Tupac Shakur

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), better known as 2Pac or Makaveli, was an American rapper, actor, dancer,  record producer and record executive. He is considered by many music enthusiasts to be one of the greatest rappers and actors of all time. He sold many records. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2001. Shakur began his career as a roadie, backup dancer, and MC for the alternative hip hop group Digital Underground as "MC New York". He eventually branched off as a solo artist.Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 330. 

On June 7, 2003, Tupac was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2004, a biographical movie about Tupac was announced.

 Early life 
He was born as Lesane Crooks in East Harlem, New York. Crooks was later renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur after Túpac Amaru II, a ruler in Peru.  His family later moved to Marin City, California when Tupac was 17. Tupac went to the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he found it interesting to read Shakespeare's poems. He got very affected by the beauty of rhyming, choosing the word and expression. He studied poetry, acting, jazz, and ballet.

 Music career 
In 1990, Shakur joined with the Oakland, California-based alternative hip hop group Digital Underground. He appeared on two of the group's albums in 1991: This Is an EP Release and Sons of the P. Later that year he produced and released his first solo album, 2Pacalypse Now. The album protested problems such as racism, and made him much more popular. 

His second album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., was released in 1993. It contained the hit singles "I Get Around" and "Keep Ya Head Up."

His third album, Me Against the World, was released in 1995. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. He was incarcerated (in prison) at the time. 

His fourth album, All Eyez on Me (1996), was the last album released during his lifetime. All Eyez on Me included the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles "How Do U Want It?" and "California Love." 

Shakur won the Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Album in 1996 for ‘Me Against the World’. He received the American Music Award for the Favorite Rap/Hip Hop artist posthumously in 1997.

Several of Shakur's albums were released posthumously. It contained previously recorded material from when he was alive.

 Controversy and Rivalries 
Shakur was convicted of assault and sexual assault in separate incidents.

On November 30, 1994, Shakur was shot outside of Quad Studios, a recording studio in Manhattan, New York. Shakur had been invited to record, but was later confronted by three armed men in the lobby, who robbed him of his possessions and shot him multiple times. These nonfatal gunshot wounds incited a feud between Shakur and well known Hip-Hop artist Christopher Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G., as Shakur believed that it was Wallace's associates who assaulted him. This escalated into a rap beef, when Shakur and his labelmates of Death Row Records sided against Wallace and his labelmates of Bad Boy Records. This west coast versus east coast beef eventually led to the killings of both Shakur and Wallace in the 1990's.

Assassination
On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting by someone in a Cadillac car at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas, Nevada. He died six days later at the Southern Nevada University Medical Center.Tupac Shakur's death certificate details  reported by Cathy Scott. Retrieved 2007-10-05. His murder is still unsolved.

Shakur's friend and labelmate from Death Row Records, Marion "Suge" Knight, was in the car with Shakur. Knight survived the shooting.

In 1998, a prime suspect in Shakur’s murder, Orlando Anderson (aka Baby Lane) was killed in another drive-by shooting.

In 2002, reporter Chuck Phillips wrote in the Los Angeles Times that another rapper called Biggie Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G.) could have paid members of the Crips street gang to kill Shakur and that he could have given them the gun.

 A Suspect Arrested in 2023 
On September 29, 2023, Duane "Keefe D" Davis was named as a suspect and was arrested by the Las Vegas Police Department in connection with the murder of Shakur. Keefe D had previously admitted to killing Tupac on July 2, 2018 when he [thought that he was going to die soon, or] was dying from cancer. The trial against Davis, is delayed until February 2026.https://www.nrk.no/nyheter/rettssaken-mot-tupac-mistenkt-utsatt-1.17298134. Retrieved 2025-02-19https://pitchfork.com/news/trial-date-set-in-tupac-shakur-murder-case/. Retrieved 2023-11-09

There were four people in the car that was used by the suspects during the murder, according to the media. Three of the suspects are dead as of 2023.https://www.vg.no/rampelys/i/wAGqbL/tupac-siktet-i-retten-for-drap-var-shotcalleren. VG.no. Retrieved 2023-10-05

 Discography 
 Studio albums 
ReleasedAlbumPeak chart 
positionsallmusic (((2Pac > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums))). Allmusic. Accessed May 11, 2008.Certificationshttp://www.hitemup.com/tupac/lawsuit-agnant.html  (The official legal documents)US 200US R&BUSCANNovember 12, 19912Pacalypse Now6413GoldFebruary 16, 1993Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.244PlatinumMarch 14, 1995Me Against the World115× Multi-PlatinumFebruary 13, 1996All Eyez on Me1110x Diamond. 42 Million copies sold WorldwidePlatinumNovember 5, 1996The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (as Makaveli)119x Platinum. 35 Million copies sold WorldwidePlatinum

 Studio albums after death 
ReleasedAlbumPeak chart positionsCertifications U.S.U.S. R&BU.S.CANNovember 25, 1997R U Still Down? (Remember Me)216× Multi-PlatinumMarch 27, 2001Until the End of Time118× Multi-Platinum4× PlatinumNovember 26, 2002Better Dayz512× Multi-Platinum3× PlatinumDecember 14, 2004Loyal to the Game11Platinum November 21, 2006Pac's Life933× Multi-Platinum

 Collaboration 
Album ArtistReleasedAlbumPeak chart positionsCertifications U.S.U.S. R&BU.S.CANThug LifeSeptember 26, 1994Thug Life: Volume 1426Gold 2Pac + OutlawzDecember 14, 1999Still I Rise62Platinum Gold

 Compilations 
ReleasedAlbumPeak chart positionsCertifications US 200US R&BUSCANNovember 24, 1998Greatest Hits3110x Diamond. 38.5 Million copies sold WorldwidePlatinumOctober 17, 2000The Rose That Grew from Concrete89282003The Prophet: The Best of the WorksOctober 7, 2003Nu-Mixx Klazzics155August 6, 20042Pac Live5416September 20, 2005The Rose, Vol. 2October 3, 2005Live at the House of Blues15948June 12, 2007Beginnings: The Lost Tapes 1988-1991August 14, 2007Nu-Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2458December 4, 2007Best of 2Pac6513

 Soundtrack appearances 
ReleasedAlbumChart positionRIAA CertificationSongsJune 29, 1993Poetic Justice23Gold"Definition of a Thug Nigga"March 22, 1994Above the Rim12× Multi-Platinum"Pour out a Little Liquor", "Pain"August 15, 1995The Show: The Soundtrack4Platinum"My Block"November 7, 1995One Million Strong4"Runnin'"April 23, 1996Sunset Park (soundtrack)1"High 'Til I Die "January 17, 1997Gridlock'd soundtrack1"Wanted Dead or Alive", "Out the Moon (Boom, Boom, Boom)", "Never Had a Friend Like Me", "Life's a Traffic Jam"October 7, 1997Gang Related soundtrack12× Multi-Platinum"Life So Hard", "Starin' Through My Rear View", "Made Niggaz", "Lost Souls"November 11, 2003Tupac: Resurrection2Platinum"Runnin' (Dying to Live)", "One Day at a Time", "Ghost", "The Realist Killaz"

 Singles 
YearSongChart positionsArtist Chart History . Billboard. Accessed September 26, 2007.AlbumRIAA Certification U.S. Hot 100U.S. R&BU.S. RapUK1991"Brenda's Got a Baby" —233—2Pacalypse Now"If My Homie Calls"——3—1992"Trapped"————1993"Holler If Ya Hear Me"—110——Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z."I Get Around" (featuring Digital Underground)1158—Gold"Keep Ya Head Up"1272—Gold1994"Papa'z Song" (featuring Wycked)878224—"Cradle to the Grave" (featuring Thug Life)—9125—Thug Life: Volume 1"Pour Out a Little Liquor" (featuring Thug Life)————"How Long Will They Mourn Me?" (featuring Thug Life)————1995"Dear Mama"93127Me Against the WorldPlatinum"Can U Get Away" A—70——"So Many Tears"44216—"Temptations"683513—"Runnin' (Dying to Live)" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G. & Stretch)81571315One Million Strong"California Love" (featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman) 11116All Eyez on Me5× platinum"How Do U Want It" (featuring K-Ci and JoJo) 1171996"2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" (featuring Snoop Dogg) A—46——"Hit 'Em Up" (featuring Outlawz)————Greatest Hits"All Bout U" (featuring Nate Dogg, Hussein Fatal & Yaki Kadafi)————All Eyez on Me"Life Goes On" ———15"I Ain't Mad at Cha" (featuring Danny Boy) A5818—13"Toss It Up" (featuring Danny Boy, K-Ci & JoJo and Aaron Hall) A—34—15The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory1997"To Live & Die in L.A." ———10"Hail Mary" A—12 843"I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto"67141821R U Still Down? (Remember Me)"Do for Love"2110212Gold1998"Changes"321213Greatest Hits"Happy Home"———17Until the End of Time1999"Unconditional Love"————Greatest Hits2000"Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)" (featuring Tha Outlawz)7236——Still I Rise2001"Until the End of Time" (featuring R.L.)5221—4Until the End of Time"Letter 2 My Unborn"—64—212002"Thugz Mansion" (featuring Nas)1910424Better Dayz2003"Still Ballin (Nitty remix)" (featuring Trick Daddy)693115—"Runnin' (Dying to Live)" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.)1911517Tupac: Resurrection"One Day at a Time (Em's Version)" (featuring Eminem & Tha Outlawz)—505122—2004"Thugs Get Lonely Too" (featuring Nate Dogg)9855——Loyal to the Game2005"Ghetto Gospel" (featuring Elton John)—— 112006"Untouchable" (featuring Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony)————Pac's Life"Pac's Life" (featuring T.I. & Ashanti)—104—212008"Playa Cardz Right" (featuring Keyshia Cole)639—
 A Did not chart on the Hot 100 or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts (Billboard rules at the time prevented album cuts from charting). Chart peak listed here represents Hot 100 Airplay and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts data.
 1 Double-A-Side in the U.S.

 Filmography 
 Year  Title  Role  Notes1991 Nothing But Trouble Himself  (Brief appearance)1992 Juice Bishop First starring role1992 Drexell's Class Himself Season 1: "Cruisin'"1993 A Different World Piccolo Season 6: "Homie, Don't You Know Me?"1993 Poetic Justice Lucky Co-starred with Janet Jackson1993 In Living Color Himself Season 5: "Ike Turner and Hooch"1994 Above the Rim Birdie Co-starred with Duane Martin, Last movie before Shakur's death1995 Murder Was the Case: The Movie Himself (Uncredited)1996 Bullet Tank Released one month after Shakur's death1997 Gridlock'd Ezekiel 'Spoon' Whitmore Released four months after Shakur's death1997 Gang Related Detective Rodríguez Shakur's last performance in a movie2003 Tupac: Resurrection Himself Official documentary film2009 Notorious Himself (archive footage) Portrayed by Anthony Mackie20?? Live 2 Tell Screenwriter (Written in 1995)

 References 

 Other websites 
 2Pac Legacy (official website)
 Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation for the Arts
 Tupac Legacy Tour 
 pacside
 Tupac Nation 


Category:Actors from New York City
Category:African-American actors
Category:American television actors
Category:American movie actors
Category:American activists
Category:African-American musicians
Category:American hip hop musicians
Category:American hip hop singers
Category:American contemporary R&B singers
Category:American R&B musicians
Category:Rappers from New York (state)
Category:Interscope Records artists
Category:Criminals from New York City
Category:Murdered African-American people
Category:Murdered criminals
Category:Murdered musicians
Category:American people convicted of assault
Category:Murders by firearm in the United States
Category:Gangsta rappers
Category:American sex offenders
Category:Unsolved murders in the United States
Category:1971 births
Category:1996 deaths

Category:20th-century American rappers