Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known as 2Pac, his stage name, was an American hip hop artist, rapper, and actor. Shakur is known as one of the best hip hop artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records.
Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City. Tupac was known for being a performer since his early days in school. Shakur often acted in school plays, ballet danced, and battle rapped against his friends in his free time. His career began with his involvement in Digital Underground, a hip-hop group from Oakland, California, but he soon departed to pursue a solo career as a rapper.
Shakur released his debut album as a solo artist, 2Pacalypse Now, in 1991. Though it didn’t receive any extraordinary praise upon release, the album is now looked back on as a hip-hop classic for the themes that are contained in Tupac’s lyrics; themes often found in impoverished urban areas such as poverty, violence, and drug use.
Shakur’s lyrics are known to have been heavily influenced by his parents and home life. Tupac had various family members that were members of the Black Panther Party, and his stepfather, Mutulu, was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List.
Since 2Pacalypse Now, Shakur released a total of five albums: Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., Thug Life: Volume One, Me Against the World, All Eyez on Me, and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. His most popular songs include Keep Ya Head Up, Dear Mama, and Ghetto Gospel.
Later in his career, Shakur became heavily involved in the East Coast-West Coast conflict with The Notorious B.I.G., a rivalry that severed the two rap artists previous friendship.
On September 7, 1996, Tupac was the victim of a drive-by shooting carried out by unknown assailants. Though he was taken to a hospital immediately, Shakur was shot multiple times and was unable to recover, dying six days later.
Tupac Studio Albums:
- 2Pacalypse Now (1991)
- Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993)
- Me Against the World (1995)
- All Eyez on Me (1996)
- The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)
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