Eminem once penned an emotional and heartfelt letter to Tupac Shakur's mother praising her son for giving him "courage to stand up" and be himself.
The
undated note has been on display at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center of
the Arts, and the Lose Yourself star paid tribute to the late rapper for
his influence in a message to Afeni Shakur.
He wrote: "As I have
said before, you have no idea how much your son and his music has
inspired, not only the 'Hip Hop" world, but, speaking for myself, has
inspired my whole career.
"He was, and still is, the true
definition of a "solider." When I was feeling at my worst (before fame,
before Dre), I knew I could put that "Tupac" tape in, and suddenly,
things weren't so bad. (sic)"
In the letter - which was originally published in 2008 book Tupac
remembered - he also referenced a drawing, and thanked Afeni for "giving
us his spirit".
He continued: "He gave me the courage t stand up
and say "F**k the world!" "This is who I am! And if you don't like it,
go f**k yourself!" Thank you for giving us his spirit, and yours! God
Bless you! (sic)"
The picture of Tupac - with his signature bandanna - was also included, and addressed to the rapper's mum.
It read: "To Afeni, Your friend 4-ever! Marshall"
