Tupac on the L.A. Riots: 'I Hate to Say I Told You So, But I Told You So'

Tupac on the L.A. Riots: "I Hate to Say I Told You So, But I Told You So"

By Elano Pizzicarola Tue., Apr. 24 2012 at 4:00 AM

See also: Our coverage of the 15th anniversary of Tupac's death

Tupac Shakur was a gangsta rapper of the old mold; he called himself a thug, sure, but he was also quite conscious when it came to social issues, particularly those impacting the black community.

The rare video below -- taken one week after the riots at what must have been a softball game, and though conducted in English apparently shown on Dutch television -- might not have seemed like a big deal upon its release. But in 20 years Tupac's legacy has mushroomed, and his thoughts on the city's riots on this anniversary now feel quite significant.

Though the video contains just a short fragment of the interview, it speaks to the riots as a touchstone in the development of West Coast hip-hop. NWA's Straight Outta Compton and Ice Cube's Death Certificate, both railing against police brutality and inequality, foreshadowed the revolt. And countless rappers have drawn creative inspiration from the event since then.

That's why, over the course of the next week, West Coast Sound will present interviews with some of these MCs -- and an influential hip-hop writer -- in conjunction with the riots' 20th anniversary this Sunday, April 29. Stay tuned.

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Tags:

20th Anniversary, L.A. Riots, Tupac

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jamf

crazy to think he hadn't even turned 21 yet in this interview. to those who want to be critical...he's really just a kid here. listening to his music, you know he would have been diagnosed with some kind of bipolar disorder and/or manic depression, and just album to album he sounds as though he is aging exponentially. this is really just a highly passionate kid with a microphone in his face. he was brilliant though, without doubt. really miss his voice...

lucille alo

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BrickW

This is a bunch of crap. It's like asking a 25 year old now how his music was affected by the Northridge Earthquake. We all saw stores looted, heard gunshots, breathed the deadly smoke, smelled the fire, ducked the snipers, were trapped by the curfew, avoided the mob. If you lived in town that was reality. None of these chumps were impacted by the riot, they were children. They were impacted by what happened in their lives much, much later. The riots were a generation ago. Hip hop, like punk rockers and just about every youth music there is in this country anymore, needs to stop worshipping the dead, obsessing over the past and glamorizing in ridiculous ways stuff that happened before their time. The past is dead. Deal with the world now. Invent something new. Be original. And stop worrying about the fucking money. I've never seen a generation so obsessed with fame and money and perks and bling and being somebody important. Fuck the music business, people, just make music. The Weekly used to really pride itself in making the little known more known. But it's starting to become just another star fucking mag. This is LA, once of the great cultural centers of the whole goddamn world, and you guys are missing it completely. You got a bunch of good writers there, a good editor...the only thing missing is the balls to write about music again and not just the music industry.

Charlie Babbitt

Ice Cube predicted the riots! If you want a story.

Username2323

Now, this is a real video!!

Username2323

again.... another dumb ass video~

Username2323

your images of his autopsy are bs and you know it... that's not even close to his throat fag. lol! you're a dumb ass!

Boxer4life2008

Tupac is the ish

Check out thisup and coming artist, FallacyVery tupac like in his rhymessoundcloud.com/FallacyFVPT

Guest

"... particularly those impacting the black community." as if he was also a conscious contributor to Korean American social issues and/or newly arrived Poles from Warsaw and their troubles?..doubtful...his lyrics are all that's left of what went on in his head and they're only a YouTube search away...

Username2323

you my friend are also an idoit!

Smaa91

Tupac always spoke the truth, everything he said still resonated today

First

What a load of jibberish....

L_grayso

you corny for that

Rhymes & Reasons

If you like hip-hop, you might like my blog, Rhymes and Reasons. It’s a series of interviews with hip-hop heads who discuss their lives and a few songs that matter to them. Pretty powerful stuff. Check’em out here:http://thisisrhymesandreasons....