Today would have marked the 43rd birthday of the legendary Tupac Shakur. Pac has graced the RESPECT. cover a couple of times, and its only right we remember his legacy today, as well. Artist Naturel came up with a Tupac/Basquiat hybrid concept and the pieces are very striking. Here’s the breakdown:

When I started this project a few weeks ago, I thought the whole Tupac and Basquait idea would be a cool little mash up, but then I started to realize that these two had very similar lives and careers. I realized that both Tupac and Basquait were very crude in their craft. Tupac wasn’t necessarily the best lyricist, he didn’t construct the best songs, but they were straight to the point. The crudeness, honesty and the instinct within those songs struck a chord. It was the same thing with Basquait, he wasn’t the most painterly of painters, but he was so instinctual that it embodied what it was to be an artist. Straight from the gut, straight from the heart.

Take a look at a few more shots below. You can purchase the prints here.

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