Mopreme Shakur
{{short description|American rapper (born 1967)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Mopreme Komani Shakur
| background = solo_singer
| image =
| caption = Mopreme in 1994
| birth_name = Maurice Harding
| alias = Mo' Komani, Wycked, Mocedes, Mopreme
| origin =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|8|16}}
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|Hip hop|gangsta rap}}
| occupation = Rapper
| years_active = 1989–present
| label = {{flatlist|
- Interscope
- Jive
- Out da Gutta
- Death Row
}}
| past_member_of = {{hlist|Thug Life|Outlawz}}
}}
Maurice Shakur (né Harding; August 16, 1967), better known by his stage name Mopreme Shakur, originally known as Wycked, is an American rapper. He was a member of the hip-hop group Thug Life and is the stepbrother of rapper Tupac Shakur. He was also a member of the Outlawz (under the name Komani), but later dropped out because of a financial disagreement with Death Row Records.
Career
Mopreme made his recording debut as Mocedes on Tony Toni Toné's 1990 single "Feels Good".{{Cite web|url=https://genius.com/Tony-toni-tone-feels-good-12-party-mix-lyrics|title=Feels Good (12" Party Mix)|website=Genius}} He appeared with his stepbrother Tupac on "Papa'z Song", a single from the 1993 album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., credited as 'Wycked'.
Mopreme and Tupac formed the group Thug Life in 1993, with Big Syke, Macadoshis, and Rated R.{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitalxtra.com/features/lists/tupac-family-tree-facts/step-brother-mopreme-shakur/
|title=Mopreme 'Komani' Shakur is Pac's stepbrother|website=Capital XTRA |access-date= December 24, 2022}} The group released one album, Thug Life: Volume 1 (1994), which went gold.{{Cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Thug+Life|title=Thug Life|website=Recording Industry Association of America |access-date= August 14, 2021}} Mopreme wrote many of the songs on this album.{{cite web|title=ACE Repertory: Writer=Maurice Harding |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/writer/Maurice%20Harding?page=1|publisher=ASCAP|access-date=12 September 2021}} He was also an original member of Outlawz, but dropped out of the group.{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2015/07/where-are-the-outlawz-2pac-now|title=Where Are 2Pac's Outlawz Now?|website=Complex Networks |access-date= September 18, 2015}}
In 2007, he released a mixtape with Assassin, "Black & Brown Pride". He performed on the soundtrack for the feature film Intoxicating, starring Kirk Harris, John Savage, and Eric Roberts.{{cite web|title=INTOXICATING |url=http://www.americanworldpictures.com/films/intoxicating.htm|website=American World Pictures|access-date=July 23, 2018}} In 2008, Mopreme was a consulting producer for an episode about his father on the BET series American Gangster.[https://thuglifearmy.com/index.php/tupac-news/2273-dr-mutulu-shakur-and-shakur-legacy-profiled-on-bet-tonight.html Dr Mutulu Shakur and Shakur Legacy Profiled on BET Tonight], thuglifearmy.com; accessed July 27, 2018. In 2024 it was announched that Mopreme is Executive Producing the upcoming biopic "Van Gogh", an artist who was a source of inspiration for his brother Tupac. The script was written by Kira Madallo Sesay, who is also a producer on the film. {{Cite web|url=https://www.thelifeofluxury.com/tupac-shakurs-brother-mopreme-shakur-has-joined-the-van-gogh-biopic-as-executive-producer/|title=Tupac Shakur's Brother, Mopreme, Has Joined The Biopic "Van Gogh"|date=March 10, 2024}}
Media appearances
In October 2024, Shakur appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored to discuss his family's renewed investigation into the 1996 murder of Tupac. In the interview, Morgan continually pressed Shakur on whether there was credibility in the widely held belief that Sean Combs, aka "P. Diddy" - arrested in September 2024 on racketeering and sex trafficking charges - was in some way involved in Tupac's murder in New York nearly three decades earlier. While acknowledging the multiple rumors of Diddy's complicity, Shakur neither affirmed nor denied them, but stated that the Shakur family had recently hired notable lawyer Alex Spiro, who has represented high-profile clients such as Elon Musk and Jay-Z. Morgan asked Shakur whether the recent charges filed against Diddy were a catalyst for re-opening his brother's murder case. Shakur stated that Spiro was hired months before Diddy's arrest, and that his family has suffered immeasurably for so long that all they want is to "get to the truth" so that they can finally have some closure.{{cite news|title='I Don't Think He'll Come Clean' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8G-iISiNl0&t=747s |publisher=Piers Morgan Uncensored (YouTube) |date=October 11, 2024}}
Discography
Collaborative albums
- Thug Life, Volume I (with Thug Life) (1994)
- Chart position: #6 R&B/Hip-Hop,[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-11-30/r-b-hip-hop-albums Volume 1 (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart)], Billboard, November 30, 1996. #42 Billboard 200[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-10-19/billboard-200 Volume 1 (Billboard 200 chart)], Billboard, October 19, 1996.
- RIAA certification: Gold
Compilation albums
- Black & Brown Pride (with Assassin) (2007)
Mixtapes
- Thug Life: Demo Tape (with Thug Life) (1994)
- Evolution of a Thug Life N.I.G.G.A. Vol. 1.1 (2005)
- Evolution of a Thug Life N.I.G.G.A. Vol. 1.2 (2005)
Guest appearances
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Artist(s) ! scope="col" | Album |
| scope="row"|"Feels Good"
|1990 |
|---|
| scope="row"|"Papa'z Song"
|1993 |2Pac |
| scope="row"|"Stormy Weather"
|1995 |Forever Hustlin' |
| scope="row"|"When We Ride"
|rowspan="2"|1996 |2Pac, Hussein Fatal, Napoleon, Big Syke, Kastro, E.D.I., Yaki Kadafi |
| scope="row"|"Ain't No Love "
|Big Syke, G-Money |
| scope="row"|"Thug Thang"
|2000 |Little Bruce, Big Syke, Kastro |Give It To Me Baby! |
| scope="row"|"M.O.B."
|rowspan="5"|2001 |2Pac, Hussein Fatal, E.D.I., Big Syke |
| scope="row"|"Who You Trust"
|Big Syke, E.D.I., Kastro |rowspan="4"|Thug Law: Thug Life Outlawz Chapter 1 |
| scope="row"|"I Need A..."
|Mac Mall, Sundae, Big Syke |
| scope="row"|"Do That"
|Swerv, Big Syke |
| scope="row"|"Thug Cycosis"
|The Rated R, Macadoshis, Big Syke |
| scope="row"|"2 Places"
|2006 |Taje, Kwest |Hot Box: Vol. 1 |
| scope="row"|"Another Time"
|rowspan="4"|2007 |Kyle Rifkin |Hell Up in Harlem |
| scope="row"|"When I Close My Eyes"
|Macadoshis, Noni Spitz, Taje |rowspan="2"|Tha Come Up |
| scope="row"|"Everyday Iz A Struggle"
|Macadoshis, G-Money, Big Syke |
| scope="row"|"Win or Lose"
|Taje |Hot Box 2: The Second Hit |
| scope="row"|"Death Before Dishonor"
|rowspan="2"|2008 |Bishop Lamont, Taje, Indef |
| scope="row"|"Haven't Seen U Smile"
|Imaan Faith Big Syke |{{n/a}} |
| scope="row"|"Poppin' Tops"
|2009 |Taje |Hot Box 3: Hold Ya Breath |
| scope="row"|"Svarta Pengar"
|rowspan="2"|2012 |Emilush & Caustic, Alibi |{{n/a}} |
| scope="row"|"Don't Stop"
|The Layover |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120501200049/http://www.mopremeshakur.com/ Official Website]
- {{Discogs artist | artist = Mopreme | name = Mopreme}}
- {{IMDb name|id=1241878|name=Mopreme Shakur}}
{{Mopreme Shakur}}
{{Tupac Shakur}}
{{Outlawz}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shakur, Mopreme}}
Category:Rappers from New York City
Category:African-American male rappers