Fans of Tupac Shakur know that the enigmatic MC often contemplated his own death in his songs, videos and interviews. On records like “No More Pain,” from All Eyez On Me, he scoffed at his demise, with lines like “my only fear of death is reincarnation.” For other songs, like “So Many Tears,” he took a more contemplative approach, opening with “I shall not fear no man but God, though I walk through the valley of death. I shed so many tears. If I should die before I wake, please God walk with me. Grab a n**** and take me to Heaven.” For videos like the one for “I Ain’t Mad At Cha,” he even went as far as depicting his own death–by gunfire, no less–as he watched over friends who remained on this earth.

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As a man who had been shot five times, and fired at numerous times beyond that, prior to his fatal attack in 1996, Shakur had more reason than most to consider the possibilities of an early death. In a new interview with E-40, however, the 30-year veteran shares insight into just how far Pac’s preparedness was for his untimely demise. With both 40 and Pac having deep ties to the Bay area, the relationship between the two was one of love and respect. They collaborated on a number of occasions, including on 40’s songs “Dusted ‘N’ Disgusted” and “Million Dollar Spot,” and Tupac’s “Ain’t Hard 2 Find.” In fact, rare footage of the two MCs together, has surfaced over the years, showing just how genuine their kinship was.

As a guest on The Real, 40 was asked what his favorite Tupac memory was. “It’s one of my greatest memories, but it’s also one of my saddest memories because it was 1996 and we are in my trailer and we are shooting a video to my song called ‘Rapper’s Ball,'” replies 40. He continues, “He was there and he was telling me about, you know, how he had an album for when he died. You know, I don’t think, I mean, he felt like he was going to die. He just had it prepared because he was a workaholic.”

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It is unclear which songs Tupac had reserved in the event of his death. Since his passing on September 13, 1996, a number of posthumous recordings have been released, many of which address or foreshadow his death. However, R U Still Down, the first album released without his creative control had Pac asking “I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto.” Perhaps, even more telling was the album closer, “Only Fear Of Death.” In the song’s ominous outro, Pac can be heard saying “I ain’t scared to die. Do you wanna live forever? Are you scared to die? Or will you scream when you fry? I don’t fear death. My only fear of death is coming back, reincarnated.”