Too $hort Explains Why He Kept His Friends Away From Tupac

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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 05: Rapper Too Short poses for a photo during the music video shoot for the new single, "Rain Dance" at Angels Cabaret on December 05, 2020 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

Too $hort explains why he didn't want Tupac hanging around his friends.

Too $hort explained how he tried to stray Tupac from bad influences during an appearance on the 85 South Show.

The Oakland rapper broke down how Tupac was a "different" person every single time he saw him. Throughout their relationship, Short explained that 'Pac's Zodiac sign as a Gemini became more apparent. "I never saw the same Tupac twice. They always trying to show the image of what Tupac was, and like, bruh, he was always like drastically different. Like most Geminis," Short said.

NEW YORK - JULY 23: Rapper Tupac Shakur performs onstage at Club Amazon on July 23, 1993 in New York, New York. (Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

The legendary rapper revealed said that 'Pac spent a significant amount of time in Oakland during Digital Underground's reign. Still, he wasn't necessarily the leader of the circles he was tied to. "'Pac was the lil homie of the crew," Short explained, citing an old video where Tupac was a background dancer.

"Tupac started coming of age and I looked at him," Short continued. He described the "So Many Tears" artist as a "real one" who wasn't going to be punked.

"I was like, 'I can not bring this n***a around my homies.' 'Cause it's going to be like oil and fire. Like, when Tupac got to L.A., and they let him get around, he was going 10,000 miles an hour."

"I knew it. I was like, I can not bring this n***a around my homies," he said. "I literally made a conscious effort to not ever bring Tupac around my -- he found his way to Richie Rich... he gave 'Pac the town but I said, 'I wouldn't do it.'"

Short said he didn't want to feel "that guilt" of introducing Tupac to people that would put him in sticky situations.

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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.