News of July 28, 1998
"In His Own Words": Afeni Shakur Takes Action Against an Interview CD
A radio interview, two songs with Biggie, no authorization: In July 1998, Tupac's mother demanded Mecca Records halt sales of a CD.
Once again, a Tupac CD of dubious origin surfaced. On July 28, 1998, MTV News reported on In His Own Words, an interview CD released by the label Mecca Records. At its core was a conversation that had apparently been recorded at the radio station KMEL in San Francisco. Added to this was unreleased music, including two songs with The Notorious B.I.G., about whom Tupac drew a comparison to Hitler elsewhere on the CD.
Cease-and-Desist Demand from the Estate
Afeni Shakur, mother and estate administrator, had a demand sent to the label through her attorney to halt sales. Mecca Records stated that they had responded to the attorney, but made no further comment beyond that.
It was not the first release of this kind in 1998: Already in February, Makaveli Part 2, a bootleg with unreleased recordings, was in circulation. An interview with Tupac at KMEL from April 1996 is documented on this site: KMEL, The Wake Up Radio Show.
Afeni Shakur: Panther, Mother, Keeper of the EstateThe Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace)