Kurupt Describes Tupac’s Failed Attempt To Establish Dress Code On Death Row

According to Kurupt, Tupac’s attempt to change the Death Row clothing code from khakis to designer failed. The Long Beach rapper recently appeared on The Art Of Conversation, where he discussed ‘Pac’s militant mentality when he first signed with Death Row Records. “Tupac is strength,” Kurupt stated of the late rapper’s “strong-minded” mafia leader attitude.

He claimed that the “All Eyez On Me” rapper’s affiliation with the Suge Knight-led business was not just for his own advantage, but also an endeavor to change the culture of the label as a whole. “He wanted to change the image of Death Row, to add to everyone else’s table,” Kurupt recounted.

Though Tupac’s work ethic undoubtedly influenced the prolificacy of the Death Row roster, Kurupt explained that his influence was much deeper than that. “He wanted to change our apparel and how we looked, which, you know, that didn’t work,” Kurupt explained. “Because that’s you, ‘Pac, that’s y’all shit over here. We in khakis, cuz, you know what I’m saying? ‘Pac loved it, he respected it,” Kurupt added, though not everyone was on board (with the exception of Snoop Dogg) with the stylistic shift Tupac strived towards.

Tupac Dress Code Met With Resistance, Kurupt Says

Though Death Row became synonymous with West Coast culture, it specifically embodied the gangbanging aspect that’s specific to cities like Los Angeles. Kurupt and other signees from the label, including Snoop Dogg, continued to wear Chuck Taylor’s and Khakis. However, Tupac began to ascend in the world of haute couture, developing a strong relationship with designer brands like Versace.

“It’s a fly-ass dress code, cuz,” Kurupt recalled of Tupac’s attempt to switch out the khakis for high-end brands. “I could understand it if he was like, ‘N***a, put on the army fatigues.’ This n***a talking about, ‘Put on some Versace, n***a! Get fly!’ … That shit didn’t work with us, cuz. We agreed with everything besides the gear. That’s not our shit.” Though Death Row didn’t get down with all of Tupac’s ideas, Kurupt evidently understands just how big his vision was prior to his untimely passing.