Earlier today, the first official trailer for the forthcoming Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me arrived, timed to coincide with the fallen rap legend’s birthday. Following the blockbuster success of Straight Outta Compton — the film which followed gangsta rap outfit NWA, who defined West coast hip-hop before Shakur’s rise in the 90s — many have high expectations for All Eyez. And though this trailer is only a minute long, it hints at one critical aspect of Shakur’s life and legacy: his politics.
The trailer opens with a scene from Pac’s childhood: an FBI raid that alludes to his family’s involvement with the Black Liberation Army in the 60s and 70s. This raid is followed by a voiceover from Pac’s mother, Afeni Shakur — the Black Panther Party activist who recently passed away — who tells her son: “Like all black men, you have a bullseye on your back. They are gonna give you the tools you need to destroy yourself. So above all else, to thine own self be true.” This voiceover is spliced with scenes of police brutality, rap world extravagance, and the chilling first lines of “Ambitionz az a Ridah,” the opening track of Pac’s final studio album, for which the film is named.
In addition to portraying the rapper’s active political life, All Eyez on Me seems to have done right by his iconic style. Tupac is shown on stage in a pair of Versace boxers — the real life rapper was close with Gianni, even walking in one of his runway shows — and in a Carhartt jacket, a staple of his early-90s uniform (he showed up to the 93 Soul Train awards in a full workwear fit).
But the most spot-on thing about All Eyez On Me is how eerily similar its lead actor, Demetrius Shipp Jr., looks to the rapper, even without his iconic nose ring and “Thug Life” tattoo. Shipp will be joined by Jamal Woolard, who reclaims his role as the Notorious B.I.G. after portraying him in 2009 biopic Notorious. All Eyez on Me — due for release on November 11, 2016 — is directed by Benny Boom, the man behind pretty much every mid-2000s hip-hop video you can think of.
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Text Emily Manning