Demetrius Shipp, Jr.

I'm ready for the opportunity to speak about things. I've always dreamed about the opportunity to speak about stuff.

Everybody has the Tupac that they admire. Certain people love the hip-hop person, the rapper. Strictly just the rapper. A lot of people, the newfound Tupac fans... they're into Death Row-era Tupac. But that was only nine months!

Growing up, you hear Tupac's music, it's kind of like... it goes without saying that everyone likes Tupac.

I was working - just a regular working-class guy - but, at the same time, always aspired to do music.

In 10th grade, I was kicking it with the seniors. I introduced myself, and they were like, 'Yeah, Demetrius is cool, but we're gonna call you Pac.' That was it! It could be worse!

Tupac was a person who was all about love. I feel like that's me, too; that's who I've always been.

I want to be a part of bringing people together and sharing that love.

I definitely want to keep acting now. I've got all kinds of projects I want to do.

When I go places, I'm very much spotted, but I'm definitely ready for it and the opportunities it's going to bring.

I was always critiquing my work. I let everybody else around - producers, directors, other actors - they give the nod of approval or the praise. Because I tried to always bring the best, so even if they were happy with it, I was still scrutinizing it.

I want to impact some lives down the road, one by one, and I want people to look at my story and my life as an inspiration.

I want to inspire people to do whatever they desire in life.

I'm a strong believer in the things that I want to do.

In high school, we would do improv. Me and my boy were, like, the stars of the class.

I don't have a huge acting background at all.

Music is my passion. I've always been musically driven and musically inclined. I play the keyboard a little bit. I love listening to music and discovering music. That's my love, but I'm not a rapper at all.

I just have to remember that everybody has their time.

Acting opened me up.

If you want it, and you want to get it, then you've got to work hard for it, like Tupac was working hard for it.

'Dear Mama' is my favorite song from Tupac, man. It touches you, and I think that that's the most important thing with music.

I will say this: Rapping-wise, there has never been anybody to match Tupac's energy when coming on a song, like when rappin'. It's unmatched. You can't duplicate it.

The one thing that I'm always gonna promote is, 'Don't look at a fellow black man as an enemy.' And it's hard. It's really hard, though, when you're coming up. It's something that you have to teach yourself and learn.

This is really honest: I have to remind myself not to look another black man as a threat.

This is more in regards to celebrities. What we've got to understand is that we are the influencers of the hip-hop culture, the black culture. We are the way out, you feel what I'm sayin'? As far as who we look to and where we get stuff from - hip-hop culture is influencing the world, really, but especially the black communities.

I vowed to never be on camera down-talking another black man.