Dear Mama: Afeni Shakur’s Calling Was to “Keep our Babies Alive.”

“Rest Well to my Aunt Afeni Shakur,” wrote Young Noble, a member of the legendary West Coast rap crew The Outlawz, in a heartfelt Instagram post yesterday honoring the late civil rights activist and former political prisoner. “She passed away 5yrs ago this day in 2016. I’m honored to have known her and got to hug her many times and tell her I love her ❤️ I think back to when her son passed away she was the strong 1 who kept us all calm and gave us direction. She begged all The Outlawz to come live with her in Atl for a few months to clear our minds & be together she told us the most important thing was for us to stay together!”

There is a lot to unpack in this statement. The son she’s speaking about is of course Tupac Amaru Shakur, the legendary rapper who brought Young Noble into the Outlawz just as he began recording under the name Makaveli. Making his debut on The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Young Noble was just 18 years old when he recorded classic tracks like “Hail Mary” and “Bomb First (My Reply)” with Pac and the rest of The Outlawz during the first week of August 1996. On the evening of September 7, Pac was struck by four bullets and died six days later at the age of 25. Even as she grieved the loss of her son, Afeni invited his partners in rhyme to come stay with her in Atlanta. Three of the five accepted the…