Ace Koon, aka Fury aka the next potential Tupac Shakur, describe your place in the pantheon of Lake County, IL local artists. Who are you? Well um, I pride myself as being the highest selling rap artist in Lake County history.
I've got 33,000 units sold, that is hand to hand sales in the streets. I've got 16 releases out, which was done in a matter of 5 years-- My philosophy is to try to work the streets, and get out and meet the people. And network.
What does it mean for you yourself to try out for such a coveted role?
Well, it means a great deal to me. I feel like he laid his life down for the have nots who have been struggling. I've been in that position before and I still am in that position. He is the most influential person in my life. Period. It means a great deal to me to be able to audition and give some kind of just due to his legacy.
Who was Tupac Shakur to you? Describe Tupac in one word to you.
In one word, he was an outlaw. But it is hard to describe him in one word. He was an educated out law. As far as like his music, he was extremely talented. He a had a vengeful side to him to if he felt like he was crossed. But, on a more positive note, he would vouch or go to battle for people who were less fortunate.
He ultamitely lost his life going to battle for people who didn't really have anything. He had a political voice. He would say things that a lot of people didn't reallly want to hear. Especially coming from him with his background and his family, the Shakurs, and their affiliations with the Black Panthers. They were in direct contest with the government.
I can't really sum him up in one word, but he was for sure something to talk about. And definatley something to make a bio pic about.
Why do you think you should be the one to play Tupac Shakur?
I feel like I've been kind of practicing for this role my whole life. I been studying him. This was before, even before his demise. I didn't know this was going to happen to him. It just seemed like we had so much in common and which I am sure like the other auditioners might feel the same way.
But like with me, my philosophy is I want to take all the small details of Tupac Shakur and bring to the front burner. All the small details. The way he moved his hands, the emphasis he used when spoke, more of his mannerisms --just all the small details. It's not going to be what the media's take of him was.
Why don’t we as a community have each others back here in Lake County?
Lake County is a rough one. I've tried to unify and tried to bring other artist together. A lot of artists out here, they know what I do out here and they know my accomplishments. I don't really get too much credit, you know what I'm saying, as much a deserve from the other artists. And that is fine, it ain't really a big deal to me. As long as I got the consumer, and the consumer knows what I do.
As far as Lake County, it is tough to get love from artists because I believe everyone just wants to be that number one guy. In the south, in Atlanta, where you have one artist that everyone jumps on his bandwagon, rides the wave and supports him. And then everybody flourishes. And then he comes back and breaks bread with everybody and then it's the next cats turn.
That kind of mentality is not reallly cultivated up North, in the area where we are, but I feel like once we get to a point when we keep running up against a brick wall and we can't bust nothing open. we are going to finally end up learning and becoming more accessible to positive things like that.
What is your favorite Tupac song?
There's so many. I would probably have to say, "Street Thang". It was on a posthumous album that was released after his death. I also liked "Thug Style" too.
Do you have any advice for anyone who is trying to make it in the entertainment industry?
Well, one keynote is that if you really, really, want to do this you can't just come in there and half assed do this stuff. Move units to the streets. You have to get out in the streets and meet people. You have to campaign as if this was politics. And if you are afraid to get out and sell your music than this is not a game for you then. This the music game, an industry.
Alot of artist out here are getting credit for making good songs. I have umpteen good songs. It takes more than that. You have to take your good songs and go to the streets. You have to campaign for it, it is like a 'ghetto election'.
If you get this role, the role of Tupac Shakur, what will it mean to you? It would mean the whole world to me. I just want his legacy portrayed the right way. I think his legacy will be in the right hands with me. I just want to give him just due efforts. I've been studying him every night ever since I found out the auditions. I am not doing this for no pay off or nothing like that. I know I have a whole region or area that is counting on me to do things that they may not be able to do at the time.
Why do you contine to rap and will you continue to rap once this period in your life is over?
To be honest with you, I never really wanted to rap or be a rapper. After the death of Tupac, I felt like the powers that be that don't really understand the urban sector or life what we go through everyday had won at the time. It just irked me, and Its like I had to speak up and do something. I felt like this urgency. I had to show some type of action. So, I started to rap.
I always wanted to be an actor. I felt like if I stepped up and if I rapped and made a voice for myself, that it would open doors into the acting.
I never really wanted to be a rapper. Once I do get the role, I would probably fall back behind the scenes and help others out with there own endeavors. But I probably wouldn't rap anymore.
