The OG Tupac Part 1: Rebel Without a Pause | 92

Even The Royals

Wondery

Society & Culture

4.4 • 844 Ratings

🗓️ 11 August 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As an 18th century rich kid in Spanish-controlled Peru, Tupac Amaru II has it made. He’s descended from Incan royalty, the money and perks are flowing, and he’s set to inherit a powerful position working for the colonizers. But when he realizes that his privilege is built on the backs of his own people, Tupac decides it’s time for a change: if the system doesn’t work for everyone, then it doesn’t work for anyone. And if he can’t change it – then he’s ready to burn it all down.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wonderie Plus subscribers can listen to Even the Royals early and ad-free right now.
0:04.1	Join Wonderly Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts.
0:07.6	A quick note about our show.
0:09.2	We do a lot of research for our stories, but we also aren't your high school history class,
0:13.8	so some details and scenes are dramatized.
0:16.8	And be advised that today's episode contains some rebellious language.
0:26.9	So, Brooke, have you ever had one of those Hollywood moments where you stand up to a bully in front of a whole crowd?
0:35.4	Yep.
0:36.6	Or a bad boss? I feel like you have stood up to shitty bosses before. Actually, you know what? Yes, of course that. But there was a time in a moment in high school where I don't know that I'd call it a crowd per se, but it was the rest of the cheerleading squad. Oh, so a crowd. And a rambunctious one at that. Well, no, we were at practice. But I, like, got into it with our coach about something. I don't even remember what it was. So you were the bully? No. I sure was not. So, yeah, I mean, I guess that kind of counts. Okay, yeah. But, you know, I'm not afraid. Like, it takes a while for me to get to that point. But once I get there, I'm like, let's go. Watch out everyone. Yeah. Yeah. Well, today's royal didn't just stand up to a single baddie. He stood up to the whole Spanish government. He's the Inca revolutionary Tupac Amaru, the second.
1:31.1	Wow.
1:31.7	And yes, the rapper Tupac Shakur is named after him.
1:35.8	Oh, interesting.
1:36.9	Yeah, apparently Tupac, the rapper's mom admired Tupac Amaru's revolutionary spirit
1:42.5	and the way he inspired people all over the world to fight back.
1:46.4	So she honored him by naming her son after him.
1:49.3	That's fun.
1:50.1	It is fun. I had no idea.
1:51.8	I was named after a soap opera character, so.
1:53.9	So exact same story, really.
1:56.0	Same thing, yeah.
1:57.1	Uh-huh.
1:57.8	So Tupac, the Inca, grew up in the 1700s as an indigenous kid in what is now Peru.
	...

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