Every now and then I’m sure the great majority of us find ourselves on a Tupac kick. You run through the classics, watch the videos and take in the wisdom from his interviews. By the end of it, you’re left in amazement as if it’s the first time you’ve ever heard him speak. Regardless of where he ranks on the hotly contested, yet purely fictional “G.O.A.T.” list, Afeni’s revolutionary offspring is one of the most influential Hip-Hop artists ever.

“Who Do You Believe In” is Pac in rare form. His ignorance coupled with his sensitivity cultivated him into the icon he is today. In a sense, his weaknesses were actually strengths because they were demons many could gravitate towards. Shakur addresses the problem of seemingly endless inner city violence with the passion and conviction only he could. That’s the beautiful aspect about Pac’s music. He encompassed a superior understanding of his own flaws and those of society and broadcasted it on a medium where it would be most effective.

His cousin, Yaki Kadafi, who was murdered two months after Pac, features on the song where he speaks on the trappings and evils of the ghetto. All in all, it’s an eerie record from two young men whose lives were cut short because of the very topic they addressed. Unfortunately, this was a problem Shakur was unable to remedy while living. Hours before “music’s biggest night,” the ghost of Thug Life still shadows over music for a legacy not many speak on. Tupac crafted one of the original blueprints for achieving unprecedented fame while maintaining the high level quality of his art.

That’s something only few have been able to mimic since him.

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Download –  2Pac Feat. Yaki Kadafi – “Who Do You Believe In”

On the topic of Tupac and The Grammys, take a trip back in time to 1996.

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