2Pac

Released: July 21, 1998

Songwriter: Davey D

Producer: The Stealth Music Group

Davey D: His mother, Afeni Shakur, was a member of the Black Panther Party. She was pregnant with Tupac while in jail and on trial as one of the Infamous New York 21. This was a time where all the members of the party were accused of conspiracy to bomb public places. Afeni Shakur was eventually acquitted of all charges. Tupac's aunt Assata Shakur was also a member of the Black Panther Party. She was accused of killing a New Jersey state trooper. She eventually fled the country in exile. Today she still lives in Cuba. Tupac described his mom as a strong-willed woman who handled her business. His real father was unknown. As a youth, he identified with a pimp and petty hustler named "Legs" who later died from a crack-induced heart attack. Tupac was described as an energetic child who always liked to imagine himself in the lead role. His mom saw fit to enroll him at age 12 in the 127 Street Ensemble, which was a theatre group in Harlem, New York. Tupac’s first acting role was the character, Travis, in the play Raisin in the Sun. Tupac did not involve himself with rap until he and his family moved to Baltimore. As a young teenager, he took on the name "MC New York." While living in Baltimore, Tupac continued his acting by auditioning and later being accepted in Baltimore's Prestigious School for the Arts. At age 17, Tupac moved with his mom to Marin City in the San Francisco Bay area. It was in Marin City that Tupac lived about street life. In an attempt to be accepted and fit in with his peers, Tupac became a petty hustler who sold drugs. It was in Marin City that Tupac rediscovered rap. He ingratiated himself in the Bay Area's emerging rap scene by joining a group called Strictly Dope. This group featured fellow Bay Area rap star Ray Luv. While a member of Strictly Dope, Tupac decided to branch out and he eventually became friends with Digital Underground’s lead rapper, Shock G. Tupac auditioned for the group and he eventually became part of the group first as a roadie and later as a dancer. He went on to be a hype man for the group Digital Underground. As a member of Digital Underground, Tupac became known as "the rebel of the underground." Much of this had to do with his excitable and unpredictable personality. Tupac's tendency to stir up things had lead to many of his successes, as well as many of his troubles.

(Troubles, troubles, troubles, troubles...)

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an actor and a highly influential rapper who is considered by many to be the greatest of all-time due to the revolutionary spirit and thug passion he mixed into his music. During his music career, he made appearances in movies such as his acclaimed debut in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), and Above the Rim (1994).

Born in Harlem, New York City to Black Panther Party members Billy Garland and Afeni Shakur, Tupac would later move to Baltimore before settling in the Bay Area cities of Oakland and Marin City in the late 1980s. There, he joined his first rap group Strictly Dope with Ray Luv before connecting with Shock G and Digital Underground. He was a roadie and backup dancer for the group before his breakthrough performance on their 1991 song “Same Song.”

2Pac released his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, which featured intense storytelling on singles such as “Trapped” and “Brenda’s Got a Baby.” His sophomore album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z featured one of his signature songs, the Digital Underground-assisted “I Get Around.” After working on the Thug Life group album in 1994, 2Pac released Me Against the World the following year, which is considered by many to be his best album, peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200 and receiving a Grammy nomination—all while he sat in prison.

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In His Own Words

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In His Own Words (1998)

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In His Own Words