2Pac

Songwriter: 2Pac

Producer: 2Pac

Held captive 4 your politics
They wanted 2 break your soul
They ordered the extermination
of all minds they couldn't control
4 u the fate was far worse
than just a brutal homicide
They caged u like an animal
and watched u slowly die inside
As u Breathe your first air of freedom
on the day u become a free man
Raise your Regal Brow in Pride
4 now you R in God's Hands
The life of many were given
so that the day would one day come
That the devils in Power at Pretoria
would pay for the evil crimes they've done

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.

more tracks from the album

The Rose That Grew From Concrete (Book)

From the album

The Rose That Grew From Concrete (Book) (1999)

2Pac popular songs

Just a Breath of Freedom (4 Nelson Mandela)2Pac

2Pac

The Rose That Grew From Concrete (Book)