I photographed Tupac in 1993, at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, in L.A. It was for a magazine, I forget which now, tied to the John Singleton movie, Poetic Justice, that he was in with Janet Jackson. It was three years before he was shot.
He was very polite, very elegant, and open to suggestions. He wasn’t like his rap persona. I am from two worlds, the French bourgeoisie from my father and my mam was a chambermaid all her life, and I was raised in the worst hood in France, Clichy-sous-Bois, so in all fairness I saw in my life far more dangerous people. Plus, as I said, Tupac was very charming. He knew I had a lot of respect for him as a human being.
Sure, after all, it’s show business, the tattoos, the looks, but I ended up asking him to wear an Armani suit, and he agreed.
The only person I found a bit controlling was John Singleton. John was always pestering me, “don’t do this, don’t do that,” so after one hour I tell him, “You seem to know what you want, so here is my camera. I don’t need to be here.” And Tupac came up and said, “John, let the man work,” and that was it. I felt he had the soul of a poet, you could feel it in his eyes. A true artist and a true gentleman.
Tim Roth and Allen Hughes discuss Tupac here.