Back when Angie Martinez was looking to make a name for herself in radio, she traveled to California for an interview with 2Pac in 1996 at the height of the West Coast-East Coast rivalry. Martinez decided not to air their discussion as she feared the retaliation and violence that could’ve stemmed from it. But now, the public will finally get a chance to hear what the rap icon had to say months before his death.
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The Tupac Tapes With Angie Martinez, a four-part video podcast series, will be released on Netflix on Nov. 27, the streamer announced on Wednesday (Nov. 11).
“There were things said in that conversation that could have hurt people, damaged relationships and added fuel to an already dangerous situation,” the Radio Hall of Famer told Netflix’s Tudum. “I chose not to release the more inflammatory parts. After Pac died, it became even more complicated. I felt a responsibility to protect something that was never meant to become his final statement.”
Martinez continued: “They’re a piece of hip-hop history, and I don’t think they should just sit in my possession forever. The difference now is that I have the opportunity to share them with context. Not just play the most explosive moments and let people react, but really examine what was happening, why it was happening, and what we can understand differently today.”
A trailer for the series arrived with the announcement. The project will feature the interview broken up into four episodes with commentary from different sectors of hip-hop, including Charlamagne Tha God, RZA, Wallo, Joe Budden, Lil’ Cease, Big Boy, Monie Love, Dream Hampton, Bootleg Kev, Erica Ford, DJ Hed, former NBA player Matt Barnes and more.
“I’ve done more for credibility in hip-hop than any f–king artist,” Pac says in the teaser clip. “Where’s the f–king love? Just because they didn’t kill me? What love?”
His sit-down with Martinez marked one of Pac’s last interviews before his death, which happened while she was broadcasting live on the Hot 97 airwaves.
2Pac was shot on Sept. 7, 1996, in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas following an altercation the Death Row rapper was involved in with rival gang members at a Mike Tyson fight at MGM Grand hours earlier. He ultimately succumbed to his injuries six days later and died at the age of 25.
Pac’s case remain unsolved for three decades after the shooting. Duane “Keefe D” Davis was convicted on murder charges in August and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Oct. 13 for orchestrating the killing of the “Changes” rapper.
Watch The Tupac Tapes trailer above.
