The early friendship between Tupac and Biggie: Ed Lover’s inside story
Ed Lover had a front-row seat to one of hip-hop’s most intense and unforgettable periods. On The Breakfast Club he reflects on his memories of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, Ed recalls a time before the East Coast-West Coast rivalry clouded their relationship.
“I saw Pac just 15 minutes before he got shot,” Ed shares, still stunned by how close he was to that tragic moment. That same night, Ed sat with Biggie at the Peterson Automotive Museum. The energy was high, and Biggie, ever the charmer, invited Ed to ride with him to Nas and Steve Stoute’s party. Feeling himself, Ed declined, preferring to show off his Corvette. Before parting ways, Biggie handed him a bottle of Dom Pérignon, saying, “Drink half and bring it back.” That was Biggie—always generous, always a good time.
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But behind the smiles and champagne, there was a deeper story. Tupac and Biggie were once incredibly close—two brothers navigating the complexities of fame. Ed remembers Pac’s trips to New York, where he’d always ask,
Anybody talk to Big? Where’s Big at?
Despite the tension between them, Tupac’s concern for Biggie never faded. They were tight—until they weren’t.
Ed tried to intervene, speaking to Pac and Big, but it was too late. Biggie was confused and hurt, unable to comprehend why the relationship had soured so quickly. Meanwhile, the media poured fuel on the fire, magnifying what was a personal fallout into a full-blown cultural war.
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For Ed Lover, witnessing this unraveling was heartbreaking. He saw two close friends turn their bond into ashes, driven apart by forces bigger than themselves.
It wasn’t East Coast versus West Coast,” Ed says, “It was Bad Boy and Death Row. That was it.
As time passed, Biggie and Tupac became more than just iconic rappers—they became mythical figures in American history. But for Ed Lover, they were more than that. They were his friends, and their story is a reminder of how quickly love can turn sour in the spotlight.
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