Emerging metro Philly rapper Rich Quick was barely in elementary school when a young, bodacious Tupac Shakur emerged on the rap scene as a talented and troubled standout. Yet, like his more reflective and homage-paying peers, Rich Quick was forever changed when he discovered Tupac’s catalog and delved in deep.
June 16th marked what would have been Shakur’s 44th birthday, and it’s hard to imagine what the emcee and actor would think about the state of affairs in the tumultuous, racially-charged America of 2015. At the same time, Rich Quick releases “Searching For Tupac”, a lyrical video homage on the life of prolific rap icon Tupac from his birth within the Black Panther Party, through his rocky yet extremely successful music and film career, up until his untimely death.
It’s an impressive history lesson that Rich Quick delivers, and while we’re imagining, it’s hard to fathom what the outspoken and unfiltered Tupac would have thought about such a tribute from a seemingly non-threatening, White boy rapper. What is clear from the video is that Rich Quick is bonafide Tupac fan who delivers this biography in fact-packed, rhyme-form, driving attention away from both the well-known feud between he and The Notorious B.I.G and the many conspiracy theories surrounding his passing.
Being White in rap has always come with a good dose of the side-eye, unless one is named The Beastie Boys, Eminem, or any of a chosen few that have risen to nameworthy status within the genre. Machine Gun Kelly, Yelawolf, and Mackelmore are all still faring well in this so-called post-racial America. Admittedly, Hip Hop has become the universal voice of youth of all colors, backgrounds, and religions, leaving room for everyone in between. In a time of fugazis like Rachel Dolezal (and some say Iggy Azalea), Rich Quick seems to find a bridge over troubled waters via the life of an unlikely Black revolutionary. So what’s the big deal? WWTT? (What Would Tupac Think?) Sound off…
“SEARCHING FOR TUPAC” By RICH QUICK
Seandra Sims is a Philadelphia-based writer, brand manager, and lifelong special contributor to AllHipHop.com!