Years later, DJ VLAD of VLAD TV becomes aware of Tupac’s birth name which was changed by his mother Afeni Shakur.
DJ Vlad who has the number one interview content as it relates to Tupac with his platform VLAD TV, just became aware of a Tupac fact that rarely gets talked about and doesn’t get mentioned in many of the Tupac documentaries.
Tweeting on Monday (March 6th) was VLAD who said, “I was today years old when I found out that Tupac Shakur’s original name was Lesane Parish Crooks. His mom changed it when he was 1.”
It’s understood that die hard Tupac fans know this already, but there are many people who may not know. Perhaps VLAD deserves a pass, considering he gave us the greatest Tupac mixtape ever back in 2003, “Rap Phenomenon 2.” (View: Vlad On Linking With Eminem’s DJ To Create Iconic Tupac Mixtape)
Born in 1971 in New York, Tupac’s mother Afeni Shakur decided to change her son’s name. As Afeni pondered for a new name, woman who had just came from Peru gave her a suggestion. While the name Tupac means “shining serpent” in Inca, Tupac himself once further explained the origin of his name.
“There was this lady who just came from Peru and she was telling my mother about this Peruvian revolutionary named Tupac Amaru, who was fighting the government,” Tupac explained during a 1991 interview with 95.7 Connecticut. “This little tribe was beating the government and they were like, ‘Okay, we want to stop fighting. We want to met with Tupac Amaru.'”
Unfortunately for the Peruvian revolutionary, he was tricked into “ceasing fire” as he was promised in return to receive what he and his tribe was asked for. Tupac Amaru was brutally murdered. “So this is my reminder. Every time you say my name that’s my reminder to never compromise and to never quit. There is no such thing as a truce while people are not free,” said Tupac.
Decades later and Tupac would go on to adopt a new name inspired by another historical figure.
Shakur’s posthumous release The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory introduced the world to his new rap alias Makaveli. “Allow me to introduce first: Makaveli the Don, Hysterical, spiritual lyrics like The Holy Qur’an,” rapped Tupac on the opening track, ‘”Bomb First.”
Once again in an interview, dubbed as his last interview alive conducted on August 24, 1996 by Rob Marriot, Tupac would go on to explain why he chose Makaveli as his new rap alias.
