Rappers Celebrate Tupac's 33rd Birthday in New York

Of all places, a major celebration took place on the East Coast in June 2004: for Tupac’s 33rd birthday, a party invited guests to the Coral Room on 29th Street in Manhattan. As AllHipHop reported on June 16, Chuck D of Public Enemy, the Outlawz, Immortal Technique, spoken-word artist Amanda Diva, Digital Underground, Saigon, and Sway of MTV were on the bill. Expected guests included Tupac’s closest family, Jim Jones, Kanye West, Treach of Naughty by Nature, and Ghostface Killah.

Selected by Mutulu Shakur

According to organizer Candy Man, Tupac’s stepfather Mutulu Shakur had chosen the performers. The proceeds were intended for Mutulu’s defense fund and the planned Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts. Mutulu was imprisoned in the Atlanta area, convicted of offenses surrounding bank robberies, maintained his innocence, and viewed himself as a victim of the government counterintelligence program COINTELPRO.

The Other Tupac

Candy Man wanted the evening to showcase the political Tupac. Behind all the drama stood a person who wanted peace, saw the situation, and wanted to change it. It was about carrying forward his legacy and the memory of him. On the arts center: TASF and Stone Mountain.