Snoop’s transparency is noteworthy. The openness and honesty with which he handles his affairs have earned him massive respect in the industry. So, it was no surprise when Snoop recently shared a deeply personal and moving experience at the bedside of his friend and collaborator, Tupac Shakur.
Snoop and Pac
Few hip-hop fans aren’t aware of the bond Shakur and Snoop shared. And in most hip-hop circles, when the discussion turns to legends in the industry, Shakur and Snoop’s names are two who rarely go without mention, and for a good reason.
Both lent their undeniable talent to the industry repping the West Coast. They both held it down as label mates on Death Row and collaborators. They made waves with the single “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted from the “All Eyez on Me” album. But, the relationship was a lot deeper than collaborators. However, sometimes all people remember is the strife. And Pac and Snoop’s strife was also no secret. According to Snoop, the two were drifting in two different directions. A lot of it was due to artistic differences. Thankfully disagreements don’t wholly define relationships.
Snoop and Pac: More than Collaborators
Despite what some may think, Snoop had a deep respect for Pac. In fact, in Snoop’s book, Pac’s loss was profound and one of the toughest losses on the West Coast scene. When asked about West Coast rappers and the biggest losses in a recent interview, Snoop responded with Nipsey Hussle, Nate Dogg, and Tupac Shakur Why? Because they left this world too early, and he believed that they had so much more to accomplish.
Undoubtedly that is a truth with which few will disagree.
Snoop Opens Up A Little More
The mention of Pac’s relevance to rap was not the only thing the artist had to share. Snoop also opened up about the emotional impact of seeing Tupac in the hospital before his death. According to Snoop, seeing Pac lying in the hospital bed evoked a strong emotional response: he fainted. In Snoop’s recollection of seeing Tupac, this is what he said,
“He got tubes in him, and it’s like, when I walked in, I could just feel like he wasn’t even there, and I fainted.
And it’s not hard to see why.
The Unexpected
That is the way a real friend and brother reacts to the unexpected. And according to Snoop, seeing Pac like that was a shock. In the Doggfather’s words, he had spoken with Suge before seeing Pac; He went to the hospital with reassurance. As noted in the interview,
The talk left Snoop and Co. believing that Tupac was on his way to a quick recovery.
However, that was not so.
True Brotherhood
Although both had experienced a falling out, they were still like brothers. The response of Pac’s mother says everything.
“My baby ain’t never seen you weak. I don’t want you to be weak in front of him. You go in the bathroom and fix yourself up and you go back in there and you talk to him, and you tell him how you feel.”
At a time when Pac’s mother was also grieving, she picked Snoop up and turned his thoughts back to what was necessary.
Afeni Shakur’s Push
At the time, Snoop needed to say goodbye to his friend, his brother. Afeni’s push gave him the strength to say what he needed to say to Pac as he lay dying. According to Snoop,
She gave us a moment for me to say some things to him, as far as how much I love him, but I knew that that was gonna be my last time speaking with him.
Sometimes few know the whole story. One thing is sure any misgivings people may have had about how Snoop’s felt about Pac, this revelation clears it up. True respect and brotherhood supersede tiffs. Disagreements don’t define the totality of relationships; true brotherhood does.
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Written by Renae Richardson
Did you read about Snoop Dogg’s shout-out to one of his Ghostwriters? Check out FM Hip Hop’s retrospective article.
