Tupac Shakur Applies for Unemployment in the State of Kentucky
You know times are tough when a presumedly dead rapper applies for unemployment, but the question is, did he get approved?
Tupac Shakur was allegedly murdered back in 1996. Many believe he is still alive. Maybe that’s the reasoning that Kentucky governor Andy Beshear used when he was notified that Shakur filed for unemployment.
The state quickly got to the bottom of the matter which was no mean feat considering there are so many people waiting for their unemployment to be approved. It turns out, the person that applied was an imposter using a fake name to try to fleece the state. (Although, really people, couldn’t he have used a less obvious name?)
Beshear provided the following statement in a press conference on Monday regarding the incident. “We had somebody apply for unemployment for Tupac Shakur here in Kentucky. And that person may have thought they were being funny, they probably did. Except for the fact that because of them, we had to go through so many other claims.”
But the plot thickens…it turns out there actually is a man in Kentucky named Tupac Shakur who got laid off and was waiting for benefits. He was wondering why it was taking so long. Here’s what the real, living Shakur had to say.
“I’ve been struggling for like the last month trying to figure out how to pay the bills. I’m hurt, I’m really embarrassed and I’m shocked. He needs to apologize. That’s just my name.”
Apparently, the mix up made it difficult for the government to prove the real Shakur’s identity. Fortunately, the governor took action to make things right. He called Shakur personally on Tuesday evening to apologize for the mix up. He also promised that he would expedite any benefits the man was owed.
"I talked to him on the phone today, and I apologized," Beshear said. "I told him how it happened, but I owned it. It's my fault. He was gracious. I said I'm sorry if I embarrassed him or caused him any attention he didn't want, and he was very kind. He ended the call, 'God bless.'"
As for Shakur the rapper, he is still very much alive in the press. After a life of crime, time spent in an out of jail and a successful music career, he was killed during a shoot out by still unidentified gunmen. Many believe the murder was tied to his long time rivalry with fellow rapper Biggie Smalls who was assassinated shortly after Shakur’s death.
The mystery that surrounds Shakur’s death keeps him relevant today and there are several documentaries slated to come out later in the year. There is also talk of a new album featuring some unreleased tracks the rapper recorded before his death.
It is better he is remembered this way than by a person trying to trick the government but we are glad things worked out for the Kentucky Shakur in the end.
