is name is Tom Sanford and at first glance one would conclude that he has to be the King of Kings among Tupac fans. A Hunter College student, with a Bachelor of Art degree from Columbia University, Tom is an extremely talented artist, bringing to life some of the most beautiful paintings my non-critical eyes have ever seen, as evident by the samples scattered through out this article. Although the subject of his paintings vary wildly, the overall focus seems to be hip hop artists (Jam Master Jay, DMX, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, and most notably Tupac Shakur to name a few), most of which are painted in biblically themed surroundings. His paintings sell in the thousands of dollars. They depict everything from Jay-Z clutching a Rocawear shirt while Biggie Smalls hangs crucified to a cross in the background to Tupac Shakur, laid out atop a car hood surrounded by grieving friends, similar to Christ's body after it was taken down from the cross.
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ike Pope Alexander III, during the late months of 2003 Tom set out on a very strange artistic endeavor, the Thug4Life project, in which he would physically transform himself into a living tribute to Tupac; to become Shakur. Blaspheme you say? My thoughts exactly.
In the span of a few months Tom began his makeover. He dropped his extra body fat in an effort to more closely resemble Tupac's slim, muscular physique. He shaved his head and got tattoos similar to Shakur's. He pierced his nose and took up a Hennessey habit believing this would make him more Makavelian.
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upac, it can be argued, is the greatest rap artist to ever live (an argument always seems to springs up during this topic, with some people saying Biggie was truly the greatest. Ironic that these two enemies in life will forever be linked together in death). His influence continues to be felt today over 7 years after his death. New albums and a movie help feed the Elvis-like belief that Tupac in still amongst the living. His music has developed into a sort of subculture within a subculture. He is revered among the young at near religious proportions. Rappers quote him as if reading from the book of Pac.
Many have criticized Tom's project as being idiotic and disrespectful to the memory of Tupac. And although Tom insists that the reason behind his project was pure admiration and a way to better understand Tupac, statements such as "I had a drawing class... I figured if I was going to have to go through another class I would do it Tupac-style," referring to getting three sheets to the wind drunk only serve to tarnish Tupac memory. A quest for better understanding of someone you admire is admirable. However, Tom's belief that guzzling pints of alcohol and getting tattooed brings him closer to Tupac only serves to discredit the legacy of this cultural icon and illuminates Tom's lack of knowledge of a man who was the voice of an entire generation.
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om Sanford is not insane. And I truly believe he is a devout Tupac fan. From reading his journal on www.thug4life.org I believe he had nothing but good intentions going into this project. But I echo the sentiments of many of his detractors, as one visitor to his site wrote: "I have yet to see what the goal of this project was". Tom never gives a clear reason for the project other than being a promotional gimmick for his art exhibit.
What are we to make of Tom and the Thug4Life project? Do we put him in the same category as the many half-baked Elvis impersonators performing wedding in Vegas or the over-the-top Lord Of The rings fan masquerading as Frodo Baggins at the local Cineplex? Is this a case of an artist expressing his love for Tupac and Art in an unconventional way?
"...This is art and take from it what you want. A lot of people just thought the project is just stupid. They are probably right on. But a lot of art is really stupid, and still we all seem to need a little Art in our lives. Maybe it is just a break from the important shit, and that makes stupid art important", says Tom. "I love being Tupac, even if I make a shitty counterfeit". |
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Tom Sanford as Tupac
As originally published in Platinum Plus |
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Tupac circa mid 90s & Tom Sanford in 2003 |
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