Nelly Honors Tupac Shakur With "California Love" Routine On "DWTS"

BY Erika Marie 8.7K Views
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Nelly, DWTS, Daniella Karagach, Tupac, California Love
The rapper even re-recorded Pac's iconic verse for the performance.

Last week, things took an emotional turn for Nelly as his Dancing With The Stars routine was dedicated to his late sister who passed away from leukemia many years ago. In the most recent episode, Nelly switched things up as he gave a nod to the Golden State with a jazz step to Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre's "California Love." Nelly donned Tupac attire with the late rapper's signature bandana and leather torso 'fit during his dance and spoke about why he decided to go with the West Coast classic for his routine.

"He was multi-talented," Nelly said Pac. "We all come with luggage, the good and the bad, but the passion behind his songwriting and ability to touch other people has inspired me." He added, "I'm actually re-doing my version of the song... The fact that I had a chance to re-do such a great song by such a great person, and the fact that I got the chance to display that on national TV was dope to me."

Nelly recreated Tupac's iconic verse on the Hip Hop classic and fans seemed to enjoy every step. Watch his Dancing With The Stars performance with dance partner Daniella Karagach and let us know what you think.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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