Jeff Pearlman addresses controversies in the career of the rapper and actor, who passed away at age 25
The book Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur was released last Tuesday, October 21st. The work is a biography about the complex life of Tupac Shakurwritten by journalist Jeff Pearlman. After two and a half years of research and almost 700 interviews with people who knew him, the author explores the cultural impact and influence of the rapper on the history of hip hop, who passed away at just 25 years old.
As an actor, one of the milestones of his career Shakur was his participation in Without Fear in the Heart (1993), romantic drama directed by John Singleton (Fast and Furious). The film follows a poet (Justice) mourning the loss of her boyfriend, who becomes enchanted by an aspiring rapper and mailman, Lucky (Shakur).
The actress and singer janet jacksonsister of michael jacksonstarred with Shakur in No Fear in the Heart. According to the newly released book, she had a difficult time with him behind the scenes.
Pearlman A controversial rumor from the time was resurrected: the actress had asked the rapper to take an HIV test before recording a kissing scene in the film.
But the story is more complicated than that. Pearlman interviewed the film’s producer, Steve Nicolaidesabout the relationship between the two: according to the interviewee, Janet did not feel comfortable in the presence of Shakur. He describes her as finding his “approach, his strange efforts to be sexual, and his need to always steal attention” strange.
Before the day of recording the kiss scene, Pearlman writes that “Tupac went on and on about dominating Jackson with his lips. He thought he was being cute. She didn’t.”
The climax of the controversy occurred when Nicolaides was called to the trailer Janet. Tupac was known for having a “promiscuous” lifestyle, and the actress confessed her concern about kissing him: “’And I don’t want to exchange saliva with him until I’m sure he’s healthy and clean,’” she reportedly said.
Nicolaides broke the news to Shakurand second Pearlmanhe was furious. “‘Are you kidding?’, asked Tupac… ‘F*** her. I’m not going to do anything for this bitch. Tell her to f*** off.'”, he replied.
Before his death, Shakur addressed the case in an interview. “I don’t know if it was Janet that came,” he said. “But I know that suddenly, out of nowhere, they wanted me to take an AIDS test for this love scene. I didn’t disagree about whether we would actually make love. I said if I could make love to Janet Jacksonwould do four AIDS tests. But if I were to do a love scene with her like someone else did, and they didn’t audition, I wouldn’t audition.”
A few years later, however, the director John Singletonwho died in 2019, took credit for starting the rumor. He said it all started as a joke, but was later used as publicity for the film. “That was a joke we were having on set, because the real talk is that Tupac was attracted to JanetI was attracted to Janet… We were both on set, trying to, like, flirt with her and stuff like that,” he said.
Ultimately, the film was a box office success: it grossed $27.5 million at the worldwide box office, about double its budget. Jackson even received a nomination for Oscar of Best Original Song for co-writing the track “Again“.
Unable to contact a representative Jackson to comment. PEOPLE also reached out to Nicolaidesbut received no response.
Who was Tupac Shakur
Considered one of the most influential rappers of all time, Tupac Shakur He built a successful career, despite being involved in several controversies. In addition to being an actor and composer, he was also an influential activist in the African-American community: his songs often addressed social issues such as violence, racism and poverty.
Despite rapping about female empowerment in her song “Keep Ya Head Up“, Shakur He also served seven months in prison at Clinton Correctional Facility, New York, in 1995, when he was convicted of sexual abuse.
Tupac died on September 13, 1996, after being shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. The rapper was hit by four gunshots and died after six days due to his injuries. According to investigations, the violence was triggered by a previous fight between Shakur and members of a rival gang. In the book, Pearlman delves into the rapper’s turbulent life, euphoric rise and tragic death.
Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur It is already available in American bookstores, but is not expected to arrive in Brazil.
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hip hop
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JANET JACKSON
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John Singleton
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oscar
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No Fear in the Heart
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Steve Nicolaides
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Tupac Shakur
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
