LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As the investigation into the murder of Tupac Shakur continues, more and more people are continuing to reminisce on the late rapper's impact nearly 27 years after his death.
Channel 13 spoke with a couple of local DJs about Tupac's long-lasting legacy in music, and how his words are still touching people — young and old.
"He was a voice for our generation," Michael "Mike P" Perry, a DJ with Hot 97.5, told Channel 13. "The reason why his music has lasting power is because he connected! When you speak from the heart and you speak the truth, you connect with people. His greatest attribute was his ability to communicate and show a side of unselfishness."
DJ Franzen Wong, who works at Drai's Nightclub, recalls watching Tupac grow in real-time, "He was just way ahead of his time. Revolutionary is what I would say about Tupac."
He added, "I remember when Tupac was going into the radio station when I was an intern 14 or 15 years old, and begging for his music to be played by one of our DJs by the name of Sway, who's on MTV and has his own syndicated show on Sirius. So, I've seen the growth of Tupac."
DJ Franzen says Tupac's legacy goes beyond his music. "He just made an impact until this day. You could be 21 or you could be 51, you know what he was speaking about back in the 90s is still relevant to this day."
DJ Mike P also says he remembers seeing Tupac at MGM before the shooting. "We all went down to UMC. It was like a Martin Luther King Day Parade. It was a bunch of people."
He says the artist is even more popular today than he was in 1996, from "California Love" to "Keep Ya Head Up" to "Dear Mama," there are songs in his discography that many can relate to.
"Back in the day, I was a real womanizer," DJ Mike P said. "My first song I'm putting on is, 'I Get Around.' I had this song on repeat a million trillion times."
While DJ Franzen says his first song was featured on the 'All Eyes on Me' double album that was released in 1996. "[It] went diamond — over 10 million records sold, and probably at 20 million now. It's the only song in the entire album with no curse words. It's called 'Heaven Ain't Hard To Find.' If you really listen to the song, you'll know what this guy Tupac was really about."
For DJ Mike and DJ Franzen, Tupac's songs painted a picture of his life and took you on a journey into his world.
"Tupac said he would inspire people... and I've been on the radio here 20 years," DJ Mike P said. "I'm one of the people he inspired. I go to penitentiaries, I go to bingo halls, I speak to kids, and I got that Tupac spirit."
And that spirit is one that lives on through the legacy that Tupac left behind. His influence can even be felt with current stars. Rapper Drake recently announced that he bought the custom-designed ring worn by Tupac for a record-breaking $1 million.
The rapper wore it during his final public appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in September of 1996. According to the auction house, it's the most valuable hip-hop artifact ever sold.
