September 13 marks the fifteenth anniversary of the slaying of Tupac Shakur, and XXL magazine is honoring the memory of the legendary emcee in its September issue. For the cover story, the mag spoke with several people who knew and loved ‘Pac, and even sat down for a rare interview with the late rapper’s biological father, Bill Garland, who said:

“[Tupac] cared for people. That was his main thing. He really cared for people. I think that’s why he would get so upset when people tried to question his commitment, his love for Black women or Black men. The East Coast/West Coast, you know, that’s a fabrication. I don’t have to begin to tell you that. So when that was questioned, it bothered him. Because he would give his heart or soul. He was a giving person. He would give anything to people. He would go in a store. [If there was a] Black man who couldn’t afford a $1,500 pair of boots, he would buy ’em for him. Think that Black man would ever forget Tupac? That’s just the way he is. But I don’t think that he did it for that. He did it because he had it, and he didn’t. That’s the way he is.”

The issue hits newsstands on August 16. Check out the cover below:

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