Ray Luv appears on Holdin’ Court Podcast where the Bay Area rapper detailed meeting a teenage Tupac Shakur who spit the best in person rap ever.
During the interview Ray Luv recalled meeting Tupac aka MC New York for the very first time thanks to Leila Steinberg. Initially Tupac’s appearance came across as “weird” to Ray Luv, but after hearing Tupac’s political consequence rap, Shakur would join Ray Luv’s hip hop group, Strictly Dope. A group consisting of Ray Luv, DJ Dize and now Tupac Shakur.
“He walks in and he’s like, ‘What’s up? Good to meet you.’ Very humble. Voice very low,” recalled Ray Luv on Holdin’ Court podcast. “I said, ‘Hey. Leila said you could rap.'”
Moments later Ray Luv would hear Tupac rap in what he calls the best in person rap he has ever heard in his life. A statement that stands more than 30 years later.
“As real as it seems the American Dream, Ain’t nothing but another calculated schemes / To get us locked up shot up back in chains, To deny us of the future rob our names,” Tupac rapped. Shakur’s rap was from his Panther Power song which was later featured on the 2003 Tupac: Resurrection movie soundtrack.
Ray Luv and Tupac would go on to have their very first studio session together in which 5 songs were recorded. According to Luv, many of their early raps were later used for their projects respectively. Most notably, as revealed in the Allen Hughes Dear Mama docuseries, Tupac’s first verse on “Trapped” was written by Ray Luv.
Appearing on Tupac’s debut album 2Pacalypse Now, “Trapped” was also Shakur’s very first single. The single was also accompanied by a music video in which was directed by the Hughes Brothers.
“2Pacalypse Now, I wrote all over that album. Not just that one thing. But I can’t take credit for that, because in my entire career I took bits and pieces of s*** you wouldn’t even know is Tupac s***. We grew up and hustled together. I can’t even take credit for anything. Tupac didn’t need a rapper. I’m telling you when I heard that man rap that was the most amazing rapping I have ever heard in person in my life up until that moment and maybe ever since,” Ray Luv explained.
Tupac’s Panther Power Lyrics
As real as it seems the American Dream
Ain’t nothing but another calculated schemes
To get us locked up shot up back in chains
To deny us of the future rob our names
Kept my history of mystery but now I see
The American Dream wasn’t meant for me
Cause lady liberty is a hypocrite she lied to me
Promised me freedom, education, equality
Never gave me nothing but slavery
And now look at how dangerous you made me
Calling me a mad man cause I’m strong and bold
With this dump full of knowledge of the lies you told
Promised me emancipation in this new nation
All you ever gave my people was starvation
Fathers of our country never cared for me
They kept my ancestors shackled up in slavery
And Uncle Sam never did a damn thing for me
Except lie about the facts in my history
So now I’m sitting hear mad cause I’m unemployed
But the government’s glad cause they enjoyed
When my people are down so they can screw us around
Time to change the government now panther power
