They never stood a chance.

In this day and age of  torrents, in which an artist’s entire album can be prematurely “leaked” behind the seemingly-impenetrable veil of the internet, we tend to forget the days of the infamous street “bootlegger”. While you may still encounter bootleggers at your local barbershop or bodega, bootlegging was a very prominent trend in the late-80′s and throughout the 90′s. Most bootleggers were able to make their profit without altercations, however a newly discovered video dating back to 1991 has been unearthed featuring a 19-year-old Tupac accosting a couple of New York City newsstand counterfeiters.

“I want my money… I want my tape… and I want it now,” Pac demands in a surprisingly calm tone. “I want my sh** now, or I’ma f*** your whole stand up,” Pac later threatens when the bootlegger refuses to take action. With artists like Kanye making headlines for putting paws on members of the paparazzi for trivial reasons like taking pictures, it’s great to remember the artists who fought for what actually that matters — their craft.

– Khari Clarke (@KINGCLARKEIII)