On BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, pop superstar Justin Bieber performed a stripped-down cover of Tupac’s “Thugz Mansion” and it was strangely poignant.
With only a guitar strumming a simple version of the song, Bieber paid homage to the fallen rapper as he easily handled the verses while bringing a bit of his own flavor to the song’s hook.
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The 22-year-old singer has been a fan of Tupac for years. He was filmed at a club in France rapping along with “Dear Mama” back in 2014. Also, in a cover story with Billboard, Bieber recalled form his childhood, “I was always that fearless kid who would jump onstage and do whatever. My dad would be like, ‘Rap that Tupac verse,’ and I’d do ‘Thugz Mansion’ – I was probably 8.”
He also stated back in 2011: “My Dad loved Tupac, so he introduced me to Tupac when I was really young. I could spit a Tupac verse when I was like eight years old.”
Bieber also covered another popular song during his BBC Live Lounge acoustic set, Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Bieber has been performing the classic tune on his Purpose Tour. “My mom used to play it my whole childhood,” Bieber explained. “It’s just a part of my childhood and one of my favorite songs.”
The original songs that Justin Bieber performed were “Let Me Love You,” “What Do You Mean?” and “Love Yourself,” and his Major Lazer collaboration “Cold Water.”
What do you think of Justin Bieber’s cover of Tupac’s “Thugz Mansion?”
[H/T Rolling Stone]
