Jada Pinkett Smith has paid tribute to Tupac Shakur’s mother after she died on Monday (02.05.16).
Afeni Shakur Davis is thought to have suffered a cardiac arrest at her home in California and passed away in her local hospital in Sausalito and Jada, who was close to Tupac and his family, took to Facebook to remember her friend.
She wrote: "Today I woke up to the news that Afeni had passed. Then I remembered that I was in NY to attend a Mother’s Day event named after a song written about Afeni, Dear Mama. My heart tightened and then all kinds of memories flooded in. I quickly remembered how calm Afeni was especially during any crisis. She always had a way of making me believe all would be well.
"But my fondest memories of Afeni was spending time with her at Jamine Guy’s house as Jasmine was writing Afeni’s book. Tupac had passed, and now I was a business woman, wife, and a mother and we could talk real and I mean really real. I got to see where Pac got his passion, his ideals for equality and justice but most of all his depth of thinking. Afeni was a giant in her own right. Today she is reunited with her son and Sekyiwa has two majestic angels to look after her. One for each shoulder. Rest in peace Afeni, and give Pac a hug and a kiss from me. Jada (sic)."
The Sheriff’s Coroners’ Office has launched an investigation into the exact cause and manner of Afeni’s death.
Throughout the last 20 years of her life, Afeni was instrumental in raising money in her late son Tupac’s memory.
‘Changes’ rapper Tupac was shot on September 7, 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He died from his injuries some six days later, aged 25. His killer was never caught.
Tupac wrote about his beloved mother in his 1995 hit ‘Dear Mama’
Following his death, Afeni founded the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation and helped create Broadway musical ‘Holler If Ya Hear Me’ in 2014 – which featured his music.
Afeni, who was born in North Carolina, was also CEO of Amaru Entertainment, Inc. – a record and film production company she founded in Atlanta.