Complicated history between Quincy Jones and Tupac Shakur explored as record producer dies at 91

Quincy Jones, the legendary Grammy-winning record producer, songwriter, and composer, passed away at 91.

On November 3, 2024, Jones died at his home in Bel Air, California, surrounded by his family members, as confirmed in a statement released to NPR. The statement, provided by Jones' publicist Arnold Robinson, read:

"Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones' passing. And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him."

According to NPR, Quincy Jones' family has not yet confirmed the reason for his passing. Meanwhile, his death has reignited interest in his complicated relationship with one of hip-hop's most influential figures, Tupac Shakur, whose short but impactful career forever altered the music landscape.

According to a Billboard article dated July 8, 2024, the beef between the two came out to the public in 1993, when Tupac publicly criticized Jones, accusing him of betraying the Black community by romantically pursuing only white women.

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Reflecting on the Quincy Jones and Tupac Shakur conflict after the producer's passing

On Sunday, November 3, following the news of his passing, fans and media alike turned their attention to his life and legacy, revisiting significant moments, including his well-known conflicts, such as his feud with Tupac Shakur.

As aforementioned, 2Pac accused him of romanticizing only white women. He mentioned this in a 1993 interview with The Source, saying,

"All he does is stick his d**k in white b**ches and make f**ked up kids."

Despite these comments by the late rapper, Jones' daughter, Kidada Jones, was romantically involved with Tupac Shakur in the 1990s. However, in September 2012, the record producer told the New York Times that when he saw Kidada and 2Pac together, it initially made him unhappy.

"I remember one night I was dropping Rashida at Jerry's delicatessen, and Tupac was talking to Kidada because he was falling in love with her then. Like an idiot, I went over to him, put two arms on his shoulders and said, 'Pac, we gotta sit down and talk, man,'" Jones told the newspaper.

During the same interview, Quincy Jones indicated that when he asked 2Pac to talk, the rapper sincerely apologized, and after this reconciliation, the two became very close, as they spoke for a long time.

"If he had had a gun, I would've been done. But we talked. He apologized. We became very close after that," Jones added.

In response to their initial conflict, Jones' youngest daughter, Rashida Jones, penned an open letter to Tupac in 1993, defending her father after his public criticism, as per the July 8 report by Billboard.

Recently, in an interview with The New Yorker dated July 7, 2024, Rashida reflected on those events, recalling her anger at the time and remembering that she told Tupac that her father did not serve any public office and that his personal life was his own business.

"My dad doesn't work for the government. He's a music producer. How he chooses to live his life and who he loves is just his own business, and I've always felt that way," explained Rashida Jones in the interview.

Furthermore, Rashida Jones indicated that the beef with Tupac Shakur was resolved nicely, and he became "family" afterward. Tupac was fatally shot in Las Vegas on September 13, 1996.

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Jones had been married three times. He first married Jeri Caldwell (1957–1966), his high schoolmate. Then from 1967 to 1974, Jones was married to a Swedish model, Ulla Andersson. From 1974 to 1990, his third wife was Peggy Lipton, known for The Mod Squad. In addition to these marriages, Jones had notable relationships, including with German actress Nastassja Kinski (1991-1995).

Quincy Jones is survived by seven children—Jolie Jones Levine, Martina Jones, Quincy Jones III, Rachel Jones, Kenya Kinski-Jones, Kidada Jones, and Rashida Jones.