Tupac’s Brother, Mopreme Shakur, is a Big Fan of Dubuque

When I heard that Mopreme Shakur, the surviving brother of the late rap/cultural icon Tupac, had a new book out, I knew I had to try and get him on the horn to chat about that. When I learned he had a connection to Dubuque and deep love for the city, as well as the state of Iowa, I really leaned forward.

The 58-year-old, who is the last surviving member of both rap groups T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. and the Outlawz, recently published a book called This Thug's Life, which chronicles everything from his Queens upbringing, his parents' activism on the Black Liberation front, the likes of which he's continued, his musical career, of course his relationship with his stepbrother Tupac, and more. The book is now available wherever you get books.

READ MORE: Dubuque Rapper Red Washington is Taking Over with His Talents

Mopreme Shakur's Connection to Dubuque:

Towards the end of our chat, Shakur brought up his love for the city of Dubuque, which was fostered when he served as a music supervisor on a documentary called A Million Spokes. The film chronicles the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, common known as RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across the state of Iowa that attracts more than 20,000 riders and lasts the course of a week.

The film premiered in Dubuque in 2012 during the inaugural Julien Dubuque International Film Festival. Mopreme even remembered film festival director Susan Gorrell, and gave her a shoutout during our interview.

READ MORE: Mayor Brad Cavanagh Talks Impact of RAGBRAI in Dubuque

This was a serendipitous development as two weeks ago I had Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh on the air to talk about RAGBRAI's first appearance in Dubuque in 16 years. This year, the event kicks off on July 18th and concludes on July 25th with cyclists scheduled to roll through Dubuque.

You can find out more about A Million Spokes on the film's official IMDb page, and find out more about Mopreme Shakur's new book, This Thug's Life, on Penguin Random House's website.