Mutah “Napoleon Beale” was recently interviewed by Dose of Society where he selected Tupac as the person who changed his life.
For Napoleon, there is nothing he hasn’t faced and overcome in his life. From losing his parents at a young age to recording hits with Tupac Shakur. His life experiences and journey that began in the dirty streets of New Jersey to now living his best life in Saudi Arabia, there is one person in particular who forever changed his life.
Napoleon was asked to name that one person and without hesitation, Tupac Shakur was the easy choice. “From modern times, I would say ‘Pac, because he helped me. He came and took me out of the ghetto. Came and took me out from the block. I was 13 years old trying to sell cocaine. He was able to give me an opportunity to get into the music industry. And when he gave me that opportunity, I was able to leave my neighborhood. I was able to leave my block,” said Napoleon on Dose of Society.
Napoleon recently detailed these opportunities in his autobiography, Life is Raw: The Story of a Reformed Outlaw. Along with author Sulaiman Jenkins, Mutah Beale recalls losing himself to the music industry, but still very appreciative of Tupac opening the doors and providing him with an opportunity to leave the “block.”
“I was on the west coast doing music so that changed me. That helped me,” said Napoleon as he also has thought about what if he never met Tupac. “It was able to allow me to give back to my family. I can sit back and sometimes watch that for those who didn’t make it up out of the hood. Majority of my friends in prison or in a cemetery.”
Napoleon added, “The one thing I can say is that he is a man of his word. He uplifted me. He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.” Part of that belief resulted in Napoleon and the Outlawz to be featured in millions of records sold, including hit singles and a platinum album in ‘Still I Rise.’
The former Outlawz member was also asked what his message would be to Tupac if he was still around. “I wish I had the opportunity to show him the way life is. The way that I’m living my life right now. I wish him and all the homies had an opportunity to see that there is more to life than what we was going through in America, in the ghettos and the struggle. We sometimes think that we are stuck. But there is more to life that can get us out. Islam saved me. I wish he had that opportunity.”
Napoleon now resides in Saudi Arabia, twenty plus years removed from the music industry. He is the founder of MW Cafe and co-owner of Smokey Beards Q, while co-hosting on the MU2Q podcast.
