Eminem has always been vocal about his Tupac fandom. Especially in his early career, he referenced the rapper repeatedly. In "Marshall Mathers:" Pissed off, cause Biggie and 'Pac just missed all this/ Watchin' all these cheap imitations get rich off 'em/ and get dollars that shoulda been there's like they switched wallets. In "Evil Twin:" Fuck top 5, bitch, I'm top 4/ And that includes Biggie and Pac, whore. He also brought up Tupac in "Till I Collapse" and one of his 8 Mile freestyles.
Apparently the extent of his appreciation reaches beyond lyrical homage though: a Reddit user recently posted a photo of a handwritten letter of thanks (date unknown) from Eminem to Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur. Eminem sent the letter along with a portrait he drew of the older MC. He started the letter modestly, apologizing in advance for the picture: "Sorry if it looks a little sloppy." "Thank you for always being kind to me," he continued. "I will never forget the opportunities you have given me… As I have said before, you have no idea how much your son and his music has inspired… he gave me the courage to stand up and say 'Fuck the world!'" Read the whole document below.
