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.
Mopreme Komani Shakur | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Maurice Harding |
| Also known as | Mo' Komani, Wycked, Mocedes, Mopreme |
| Born | August 16, 1967 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels |
|
| Formerly of | |
Career
editMopreme made his recording debut as Mocedes on Tony Toni Toné's 1990 single "Feels Good".[1] 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.[2] The group released one album, Thug Life: Volume 1 (1994), which went gold.[3] Mopreme wrote many of the songs on this album.[4] He was also an original member of Outlawz, but dropped out of the group.[5]
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.[6] In 2008, Mopreme was a consulting producer for an episode about his father on the BET series American Gangster.[7] 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. [8]
Media appearances
editIn 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.[9]
Discography
editCollaborative albums
- Thug Life, Volume I (with Thug Life) (1994)
- Chart position: #6 R&B/Hip-Hop,[10] #42 Billboard 200[11]
- RIAA certification: Gold[3]
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
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Feels Good" | 1990 | Tony! Toni! Toné! | The Revival |
| "Papa'z Song" | 1993 | 2Pac | Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. |
| "Stormy Weather" | 1995 | Ray Luv | Forever Hustlin' |
| "When We Ride" | 1996 | 2Pac, Hussein Fatal, Napoleon, Big Syke, Kastro, E.D.I., Yaki Kadafi | All Eyez on Me |
| "Ain't No Love " | Big Syke, G-Money | Be Yo' Self | |
| "Thug Thang" | 2000 | Little Bruce, Big Syke, Kastro | Give It To Me Baby! |
| "M.O.B." | 2001 | 2Pac, Hussein Fatal, E.D.I., Big Syke | Until the End of Time |
| "Who You Trust" | Big Syke, E.D.I., Kastro | Thug Law: Thug Life Outlawz Chapter 1 | |
| "I Need A..." | Mac Mall, Sundae, Big Syke | ||
| "Do That" | Swerv, Big Syke | ||
| "Thug Cycosis" | The Rated R, Macadoshis, Big Syke | ||
| "2 Places" | 2006 | Taje, Kwest | Hot Box: Vol. 1 |
| "Another Time" | 2007 | Kyle Rifkin | Hell Up in Harlem |
| "When I Close My Eyes" | Macadoshis, Noni Spitz, Taje | Tha Come Up | |
| "Everyday Iz A Struggle" | Macadoshis, G-Money, Big Syke | ||
| "Win or Lose" | Taje | Hot Box 2: The Second Hit | |
| "Death Before Dishonor" | 2008 | Bishop Lamont, Taje, Indef | Tupac Assassination: Conspiracy or Revenge |
| "Haven't Seen U Smile" | Imaan Faith Big Syke | — | |
| "Poppin' Tops" | 2009 | Taje | Hot Box 3: Hold Ya Breath |
| "Svarta Pengar" | 2012 | Emilush & Caustic, Alibi | — |
| "Don't Stop" | Bishop Lamont | The Layover |
References
edit- ^ "Feels Good (12" Party Mix)". Genius.
- ^ "Mopreme 'Komani' Shakur is Pac's stepbrother". Capital XTRA. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "Thug Life". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ "ACE Repertory: Writer=Maurice Harding". ASCAP. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "Where Are 2Pac's Outlawz Now?". Complex Networks. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ "INTOXICATING". American World Pictures. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- ^ Dr Mutulu Shakur and Shakur Legacy Profiled on BET Tonight, thuglifearmy.com; accessed July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Tupac Shakur's Brother, Mopreme, Has Joined The Biopic "Van Gogh"". March 10, 2024.
- ^ "'I Don't Think He'll Come Clean'". Piers Morgan Uncensored (YouTube). October 11, 2024.
- ^ Volume 1 (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart), Billboard, November 30, 1996.
- ^ Volume 1 (Billboard 200 chart), Billboard, October 19, 1996.
External links
edit- Official Website
- Mopreme discography at Discogs
- Mopreme Shakur at IMDb