Interview with Josh Harraway who portrays Tupac

Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2pac (or simply Pac) and Makaveli, was an American rapper.

In addition to Shakur's status as a top-selling recording artist, Shakur was a promising actor and a social activist. 

The following interview reveals a part of Josh's life, the part that involves the entertainment business, and his many talents in it. 

Josh, how did you begin in the entertianment business?

"I always used to daydream as a kid. That led me to drawing and writing, which led to Art School which led me to drive out to Hollywood. That led me to realize how many scores of thousands of people had done the same exact thing. Which then led me to focus on marketing and finding a niche for myself in order to get paid off my art as opposed to just making it."

 When do you remember first being interested in your profession?

I practice a variety of different artistic endeavors, but in regards to the Tupac impersonation, people kept telling me that I looked like Tupac. Even with long hair and glasses people somehow saw Tupac's face witihin mine. Kinda weird. When I found out how much money you can make in impersonation I decided to give it a try. Everything just snowballed from that point to where I'm at now."

What training have you had in the areas of the biz?

I attended a performing art school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Now it's called The Alexander Dreyfoos School for the performing arts. We used to just call it School of The Arts. I studied theatre, acting, stagecraft and all that good stuff there. I also listened to a lot of Tupac's music and studied his lyrics  (still do)."

What area(s) do you prefer over others?

I enjoy directing mostly. I like coordinating the overall vision and look of a piece. I also love to write and create story ideas. Writing and directing go well together and I'm good at it."

Does your family support your work in the biz?

"My mom is an extremely religious Jehovah's Witness. One time I brought her to the screening of a film I was acting in. I was playing a crackhead who swore a lot and used the "N" word all the time. She just got up and walked out of the theatre right in the middle."

What are examples of work experiences that stand out?

"I got flown out to Dublin, Ireland. That was fun."

Do you have any funny, scary or embarrassing moments?

"When I first started impersonating Tupac I bumped into some wannabe gangsters who took offense at what I was doing. I basically got into a confrontation with about 8 guys. I explained that I was paying tribute to Tupac's memory and that I respected Pac's legacy, but these guys didn't really understand what I was doing. I doubt they'd ever been exposed to a " celebrity impersonator" before. They actually believed I was trying to "be" Tupac Shakur. As if I was actually committed to reliving his life...literally. Which is just hilarious. I have no real piercings on my body, no tattoos. I don't drink or smoke. I'm completely different in a lot of ways. Well, anyway I diffused the situation, but it definitely impressed on me the degree to which what I do has been misinterpreted by some people unable to understand it."

Have you met or worked with any celebs in the biz?

"I attended the 10 year memorial of 2pac's life in Stone Mountain, Georgia at the Tupac Foundation. There I met Tupac Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur, his aunt and his sister. They checked me out and compared my features to Pac's. That was cool. I met Big Syke, one of Pac's crew, on the set of the Keisha Cole "Playah Cards Right" video. I met Benny Boom and a lot of other people there as well. It'd take me too long to list all the celebs I've met or worked with."

Do you have any future work in the biz that you know is coming up that you can share?

"I just did a reality show for FOX. They locked me up in a mansion with a bunch of other people and wouldn't let us read the paper or watch TV or use our cell phones or anything. I didn't know it before, but that's how they do these TV shows. It forces your world to shrink to the size of the group of people you're in the house with. It was a real crazy experience. I can't say anything about the details of the show cause there's a celebrity involved and they made me sign all this confidentiality paperwork. It should be coming out January 2010.

Regardless of the specific content of the show the process of being on a reality show does make you reboot your mind so to speak. It makes you question what reality actually is. And its pretty much your social network and the information available to you through that network that goes to create your world view.

Being isolated from your own social network with no access to incoming information had a strong impact on me. Our "reality" nowadays is filled with all these Pavlovian distractions. I went from checking my email account 20 times a day to not having any internet access for days. Every time my cell phone rings or a text message alert sounds off or a phone email bleeps at me I usually jump to answer it. Being separated from all of that made me realize I don't really need my cell phone in my pocket all the time. I won't die without it. Go figure. While I was on the show I'd think I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and I'd grab for it only to realize 'wait, its not there.'

Everything was paid for so there was no budgeting or spending of money. No need for a wallet. That definitely has a psychological impact. There was no need for house keys or car keys. No driving. That had an impact. No music.  I'd recommend everyone do a reality show at least once.

I'm also doing a series of videos for this razor I've endorsed, rollingrazor. It's this new creative shaving invention and its pretty neat if you ask me.

I'm doing a lot of other stuff also, but I'll just stop talking at this point. I could go on forever."

How do you see yourself in the future in this line of work, or other work?

"I enjoy impersonating Tupac Shakur and I truly appreciate the opportunities its afforded me so far, but Its definitely not the only thing I do. I'm actually looking forward to sharing more of my non-2pac-related talents with the world in the very near future. I've written a book called "Phallic Youth". I [also] wrote a feature length screenplay called "The Plan" which I've already directed a short film from the first third of. We're still trying to procure funding to complete the feature. I rap my own original songs under the name "Dusty Roze". I've invented things. I'm sorta like a black Benjamin Franklin. Ha ha."

Any suggestions you can give to others who are considering following the same career?

"Just do it. Just get started. Roll the dice. Take a chance. Don't sit around waiting for someone to discover you or assist you, because it won't happen. Get in there and do it yourself."

Thank you Josh.

By the way, Tupac is alive and alive and alive...