Tupac Shakur

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996) was a highly influential, best-selling American hip hop artist, considered by many to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. His aliases included 2Pac aka Makaveli. Among his fans especially, he is remembered simply as "Tupac". The names "Tupac Amaru" and "Shakur" mean Shining Serpent or Royal Serpent in Quechua and Thankful (to God) in Arabic, respectively. The name "Tupac Amaru" comes from Túpac Amaru II, grandson of the last Sapa Inca (Túpac Amaru).

Rise to fame

As a child, Tupac had dreamed of becoming a Shakespearean actor. Though he never achieved this, he did become a respected actor, drawing from his theatre roots. He starred in Juice in 1991 to critical acclaim, hailed by Rolling Stone's Peter Travers as "The film's most magnetic figure." He went on to star in Poetic Justice, Above the Rim, Gridlock'd, Bullet, and Gang Related.

Related Topics:
Juice - Poetic Justice - Above the Rim - Gridlock'd - Bullet - Gang Related

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In 1991, Tupac had trouble shopping his solo-debut, 2Pacalypse Now. Eventually, Interscope records agreed to distribute the record; one can credit executives Ted Field and Tom Whally for giving Tupac the chance. Although produced with the help of his Digital Underground crew, the intent of the album was to showcase his individual talent. While Shakur claimed his album was aimed at the problems facing young black males, it was also filled with images of violence by and against police. 2Pacalypse Now quickly attracted public criticism, especially after a young man who killed a Texas Trooper claimed he was inspired by the album. Former Vice President Dan Quayle, as part of his zealous crusade for morality, publicly denounced the album as having "no place in our society".

Related Topics:
1991 - 2Pacalypse Now - Dan Quayle

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The album did not do as well as Tupac had hoped on the charts, sparking no number one hits. In confidence, Shakur told Shock G that he wanted Shock to pick the beats. While Shakur was a talented rapper, producing was not his forte.

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His second CD, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., was heavily produced by Stretch and the Live Squad, and spurred two number one hits: the emotional Keep Ya Head Up and the playful I Get Around.

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Along with Shakur's rise to fame came a series of altercations with the law that further complicated his public image. Before he started his recording career, Tupac had no criminal record. In Oakland in October of 1991, Tupac was stopped by two officers for allegedly jaywalking. When he told the police "fuck y'all," he was choked, beaten, and had his head smashed on the pavement. He subsequently raised a ten million dollar lawsuit against the Oakland police department, which was eventually settled for $42,000.

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In October 1993, Shakur came upon two off-duty police officers whom he perceived as harassing a black motorist on the side of the road in Atlanta. Shakur got into a fight with them and shot both officers (one in the leg, one in the buttocks). He faced serious charges until it was discovered that both officers were intoxicated during the incident and were using weapons stolen out of an evidence locker. The charges against Shakur were dismissed.

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In late 1993, he formed the group Thug Life with a few of his friends, including Big Syke, Macadoshis, his step-brother Mopreme, and Rated R. The group released their first album ' on Interscope in 1994 which, despite its hardcore content, still managed to go Gold. The group subsequently disbanded after Shakur's release from prison.

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