Tupac Shakur (born June 16, 1971, in Brooklyn, New York; died September 13, 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada) was an influential American rapper, actor, and activist known for gangsta rap and addressing social issues like racism, poverty, and police brutality. He sold over 75 million records worldwide, earning acclaim as one of the greatest rappers and a top-selling artist of all time. Shakur was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
Early Life and Career Start
Shakur grew up in Harlem, later moving to Baltimore and Oakland, California, where he joined Digital Underground as a roadie and backup dancer before launching solo. His 1991 debut album 2Pacalypse Now tackled social injustices through tracks like "Brenda's Got a Baby" and became platinum- certified.
Key Albums and Hits
- Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993) featured anthems like "Keep Ya Head Up" for women's empowerment.
- Me Against the World (1995) and All Eyez on Me (1996) included classics such as "California Love," "Ambitionz az a Ridah," and "I Ain't Mad at Cha," with the latter yielding two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles.
- He collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and formed Thug Life and Outlawz.
Acting and Legacy
Shakur starred in films like Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993) with Janet Jackson, Above the Rim (1994), and Gang Related (1997). His work blended gangsta rap's intensity with compassion, making him an enduring hip- hop icon symbolizing Black struggle.
