Kendrick Lamar Pens A New Tribute For Tupac Shakur

Sunday, September 13th marked the 19th anniversary of Tupac Shakur's killing, a tragedy that silenced not just one of the most impassioned voices in hip-hop, but American culture itself. The man's work, actions and intelligence are common knowledge by this point, but that hasn't stopped Kendrick Lamar from writing a brief but moving new tribute to Shakur, who wasn't just his hero growing up, but an example as he grew into an MC.

"I was 8 yrs old when I first saw you," Kendrick wrote. "I couldn't describe how I felt at that moment. So many different emotions. Full of excitement. Full of joy and eagerness,” Lamar writes. “20 yrs later I understand exactly what that feeling was. INSPIRED. The people that you touched on that small intersection changed lives forever. I told myself I wanted to be a voice for man one day. Whoever knew I was speaking out loud for u to listen. Thank you.”

Lamar already made his adoration of Tupac clear on "Mortal Man," the closing track on his To Pimp A Butterfly opus, which closes in a dramatized conversation between Tupac's spirit and himself. To Pimp A Butterfly was also almost labeled To Pimp A Caterpillar, which of course would have abbreviated to Tu.P.A.C.