STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Thug Life: The Cast And Author of ‘The Hate U Give’ Reflect On Tupac’s Impact And Legacy

Their new film is inspired by his words.

With the anniversary of Tupac Shakur's tragic death just passing on September 13, fans, both old and new have taken to social media to publicly relay their favorite memories of the rapper.

With the forthcoming film The Hate U Give being outwardly inspired by the music icon and his efforts, we asked the film's cast and the author of the novel that inspired it to share their most memorable memories of the "Hit Em Up" emcee.

Russell Hornsby who plays Maverick Carter in the film kicked things off by sharing, in depth, why he felt Tupac's legacy transcended music.

"Tupac directly inspired me," he said. "I never met the man, but I feel like he raised me because the man had a ferocity, a ferocious intellect, a passion and a purpose with how he lived and you heard it in his music, you heard it in his lyrics, you hear it in his delivery."

Regina Hall, who plays Lisa Carter in the film, added some of her signature comic relief to the subject before sharing a gentle memory of the rapper in his early days.

"Listen, I was young," she added. "I was just like, 'Damn, he's cute.' You know what I mean? I just was like, 'Tupac is fine,' and then I think I met him a couple times and I just remember he was nice, you know? He was a cool dude. He laughed a lot... and he had good eyelashes."

Angie Thomas, the author of the novel the movie is based on also shared a personal story detailing how she first became acquainted with the late hip hop icon's public persona.

"I was first introduced to Tupac when I was about 6-years-old," Thomas said. "I didn't meet him, but I saw him on TV and he was coming out of a courtroom, holding up his shirt, showing off that 'thug life' tattoo and he was spitting at cameras, and I remember, on one hand, he scared me, but on the other hand, I was like, 'Who's this guy that's so bold that he would do that?' Then I thought he was cute, so I was in love."

See Algee Smith and Amandla Stenberg's input on the loaded question in the clip, above.

May he rest in peace.

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.