(Photo: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup)

Tupac Shakur has been one of this generation’s most influential rappers. So the recent singles paying homage to his legacy come as no surprise. In fact, Brooklyn MC Maino is taking credit for being the first to start the blitz of Tupac-themed anthems and freestyles earlier this year with his club-banger “We Keep It Rockin” – a New York version of Tupac’s West Coast classic “California Love.”

“Tupac’s music for me was definitely inspirational – he spoke a language that I understood,” the Brooklyn MC told BET.com. “I was a dude in the street, in and out of prison, and not really living a righteous lifestyle and the music that he wrote was the soundtrack to that. Music like that is timeless.” 

After performing his own latest club-banger “Let It Fly” featuring Roscoe Dash at the Global Fusion Festival in Philadelphia last weekend, the Maino told BET.com that his transition from the streets to the industry is over and his new material is about life after.

Set to release his sophomore effort, The Day After Tomorrow, in October, the hardcore rhyme spitta warns not to expect a project filled with guest spots.

“I tried to keep the features down to a minimum because I’m still tryna get the people use to who I am as an artist,” Maino said. “You don’t wanna be a fly by night artist so I don’t wanna have tons of features… I got [Lil] Wayne on there, I got [Lloyd] Banks on there, I got Roscoe on there…you know minimal, but it’s mostly about me.”

Maino also hinted that he has some television projects in the works. He plans to reveal more details about his album in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned to BET.com for more.