him or you don’t like him or whatever, I believe he lives what he raps. And that’s very much like 2Pac.”
However, he clarified that2Pac could never truly be replaced, not even by lyrical juggernauts like J. Cole. “Nobody is 2Pac,” Joe concluded.
In other ‘Pac news, the late rapper was finally honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this week, and his younger sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, was presented with a resolution by the City of Los Angeles honoring the work 2Pac did for his community.
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“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.
“Not only paying tribute to his contribution in the music industry but speaks volumes to he lasting impact he’s had on this world.”
