Biography
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 16, 1971.
His mother, Afeni Shakur was a former member of the Black Panthers and was in jail up until a month before Tupac's birth.
She feared she would have the child behind bars and he would be taken away from her, but luckily she was acquitted of the charges and released. His biological father, Billy Garland, wasn't around throughout Tupac's childhood. Mutulu Shakur, instead, took most of the fatherly duties. Soon after, Tupac and his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he attended The Baltimore School for the Performing Arts. He excelled in drama and poetry. His teachers claimed he had potential. But soon after that, Tupac and his family moved to Oakland, California (Marin City).
Here, Tupac began hanging around with the wrong crowd. His mother became addicted to crack when he was 17 and her addiction forced Tupac out of the house. He began to make money to survive, illegally, such as selling drugs, robberies, etc. But he was also rapping with his group called "Strictly Dope" They did small shows for people around the neighborhood trying to make it in the business. He was soon noticed by popular rap group Digital Underground. He became a roadie/dancer for the group traveling on tour with them and performing the 'humpty dance. He appeared on several songs with Digital Underground including "Same Song", "DFLO Shuffle", and "Wassup Wit Tha Luv" His first album was called "2pacalypse Now" and was released on November 12, 1991 when Tupac was 2o years of age. The album didn't do well, on the standards set by his later career, but definitely got him recognized in the industry. Vice President Dan Quayle noticed it saying "There is absolutly no reason for a record like this to be published. It has no place in our society." Tupac responded to this with his second release, "Strictly 4 My NIGGAZ" This album featured guest appearances by established rappers like Ice T and Ice Cube and featured such hits like 'I Get Around' and 'Keep Ya Head Up'. By this time, Tupac had also made his mark in the acting profession appearing in "Juice" and "Poetic Justice"
In the next year his life would turn full-circle. He created a group called "Thug Life" and with them, they released a self-titled album. He appeared in the movie "Above the Rim" and had his next album ready to be released, appropriately titled "Me Against The World" His career stopped as he was then charged with sexual assault. Tupac, to the day of his death, denied the charges. On top of that, a few days before he was to be sentenced, he was robbed and shot five times at gunpoint in a New York recording studio. Bandaged up like he'd been in a war, 2pac checked himself out of the hospital and went to court for sentencing. They sentenced him to two years in the Riker's Island Correctional Facility. In jail, Tupac kept himself busy by reading books. Particularly, several books by Niccolo Machiavelli, from which his future alias, Makaveli, would be created from. While on the outside his album "Me Against the World" was doing very well. It was number one on both of the Billboard charts and set the record for the first and only time an incarcerated man had the number one album in the country.
After eight months in jail, he made bail at one million dollars. Suge Knight, of the popular Death Row Records, paid his bail. In return, 2pac signed to Death Row and quickly released his most popular album "All Eyez On Me" The album, the first two-CD hip-hop LP ever released, too, reached number 1 on the charts. He was on top of the world making movies and receiving good reviews for his acting ability. He was about to release his next album "Makaveli: The Don Killuminati" when tragedy struck. He and Suge Knight were attending the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldom fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sep. 7, 1996. After the fight in the lobby, Tupac and Suge spot Orlando Anderson, who they recognize as someone that stole his chain a few weeks earlier. They attacked him and then stormed out of the MGM. Pulling up to an intersection, Tupac and his entourage were on their way to a charity concert at Death Row Records Club 662. When, suddenly, a car pulled up to the right of them. The men got out of the car and unloaded their guns into the car Tupac and Suge were in... Tupac lived in the hospital for seven days before succumbing to his wounds (i.e collapsed lung)
Since his death, a lot of material has been released. Two albums of previously unreleased material, a greatest hits cd, and two movies. Tupac Amaru Shakur was the greatest hip-hop artist to ever grace the mic. The world could have seen a lot more from him. If it had not been for the murderous thoughts of a few individuals, Tupac Shakur would have been given more of an opportunity to impact the world in a positive way. He will be missed forever. Rest In Peace Pac
