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Tupac Amaru Shakur 1971-1996
Tupac Shakur will go down in history as the rapper who always lived up to his wild reputation. He rapped of gunfights, rough sex, gang rivalries and "Thug Life," and was arrested, jailed, shot and later killed over these very issues. Always known as a gifted rapper and a brilliant lyricist, Tupac was often touted as being the Marvin Gaye of hip-hop, complex and talented, but a "Trouble Man" to the core. He parlayed his music career into a successful film career and was one of the hardest working men in show biz, churning out five albums, five films and numerous guest appearances in just under five years. Tupac lead a full life and accomplished a great deal before his murder in 1996.
Born in jail and raised in Oakland, Calif. by a former member of the Black Panthers, Tupac began his career as a back up dancer for Digital Underground, a Northern California rap group best known for their P-Funk inspired sex songs. Soon, the charismatic Tupac began rapping in the group and left to pursue a solo career. His brilliant 1991 debut, 2Pacalypse Now, featuring "Brenda's Having A Baby," was released to parental uproar, threats of censorship and a slew of controversies. The shooting of a Texas police officer to his music and a public admonishment by Vice President Dan Quayle, quickly made Tupac the most controversial rapper in hip-hop. The album set the tone for Tupac's soon-to-be platinum formula: a mix of hardcore, gun toting, misogynist, Thug Life anthems, and a tender, caring, troubled side that exposed the light side of Tupac's darker image. He also began a successful acting career with the equally controversial film Juice, a movie that opened to gunfire in theaters and censorship of the movie poster. Tupac followed up his debut with the powerful Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., a hardcore masterpiece that responded to the controversies surrounding him and featured appearances by the other two most controversial West Coast rappers, Ice-T and Ice Cube. It also spawned two breakthrough singles "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Get Around." Tupac also starred in the Janet Jackson vehicle Poetic Justice, another glimpse into the vulnerable side of this multi-faceted artist and Above The Rim, a basketball movie with a soundtrack produced by former N.W.A. rapper, and current A-list rap producer Dr. Dre. However, a slew of controversy ensued when Tupac was arrested in a variety of incidents including an assault and a rape charge, and was shot and wounded while recording tracks in the studio.
Tupac recorded his next record, Me Against The World, for Dre's Death Row Records, but found himself in prison when it was released. Featuring the hit single "Dear Mama," Me Against The World was a moodier, more introspective album, finding Tupac looking and sounding less like a thug and more like the sensitive man he claimed to have become. Once out of prison, the freshly energized rapper spent months in the studio recording his double album opus, the first of its kind in hip-hop, All Eyez On Me , which featured a duet with Dr. Dre titled "California Love" and guest turns by Snoop Doggy Dogg, George Clinton, Roger Troutman and Method Man. He also managed to shoot two more films (Gridlock'd and Gang Related), make numerous guest appearances on other rappers' records and record a pseudo-follow up entitled The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory before he was gunned down in Las Vegas in 1996. He death was a major blow to the rap community and heated up the already steaming East vs. West rivalry. Many people believed his death was orchestrated by rival label Bad Boy and their main players Sean "Puffy" Combs and rapper Notorious B.I.G., who was later gunned down himself in Los Angeles. These theories remained rumors in the already legendary, iconoclastic story of Tupac Shakur.
Tupac recorded so much material before he died that more Tupac albums have been released since his death that were released while he was alive, thanks to his mother Afeni Shakur's efforts to keep his memory and music alive. These posthumous albums include R U Still Down? (Remember Me?), Lost Tapes 1989, One Million Strong, Still I Rise, Rose That Grew From Concrete, Until The End Of Time, and 2002's Better Dayz, along with his one disc released under the Makaveli alias, Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. A prophetic and prolific artist to say the least, Tupac led a career of constant controversy, but one also filled with many accomplishments and achievements. He is considered a hero to some, a martyr to others, and a legend by all.
Written by Frank Meyer