Mike D of the Beastie Boys recently sat down with Vanity Fair for an exclusive interview and the rapper shared his thoughts on Tupac and what caused his death.

Mike D says Pac's desire to be accepted as a "gangsta" may have contributed to his death in 1996.

"Yeah, he was 'Thug Life' and everything, but he was more of an artistic kid," Mike D said. "But basically he was so determined to be authentic, it ultimately killed him, which is a sad and tragic thing."

He said receiving the news of Pac's death was surreal.

During the interview, Mike D went on to describe the time of Pac's killing and the rise of violence in hip-hop, calling it an "accelerated curve."

"First, there was security," Mike D recalls, "then it was, like, you couldn't have a hip-hop club without having a metal detector, to then, guns were kind of, like, everywhere, and you had to have a metal detector at the club, so at least people's guns were in their cars and not inside the club."

Check out a clip from the interview below.

Rapper YG recently gave his two cents on the Tupac conspiracy.

During an interview with Montreality, the "Left, Right" rapper half-jokingly said he believes Tupac is alive.

"Pac aint dead, that's how I feel," he said. "What up, Pac! My n***a out here somewhere. Out here chillin'."

What do you think of Mike D and YG's comments on Tupac's death? Do you agree?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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