Tupac

Tupac: music, scandals and unsolved mysteries

Tupac Amaru Shakur, born Lesane Parish Crooks on June 16, 1971 in Manhattan, New York, and died on September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada, was an American rapper. rapperwho became world-famous under the stage names 2Pac and Makaveli. Even after his death, he achieved great commercial success with unreleased material. By 2010, an incredibly impressive 75 million records had been sold worldwide!

Tupac was born on June 16, 1971 in the East Harlem district of New York and was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur a year later. He grew up in modest circumstances with his mother Afeni Shakur, a Black Panther Party activist, and his half-sister Sekyiwa. He did not meet his biological father William Garland until he was an adult. His stepfather Mutulu Shakur, also associated with the Black Panthers, was sentenced to many years in prison for a bank robbery. The name Tupac Amaru goes back to the South American freedom fighter Túpac Amaru II and reflects the political ideals of his parents.

In 1986, the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Tupac attended the Baltimore School for the Arts. It was here that he discovered his passion for poetry, acting and music. These years, as he later described them with joy, were the happiest of his life. After another move to California, Tupac dropped out of school, which he later described as a turning point in his life.

In Oakland, he joined the local music scene and performed with the group Digital Underground. His first solo album 2Pacalypse Now (1991) attracted attention with its socially critical content, while he also made a name for himself as an actor. But that was not all: at the same time, he increasingly came into conflict with the law.

Tupac was socially committed, but also got into violent confrontations. His album Me Against the World reached number 1 in the Billboard charts during his prison sentence in 1995. After his release, he joined the Death Row Records label and released All Eyez on Me, one of the most successful albums in hip-hop history. His life was characterized by the feud between East and West Coast rap, especially with The Notorious B.I.G.

On September 7, 1996, Tupac was the victim of a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas and succumbed to his injuries six days later. The exact circumstances of the crime remain unclear to this day. Conspiracy theories surrounding his allegedly faked death persist. However, his legacy as a rap icon lives on, with numerous posthumous releases and honors.

The vehicle in which Tupac was shot was restored in 2017 and put up for sale several times, most recently in 2024 for 1.75 million US dollars. It remains a highly symbolic artifact of a tragic episode in the history of hip-hop.

Studio albums by Tupac

• 1991 2Pacalypse Now
• 1993 Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
• 1995 Me Against the World
• 1996 All Eyez on Me
• 1996 The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory

Studio nights after his death

• 1997 R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
• 2001 Until the End of Time
• 2002 Better Dayz
• 2004 Loyal to the Game
• 2006 Pac’s Life

Famous titles by Tupac

• 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted (feat. Snoop Dogg)
• All Eyez on Me
• Ambitionz Az a Ridah
• Brenda’s Got a Baby
• California Love (feat. Dr. Dre)
• Changes
• Dear Mom
• Ghetto Gospel
• Hail Mary
• Hit ‘Em Up
• I Get Around
• Keep Ya Head Up
• Me Against the World
• So Many Tears
• Thugz Mansion