Kamala Harris accidentally named Tupac Shakur as her 'favorite rapper alive,' and so Donald Trump's campaign secured an invite for the late rapper at her VP debate. Fans thought the joke was outright 'disrespectful.'
Many people thought this joke about Tupac Shakur went too far. In an attempt to poke fun at Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, Donald Trump’s campaign invited Tupac — whom Harris mistakenly considered her “favorite rapper alive” — to her debate with Vice President Mike Pence taking place in Salt Lake City on Oct. 7. “I can confirm that we have left a ticket for Tupac Shakur, who as we know is Sen. Harris’ favorite rapper alive,” Trump’s senior campaign adviser, Jason Miller, said during a press call on Wednesday, according to our sister publication Deadline.
Fucking Comedy.
— Charlamagne Tha God (@cthagod) October 7, 2020
The Trump campaign adviser kept the joke rolling, and even referenced Biggie Smalls, another hip-hop icon who was shot to death like Tupac. “I don’t know if [Tupac] shows up. I’m personally more of a Biggie fan if he’s still alive, but we will have a ticket waiting for Mr. Shakur,” he told reporters.
Miller was mocking a comment that Harris made during the NAACP’s virtual convention on Sept. 25. CNN commentator Angela Rye asked the California senator who’s the “best rapper alive,” and Harris immediately said, “Tupac.” Catching her mistake, Harris said while laughing, “Not alive, I know, I keep doing that.” There are conspiracy theories revolving around Tupac, whom some people still believe is alive despite dying in a drive-by shooting at just 25 years old in 1996.
Kamala Harris asked, who’s the best rapper alive?
She answers @2PAC
Then says “Not alive, I know, I keep doing that.”
Tries to think of another living rapper. “There’s some I would not mention right now because they should stay in their lane.”
— Emily Larsen (@emilyelarsen) September 25, 2020
The Trump campaign adviser’s joke rubbed many fans the wrong way. “Fu–ing Disrespectful to Tupac,” one person tweeted, and even Charlamagne Tha God seemed to sarcastically tweet, “F–king Comedy.” However, a third fan pointed out that at least the comments about Tupac is making the “California Love” rapper’s “old speeches about Trump and Capitalism circulate.”
In one of the resurfaced videos of Tupac, the Grammy-nominated rapper even called out Trump and greed — and this was long before his presidency! In an interview with MTV in 1992, Tupac vented about the world possessing a “gimme gimme gimme” mentality. “If you want to be successful, you want to be like Trump? Gimme gimme gimme. Push, push, push. Step, step, step. Crush, crush, crush,” Tupac said in the interview.
I'm glad Republicans bought Tupac a seat at the #VPDebate2020 as a stunt because it gives me an excuse to post this video of the man himself calling out the wealth gap, and Trump by name, and how they COULD help fix wealth inequality in America right now if they wanted to.
— Boo Is This (@MarkSoupial) October 7, 2020
Tupac then left wise words: “Everybody need a little help on their way to being self-reliant. Everybody need a little something to be independent. No independent person just grew up and was born independent.” We do wish Tupac had a say at the upcoming debates.
