Speaking with Soren Baker of Unique Access Entertainment, Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean spoke about why he continues to do music with Tha Realest despite the backlash he had received as an artist who took Tupac’s entire style.
“He caught a lot of flack for falling into that so call Pac wave, but alot of MC’s did after Pac died. So if we gonna start calling people out, man there’s a list. Where do you want me to start?”
Tha Realest was also signed to Death Row records and make his debut on the 1997 Gang Related soundtrack which also featured songs by Tupac and the Outlawz.
He would also portray Tupac in the posthumous music video release for ‘Unconditional Love’. According to Reggie Wright Jr., former head of security for Death Row records, Tha Realest also provided vocals that replaced curse words for the single for the radio friendly version.
Tha Realest and Tupac actually meet in the Casino in Vegas the night Shakur was shot. Shakur gave Tha Realest his approval after hearing the young artist rap right in front of him.
Regardless of all that, the Outlawz were initially skeptical at first when it came to Tha Realest. But with time the Outlawz built a relationship with Tha Realest. “A lot of the Outlawz developed a more personal relationship and got to know who he was,” E.D.I. said. “He is one of the most solid individuals that I have a relationship with in this industry.”
Tha Releast appears on E.D.I. Mean’s latest project ‘O.G. 2: Classics In Session’ on the song ‘No Regrets’, but it wasn’t the first time they had recorded music together.
“No Regrets is about five years old. We did that back in 2013 when I first moved back to L.A,” explained E.D.I. “He’s always been a supportive kind of individual. He’s a more positive individual and I kinda connect more with people that are positive and upbeat. He don’t really got a lot of negative things to say but nobody, he just do what he do.”
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