Problem, T.I. Pay Respect to Tupac on ‘Hennessy’
The legacy of iconic West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur lives on 19 years after his untimely passing. Problem and T.I. pay homage to the late MC on their new collaboration, “Hennessy,” from Problem’s Outta Town mixtape out Tuesday.
Problem adopts a rap flow and storytelling style similar to ‘Pac’s on the song’s first two verses, as he tells tales of inner-city blues that would “make a sane man petrified.” Like Tupac’s breakthrough hits, “Brenda’s Got a Baby” and “Keep Ya Head Up,” Problem gets introspective, rapping about being affected after witnessing a murder, saying, “Mind on the dad that the kids just lost.”
T.I. sounds even more like ‘Pac on the final verse, as he reflects on his indiscretions, family, and lost friends. He raps: “G’s go to heaven/I hope it don’t take long/Just put me next to Malcolm, Martin, ‘Pac, and Trayvon.’” Near the end of his verse, he quotes a portion of ‘Pac’s “Hail Mary.”
The homage to Tupac was not planned. “It was never a discussion,” Problem tells Yahoo Music. “It was just the music, energy in the room.” Problem says T.I. got excited when he heard the Compton rapper’s verses. “He went nuts,” Problem recalls. “He fed off the energy we provided.”
Problem is humbled that song has been receiving comparisons to Tupac’s work:
"Any time music channels you to channel the greats, it works," he says. "Tupac has heavily influenced every artist that came out. I don’t care if you don’t like him. Every artist got a little ‘Pac in them. For us to even be mentioned in that same grace, I’m truly honored."
The mixtape’s title, Outta Town, is based on the fact that Problem traveled from Compton to Atlanta to work on the project with DJ Holiday. In addition to featuring T.I. and Rich Homie Quan on “Hennessy,” he also recorded songs with 2 Chainz, Jermaine Dupri, Young Thug, Trinidad James, Future, and Ca$h Out.
