Beastie Boys’ Mike D Says Tupac Was An Artist NOT a Thug:

By
Jacky Jasper
-

mike-d-tupac

“He was so determined to be authentic”

Nearly 20-years after the unsolved murders of Tupac and Biggie, Mike D is still trying to wrap his head around the tragedies. During a recent interview, the Beastie Boys MC says the pair of tragedies “still boggles my mind” — calling Biggie Smalls “a seminal rapper.”

“It wasn’t like I was nervous to be a New York MC in this mix,” Mike D said. “It was very specific. It still was Puffy, Suge [Knight], Tupac, Biggie.”

Here’s what Mike D had to say about Tupac:

“Yeah, he was ‘Thug Life’ and everything, but he was more of an artistic kid. But basically he was so determined to be authentic, it ultimately killed him, which is a sad and tragic thing.”

Outlawz bandmate Malcolm Greenridge previously had this to say about Tupac’s murder:

“Law enforcement around the country weren’t big Tupac fans,” he said. “I’m absolutely positive they know what happened. This is America. We found Bin Laden.”

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88 COMMENTS

    • Wrong cia was about to do him in just like malcolm x ‘s son…tupac was far from an “artist” he was the ultimate threat…a revolutionary

  3. AS FAR AS WHITE AMERICA IS CONCERNED PAC AND BIG WERE 2 THUGS WHO NEEDED TO BE KILLED OR LOCKED UP.

  4. I hate that both Pac and Bigg lost their lives at such a young age. This is still tragic to this day. Pac was my favorite and no one to this day can touch him, dead or alive (my opinion).

    • Its funny how Pac and Biggie are revered but contributors to death culture in hiphop, materialism and male bravado that oldheads scoff at new gens about. Brendas Got a Baby, Dear Mama, and Things Done Changed are classics but contradictory to Toss it Up, Hit Em Up, Gimme the Loot and Suicidal Thoughts. Far cry from the rec center and block party days when local DJs mixed Kool & the Gang, James Brown and Beres Hammonds records and teenagers danced to the breaks. Good times and Reaganomics, so my relatives say. Unfortunately I came in the era where they dont dance no more, one must avoid scuffing another’s sneakers or god forbid “Butter” workboot and dance if accosted by a male less verbal assault. Lyrical geniuses no doubt but dead at 25. This is the legacy they left the next gens…

  5. Mike is 100% right love Pac but he went outta his way to be a thug he was that kid that always wanted to fit in

    • Pac wanted to fit in? Correction! Motherf*ckers wanted an wished they were on his Level!!!!!Tupac was the Ultimate Leader an you are a dumb stupid idiotic piece of shit! Gtfohnigga! Stay in your lane dumb ass!

  6. what do these white rapper know about “thug life” most of this white rapper are poser they lie about where they were raised
    to look hard and cool most of these rapper’s were raised in a posh neighborhoods etc etc they hangout with black people to look
    cool and hard for a day then there go back to their posh house’s

    can’t stand it when white people chat about black community man keep your necks out of black people’s bussiness geez

    • chocolate lips must be a racist!!!

      Mike D has a love for music

      Music has no color

      Pac and Big were apart of the Music Community

      he has every right to be concerned just as the next person
      who is like minded and is a connoisseur of music

      Negative/ingnorant people stay tryin to make it a white or black thing

      • @anonymous shut your big flabby lips up

        just stating the oblivious white people shouldn’t be allowed to comment on the black community

        black people aren’t allow if a black person says anything about the white community their called a racist!! is the true
        people need to stay in their lane!!!! and do’t comment on black problems

        so stfu and keep moving

        • U talk real big on the web. I was the only white dude in the hood. Ive been fighting since i was 4. I would destroy u bitch

          • @Cho_nilla

            you shut the f*uck up you busted looking pig oink oink go eat some slop you punk

      • Not ignorant. WE KNOW m.f. whites BEEN jacking OUR rhyme/ reasons! DON’T YOU EVER call your yourself checking a m.f. & lying? Get in your lane, b4 u find yourself w/o a vehicle! Thieving/rapist, punk ass m.f.!

        • Weren’t they on stage saying ‘Nigga’ some years back? Legendary rappers or not, that was pretty…ignorant of them.

          • I never heard that, if it is true, I would be disappointed. Did you actually hear them use the n word or is it just secondhand knowledge?

          • @ Raheim If you look in the archives here for the piece when Adam “MCA” Yauch died, the comments were somewhat mixed, but many were positive and some even mentioned the fact that the Beasties never used the n word. I tend to believe that unless you actually heard it yourself differently. They were always so respectful about the originators of rap and they didn’t want to ever appear like cheap imitators. Like the way they wouldn’t wear lots of gold or take themselves
            seriously.
            You were most likely not even born when they were making “white hip hop” history. lol
            The only reason I care is that I always did and I still love them. It would really mess me up to know that they were racist.

            • I could’ve swore I remembered a news report (MTV perhaps? I watched a lot of that and BET back in the day [late ’90s-early ’00s]) of one of them saying it onstage at a show and getting censured for it. And no, I don’t think they’re racist at all, just thought they could say the word due to their being so entrenched in the culture that unfortunately made it a household name. I’m trying to locate info on the incident as I type this, though.

            • http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/index.php?topic=258196.18

              ^Scroll down about halfway, and you’ll see a post from someone named ‘StephLord’ who mentions it. And here’s another link to a site that looks like a poor(er) man’s Yahoo Answers that poses the question:

              http://www.chacha.com/question/why-did-the-beastie-boys-use-the-n-word

              But danmn, info on this is harder to find than Jimmy Hoffa’s body. The above are the only two links I can find that mention it, as if news accounts of it were suppressed (All three Beastie Boys are Jews, after all), but I know what I saw on the news back then.

              And yeah, C, I was young as HELL when the group first started and gained momentum, though I’ve always been aware of them due to my being entrenched in Hip-Hop & Rap from an early age lol

            • Thanks so much for doing the heavy lifting Raheim. Not to equivocate, but I guess I’ve heard many more egregious examples of the n word usage by whites in music. It’s a disappointment, but it prolly won’t keep me from having my annual Paul’s Boutique party.
              At least they didn’t use it in an invective manner like Michael Richards.
              Who in the blue phuck is V. Nasty? My gawd…she makes Iggy look like Hillary Clinton. Gross.

            • Thanks for doing the heavy lifting Raheim. I would have never found the article.(not the web savviest person on the planet.)
              Not to equivocate, but I guess it wasn’t the worst example of white folks and the n word usage. It’s a disappointment, but not one big enough to stop me from throwing my annual Paul’s Boutique party.
              At least it was not used as an invective as was the case with Michael Richards. And who in the blue phuck is V. Nasty? That ho makes Iggy look like Hillary Clinton.

            • Thanks for doing the heavy lifting Raheim. I would have never have found that article on my own. Not to equivocate, but I guess that wasn’t the most egregious usage of the n word by a white entertainer I’ve ever heard. Certainly it wasn’t in the realm of the Michael Richards’ episode. I’m disappointed, but not so much that I will cancel my annual Paul’s Boutique ’80’s party.
              and who in the blue phuck is V Nasty? That ho makes Iggy look like Hillary Clinton. Gross.

            • No problem. I posted a comment before that one that has a couple more links about it, but it’s under moderation. I kind of didn’t expect so little info to be available on the Internet, though–The above link alone was almost harder to find than Jimmy Hoffa’s body.

            • Wow, that Japanese are even using that word. that is a book I have to get, “Nigger Sport”.

              Again Raheim, thanks for keeping me informed, I really appreciate it.

            • Raheim is the only intelligent logically person on this thread the rest of you are coon!!

              white people need to stay in their lanes!!4 3 years ago me and my family were on vacation and the bus driver had to nerve to say
              he doesn’t like seeing black men with braids in their hair!!!! he rather see’s little boys wear braids me and my family were pissed

              how dare he talk bad about black men just because he was married to a thai women he thought he had the right

            • I finally agree with you on something CB, Chocolatey Lips, Intelligent Black Woman et al: Raheim is one in a million.

            • @Chocolate Lips!!–Thank you for the compliment. 🙂

              @Anonymous–You’re more than welcome, and like I said in my previous comment, I don’t think they’re racist at all, just ignorant as hell for doing that, especially since they’d been in Hip-Hop for over a decade at the time (And on the flip side having self-hating Jewish apologists like Russell Simmons on their side). And I won’t front, I still bump ‘Intergalactic’ to this day and respect their position in Hip-Hop.

              Also, you’re right, it wasn’t the most egregious use of ‘Nigga/Nigger,’ just ignorant as hell and something at least one of them had to know wouldn’t go over well with their black (And fraction of sensible white) fans. As for Michael Richards, I recall him saying that, after his tirade, he received a LOT of support from whites and was quoted as saying he ‘didn’t want to be the head of the Klan,’ hence his reaching out to colleague Paul Mooney, of all people, for support. Mooney responded as only he can:

              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWI-dwJ0ZyU

              &

              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cuX2uYOi4g

              LOL

              And again, thanks to you and Chocolatey Lips for the kind words!

  8. It’s like people can’t do more than one thing because he was artistic he’s only allowed to be a coward and whatever his mind pictures and artistic black guy to be that pac was supposed to be I don’t get it like he just planned to grow up in the projects and have a rough childhood and teenage years jus to fit in but I forgot if you know how to carry yourself and be charming nice and gentleman people assume you can only be those ways this small minded shit kills me

  9. I think I know what occured too, Tupac got into a fight with Crip gang member Orlando Anderson, and Orlando Anderson simply killed Tupac later on that night, no illuminati conspiracy here, just plain street shit that goes down everyday in urban America and Biggie was probably killed upon the orders of Suge Knight to either avenge Pac’s death because he heard rumors that Puffy had put a million dollars hit on Pac and Suge’s head or Suge was jealous that he know longer had a mega star under his label with the death of Tupac. Again no conspiracy, just urban gang bang shit. Tupac was from Northern Cali, not L.A. he didn’t under LA GANG CULTURE, POOR GUY

    • Your right Tupac involved himself in something he really had no knowledge of, besides what he saw with Suge and others, he had no business getting involved in the politics of gang banging. Tupac the best to grab a mic should of stayed away from the deathstyle of the Crips and Bloods.

    • Pac simply didn’t understand the streets look at his situation that happened here in NYC he wasn’t this leader that some make him out to be he was a follower he associated himself with shit he had no business being involved in like stepping to Orlando Anderson for one of Suge lil homies just like when he was in NY running around with Haitian Jack doing shit his shady ass was doing neither one of them situations turned out good for him great artist good actor confused man

  10. Pac simply didn’t understand L.A. gang culture, he didn’t understand that when other gang members see a person like himself (Tupac) hanging around an OG like Suge, other gang members will think you are a member of that particular set in Suge’s case MOB PIRU Blood Gang, Pac should have listened to Snoop who had warned him about hanging around Suge or an other OG and engaging in gang banging activites, Pac was from Oakland, Ca where they have violent clicks, but a well established gangs like the CRIPS, BLOODS, and MEXICAN MAFIA

    • Well put, and your right, out here in the Bay we don’t have Crips and Bloods, we have clicks. But we do have Border Brothers, Nortenos and Surenos, Mexican Gangs. But you are correct.

    • So simple… Maybe not, he should have listened to snoop? A crip hanging out with a blood? Tupac wasn’t from anywhere…

    • Wrong, Pac was from Baltimore. He was a nerdy kid who went to art school and didn’t know shit. He was a poseur and a studio gangsta.

      • Well you just sort of hit on the actual problem. Pac didn’t WANT to be a poser, so he threw himself into the mix in order to be more authentic. Which brings us back to what Mike D. said.

        And Ent Goon really explained it very well. I now agree that his tragic murder was most likely a horrible and preventable act–as opposed to a masterminded plot by Suge.

      • Pac was from NY he was living in Harlem and the Bronx before going to Baltimore in 85 the just wantes to fit in with whoever he was around and thought was cool

      • Pac was born in ny his half brother Mo pream is also from ny…mom being a panther and traveling that’s how he got bmore then oaktown…home of the black panther party

  11. I agree but Pac was born in newyork mom and pop was black panters not gang members he was not street smart he didnot know that suge and puffy was was a threat to the white man and they would do anything to destroy them because nobody is a bigger threat than a black man with power they only let the blackman get so far michael jordan michael jackson and the list goes on and on Pac was a threat to the white man because of his blood line he was someone that had the power to educate young blacks they had to find a way to get rid of him aka suge think about it people

    • You may be right but I know for a fact that white people truly admired and respected Tupac. He was not viewed in the same light as most in hip hop, He was seen as a man of great talent and artistry who was a quadruple threat in show business with a limitless potential. But I am speaking of regular white folk, not those in positions of power.

    • Suge and Puffy were not threats to white folks because they were controlled by the fake joos who run the music and media industries.

      I agree with the rest of your comments.

      When I see where we are 20 years later with the illegal immigration, gay agenda police and prison state, financial crisis, BS wars and drones, O see why TPTB decided to silence Tupac’s voice.

    • JUST LIKE WAYNE, ASND THE REST OF THEM WHO RAP ABOUT DRUGS, SEX, AND VIOLENCE FOR MONEY.

  13. Tupac is my absolute favorite artist. “Changes” never gets old. R.I.P

    • GOD BLESS THE DEAD HAS PAC AND STRETCH SAYING RIP TO BIOGGIE SMALLS.

      THINK IT WAS A MEMBER OF LIVE SQUAD NAMED BIGGIE TOO.

      ANYWAY LISTENING TO STRETCH AND PAC ON GOD BLESS THE DEAD IS CRAZY BECAUSE THEY’RE BOTH DEAD.

      ON HOUSE OF PAIN IT FEATURES PAC, STRETCH, AND BIGGIE AND ITS CRAZY TO HEAR ALL 3 RAPPERS ON THE SAME3 SONG DEAD.

      ITS LIKE HEARING RICK AND TEENA SING FIRE AND DESIRE.

  14. lol@we found Bin Laden.lol. 2pac! The Irish rap scene over here, revere Tupac.

    The Thuglife was amped when he signed to Death Row. I remember Snoop, saying Package felt that he had something to prove, when joined The Row.

  15. Lets not forget that when Pac was locked up at rikers Suge was the one who bailed him out when everybody else turned their backs on him. Tupac was loved by many and hated by few. Tupac was handsome, charming, and full of talent. He was a man of many talents. I truly believe if he was still alive he would have been out first president. RIP PAC.

    • Times 1000000000. I have never heard a person of any race who didn’t respect and love Pac.

    • Nobody turned their back on they just didn’t have that 1.3mil for the bail Suge did

  16. I meant to say Tupac would have been our first black president. Pac was a poet, visionary, and a revolutionary. He was way before his time.

    • You would want a profane, studio-gangsta-rapping high school dropout, broomstick rapist to be our first president?

      Man, black people…

      • No. He is right. Pac was brilliant. He was way smarter than anyone even knows. Just ask Jada and Grant Hill. He was a great man and could have done anything he set his mind too.

  17. Tupac was not a gangster, he was a nerdy brotha trapped in a Nat Turner skeletal frame who exemplified the intoxicating elements of a hood rebel…Thug Life! He was able to articulate black male anger in a bankable way. Other conscious brothas tried, but Pac was able to combine black male anger and street asthetics in a profound way…Duality Brothas! As a blackman, i have to change clothes depending on the environment. He was confused, and it got him killed, f**king with real gangstas…Suge Knight!

    • This is your best post ever Tyrone. You really summed it up perfectly. He melded consciousness with a hip, street ‘tude which resonated with all echelons. And I love what you said about the need to morph into different personae depending on the environment of the moment. You have definitely won me over. I am sorry that I doubted you for so long.

    • Tupac remind me of Marvin Gaye, both troubled and confused and so artistic, they could explain their hurt & pain better than so many, that is why black men love them. I hear older black men express their love for Marvin Gaye all the time and not in a gay way. I agree w/Tyrone, Pac expressed his anger & love. that is why he could rap about loving his mama in Dear Mama and loving black women in Keep ya head up and turn around say something else about women, but I understood him on all aspects. I just wish he would’ve stayed in jail, til he was released and never got w/Suge, he may still be alive.

  18. Tyronne hit it on the head…

    Pac was not what he portrayed himself to be. He personified the term studio gangsta. Pac was an excellent and transcendent talent and a legitimate political activist. However he was obsessed with the Thug Life which he truly knew nothing about and got involved with some truly corrupt individuals that didn’t or don’t care about human life. This ultimately caused his demise.

    Life imitating art.

    • Tupac interviews. That’s where you get to know the real tupac. He had songs that touched on the struggle, but his angry tunes made the most noise. Music was his job, the man himself was the true talent. Hear the way he talks, passionate. I think he was on a mission, rap was nothing but a door and it got slammed shut on him. The man talked the truth and wouldn’t shut up. They had to shut him up. Had to much potential. He could make anyone relate to what he was saying. That’s dangerous to certain people who don’t want nothing to change. Tupac interviews. That’s where you get to know the real tupac.

  19. I think Suge still set him up.

    All those gangs have a quota to kill and take contract.

    They gotta kill a certain amount of black folks and do what they are told by the white overseers.

    Tupac was a threat. Damn real Suge set him up.

    As for that Orlando Anderson — he was an expendable pawn.

    • Just think about what you have just said for a minute. I don’t question that gangs have a quota to kill, but do you really think that Suge would sign off on Tupac being just another dead black body used in order to meet a quota?
      Nah, IF Suge set it up, and I’m not sure he did, it wasn’t about meeting a quota.

      • There ARE TWO POINTS being made.

        Tupac was a threat, hence, Suge’s marching orders.

        and yes, point #2, gangs have a quota to take out black folks set by the powers that be.

        You read the news? You see the kids being killed in Chicago with “stray” bullets. How about the asshole who shot up that project in Detroit and killed an 8 year old boy.

        If these gangs will kill toddlers and babies, do you really think they give a f*ck about a 25 year old rapper?

        Think about what you just asked for a minute.

        The genocide game is on. We just didn’t expect it to be implemented by our own and targeted at our children under 15.

  20. Tupac was the bright kid in the hood with a revolutionary background who attented art school. He was not a thug. Now a 16 year old who films all of his music video from the home due to house arrest, laughs at his enemy being gunned down and banned from IG for #gettingtip is a thug. Pac was thug affiliated. Mike D was correct.

  21. I knew someone old enough to be Pac’s mother who said when he was a teenager having a conversation with him was like talking to someone way above his age. He was wise even as a teenager,(and a friend of a close relative of hers) and very popular. If you needed people for a party Pac was the one to bring the crowd.

  22. ALL THIS DERATH OVER A DAMN CHAIN WHILE PAC WEAS FILMING A VIDEO A DEATHROW AFFILIATE HAD HIS CHAIN TAKEN BY ORLANDO AND PAC AND THE DUDE SAW ORLANDO AT VEGAS AND HELL BROKE LOOSE.

  23. THERES REAL LIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT.

    ONCE ANYBODY SIGNS A DEAL WHETYHER YOU WAS A THUG OR NOT YOU CROSS THE LINE AND BECOME A ENTERTAINER.

    LOTS OF THESE RAPPERS NEVER SHOT NOBODY IN THEIR LIFE MOST WAS JUST LOCAL DRUG DEALERS.

    BIGGIOE WAS JUST A WEED MAN SELLING DIMES HE WAS’NT A KINGPIN.

    EAZY WAS JUST A DRUG DEALER WHO DECIDED TO RAP.

    ALL THE HATE, ANGER AND GANG LIFE ICE CUBE TALKED ABOUT CUBE WAS NEVER A GANG MEMBER NOBODY IN NWA WAS A CRIP CEPT EAZY.

    ALL THESE SONGS ABOUT WHATEVER IS JUST ENTERTAINMENT OR SUPPOSED TO BE.

    PAC WAS A IDIOT FOR TRYING TO BE SOMETHIN G HES WAS’NT SHOULD HAVE JUST KEPT MAKING MON EY AND SHOWING OUT TO THE PUBLIC.

  24. SUGE WAS A IDIOT FOR TRYING TO BE GODLIKE WHEN HE CHANGED THE LABEL TO THE NEW UNTOUCHABLE DEATHROW IT WAS TIME FOR A FALL.

    LETS NOT FORGHET SUGE, DRE, SNOOP, AND PAC WAS ALL PROMOTING DEATH ANYWAY.

    IT CAME BACK ON ALL OF THEM DRE WAS SHOT, SNOOP WAS IN A HOMICIDE CASE, PaC DIED, SUGE LOCKED UP.

    YOU TALK ABOUT DEATH, KILLING, AND BAD VIBES START HAPPENING PAC WAS TORTURED MAJORIRTY OF HIS MUSIC IS DEPRESSING.

    MAKAVELI IS A DARK ALBUM AND SCARY, YOU CAN HEAR DEATH ALL THROUGHOUYT THE ALBUM.

    IT QWAS LIKE HIS LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT.

    BIG’S LIFE AFTER DEATH WAS A SCARY ALBUM AND WORSDE BOTH WAS RELEASED AFTER THEIR DEATHS.

  25. YOU CAN LOOK AT THE BACK OF PUFFS ALBUM NO WAY OUT AND SEE A PIC OF BIG BEHIND THE HURST.

    WHILE PUFF, MASE, THE LOX AND BLACK ROB ARE DRESSED LIKE THEY AT A FUNERA OR GOING TO 1.

    AND YES PAC TOLD THE ARTIST TO DRAW HIM ON THE CROSS BEFORE HE PASSED.

  26. MIKE D LOOK BAD SWEAR WHITES AGE QUICKER.

    DON’T THINK MIKE D’S 48 AND LOOKS LIKE A METHHEAD.

  27. ALL THE FIGHTS PAC USED TO START.

    DID’NT HE BUST KING TEE IN THE HEAD WITH A BOTTLE.

    WE ALL KNOW HE BEAT SAM SNEED AND SAM’S BRAIN DAMAGED TODAY BECAUISE OF IT.

    EVERY TOWN PAC WENT TROUBLE FOLLOWED.

    THE LITTLE BOY WHO WAS KILLED BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE FIRED HIS GUN.

    THE DUDES IN ST. LOUIS PAC SHOT AT YES PAC SHOT AT THESE DUDES BECAUSE THEY TRIED TO TEST HIM.

    PAC ADDRESSED SOME OF THE SITUATION IN THE SONG YOUNG NIGGAZ ALL THE WORDS HE SAID IN THAT SONG HE DIED YOUNG TOO.

  28. They do age quicker, mainly due to their low amounts of melanin and collagen in the skin, the latter of which leading to the sagging skin most commonly found in white women aged 28 and older. They are also more susceptible to wrinkles and liver/age spots due to excessive smoking, drinking, & drug use which also prematurely ages them. And then there’s the sunburning, Melanoma, etc. I’m sure this is all common knowledge, but whatever.

  29. Fuck that gang banger thug shit, Tupac’s knowledge of Black Power was far more credible and important than that stupid ass gang bangin. Because of his Mom and Dad he knew the true issues of our Black communities and culture. These ignorant ass gang bangers were jealous and haters (including Pussy Suge) of Tupac. And when ingnorant ass gang bangers are jealous of you than will set you up to go to jail or be murdered. This is why our race is being destroyed by these dumb ass gang banger thugs – cause they have no knowledge of Black power and Black history. Tupac did know the streets, he knew the real streets of Black poverty and how our communities were suffering – which was far more credible than these ingnorant ass gang bangers killing each other over the color of a rag and standing on the wrong side of the street. This difference between dumb ass gang bangers, dumb as street thugs etc is knowledge – Knowledge is power and Tupac had hell of knowledge which was a threat to the dummies and the powers that be.

  30. HOMIE EVERYBODY ON THIS THREAD IS NOT COON! PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO MAKE THERE POINT OR STATE THERE OPINION RATHER IF U LIKE IT OR NOT..CAN WE ALL GET ALONG…LOL

  31. 2PAC HAD STREET CRED HE WAS RUNNING FROM THE THE VFEDS ALL HIS LIFE, HIS STEPDAD TRIED TO BLOW UP A BUILDING OR A CAR..

    NAME ANY RAPPERS PARENTS WHO COMMITTED A CRIME LIKE THAT.

    AT LEAST PAC HAD SOME EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN ARTS DID THE LOVELY GODDESS BEYONCE EVEN ATTEND ACTING CLASSES.

    A SHAME TO EVEN CLAIM TO BE FROM THE STREETS YOU HAVE TO SELL DOPE, PIMP WOMEN, FATHER A BUNCH OF KIDS, GO TO JAIL COME OUT A so called man to be black or hood or wehatever they call it.

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