Tupac's Thugz Mansion: Anthony Hamilton Finally Tells the Story I CLUB SHAY SHAY

TL;DR

Anthony Hamilton reveals he wrote and sang on Tupac's 'Thugz Mansion' by channeling Pac's perspective of heaven, driven by excitement over pressure.

Key Points

• 1.Anthony Hamilton wrote 'Thugz Mansion' from Tupac's own perspective. He asked himself what Pac's vision of heaven would look like, crafting lyrics like 'Ain't no place I'd rather be, only place that's right for me — iced out, chrome out paradise in the sky.'
• 2.Excitement overpowered any pressure he felt working on the Tupac track. He described the experience as 'This is Tupac, I got to get this — don't mess this up,' but his enthusiasm for the opportunity outweighed the nerves.
• 3.His Grammy-winning collaboration with Al Green was one of the most meaningful moments of his career. He was coached on a secret code word that would signal if Al wasn't feeling him, and the experience validated him to his mother, aunts, and grandmother, who are lifelong Al Green fans.
• 4.Hamilton has collaborated with an eclectic roster including The Roots, Babyface, Nas, Rick Ross, Jill Scott, Jeezy, Chris Brown, and Meek Mill. His goal was always to work with people he considered great and who were 'moving the needle,' not to stay in one lane.
• 5.He described the ideal collab energy as similar to Teddy Pendergrass & Stephanie Mills or Rick James & Teena Marie. He also recounted discovering Jasmine Sullivan as an underage performer at The Roots' jam session at the Five Spot in Philly, immediately recognizing her rare talent.