I wanted him to know he was part of a world culture and not just from a neighborhood.' Shakur's mother explained, 'I wanted him to have the name of revolutionary, indigenous people in the world.

He was named after Túpac Amaru II, the descendant of the last Incan ruler, Túpac Amaru, who was executed in Peru in 1781 after his failed revolt against Spanish rule. While born Lesane Parish Crooks, at age one he was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur. Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City.

6.3.1 1991 Oakland Police Department lawsuit.

6.1 Sexual assault case, prison sentence, appeal and release.

4.1 Set up accusations involving The Notorious B.I.G.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Shakur among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. In 2002, Shakur was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. įive more albums have been released since Shakur's death, all of which have been certified Platinum in the United States. Following his murder, Shakur's friend-turned-rival, the Notorious B.I.G., was at first considered a suspect due to their public feud, but was also murdered in another drive-by shooting six months later in March 1997 while visiting Los Angeles. On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas he died six days later. Following his release, he signed to Marion 'Suge' Knight's label Death Row Records and became heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry. In 1995, Shakur served eight months in prison on sexual abuse charges, but was released pending an appeal of his conviction. In addition to his music career, Shakur also found considerable success as an actor, with his starring roles in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above the Rim (1994), Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997).ĭuring the later part of his career, Shakur was shot five times in the lobby of a New York recording studio and experienced legal troubles, including incarceration. His Diamond certified album All Eyez on Me (1996), the first double-length album in hip-hop history, abandoned his introspective lyrics for volatile gangsta rap. Shakur achieved further critical and commercial success with his follow-up albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.

With the release of his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, he became a central figure in West Coast hip hop for his conscious rap lyrics.

Raised by his mother, he relocated to Baltimore in 1984 and to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. Shakur was born in New York City to parents who were both political activists and Black Panther Party members. Much of Shakur's music has been noted for addressing contemporary social issues that plagued inner cities, and he is considered a symbol of activism against inequality. Considered one of the most influential rappers of all time, Shakur is among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Tupac Amaru Shakur ( / ˈ t uː p ɑː k ʃ ə ˈ k ʊər/ TOO-pahk shə- KOOR born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), better known by his stage name 2Pac and later by his alias Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor.

2pac makaveli album cover