Who was Tupac’s mom? All about Afeni Shakur as Suge Knight claims late rapper’s mom helped end his life

The name of Afeni Shakur has hit the headlines once again after a shocking confession from Suge Knight in a newly released prison interview. The former Death Row Records CEO alleged that Afeni, Tupac Shakur’s mother, was responsible for ensuring that her son’s last requests were granted. These requests, according to Knight, involved taking his own life after the rapper was shot in a 1996 drive-by shooting.

Knight, calling from California’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, said Afeni made the heartbreaking choice not to intervene further with medication as Tupac allegedly slipped away.

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"She gave him pills... In an attempt to honor his wishes." Knight said.

Though these allegations have yet to be confirmed by Tupac’s family. The allegations have renewed interest in the woman who helped mold the life of the iconic rapper and his lasting legacy.

According to People, a native of Lumberton, North Carolina, Afeni Shakur was named Alice Fay Williams before she came to New York as a child. She developed a deep involvement in political activism.

She later became a member of the Black Panther Party in 1969 and changed her name to Afeni Shakur after marrying fellow activist Lumumba Shakur. She rose to prominence as one of the “Panther 21,” a group of Black Panthers who were arrested on charges of conspiring to bomb several New York landmarks.

During her pregnancy with Tupac, Afeni, who fought the charges in prison for a year, was acquitted in 1971. Just a month after her release, she gave birth to her son, Tupac Amaru Shakur, on June 16, 1971. She raised him predominantly as a single mother, together with his half-sister Sekyiwa Shakur.

The family endured poverty, frequent moves, and Afeni’s struggle with crack cocaine addiction. These experiences would have a deep effect on Tupac’s music. They gave rise to the kind of gut-wrenching lyrics heard on his 1995 smash Dear Mama, which celebrated Afeni’s resilience and sacrifices (People).

A look into the complicated relationship between Afeni Shakur and her son

Mother and son reconciled after Afeni Shakur got clean in the early ‘90s, though there had been periods when they were estranged in Tupac’s teenage years. According to reports, Tupac attributed his drive and ambition to his mother.

After his death in 1996, Afeni dedicated herself to ensuring Tupac’s artistic and cultural legacy lived on. She started the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation to give youth art access and to oversee her son’s estate and unreleased work. Afeni died in 2016 at the age of 69 after suffering a suspected heart attack.

Knight, in his story about Tupac’s last days, painted Afeni Shakur as a loving but practical figure while visiting him in the hospital. Knight said that as Tupac’s health deteriorated, Tupac begged his mother to stop further life-saving treatment, being more scared of doing time than dying. Respecting her son’s alleged wishes, Afeni supposedly instructed the doctors not to conduct further interventions or give additional medication.

"And his mom [allegedly] said, 'Don’t ever do that again. If he’s having complications, don’t touch him. Don’t bring him back. Let him go.'" Suge Knight reported.

We still don’t know if these claims are true, but if nothing else, people and fans believe that this speaks volumes about Afeni and Tupac’s relationship.

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