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Tupac Shakur

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Tupac Shakur · Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. He was born in East Harlem, New York, in 1971, the son of members of the Black Panther Party. His name referred to Túpac Amaru II, a descendant of the last Inca ruler, who was executed in 1781. His mother, Afeni Shakur, raised him alone. In 1984 the family moved to Baltimore, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz and ballet at the Baltimore School for the Arts. In 1988 he went to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Music and breakthrough

His debut album 2Pacalypse Now (1991) made him, with its political raps, a central figure in West Coast hip hop. Me Against the World (1995) and All Eyez on Me (1996) followed, the latter the first double album in hip hop, with the hits California Love and How Do U Want It. He formed the group Thug Life and worked with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and the Outlawz. He also acted in films such as Juice, Poetic Justice and Above the Rim. In November 1994 he was shot five times in a studio in New York, and later he spent eight months in prison. After that he signed to Death Row Records and became caught up in the rivalry between the East and West Coasts. On 7 September 1996 he was shot near Paradise, Nevada, and he died six days later.

Influence

His lyrics dealt partly with social injustice and the position of African Americans, and partly they were gangsta rap. In 2017 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to California Love and compare it with a track from Me Against the World. What changes in the tone of the voice and the lyrics?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists