Indulge me in pretending, as you read the following opening lines, that they are spoken by Tupac Shakur, the very proof that immortality is possible, and an icon for the hope of the artist to survive, eternally, one's bodily death.
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This is the story, or rather, a story, I met
Cuz I met a story,
it's called meta-story.
Yeah I got lots of levels, but you can't kill me now
Cuz I came here from Troy
and I'm stealing your COWS
(handoff now to Eminem)
Yo I'm still alive but it really don't matter
I made all my money; I smoked all my shatter
I say I'm livin for Haileigh but thats just me lying;
my truth to be honest is I'm just scared of dying.
(handoff now to Gilbert Gottfried)
We already know there's only one True Story. Problem YOU got is you tell it all boring
(handoff now to an enthusiastic, younger Elton John, proudly but implausibly proclaiming . . . )
All fractured and bent, I've been shot at and spent,
but since I own all the rights, I will always make Rent.