Jeezy Says Tupac’s Album Was His Bible Growing Up

During a recent interview with Drink Champs, Jeezy explained how the the late Tupac Shakur’s music influenced him growing up.

“Every morning before school, I listened to all Master P, 8Ball, MJG, but my favorite was Tupac,” the Atlanta rapper recalled. “It still is to this day because he stood for something. He had values, he had morals, he had integrity, but I had never seen that before. ‘Cause my uncles would steal $20 out ya socks.”

Jeezy explained he had to look to outside influences to guide him during his youth as those close to him could not. “I couldn’t get any information out of them,” he said. “So, how I learned how to survive and navigate through the streets—and I want to say that because, these guys that’s coming up, 90 percent of it, well, 10 percent of it is music, 90 percent of it surviving. It’s survival, and navigating what’s going on.”

For the young Yeezy, Tupac became essential listening. “I listened to Tupac as if that was my Bible. How to move, how to handle situations, and it was embedded in me. He was a revolutionary before I knew what that was. He actually had—he stood for something. And he would take those risks when everybody around me was so used to how they was livin’ that they didn’t want to try to live any better.”

“My Bible, at that time, no disrespect to the big homie [Biggie], was every Tupac album.”

The Snowman said Tupac became part of his routine, and he would listen to him every morning on his journey to school. However, that changed when Jeezy dropped out of school in the sixth grade to help support his family. “But, I did that knowing that Tupac did what he had to do,” he added.

Watch Jeezy on Drink Champs below.