Happy Birthday, Tupac

2:32 PMToday is the birthday of Tupac Amaru Shakur, the legendary rapper who was gunned down in Las Vegas at the age of 25. He would have been 45 years old today, and in conjuction with the commemoration of his death, a trailer for the new biopic about his life All Eyez on Me (named after Pac’s 1996 album) has been released. In it, we see actor Demetrius Shipp Jr. playing the West Coast icon, with what is presumably the voice of his mother Afeni (played by Danai Gurira) imparting her indispensable knowledge.

[Dear Mama: Activist, Black Panther, Afeni Shakur — Mother of Tupac Shakur — dies at 69]

Perhaps most strange about this film, coming in what is effectively a golden era of hip-hop biopics, is that Jamal Woolard is reprising his role as Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, from his own biopic about Biggie from 2009, Notorious, which is just cinematic synergy on a whole other level.

It’s unfair to Shipp to call his portrayal of Shakur surprising, but the role of the Death Row Records artist is a tall task if for no other reason than he was so charismatic, so overwhelming and so skilled, that he could barely be imitated. Alas, it appears Shipp is up to the task. Pac was obviously more than just a rapper, as he went on to act in films, and his work as a traditional poet and activist has garnered much acclaim in the years since his death, as well.

The movie, directed by Benny Boom, is schedule to appear in theaters on Nov. 11.