By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Sixteen years after the death of Tupac Shakur, gay marriage has become a hot-button topic with many arguing for or against it. During Tupac’s run, more people were becoming comfortable with their sexualities and coming out of the closet. Still, though, there were not many openly gay people in the spotlight and it was not accepted as much as it is now.
Tupac Shakur often used disparaging lyrics in his lyrics, calling his rivals “faggots and punks,” a major insult to rappers. Because of this, it is easy to look at the deceased rapper and say he was homophobic. But, as a rapper, “gangsta” at that, it is almost required of them to portray an image as a womanizer and to call their rivals such insulting names.
Taking things a step farther, Suge Knight recently said Tupac Shakur wanted to end their business relationship because he felt he was gay. With the media picking up on the story, “sources close to the Tupac estate” have said he was not homophobic.
