Iconic director Allen Hughes recently shared more insights into the true Tupac Shakur. Hughes worked with 2Pac on a number of projects in the 1990s and most recently was the creative force behind the docuseries Dear Mama. Speaking with Spin, Hughes broke down just who 2Pac was as a creative force. “The thing that I discovered on Dear Mama was he truly is an artist. He’s a poet. He don’t see the world the way normal people see the world. He don’t see danger the way normal people see danger,” he began.
“I got in trouble with the [Shakur] family when I said this, but pure artists are delusional. Yeah. That’s part of what makes them great artists: they’re delusional. They’re sharing their delusions with us. But they don’t think they’re delusions: it’s real to them. So they don’t see the reality of things. They see the dream of it all. They’re living in a dream. That’s part of what made him so special. Tupac was subjecting us to his fantasies, but they weren’t fantasies to him,” he continued.
Hughes Says 2Pac Could Have Rivaled Denzel
It's not the first insight Hughes has offered into 2Pac this year. Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Hughes outlined the level he thinks 2Pac would have reached if not for his 1996 death. “If he had been here, I think Denzel would have some stiff competition,” Hughes said. “He was that talented. Denzel and 2Pac share one thing in common, and I’ve seen them all. I’ve been with world-class pimps, charismatics all over the world, storytellers. The ‘it’ thing — you know, in streets or in the movie business — Denzel and 2Pac possessed. When they walk in a room, the emotional intelligence was off the charts, the social intelligence was off the charts. Genius level of social intelligence.”
He continued. “The difference is, Denzel is very wise and can control his emotions and 2Pac [couldn’t]. But 2Pac would’ve been one our greatest leading men, would’ve been a multiple Academy Award winner. And the music would’ve been secondary. I’m sure he would’ve still continued doing music, but he would be huge in the film world.”
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