Mike Tyson’s Family Chimes In as ‘Tupac’ Goes Viral 29 Years After Death

Apparently, the dead are rising from their graves. Rap legend Tupac Shakur died on September 13, 1996, from injuries sustained in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 25 years old when the head of Death Row Records was shot multiple times by an occupant of another vehicle at a traffic light on Flamingo Road and Koval Lane. Shakur was on his way from the MGM Grand, where he watched the heavyweight fight between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon.

Despite his premature passing, the rap legend was immortalized thanks to his music and the things he stood for. Twenty-nine years after the tragic event, Tupac Shakur has seemingly made a comeback on social media. The viral wave has captivated fans across the globe – and even the son of heavyweight legend Mike Tyson, Amir J Tyson, has joined the conversation, sharing his thoughts online. But as with all things surrounding Tupac, not everything is as it seems.

Did Tupac Shakur come back to life?

Earlier today, Instagram user Kevin Venerable shared a meme, which showed a “Man from Ghana” who looked exactly like Tupac Shakur. The user captioned the post, “Man from Ghana is going viral for looking exactly like Tupac. Looks like Jada will be making a trip there soon lol,” the user wrote, taking a dig at Jada Pinkett for claiming Shakur was her “soulmate,” emphasizing their close relationship when the rapper was alive.

Regardless, when Amir J Tyson discovered the post, he was convinced that it was not a Ghanaian man. Instead, it was ‘2Pac’ himself, as he reacted to the post on his Instagram story, writing, “Nah that’s him lol.” While the man in the meme is definitely a look-alike, this is not the first time a rap legend look-alike has emerged on social media. Tupac was a rapper, but he became a cultural icon, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the meme created such a buzz. 

Regardless, Mike Tyson and Tupac Shakur shared a deep friendship, which started with a chance encounter. Their friendship began at a nightclub in Los Angeles hosted by Magic Johnson at the Palladium. Tyson, already a boxing superstar, intervened to help a then-lesser-known Tupac gain entry when bouncers were giving him trouble. This laid the foundation for their friendship, which deepened over the years. 

Their friendship was so deep, in fact, that Tyson once broke down in tears reflecting on his friend’s passing. 

Mike Tyson recalls Shakur’s death

During an October 2018 appearance on the Big Boy’s Neighborhood podcast, Tyson opened up about the night his close friend Tupac Shakur was fatally shot. Knowing Shakur was at his fight against Sheldon, the mere reminder of the circumstances forced Tyson to grow emotional. “[Tupac] was really happy after the fight,” Tyson recalled through tears.

“He came to a press conference with me. We [were] just talking a bunch of s—t. I went home, and then he left.” The retired heavyweight champion revealed he wasn’t allowed to see Shakur in the hospital following the shooting. “It’s very difficult to talk about,” Tyson said. “He was just a young kid, and he wanted to be great – and then that happened.”

Clearly, Tupac Shakur touched a lot of lives through his music in a short span of time. Even decades after his death, the rap legend continues to remain in headlines and everyone’s hearts. What did you think of the meme?