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Tupac Shakur

"Tupac" redirects here. For other uses, see Tupac (disambiguation).
"Makaveli" redirects here. For the Italian philosopher, see Machiavelli. For the Tupac album often called "Makaveli", see The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.

Tupac Shakur
Shakur's passport wallet photo, 1995
Born
Lesane Parish Crooks

(1971-06-16)June 16, 1971
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
DiedSeptember 13, 1996(1996-09-13) (aged 25)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Cause of deathDrive-by homicide (gunshot wounds)
Other names
  • 2Pac
  • Pac
  • Makaveli
  • MC New York
Education
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • actor
  • activist
  • poet
Years active1989–1996
Spouse
Keisha Morris
​
​
(m. 1995; ann. 1996)​
Parents
Relatives
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
DiscographyTupac Shakur discography
Labels
Formerly of
Websitewww.2pac.com Edit this at Wikidata
Signature

Tupac Amaru Shakur (/ˈtuːpɑːk ʃəˈkʊər/ ; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Considered to be one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time,[1][2][3] academics regard him as one of the most influential music artists of the 20th century and a prominent political activist for Black America.[4][5] In addition to his music career, Shakur also wrote poetry and had numerous starring roles in movies. Shakur is among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide.[6] His lyrical content has been noted for addressing social injustice, political issues, and the marginalization of other African-Americans,[7][8] but he was also synonymous with gangsta rap and violent lyrics.[9]

Shakur was born in New York City to parents who were both political activists and Black Panther Party members. Raised by his mother, Afeni Shakur, he relocated to Baltimore in 1984 and to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. With the release of his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, he became a central figure in West Coast hip hop for his conscious rap and political rap lyrics.[10][11] Shakur achieved further critical and commercial multi-platinum success with his follow-up albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993) and Me Against the World (1995).[12] His Diamond certified album All Eyez on Me (1996), the first double-length album in hip-hop history, abandoned his introspective lyrics for volatile gangsta rap.[13] In addition to his music career, Shakur starred roles in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above the Rim (1994), Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997). Shakur's most notable songs include "California Love," "Changes," "Dear Mama," "Hail Mary," "Keep Ya Head Up," "Hit 'Em Up," "Ambitionz az a Ridah," "All Eyez on Me," "Ghetto Gospel," "Do for Love," "So Many Tears," "To Live & Die in L.A.," "How Do U Want It," "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted," "Brenda's Got a Baby" and "I Get Around." Alongside his solo career, Shakur was part of the group Thug Life and collaborated with artists like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and the Outlawz.

During the later part of his career, Shakur was shot five times in the lobby of a New York recording studio and experienced legal troubles, including incarceration. He served eight months in prison on sexual abuse charges, but was released pending an appeal of his conviction in 1995.[14] Following his release, he signed to Marion "Suge" Knight's label Death Row Records and became heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry.[15] On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas; he died six days later. Following his murder, Shakur's friend-turned-rival, the Notorious B.I.G., was at first considered a suspect due to their public feud; he was also murdered in another drive-by shooting six months later in March 1997, while visiting Los Angeles.[16][17] On September 22, 1996, a peace summit was convened at Mosque Maryam by Louis Farrakhan in response to his assassination.[18]

Shakur's double-length posthumous album Greatest Hits (1998) is one of his two releases—and one of only nine hip hop albums—to have been certified Diamond in the United States.[19] Five more albums have been released since Shakur's death, including his critically acclaimed posthumous album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)[20] under his stage name Makaveli, all of which have been certified multi-platinum in the United States.[21] In 2002, Shakur was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame.[22] In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.[23] Rolling Stone ranked Shakur among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[24] In 2023, he was awarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[25] His influence in music, activism, songwriting, and other areas of culture has been the subject of academic studies.[26][27]

  1. ^ Okwerekwu, Ike (May 5, 2019). "Tupac: The Greatest Inspirational Hip Hop Artist". Music For Inspiration. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "8 Ways Tupac Shakur Changed the World". Rolling Stone. September 13, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  3. ^ "Tupac Shakur: The story of a rapper 'always meant for something great'". Sky News. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  4. ^ Ogbar, Jeffrey O. G. (June 16, 2017). "In Tupac's life, the struggles and triumphs of a generation". The Conversation. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  5. ^ Chhabra, Sameer (June 18, 2021). "Unpacking Tupac's complicated legacy, on what would have been his 50th birthday".
  6. ^ "Tupac blamed race in Madonna breakup letter". BBC News. July 6, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  7. ^ "Why Tupac is an Iconic Figure of Hip Hop Culture". gradozerobeats.com. March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  8. ^ "Tupac Was Always Political". GQ. February 10, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Takedown was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Tupac Shakur – Thug Angel (The Life of an Outlaw). 2002.
  11. ^ Alexander, Leslie M.; Rucker, Walter C., eds. (February 28, 2010). Encyclopedia of African American History. Vol. 1. ABC-CLIO. pp. 254–257. ISBN 9781851097692.
  12. ^ Edwards, Paul (2009). How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC. Chicago Review Press. p. 330.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference AllMusic-r231489 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Jay-Z (2011). Bailey, Julius (ed.). Essays on Hip Hop's Philosopher King. McFarland & Company. p. 55. ISBN 978-0786463299.
  16. ^ Planas, Antonio (April 7, 2011). "FBI outlines parallels in Notorious B.I.G., Tupac slayings". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on April 11, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference TSDCD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Marriott, Michel (September 23, 1996). "At a Ceremony for Shakur, Appeals for Peace". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  19. ^ "2Pac's 'Greatest Hits' album certified Diamond". HYPEBEAST. July 8, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  20. ^ "No Blasphemy: Why 2Pac's "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory" Is Rap's Greatest Album". HipHopDX. November 5, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  21. ^ "The Best Selling Tupac Albums of All Time". 2PacLegacy.net. August 4, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  22. ^ "Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur To Be Inducted Into Hip-Hop Hall Of Fame". BET. December 30, 2006. Archived from the original on December 30, 2006. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  23. ^ "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame taps Tupac, Journey, Pearl Jam". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  24. ^ "100 Greatest Artists". Rolling Stone. December 3, 2010. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  25. ^ "Tupac Shakur posthumously receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame". cbsnews.com. June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  26. ^ "KULH1111 – Tupac, hiphop og kulturhistorie" [KULH1111 – Tupac, hip hop and cultural history]. uio.no (in Norwegian).
  27. ^ "2003: "All Eyez on Me: Tupac Shakur and the Search for the Modern Folk Hero"". folkmyth.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved August 24, 2024.

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