A Day With Tupac In Harlem, New York, 1994. The Story Of Photographer T. Eric Monroe

Tupac In Harlem, New York, 1994. Photographer T. Eric Monroe T.Eric Monroe is a master of being at the right place at the right time, and even more importantly, was prepared to do whatever it took to make the most of those opportunities. As a photographer, he captured some of the most iconic hip-hop moments of the 1990s, only to later realize the magnitude of that place in time. T. Eric has been digitizing his catalog recently and just published a new book, Rare & Unseen Moments of 90s HipHop, showcasing images from publications like Thrasher Magazine, The Source, XXL, and a host of other publications.

Tupac In Harlem, New York, 1994. Photographer T. Eric Monroe On his personal blog, T. Eric Monroe speaks on the first part of his book “RARE & UNSEEN MOMENTS OF 90'S HIPHOP” and tells his story on spending a day in New York with Tupac Shakur in 1994, starting with some background of the day.

Eric T. Monroe book “I received a call from Tupac's publicist (Interscope Records), asking if I wanted to photograph Tupac in Harlem" Eric Monroe reveals. "He was having a press day and being filmed for music video channel, The Box. The format of the segment, Box Talk, was that camera crews would follow the artist around their childhood neighborhood. They would then shoot a particular segment in front of a location meaningful to the artist.” Monroe shares.

Tupac In Harlem, New York, 1994. Photographer T. Eric Monroe He also reveals, that meaningful location for Tupac was his elementary school in Harlem.

Tupac & Biggie In Harlem, New York, 1994. Photographer T. Eric Monroe Later on, Eric developing the Tupac story to the “Photographer Moment”. “When I arrived at the location (155th Street & St. Nicholas Avenue), not far from Yankee Stadium, it was chaos. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. had just dropped the prior year and 'Pac was already a household name. Everyone wanted a piece of him as he had recently released the album Thug Life: Volume 1. Magazine and newspaper photographers, The Box camera crew, and local news teams were yelling at Tupac to look at their cameras.”

Tupac In Harlem, New York, 1994. Photographer T. Eric Monroe “I watched it for a while, then slowly got out my camera and moved toward some of the action. I was relatively close to Tupac and I kept to certain angles so I would not be intrusive in ‘Pac’s space. The connection became more endearing. At times, both of us looked at each other and quietly laughed at the media circus around us.”

Tupac In Harlem, New York, 1994. Photographer T. Eric Monroe

Tupac In Harlem, New York, 1994. Photographer T. Eric Monroe   “I was able to capture a personal vibe among Tupac and his friends — guys from the groups Thug Life and the Outlawz," Eric Monroe says. "After the main taping was done, the news cameras started to leave. The bulk of the news press got the shots they needed to portray Tupac as the “Dangerous Thug,” which they would print in the next day’s papers. It felt like Tupac knew how to play with the media to keep his name in the press. He knew how to press their buttons, challenge them mentally; their only recourse was to portray him as a troublemaker. The pattern was reactive and visible.”

Photo: T. Eric Monroe, Harlem, New York, 1994.

Tupac In Harlem, New York, 1994. Photographer T. Eric Monroe “As more people left, Tupac and his friends stayed to themselves, lingering by one of the walls within the city park where filming had just concluded. They created a space and moment to relax together. Within that time, Tupac would peer beyond the edge of his red bandana, which dangled in front of his eyelash as he prepared a blunt. As he finished, he kindly glanced at me. I got the shots I needed. I heard the lighter spark as I stepped away, giving them their personal space.”

Tupac In Harlem, New York, 1994. Photographer T. Eric Monroe Another interesting story from T. Eric and his work-related with Tupac’s name takes us back in 1995 when he was working at The Source. In an interview with juxtapoz.com, Monroe shares details of how the media was handling the story of Tupac and Faith Evans, which is developing even now.

2Pac and Faith Evans in Hollywood Athletic Club, October 13, 1995   “As time at the Source moved forward and the editor became more intolerable, things finally came to a head for me after a final draft of the Tupac article that was to run in ‘96 Tupac cover issue. In the article I remember reading something about Tupac slept with Faith, Biggie’s wife. I said to the editor, you’re not going to run this, are you? He said, “Yeah, B, people gotta hear this!” I responded, “You can’t put out energy like this, it will cause too many issues.” He said,”Nah, people gotta know.” At that point, I knew I was done working there on staff. A few months later, Tupac was killed. Not by Biggie’s people, but the negative energy allowed to build (in my mind).” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMQgNJdDsHU More about the book here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU3RjbcTsQA

How Many Albums Had Tupac Managed to Record Before Dying? Before he died in September 1996, because of a fatal shooting on the streets of Las Vegas, 2Pac had managed to release four studio albums - 2Pacalypse Now (1991), Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… (1993), Me Against Тhe World (1995), and All Eyez On Me (1996). However, it should be noted here that at the time of his death, 2Pac had already completed his work on the album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, which was released less than two months after the death of the rapper. This is the first and only time that 2Pac uses his new alias Makaveli.

Thug Life

While still alive, Shakur also released the collaborative album Thug Life: Volume 1, which hit the market in 1994. The Thug Life group is formed by 2Pac, Big Syke, Mopreme, Macadoshis, and The Rated R.

2Pacalypse Now

2Pacalypse Now is the beginning of Tupac Shakur's brief but exciting journey in rap music. The first piece of the albums Tupac recorded before dying. The rapper's debut album was released on November 12, 1991, and managed to shake the situation in the hip-hop industry. Despite his fragile age at the time, 2Pac addressed important social topics such as racism, police brutality, poverty, black crimes against blacks and pregnancy during the teenage years. 2Pacalypse Now is noticed even by the US Vice President Dan Quayle, who stated that "there is no reason for such an album to be released" and that "it has no place in American society." Quayle was provoked to say this after a man by the name of Ronald Ray Howard had killed a police officer in Texas and his lawyer had said that he was inspired by 2Pac's album.

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…

2Pac strengthened his influence on the stage in February 1993 when its second studio album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… was released. The acronym N.I.G.G.A. in the album’s title means "Never Ignorant in Getting Goals Accomplished," and guest artists include names like Ice-T, Ice Cube, Apache, Treach, Digital Underground, and more. Critics from high political positions on 2Pacalypse Now do not discourage 2Pac, but on the contrary – he continues to follow the same line of social activism in his next album Strictly 4 My NIGGAZ… Thanks to successful singles such as “Keep Ya Head Up” and “I Get Around”, Shakur had been able to reach a far wider audience than he had with his first record.

Me Against Тhe World

Me Against the World Cover Front While in prison for sexual assault, 2Pac managed to track the success of his third album, Me Against the World, released in March 1995. The record was set to be Shakur's most personal to that moment, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and holding the leadership position for four consecutive weeks. With Me Against the World, 2Pac became the first music artist in history to celebrate the No. 1 album, while being in prison.

All Eyez On Me

What Was Tupac Shakur's Net Worth At The Time Of His Death? When he dies on September 13, 1996, following a fatal shooting in Las Vegas, Tupac is a global music star and a leading figure in the rap industry. The name of the rapper is known all over the world, and his fans do not stop increasing with every year. However, at the time of his death, Tupac is in a difficult financial situation, despite the millions of albums he had sold.

2Pac Last Photo Suge Knight BMW Las Vegas, September 7, 1996 In the days surrounding his demise, Tupac does not have the wealth and assets that a big star in the music industry should have. According to Celebrity Net Worth, a specialist website, in his last days, Tupac Shakur's net worth isn't more than $ 105,000 in his checkbook. Under his own name, he owns two more cars and five-digit life insurance, registered under the name of his half-sister, Sekyiwa Shakur.

Tupac and half-sister, Sekyiwa. Far bigger are the debts that Tupac has in the days before his death. The rapper's debts are about $ 4.9 million- a result of his glamorous lifestyle and the contract he signs with Suge Knight's label Death Row Records while in prison. Knight is the man who manages to get Tupac out of prison provided that Shakur produces three albums for Death Row.

It is known that just a year before his death, Tupac receives about $ 2 million from Death Row to cover the cost of his new recordings and music videos. In addition, the rapper also receives other advance payments, with which he buys several cars and a house for his mother, Afeni Shakur. Other things Tupac spends money on are three properties, furnishings, jewelry, security and transportation by limousine. Before his death, Tupac arranges that his mother Afeni receives monthly financial transfers at the amount of  $ 16,000. It was not until his death that Afeni became aware of the details of his contract with Death Row Records, realizing ​​his complicated financial situation.

Tupac, Suge Knight, Snoop Dogg, MC Hammer, February 28, 1996 Inheriting the rights to Tupac’s name after his death, Afeni Shakur makes a serious effort to correct his financial mess. She launches the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation (TASF) and the Amaru Entertainment Company, as well as the Makaveli Branded fashion line. Afeni reaches an agreement with Interscope Records- Tupac’s music distributor, according to which the company agrees to pay $2 million to the heirs of the rapper. Moreover, Afeni Shakur manages to secure an increase in the future income generated by Tupac’s music. Interscope also remits half of the $ 4.9 million debt claimed by Death Row Records.

South of France year 1999,