2Pac

Released: July 21, 1998

Songwriter: Davey D

Producer: The Stealth Music Group

Davey D: On November 30th, 1994, while waiting in the lobby of a Times Square studio, Tupac became the victim of an attempted robbery. He resisted and was shot five times. Left for dead, Tupac shocked the world by not only surviving, but checking out the hospital just days after the incident. Tupac was in New York filming a video as well as awaiting the fate of his trial for the sexual assault charges he was indicted for the year before. He would eventually be sentenced to four and a half years in prison. He would also accuse former rap partner Notorious B.I.G. as the person who set him up to be shot. It was these accusations that intensified the supposed East/West Coast rivalry within hip hop. Now just before Tupac began serving his sentence for sexual assault charges, he released his third album entitled Me Against The World. It was on this album the world heard Tupac's tribute to his mom entitled "Dear Mama." After serving a little more than seven months in New York's correctional facilities, Tupac was released on 1.3 million dollars bail and signed to Death Row Records, the home to Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound. He quickly made noise with the release of his hit song "California Love," a track featuring himself and Dr. Dre. While awaiting his appeal, Tupac released the double album All Eyez On Me. It featured all sorts of artists, ranging from R&B crooner Jodeci to Baby Area locals like Dru Down and Richie Rich. Ironically while out on bail, Tupac had managed to again embroil himself in controversy. He was arrested twice for parole violations and accused of causing a disturbance that took place at the Soul Train Music Awards. Reports confirmed that he confronted Notorious B.I.G. backstage. On September 7th, 1996, 2Pac and CEO of Death Row Suge Knight left the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon fight in Las Vegas in Suge's car. A white Cadillac with four people inside pulled alongside at an intersection, and on person stepped out and opened fire. Tupac was hit four times while Suge escaped with minor injuries. Tupac was brought to the University Medical Center. On Friday, September 13, 1996, Tupac died after six days in critical condition. Tupac Shakur was pronounced dead at 4:03 PM. His body was later cremated. He was only 25.

(He was only 25, he was only 25, he was only 25, he was only 25, he was only 25, he was only 25, he was only 25, he was only 25, he was only 25, he was only 25...)

[Piano Instrumental]

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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