Last year was a big weird one for Tupac Shakur despite the fact that the iconic artist has been dead since 1996. Auditions were held for the musical about the man’s life, conservative writer David Brooks awkwardly shoehorned him into his column, author Chuck Phillips purported to blow the lid off of the MC’s murder (but didn’t), and Quentin Tarantino commissioned a 2Pac-James Brown mashup for Django Unchained. Oh, and yeah, there was that entire Coachella hologram fiasco.
All things considered, is it any wonder then that Mama Pac is stepping in to regulate on her son’s legacy? As the head of Tupac’s estate, philanthropist and former Black Panther Afeni Shakur has announced that she’s bringing in Jampol Artist Management to handle the rap legend’s posthumous affairs. As Billboard reports, JAM will “oversee licensing, apparel and other ventures in all media, worldwide, as it relates to Shakur’s music, film, name and likeness.” Probably a wise move.
Founder Jeffrey Jampol has put together an impressive, if predominantly deceased, roster: the Doors, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Peter Tosh, Henry Mancini, and Rick James. His company also consults the Michael Jackson estate. “It’s our responsibility — and our privilege — to ensure that new generations of fans experience the power of Tupac’s music, his ideas and his storytelling,” Jampol said via statement, without specifying which parts of that would involve the use of lasers.
More importantly, Afeni Shakur echoed the same sentiment, but added a vital tidbit: “I believe it is our responsibility to make sure that Tupac’s entire body of work is made available for his fans. My son left many incomplete pieces and even more unfinished ideas. Using the blueprints he gave us, I am committed to fulfilling this duty.” No release specifics have been revealed, but former Interscope A&R Tom Whalley, who first signed Tupac in 1991, will be working with JAM on the project.
