News of October 19, 2026
Money B tells in his memoir how Tupac came to Digital Underground
Not a dancer, but a jack of all trades with a microphone: Digital Underground's Money B describes Tupac's beginnings in the group in a book and interview.
He toured with Tupac, shared a hotel room with him and knew the world Tupac came from: Money B, rapper with Digital Underground, has written down his memories. The book is called A D.U. Party Don’t Stop: The Money B Story. On October 19, 2026, AllHipHop published a long conversation with him, conducted by Chuck Creekmur and DJ Thoro.
Two children of the Panthers
Money B was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the Bay Area. By his account, his parents joined the Black Panther Party in Philadelphia around 1970. In Oakland he attended the Oakland Community School, where children were placed in classes by ability rather than age; Huey P. Newton, the party’s co-founder, personally handed him his graduation certificate.
That connected him with Tupac, whose mother Afeni Shakur had herself been a Panther. When Tupac talked about political prisoners such as Geronimo Pratt or Assata Shakur, he never had to explain anything to him. There were no meetings where they planned the revolution, though. More on this background: The Black Panther Party and Tupac.
More than a dancer
According to Money B, Tupac was already signed as a solo artist to TNT Records, the label Digital Underground was on as well. Before that he rapped with Ray Luv in the group Strictly Dope. In Oakland he often hung out at Money B’s place, where there were turntables, records and a lively block. Because his own record deal was taking a long time, manager Atron Gregory feared he might lose Tupac and asked whether he could come along on the group’s first US tour.
“Everybody likes to say he was a dancer,” says Money B. By his account, Tupac did whatever needed doing: dancing, breaking down equipment, rapping, working as hype man. He was not just a roadie. On tour, only the group’s star, Shock G, had a room to himself; everyone else shared in pairs, Money B with Tupac. That is also how he explains a photo of the two of them that keeps drawing mockery online.
The conversation also covers Shock G and his alter ego Humpty Hump, who at some point became bigger than the group itself. The report does not give a publication date for the book.