Photo: Imgur
A letter and drawing Eminem sent to Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, to thank her "for giving us his spirit and yours" has gone viral, after it was unearthed and posted on Reddit.
This isn't the first time the letter has seen the light of day - it appeared in the 2008 book Tupac Remembered - but it had gone largely unnoticed until now.
The letter, which includes an impressive pen drawing of Tupac, is undated, but was written at some point after Tupac had been shot dead in 1996 and Eminem had begun working with Dr. Dre.
It opens with an apology that bears a resemblance to the opening lyrics to Eminem's 'Stan'. "Sorry if it looks a little sloppy," he says of the drawing, "I could've done a little better if I had the right pencils. Instead I had to draw it in pen. Plus, I just kind of thought of the idea a little too late. But I've been drawing since I was 10 and I thought you might like it."
He goes on to say, "You have no idea how much your son and his music has inspired, not only the 'Hip Hop' world, but, speaking for myself, has inspired my whole career. He was, and still is, the true definition of a 'soldier'. When I was feeling at my worst; (before fame, before Dre) I knew I could put that 'Tupac' tape in, and suddenly, things weren't so bad."
Read Eminem's letter to Tupac's mother Afeni Shakur in full below.
Afeni Shakur, a former political activist an ex-Black Panther, founded The Tupac Amuru Shakur Center For The Arts a year after her son's death. The centre's mission is to provide opportunities for young people through the arts.
