In recent weeks, friends of the late Tupac Shakur have been reminiscing on the precious memories they shared with the rapper during his time here on earth.

During an interview with VladTV, E-40 added his recollections to the verbal montage of Tupac stories.

The Bay Area rapper recalled learning the “Dear Mama” rapper was taking on the alter ego “Makaveli.” “’I got a new name. I’m calling myself Makaveli.’ Of course, I didn’t know what he meant,” he said, teasing he goes by the name Fonzarelli. ”When I found out what it meant and what it was about, I said this dude is way ahead of his time.”

E-40 said the longevity of Tupac’s career was a result of his passion for music as well as the fact that he had recorded albums in the event that something had happened to him.

“He just loved to make music. That’s why his music lasted so long after his passing. ‘Cause all he did was stay in the studio,” said E-40. “All he was doing was building up the catalog and putting them in the vault… Few months later, I get a phone call saying Tupac been shot in Vegas. My heart dropped.”

After surviving gunshot wounds from a 1994 gunfire, E-40 admitted he was surprised Tupac had actually lost his life as a result of a shooting. He believes, however, that he would have made it through if he wanted to.

“Til this day, I want to tell you this: if he wanted to live, he could have lived, but he would have sold his soul,” E-40 explained. “He wasn’t gon’ sell his soul. God say, you can come with me or I can let you live and you can go on with the devil. He went up there with the rest of the talent.”

In other memories shared, Salt from Salt-N-Pepa recently shared a poem Tupac had written her daughter as he served time for a sexual abuse conviction.

Nas also recounted the time he clashed with Tupac over a “Makaveli” diss.

Watch E-40 talk about the late Tupac Shakur below.