EAST HARLEM, NEWYORK: Tupac Shakur was a prominent rapper in the '90s and is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Tupac was born on June 16, 1971, in Brooklyn, New York, to Afeni Shakur (formerly Alice Faye Williams), a member of the Black Panther Party.
Hiis name was changed to Tupac Amaru Shakur from Lesane Parish Crooks, inspired by the Peruvian revolutionary Tupac Amaru II, when he was just a year old, according to Britannica.
How did Tupac Shakur start rapping?
Growing up, Tupac's family was often on the move, eventually settling in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1986.
There, he attended the prestigious Baltimore School for the Arts, where he excelled both academically and creatively.
However, before completing his education, his family moved again, this time to Marin City, California.
In Marin City, Tupac found himself immersed in street life, involved in drug dealing and the gang culture that would later become a recurring theme in his rap lyrics.
In 1990, he joined Digital Underground, an Oakland-based rap group known for their Billboard Top 40 hit 'The Humpty Dance'.
Tupac contributed to two of Digital Underground's albums in 1991, 'This Is an EP Release' and 'Sons of the P', before launching his solo career with his debut album, '2Pacalypse Now', later that year.
'2Pacalypse Now' marked a significant departure from Digital Underground's party sound, aligning more closely with the lyrical content and social activism of acts such as Public Enemy and West Coast gangsta rap group NWA.
Although it lacked a radio-friendly hit single, the album sold well. Its impact was further amplified when then Vice-President Dan Quayle criticized the track 'Soulja's Story', during the 1992 presidential campaign.
The same year, Tupac ventured into acting, starring in the urban crime drama 'Juice'. He also starred in 'Poetic Justice' in 1993, alongside Janet Jackson.
His second album, 'Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z', maintained the activist themes of his debut while incorporating more radio-friendly tracks such as 'Holler If Ya Hear Me' and 'Keep Ya Head Up'.
Why was Tupac Shakur arrested?
Tupac's rising fame also meant that his lifestyle was under increased scrutiny. He faced multiple arrests, culminating in a sexual assault conviction in 1994 that led to an eight-month prison sentence.
When he was in prison, his third album, 'Me Against the World', was released in 1995.
After his release, Tupac signed with Death Row Records, helmed by Suge Knight, and released his iconic double album, 'All Eyez on Me', in 1996.
This album celebrated the "thug life" image Tupac embodied, debuting at Number 1 on the Billboard charts and selling over five million copies within its first year.
How did Tupac Shakur die?
Tupac's success extended to Hollywood, He appeared in movies such as 'Bullet' (1996) and 'Gridlock'd' (1997). However, on the evening of September 7, 1996, tragedy struck.
As Tupac was leaving a Las Vegas casino after attending a Mike Tyson prizefight, he was shot by an unidentified assailant.
The incident, believed to be a result of the ongoing East Coast-West Coast rap feud, sent shockwaves through the entertainment world.
Tupac died six days later, leaving a void in the music industry. Despite his relatively brief recording career, Tupac's legacy has endured in the hip-hop community.
His popularity remains undiminished after his untimely death, with a continuous stream of posthumous releases (some being remixes or repackaged existing material, and many of varying quality) keeping his music alive well into the 21st century.
In recognition of his influence and impact on the genre, Tupac was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
