S. Samuel
Grammy-winning rapper/producer Wyclef Jean recently shared his reaction to Young Money's Lil Wayne proclaiming himself as the new version of Tupac Shakur during an anti-Miami Heat rant last month at NBA All-Star Weekend.
Having worked with both hip-hop artists, Clef said Pac and Weezy are their own entities and incomparable.
“Once again, that’s his opinion,” Clef said when asked about Weezy declaring himself the new Pac. “At the end of the day, that’s his opinion. He can feel that. Personally, I had a chance to be in a room with 2Pac and he’s a character by himself. [Do I see a resemblance?] No, no, no. I see Lil Wayne in a league by himself. I see 2Pac in a league by himself. 2Pac reminded me a little bit of the Fugees in this sense, if you pick up the Fugees’ first album, after we got that check from the record company, the album was called Blunted On Reality, the first song on the album, we was talking about, ‘We black folks ain’t taking this sh*t from the Ku Klux Klan no more.’ It’s a young generation and f*ck the KKK. Before you blow up, the fact you don’t know if you’re going to make it and your first statement is just based on the vibe.” (Shade 45)
Clef also acknowledged how today’s kids, including his daughter, may view Weezy as the modern day Pac.
So with 2Pac, that’s the vibe I get. That entire establishment, I’m talking about his first joint — having the chance to be in the studio with Lil Wayne and around him during a video shoot, I think he has his own aura and his own energy. His whole energy. Now if you ask me daughter that? She’s going to have a whole different vibe because in her time, that’s her 2Pac because she ain’t ever meet 2Pac.” (Shade 45)
Last month, Wayne raised eyebrows by declaring himself the new Shakur.
“Y’all love these n*ggas so I’m gonna let y’all know why [I don’t like the Heat]. The Miami Heat told [the arenas] to ban me. So I say f*ck, I’m still going to come out here and party — when I say ‘F*ck,’ y’all say ‘NBA’. F*ck! When I say ‘F*ck,’ y’all say the Miami Heat. F*ck! … I ain’t 2Pac, I’m the new Pac. Holla at cha boy.” (YouTube)
A couple years ago, the Young Money leader revealed he got into tattoos because of the late West Coast legend.
“I have no problem with people going and getting a billion tattoos,” Weezy said in a video. “But why are you doing it? I know my first tattoo I got, I got because my dad died. I was 14 years old and I knew, not for nothing, God forgive me, I did want to represent my dad in a way but I knew that, ‘Man, I could get my first tattoo at 14 if I asked my mom, ‘Can I go get my dad’s name?’ She’s not gonna be against that.’ … The next tattoo that I got said ‘Original Hot Boy’ with a star…Then I went and got my tat across my stomach ’cause I wanted to be like Tupac. I got my [stomach] tattoo because I wanted to be like Tupac and at the time, I would tell the tattoo dude that’s why I was getting it.” (Derick G)
Check out Wyclef Jean’s interview:
