September 13th, 2015 marks the 19th anniversary of the death of Tupac Shakur, and tributes for the late West Coast legend have flooded in – including a letter penned by fellow Californian Kendrick Lamar.

Lamar has given several nods to Shakur in his music, including To Pimp A Butterfly track ‘A Mortal Man’ and the video for ‘King Kunta’, which was filmed in the same location where an eight-year-old Lamar saw Shakur and Dr. Dre making the video for ‘California Love’. Shakur also recently appeared on the big screen with a minor role in N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton.

Read the letter below, via the Shakur estate website:

“I was 8 yrs old when I first saw you. I couldn’t describe how I felt at that moment. So many emotions. Full of excitement. Full of joy and eagerness. 20 yrs later I understand exactly what that feeling was.

INSPIRED.

The people that you touched on that small intersection changed lives forever. I told myself I wanted to be a voice for man one day. Whoever knew I was speaking out loud for u to listen.

Thank you.
K.L.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyypOJofZmI