What I learned from Tupac.

It's been 26 years since Tupac Amaru Shakur passed away. He's the only person I have met in my life that has had what I call, a direct link to the creative force of the universe (some call it divinity). At the same time that he let in a lot of light, he also allowed in far more darkness than he should have. Tupac is known as the rose that grew from concrete. He even wrote a poem titled that. He was the child of a revolutionary mother, who fought and won 300 federal charges against her, without a lawyer. Tupac was born into and trained by revolutionaries. Unfortunately, he wasn't given certain simple tools that every little boy or girl needs to thrive long term. One of which is unconditional love. Another, was a healthy mix of positive male and female role models. Many people say he prophisized his own demise. I tend to believe he perpetuated it. When you surround yourself with vultures, at some point you have to recognize vultures will do what vultures do. Here are a few things I learned from Tupac and by witnessing him: It's imperative to believe in yourself, no matter how many people tell you it can't be done or you are wasting your time. You have to be your own champion. We all have the ability to be prophetic, we just need to be unconditionally loving to ourselves first and foremost and trust our gut / intuition. Nothing good comes easy and if it comes easy, it's probably not going to end up being good. I have a few Tupac related projects I have been developing for a couple of decades and I have been through the wringer numerous times as a result of them. I am certain that the tests have only strengthened my resolve and allowed for energies or people that weren't meant to be in my orbit, to be shaken off. Tupac was a visualizer. He would put his laser focus on a goal and he would feed it until it became a reality. For 21 years I owned and protected the largest collection of IP on Tupac in the world, that I created. In my own head, I thought I was some sort of gate keeper or chosen to protect these treasures. During this time, I almost forgot myself. I put this IP ahead of everything else. I didn't start a family, I turned down film and tv projects. All because I didn't want to ignore my responsibility and loyalty to my little brother. (crazy right?)

In 2018 I lost control of all my IP after a 4 year federal battle to a guy who said he represented Tupac's soul and that he prayed to Tupac and Afeni every night for their guidance. I didn't get that memo. I should have mentioned that the IP was valued north of $100,000,000. Actually handing over the 1000 images, 10 hours of footage and 6 hours of audio hurt more than almost anything I'd ever experienced before.

This broke me, yet somehow I was liberated. I was recanting my experience to the documentary filmmaker Nick Bloomfield (Kurt & Courtney, Biggie & Tupac, etc) over a whisky one night at his house and he said. "Gobi you have to watch my film Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love". I rented it that night and sobbed through most of it like a baby. It's a beautiful film, mostly about Leonard Cohen and his 30 year on again, off again love affair with a Swedish woman named Marianne.

Leonard had become a very successful poet and had made great money doing so. He had a desire to go into an ashram to be of service, so he did. After 6 years, he came out all zen, only to find out his business manager had embezzled every last penny of his money. Everyone pushed him to sue her and to get vengeance. He didn't do anything. He believed that doing so would negate the zen training he had spend so many years perfecting. He left it alone.

Not long after he wrote "Hallelujah", started a singing tour and within 2 years he stared selling out stadium and made $12,000,000 in just a couple of years. I believe Nick wanted me to watch the film, because I was making the mistake of defining myself as the "Tupac guy", a human vault of treasures if you will, instead of finding out who Gobi is. Handing over my IP was probably one of the best things that happened to me. It allowed me to do Ayahuasca to deal with my childhood trauma. It allowed me to find meaning and answers in myself, instead of waiting for someone to give me permission to do Tupac projects. It allowed me to create a script, a book about my own story. It allowed me to find and focus on companies that have a sustainablity agenda, because if we don't educate and empower consumers, brands will never change their ways.

Everything I do and am now, is so my kids will have a better future after I'm gone. Working with Tupac allowed me to realize that it's not really about Gobi at all. It's about what comes through me. I too am a vessel for universal energy just like Tupac was. I can now be of service to a much greater good.