Should we talk about why we're still here?

[Preach]

A shrewd observer might observe that out of some 10-30k+ members that used to frequent HitEmUp.com and StreetHop.com in the glory days, we're about 3-12 of us that keep coming back. Keco, Jokerman, dilla, Pittsey, me, Tha Massive Bell, k69atie, and a few others. I know Eric and Big Flipp came back like one evening after 12 years then disappeared again. In fact, in my time, I think I've observed Eric "coming back" like 3 times since 2010+, only to disappear within a week. I just chalk it up to the way you'll meet an old aquaintance when you're out drinking, and you both decide like "yeah we should totally hang out some time" and then you wake up the next day and it never happens. No judgment.

But this thread is not about that. I'm basically wondering why we keep coming back. I was never a "figure" in the "social" part of the 2Pac scene. The whole "Traz" thing had been going on for years before I ever even ventured into My Block. At some point I feel like I got to know a lot of people on here, but I don't feel like I'm a "good representation" of the most active era. No offense, but... I don't feel any of the people I mentioned earlier are either, except maybe Pittsey, dilla and Jokerman. You guys were "figures" back then, and you still are now... at least to me. But why do we all keep coming back to this God-forsaken place? And why does Rukas keep it going? I don't mean to be asking hard questions, I don't want it to end, but I keep coming back to this question in my thoughts. What is it about "us" that makes us.... "us"? And why do we still come back here like once every two weeks? I've been through so many transcendent periods of my life where I grew as a person and as a human being. But I never outgrew this. Why?

Let me go first. Even though I'm living it, I am still terrified of life. If I could go back to MSN chats and forum posts being my social life, and never have to deal with humans, I would do it in an instant. I'm 36 now and still unmarried. Although not quite true I'm also damn near unfucked. Dealing with people on the day-to-day is so difficult some times. But I miss having a girlfriend, which I've had for like 7 of those 36 years. Best years of my life, but every time I meet a new chick I like I start feeling like "this is gonna end up with some bullshit". I don't think I'm an incel, because I don't feel angry. But I never managed to cope with life the way most people seem to be able to. Same time, I don't feel like that's true for every one of you. I reckon Pittsey's a baller. So whatever brings me back here doesn't have to do with my lack of social skills and social motivation, because to the best of my knowledge, some of you are out there doing it. So whatever I got in common with you is not that. So then, what is it? Why do we come back? Also, how are you guys doing in your life?

 

[Preach]

Btw, SOFI added me on Discord around the same time he posted last on here. He even joined the 2pac channel. He wrote to me and I responded like a day later and never heard back. Needless to say I feel pretty neglected, and therefore decided I am gonna make an effort to tilt the whole forum (all 3-12 members) into a new "this is my thread" kinda thread. Expect me to keep bumping this in the future

If anyone wants to shoot the shit, the "2pac discord" isn't as sweaty and 2pac-ey as you might think. Let me take this time to ask any and all of you to consider installing discord, leave it running in the background of your phone or PC, and stop by once in a while. There's channels for all kind of shit, you don't have to be heavy on the 2Pac stuff to have meaningful exchange there. Please join us lol. There's some younger people there, but the most active people are in their 30s++. Link to join is in my sig.

 

[Tha Massive Bell]

Let's talk

I'm a super introvert with a S on my chest.

Yes. What's up with saying hello once a year. I'm looking at S O F I on this one!

The nigga's probably lurking! I do!

I'm pretty sure I named dilla "tennis-dog". I have a pretty good memory.

I'm pretty sure I had cybersex with a dude from here pretending to be a lady. That's not gay at all.

For those still wondering, it is I, deeznuts, saltynuts, S. Fourteen, Entropy (aka i like to bore people), Detrick to name a few.

I remember Rukas being frustrated long ago about this place. I believe he felt that most 2Pac fans just wanted music and did not understand what the young man stood for.

Why do I come back here?Because I'm crazy and selfish!

Am I looking for new 2Pac stuff? No, I already have plenty!

Do I want friends? No. lol

Do I want attention? Yes, if you are so inclined.

Basically, I've been exiled and I cannot communicate the way I want to. This is the island I landed on. The natives may be weary and I respect that so I might figure out how to build a raft in the future and get off this island. In the meantime, I'm stuffing bottles with messages and tossing it out there wishing that it would catch the current to the otherside of the ocean.

PS Twitter and Facebook sucks.

 

[Preach]

For those still wondering, it is I, deeznuts, saltynuts, S. Fourteen, Entropy (aka i like to bore people), Detrick to name a few.

Oh shit. Everything suddenly made so much sense!

 

[Preach]

I miss westsyde07 and ReAlEsToUtLaW01. Speaking of cybersex. @SiGh is stilll here from time to time though. Silly! U! N lotz of it hahahahah!!! But... He's suffering from SOFI syndrome and only posts once every five years, then disappears. :'( I got him on my IG and FB though. He's maybe the most mysterious character on the 2Pac scene to me. Up there with @Jokerman! I saw westsyde on other 2pac forums for a short while after HitEmUp died, but haven't seen him in years.

I always thought westsyde07 was asian, and ReAlEsToUtLaW01 was latin american. Let me know if I nailed it.

 

[k69atie]

I was lucky enough to meet with @SiGh back in 2018 and his wife in Vegas. Coolest, nicest guy ever

I come here as it reminds me of my youth when I was young, beautiful and carefree and didn't realise how lucky I was. This place is a haven now and takes me back to happier times.

Now I am pushing 40 not in the best health but have an amazing boyfriend who quite honestly I am punching he is amazing and I am lucky to have him.

I am starting a masters degree in January despite no previous education since school (taking me on from my work experience in the field) in Supply Chain Management and Logistics.

 

[Jokerman]

For those still wondering, it is I, deeznuts, saltynuts, S. Fourteen, Entropy (aka i like to bore people), Detrick to name a few.

Paulypac

 

[Jokerman]

For me the question isn’t why are we still here but why aren’t more of us here? I still come here because why not? I stay because I’ve been here so long. This has been like home on the net for over 20 years. It's like a bar or club we go to where we know people are who we've engaged with over the years. Where else can you go and open up about anything at all and not worry about what the people in your life are going to think? Besides Twitter, I don't really post anywhere else. And on Twitter it's mostly stranger's tweets that I disagree with. But it's nothing like this place used to be. And some day, this place shall rise again!

You, Preach (or should I say, don_makavelio86) are here because for three years you were desperately in love with a girl you couldn’t have. I was that girl. You confronted me, got shut down, and then I moved away before things got resolved. You then did almost nothing for months but read comics. Then you met another girl, who was also me, but I kept pushing and you kept holding back. Now you're terrified of life and relationships.

No, but some of us share in common a bit of introversion, maybe have problems fitting in. But there doesn't have to be one thing. What it is about "us" that makes us.... "us" is like I said, we've been here so long and know each other somewhat, and can just ask questions or get someone's take on some current issue, or just vent and get some support from people who know us somewhat. Cool place to have, esp if we had more people still here.

 

[Tha Massive Bell]

Paulypac

lol Two different people. He told me he's from Birmingham UK. I think tHuG $TyLe can confirm this. Out of all I think I chatted with Pauly the most.

I've never had multiple accounts at the same time.

 

[Preach]

(or should I say, don_makavelio86)

Damn, this is like I'm on Hot Ones with Sean. How the hell do you remember that lol.

 

[dilla]

For those still wondering, it is I, deeznuts, saltynuts, S. Fourteen, Entropy (aka i like to bore people), Detrick to name a few.

I figured it was you once you dropped being from Minnesota in a post once. You did it again the other day but I figured it wasn't worth "Accusing" you of being saltynutz but then here you are in another thread just straight up admitting it.

I remember you were a big simp for Apple back in the day, too. Maybe you had an Apple thread in the Tech section once.

As for why I came on here? I think I found this place on accident. It was around 2005 or so when I got broadband internet and was able to download music and shows and movies without tying up the phone line. I began a binge of downloading stuff from forums. RapGodFathers and a few other sites had albums leaked weeks before their release date. Same with mixtapes. Eventually, I branched out to several other forums to cast a wider net on leaks.

Let's see how good my memory is.

One of my first encounters was with Bobby Sands. I forget his original username but we agreed to trade a Nate Dogg album for something like Rap Phenomenon. I think I fucked up the upload of The Prodigal's Son and he was on my case to get the rest of the files so the trade was even but I never did. I was a bastard but I honestly didn't have it so I ghosted him.

There were two twins near me in Indiana name Kamikazi and Diaz. I don't know what happened to them but I did add them on Facebook 14 years ago. I hope they're OK.

Saltynutz, I remember you being Asian and your face was your profile pic.

I remember Sebastian, the German. I think he went on a power trip and lost his mod powers and then sueprnova'd out of here. I think his username was beReal?

Duke was another guy I remember from the car forums. He had a Lancer Evo IX MR and I used to shit on him all the time because he said that the car I liked was bad. It was the 2006 Pontiac GTO, basically a re-badged Monaro. I never let that go.

There was another dude in St Louis named PuffnScruff. Cardinals fan and I used to get in to it with him too since I'm a Cubs fan. I stopped talking shit when the Cards won in 06. Whenever the Cards won again in 2011 or so, I still thought of him.

There was a hot Asian girl named Helena. Then I said some anti-Muslim things and she got mad and I asked her how an Oriental person could be Muslim lol. What are Uyghurs, amirite? I don't think she was but...

Did Rahim ever get his steak? I know he never had one. He was kind of a weiner.

Pauly Pac and ThugStyle, I think I had them on Facebook too. Thuggie I think was in the UK and Pauly was from Rexdale, ON? There was someone from Rexdale. I can't remember who.

There was another guy from New York that was a huge Yankees fan. I really only dealt with him in the Sports section. He was a Jets fan, too. I forget his name. EDIT I looked him up from an old fantasy football league, his name was Bank Robber.

What happened to Mark Deez? He was such a meme and then he actually got with some big artists and made a few songs.

I forget his username but there was a British Indian guy with the first name Vikas. I know his last name but I'm not about to dox him. Came to the US, went to Michigan for business school and then got married. I think I left a vulgar message on a photo on Facebook and his family saw it and he blocked me. At least that's what he told me.

Ray. I was tight with Ray back in 09 and through 2013 or so. He enlisted in the Marines and did his service and came back. Not sure what he does now but we are still friends on Xbox Live and I see him active quite often. I still haven't reached out to him.

Shadows. Jesse. I had his number too and we texted quite a bit but he also fell off. He worked at the SD zoo, I think. It's been 13 years so I don't think it matters but when Keco's workout pics leaked, he was the one who sent them to me. I don't think I sent them to anyone else but for some reason it was only my name that came up when she spoke up about it (maybe Eric's too) and I got the brunt of the blame on that one lol.

I think I've seen Carmi post like once a year. I think she had a kid?

Anyone remember Bachaveli? I remember he got clowned on for saying he was a business man and someone said he sold Cutco knives and that they were shit. I don't remember what my issue with him was. I think he shat on A-Rod a lot despite being a Yankees fan.

Is Morgan still around? And his friend Stred?

FlipMo and Sofi seemed the same to me, I don't know why. There was another Serb, I think, named Rizzle? Hizzle?

There was one guy named Saint. Maybe Saint33? I know we did a fantasy league together here on SH.


I don't know why I'm still here. It's the only forum I post on, unless you consider Reddit to be a forum. A couple car forums but that's only when I want information and not a place for me to shoot the shit. This place has been kind of consistent. I liked Pac's music but all of you know more about him than I do. The history, the lost tracks, remixes, etc. I don't think I care about any music artist the way you guys care about Pac. When I came here, it was Streethop so I don't know anything about the Tupac Board era or what went down back then.

I come here to shoot the shit in the tech forum, usually with Masta who blesses me with his tech knowledge lol. I learned a lot from him there. And then the general talk thread here in Our Block. I think my Coronavirus thread is going to be a nice time capsule to re-visit in a decade. The initial posts in that thread went from thinking it was going to be done in a few months to being something we might be living with forever, though not as serious.

 

[Tha Massive Bell]

Saltynutz, I remember you being Asian and your face was your profile pic.

lol I don't recall a profile pic. Maybe for an IM account. There were couple of photos floating around. Eric or Pauly might still have them.

 

[Pittsey]

Oh shit. Everything suddenly made so much sense!

I thought we all knew it was Salty. Dilla called it and when I checked the IPs it made sense

 

[Pittsey]

I have a few people on Instagram and Facebook. Like Fred, Morgan, Rukas and SiGh....

I come here every now and then. I was away for a while and then Morgan or SiGh asked me to come back and I've popped in every now and then

Fred. You're a top man. If you ever want to talk about life, reach out. Anyone can get a gf... My wife is way too hot for me. You just need to put yourself out there.

 

[Jokerman]

Oh shit. Everything suddenly made so much sense!

My whole life suddenly makes sense. I now also understand where all this, the Universe, came from.

 

[Jokerman]

I thought we all knew it was Salty. Dilla called it and when I checked the IPs it made sense

Not before he was 100% sure it was me. Psych, it is me. I'm also Sophie, Flipmo and hizzle.

 

[dilla]

Not before he was 100% sure it was me. Psych, it is me. I'm also Sophie, Flipmo and hizzle.

I forgot about that part. I did think it was you with a puppet account. Your posts seemed very close together and I thought it was some ploy to jumpstart activity on the forum again. I was wrong.

 

[keco52]

Ahh, should this be a story time? Hmm lol.

I was a teen mom. Before it was a cool show on MTV. This forum allowed me to have somewhat of a social life with people my age. That is the reason I’ve always been very private and secretive (and lied about some things as well, sorry). I’m an overprotective helicopter parent. They recently graduated High School so I am an empty nester in my 30s lol. I’m in a weird transition right now.

*edit* they are not a they I’m still just overprotective

 

[dilla]

I was a teen mom.

They recently graduated High School

Wow, so it was close to the time I started on SH that you had your "theyby."

What a thing to keep under the wraps for so long lol. SH Award for biggest reveal

 

[keco52]

Wow, so it was close to the time I started on SH that you had your "theyby."

What a thing to keep under the wraps for so long lol. SH Award for biggest reveal

Yeah. One person from here does know. “Exposing” people was such a weird thing on the internet, it still is. Id already given him a rough start to life, I didn’t need to leave him an embarrassing digital footprint on top of it.