Michael Jackson... in reverse

September 6, 2003 5:34 AM

Thug 4 Life, "For this project I intend to transform myself into Tupac Shakur..." Expenses include tatoos, a case of Hennesy, a weight bench and plenty of marijuana. No mention of tanning booth costs.
posted by cedar (19 comments total)

Sanford is an exceptionally driven and uninhibited example of the deep-seated conflicts that lurk just beneath the surface of white participation in hip-hop.

. . . oh wait, that was that other dude. Word is bond.
posted by dgaicun at 5:45 AM on September 6, 2003

what a dumbass.
posted by angry modem at 7:27 AM on September 6, 2003

Heehee!
I'd like to see a bigger version of the death of Christ (except with more Tupac) painting though, as just that little bit made me giggle.
posted by kavasa at 7:32 AM on September 6, 2003

i left a comment on his site a little whiles ago, and he emailed me with a response.

seems like a nice guy.
posted by lotsofno at 8:06 AM on September 6, 2003

I reckon this is a spoof.
The email exchange between him and a "friend" of tupacs is hillarious.
posted by carfilhiot at 8:33 AM on September 6, 2003

Poseur 4 Life.
posted by jpburns at 9:00 AM on September 6, 2003

taking bets on whether its a spoof or not is kind of missing the point - it's like saying "i know that you know", then "i know that you know that i know", then "i know that you know that i know that you know". at first it's fun, but after a while it gets pointless. whether it's a "spoof" or not is just adding one more iteration to the list of "knows"; caring whether or not it's a spoof is akin to sitting down with a pen and paper, writing out a long phrase like the above and trying so see who "really" knows. who cares?

it's also odd to see people coming out with expressions like "what a dumbass". have you been hiding under a rock for the last ten years? this kind of stuff is normal art these days. yes, some people think it's dumbass, but saying so is no more helpful than saying "i don't like bush" on metafilter.

ok, so if i'm criticising others for their naive responses, what contribution can i make myself? the two obvious ones are to either shrug and move on, or to take it at face value: tupac's music simply isn't that good. the coolest thing about him is the guy he's named after.
posted by andrew cooke at 9:53 AM on September 6, 2003

fascinating.
great link.
posted by Espoo2 at 10:42 AM on September 6, 2003

On the tattooing aspect of the appearance transformation, I have decided that I will get only one of tattoos done permanently. I will get an actual tattoo copy of tupac’s signature “THUG LIFE” tattoo (located on his stomach). I plan to get temporary tattoos for the other eight tattoos

weak.
posted by Espoo2 at 10:45 AM on September 6, 2003

Will he then do the inevitable, " Become Biggie?"

Perhaps he can live near here for a while to feel the East/West tensions so widely spoken of in regard to both artists and supporters.
posted by RubberHen at 10:52 AM on September 6, 2003

yeah, after i posted that i wondered if it was just so obvious i was missing the 'real' point which as you say is what exactly again - oh yeah that. good post andrew.
posted by carfilhiot at 11:01 AM on September 6, 2003

If he's serious then he's an incredible idiot. If he's goofing then he's just an idiot.
Either way, it doesn't look good for him.
posted by fenriq at 11:10 AM on September 6, 2003

Makes me think about this book, 'Dans la peau d'un Noir' (english title?), by a guy in southern US states who decided to become 'black' in the 60's. He was a sociologist tho'.
posted by Sijeka at 11:16 AM on September 6, 2003

I'm reminded of the old Sat. Night Live sketch where Eddie Murphy masqeurades as a white guy. Except *that* was funny and somewhat thought-provoking.
posted by Tubes at 12:59 PM on September 6, 2003

Don't forget to rape a groupie, then sneak out of the hotel when things get nasty.
posted by Ayn Marx at 1:25 PM on September 6, 2003

If he's serious then he's an incredible idiot. If he's goofing then he's just an idiot.

On the other hand, if he's an artist ...yeah, well, still pretty much the same verdict, I'm afraid.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:25 PM on September 6, 2003

"tupac's music simply isn't that good."

neither was kurt cobain's or even john lennon's, in comparison to many others... but like the artists mentioned above, he put his passion into his music, enough to inspire countless others.

"Don't forget to rape a groupie, then sneak out of the hotel when things get nasty."

he was never convicted of rape, but for sexual abuse...
posted by lotsofno at 6:39 PM on September 6, 2003

Sijeka: English title is "Black Like Me", by John Howard Griffin. The treatment that darkened his skin ended up killing him. Great book.
posted by ODiV at 7:38 AM on September 7, 2003

Not according to the snopes.com report. In any case, the guy recognizes on his page that he cannot change his race.
posted by Poagao at 12:38 AM on September 8, 2003