Maurice Shakur ( né Harding; August 16, 1967), better known by his stage name Mopreme Shakur, originally known as Wycked, is an American rapper. He was a member of the hip-hop group Thug Life and is the stepbrother of rapper
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
. He was also a member of the
Outlawz
Outlawz was an American hip-hop group founded by Tupac Shakur and Yafeu Fula in 1995. Originally known as Thoro Headz and Young Thugs, the group attracted attention with their appearance on Tupac's song "Flex", which was the B-side of his singl ...
(under the name Komani), but later dropped out because of a financial disagreement with
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. D ...
.
Career
Mopreme made his recording debut as Mocedes on Tony Toni Toné's 1990 single "Feels Good". He appeared with his stepbrother Tupac on " Papa'z Song", a single from the 1993 album '' Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.'', credited as 'Wycked'.
Mopreme and Tupac formed the group Thug Life in 1993, with Big Syke, Macadoshis, and Rated R. The group released one album, '' Thug Life: Volume 1'' (1994), which went gold. Mopreme wrote many of the songs on this album. He was also an original member of
Outlawz
Outlawz was an American hip-hop group founded by Tupac Shakur and Yafeu Fula in 1995. Originally known as Thoro Headz and Young Thugs, the group attracted attention with their appearance on Tupac's song "Flex", which was the B-side of his singl ...
, but dropped out of the group.
In 2007, he released a mixtape with
Assassin
Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives.
Assassinations are orde ...
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts (born April 18, 1956) is an American actor. He has amassed more than 700 film and television credits since his debut in 1978, making him one of the most prolific English-speaking screen actors of all time.
Roberts' career ...
. In 2008, Mopreme was a consulting producer for an episode about his father on the BET series '' American Gangster''. In 2024 it was announched that Mopreme is Executive Producing the upcoming biopic ''"Van Gogh"'', an artist who was a source of inspiration for his brother Tupac. The script was written by Kira Madallo Sesay, who is also a producer on the film.
Media appearances
In October 2024, Shakur appeared on '' Piers Morgan Uncensored'' to discuss his family's renewed investigation into the 1996 murder of Tupac. In the interview, Morgan continually pressed Shakur on whether there was credibility in the widely held belief that
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Mount Ve ...
, aka "P. Diddy" - arrested in September 2024 on racketeering and sex trafficking charges - was in some way involved in Tupac's murder in New York nearly three decades earlier. While acknowledging the multiple rumors of Diddy's complicity, Shakur neither affirmed nor denied them, but stated that the Shakur family had recently hired notable lawyer Alex Spiro, who has represented high-profile clients such as
Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...
and
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
. Morgan asked Shakur whether the recent charges filed against Diddy were a catalyst for re-opening his brother's murder case. Shakur stated that Spiro was hired months before Diddy's arrest, and that his family has suffered immeasurably for so long that all they want is to "get to the truth" so that they can finally have some closure.
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', October 19, 1996.
**
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) operates an awards program based on the certified number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets.
Compilation albums
*''Black & Brown Pride'' (with
Assassin
Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives.
Assassinations are orde ...
) (2007)
Mixtapes
*''Thug Life: Demo Tape'' (with Thug Life) (1994)
*''Evolution of a Thug Life N.I.G.G.A. Vol. 1.1'' (2005)
*''Evolution of a Thug Life N.I.G.G.A. Vol. 1.2'' (2005)
Guest appearances