Jon B Reveals What Tupac Shakur Was Like During the Legendary Are U Still Down? Studio Session

More than two decades after Are U Still Down? (Remember Me) became one of the most emotional releases in Tupac Shakur’s catalog, R&B singer and producer Jon B is opening up about what it was really like being in the studio with the late icon during their final collaboration.

In a revealing interview, Jon B confirms long-standing reports that he was the last artist to record with Tupac, just two weeks before the rapper’s passing in September 1996. What he describes is a powerful blend of intensity, discipline, generosity, and raw musical chemistry that few artists ever experienced firsthand.

Tupac’s Relentless Studio Ethic

According to Jon B, Tupac operated at a pace that bordered on superhuman.

Pac once told him, “Three songs a day. If you ain’t doing that, you’re not in the mode I’m in.”

It wasn’t bravado — it was standard procedure. Tupac’s studio regimen was famously demanding, driven by urgency and vision. Even among elite artists, his work ethic stood apart.

That pressure wasn’t hostile. It was purposeful.

The Birth of Are U Still Down?

The session that produced “Are U Still Down?” began when legendary producer Johnny J played the instrumental. Jon B immediately knew there was no need to set up his own gear.

“That’s it. Put everything back in the car,” he recalled.

What followed was a three-hour creative sprint — melody for lyric, line for line, back and forth. Jon B describes it as one of the purest collaborations of his career:

• Tupac would finish Jon’s melodies with lyrics

• Jon would answer Tupac’s verses with vocal ideas

• Ad-libs, harmonies, and structure were built organically

By the end of the night, the heart of the record was complete.

No Nonsense, All Respect

While the atmosphere included blunts, Hennessy, and a packed room, Tupac demanded focus when it mattered.

At one point, Jon B admits he was getting too loose during a vocoder take. Tupac immediately stopped the session:

“No more Hennessy for John. No more smoke. Play it right. Mean it.”

There was no anger — just leadership. Tupac knew when to let the room breathe and when to lock in. Jon B says Pac had a way of pushing artists into performance mode, extracting their best work without ego.

A Record Meant for His Mother

One of the most emotional revelations involves Afeni Shakur.

Jon B recounts visiting her home after Tupac’s memorial, where she shared that Are U Still Down? was deeply personal to her son. Tupac didn’t often play his music for his mother — but this record was different.

He reportedly told her:

“Look what I did, Mom. You’re going to like this one.”

Tupac viewed the song as a crossover record, something that expanded his artistry while staying true to who he was.

The Last Goodbye

Jon B left the studio around 3–4 a.m., blasting the record on the drive home with the windows down. He hugged Tupac, told him he loved him, and had no idea it would be the last time they’d ever meet.

When news broke of Tupac’s death, Jon B was overseas in Europe finishing his album. Like many fans, he initially believed Tupac would survive — he had before.

Instead, Jon B describes sinking into depression, shock, and a form of survivor’s guilt at just 23 years old. His vision of standing beside Tupac as the record dropped vanished overnight.

Honoring Johnny J and Tupac’s Legacy

The story doesn’t end there.

After Tupac’s passing, Jon B continued working with Johnny J, whom he calls one of the most underrated producers in hip-hop history, responsible for everything from How Do U Want It to All Eyez on Me.

Together, they later created Are U Still Down? (Part 2) using unreleased Tupac vocals. When they assembled the track, Jon B says it felt like Pac was in the room with them again — ad-libs lining up perfectly, energy intact.

When Johnny J later passed as well, Jon B found solace in imagining both men reunited.

“At least my boys are together. Rest in power.”

A Moment Frozen in Hip-Hop History

Jon B’s account strips away mythology and reveals Tupac as both relentlessly driven and deeply human — an artist who demanded greatness, protected collaborators, and poured emotion into every bar.

Are U Still Down? now stands not just as a posthumous release, but as a time capsule — the sound of Tupac pushing forward, still dreaming, still building, right up until the very end.

And thanks to Jon B, the world now knows exactly what that final moment felt like.