Sekyiwa Shakur, sister of Tupac Shakur, became emotional when she spoke at the recent Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony for her late brother.
On June 7, family, friends, and fans paid tribute on Hollywood Boulevard to the late music icon, activist, and actor.
The crowd cheered as Shakur’s younger sibling delivered an emotional address.
She began by saying, “It is an honor for me to represent the Shakur family as the proud sister and daughter of Tupac Amaru Shakur. I am the daughter of Mutulu Shakur and Afeni Shakur.”
The rapper of “Changes”, who was 25 years old, died on September 13, 1996 after being shot by a passer-by. Afeni, Tupac’s and Sekyiwa’s mother, died at the age of 69 in May 2016.
NBC News reported that Mutulu, the stepfather of the late artist, will be released from prison in December 2022 after serving a 60-year sentence. The 72-year old, who suffers from an advanced form cancer, was imprisoned for charges of racketeering and robbery. His supporters claim that he is a “political prisoners” because of his association with Black Liberation Army.
Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur spent the remainder of her speech praising her brother for achieving his dreams before his demise.
She said, “Tupac always knew that he had a destiny to be great.” “As his little sister, it was my privilege to witness this greatness.”
She continued to cry, “Even before his name was recognized, when he first walked on stage at the Apollo Theater, aged 13, he dreamed of having a star on the Walk of Fame.”
She said that his star represented his mark in the music industry, and “the lasting effect he had on this planet.”
She added that “we’re not just honoring an individual star today”, while fighting back tears. We’re also honoring his passion and hard work in making his dreams a reality. “His heavenly star will be a little more bright today.”
She concluded as the audience applauded: “And again, he’s made us all very proud.” We love you, Tupac.”
Big Boy, the radio host who hosted the event, gave a moving tribute to Jamal Joseph, the writer and activist, and introduced “Dear Mum: The Saga Of Afeni And Tupac Shakur director Allen Hughes.
Hughes, whose FX documentary explored the rise of these two revolutionaries highlighted the importance of Tupac Shakur’s joining other legendary hip-hop artists like Queen Latifah, Snoop Dogg and others on the Walk of Fame in this year.
He began his speech by saying, “How appropriate that in the 50th year of hip-hop, the most transcendent star of the art form is now placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.” Tupac is a complex artist and human being.
He talked about the process of creating his docuseries which premiered in early April.
The filmmaker said, “When I made the film series Dear Mama, I was desperately looking for the melody of Tupac’s Journey. You can see his murals all over the world, in Africa, Asia and South America. “Then one day, it hit me.”
Hughes says that he became aware of the legacy of the rapper beyond music during the filmmaking process.
“Tupac Amaru Shakur is a symbol of global rebellion as visible and significant as Malcolm X or Che Guevara. He said that Tupac was an inspiration to activists of today. “In fact, the world feels his message,” he added.
He praised the actor of “Keep Ya Head Up”, for all he had achieved since his humble beginnings as a child in Harlem.
“I feel incredibly humbled and honored that I am here to see his family and friends receive this award. Hughes thanked the crowd.
