Mark Wahlberg Calls Justin Bieber the "White Tupac"

Some comparisons with Tupac prompt head-shaking rather than reverence. In August 2010, actor Mark Wahlberg, previously active as rapper Marky Mark, told the city magazine Time Out New York that the world needed Justin Bieber. In response to the bewildered follow-up question, he added: compared to many others, Bieber was something like the “white Tupac”.

“Blasphemy”

The reactions were sharp. According to rap.de, American rap sites reacted with outrage, speaking of “blasphemy”; rap.de itself also called the comparison an insult to Tupac’s legacy. A few days later, laut.de also picked up the statement in its hip-hop section “Doubletime”.

However, Bieber was not entirely without support in the hip-hop world back then. rap.de pointed out that Kanye West had publicly praised his new album shortly beforehand and, together with Raekwon, had fueled rumors of a collaboration between the three of them.

How Tupac’s name still has to serve as a benchmark for other artists today is shown on the page Influence on Other Artists.