Tupac Shakur was a rap icon, one of this country’s most influential artists, and someone whose work and style can still be found all over the culture, from Nas’s beautiful acoustic cover of Thugz Mansion to Kendrick Lamar’s entire catalogue. He was a once-in-a-lifetime artist, a truth teller, and one of the most beautiful men ever to grace this Earth. And though Tupac tragically hasn’t been with us since 1996, his impact on music, film, and art has only grown since that time.
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We know plenty about Tupac the groundbreaking artist. But what do we know about Tupac the man?
Recently on Instagram, the filmmaker and artist Bruce LaBruce celebrated Shakur with a grid post. The caption discusses Tupac’s relationship to queerness and his own sexuality, which was slightly more fluid than many might assume.
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LaBruce quotes Tupac discussing his attraction to men openly. In a 1993 interview, Shakur said: “I wouldn’t call myself a bisexual, but some men are sexy. I’ve experimented with men sexually, but I’m not gay. I’m still gangsta and still a real MC. What does it matter?”
Agreed—some men are sexy! We don’t know the source of this quote, but it’s pretty awesome. It’s also not the first time folks have speculated about Shakur’s sexuality. After a video of the artist at 17 resurfaced last year, people started wondering so much about Shakur’s queerness that it became a meme in and of itself. Which…honestly, not sure how anyone got there, but the video is a fascinating watch just to see a young Tupac talk about his life in high school.
As usual with this kind of thing, we don’t know Tupac’s sexuality, but if the quote is accurate, that’s definitely an exciting development. In any case, it’s always a good day to revisit the work of this incredible artist and celebrate the ways he continues to shape the culture even from beyond the grave.
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