A young Tupac Shakur offered a biting indictment of American excess and greed in a stunningly prescient 1992 MTV News interview, especially denouncing Donald Trump as a representative of brutal capitalism. The rap icon, who was only 21 at the time, was shown in the previously unreleased video discussing social justice and financial inequality with remarkable clarity.
“This world is such a — and when I say this world, I mean it, I don’t mean in an ideal sense, I mean in every day, every little thing you do — it’s such a ‘Gimme, gimme, gimme! Everybody, back off!'” Tupac declared with characteristic intensity . His words cut straight to the heart of America’s culture of excess, particularly when he referenced Trump: “You want to be successful? You want to be like Trump? Gimme, gimme, gimme. Push, push, push, push! Step, step, step! Crush, crush, crush!” as per The Daily Beast .
Tupac Shakur: “Nobody should be hitting lotto for 36 million dollars when we got people starving in the streets… There’s no way Michael Jackson, or whoever should have thousands, millions, billions of dollars, and we got people broke with two-three jobs.” https://t.co/cBMbp9hPbM
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The interview took place months prior to the release of his debut album, 2Pacalypse Now , and it demonstrated Shakur’s profound comprehension of human society and structural injustice. He questioned growing America’s wealth inequality and how some people got by on scraps while others lived lavish lives. “There’s no way that these people should own planes and these people don’t have houses, apartments, shacks, drawers, pants,” he observed with evident frustration.
Tupac’s commentary particularly revolved around the idea that America had ‘too much money,’ even calling it ‘stupid’ that the suffering of many was not viewed to be as important as amassing a fortune in today’s world. When asked about someone genuinely earning a huge amount, Tupac responded, “If they earned it, I think that’s good. I think they deserved it, but even if you earned it, you still owe.” At another point, the deceased rapper posed a haunting question that remains relevant today. “Can you imagine someone has $32 million and this person has nothing? And you can sleep?” he said, as per Salon .
“There’s too much money here. I mean, nobody should be hitting the lottery for 36 million & we got people starving in the streets. That is not idealistic, that’s just real.” 1992: Rapper, activist & Black Panther, Tupac Shakur speaks on Trump, US capitalism, and black unity. pic.twitter.com/sxbJpAXE9t
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Talking about his community and the racial context surrounding injustice in the country, Tupac said, “For us to be on our own two feet — us meaning youth, us meaning black people, whatever you want to take it for — we do need help.” His view on assistance wasn’t about giving handouts but about creating paths to self-reliance. He compared it to having a friend who never looks out for you, pointing out that America, with all its wealth, helps everyone else but neglects its own.
Tupac’s message wasn’t just about economic inequality, it was a call for fundamental change in American values . He urged the wealthy, including Trump, to take a more humanitarian approach, saying that if this country is truly a melting pot, those with money should step up to help others, irrespective of racial or ethnic divides.