Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 - September 13, 1996) was an American rapper and actor, also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, who sold many records. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2010.[1] Shakur began his career as a roadie, backup dancer, and MC for the alternative hip hop group Digital Underground as "MC New York". He eventually branched off as a solo artist.[2][3][4] He became a West Coast hip hop icon after the release of his first album, 2Pacalypse Now, in 1991.
Tupac Shakur | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Lesane Parish Crooks June 16, 1971 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | September 13, 1996 (aged 25) |
| Cause of death | Murder (drive-by shooting) |
| Resting place | Cremated, ashes given to family |
| Other names |
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| Education | Tamalpais High School |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1989–1996 |
| Spouse |
Keisha Morris
(m. 1995; div. 1996) |
| Partner | Kidada Jones (1996) |
| Parents |
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| Relatives |
|
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Marin County, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | www |
| Signature | |
 | |
He was born in East Harlem, New York. Tupac moved to Baltimore in 1984. Then, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. When he was in high school, he was a student at the Baltimore School for the Arts. Later in his music career, this experience in school becomes his personality of his own music style. He was the son of Afeni Shakur and Billy Garland, who were members of the Black Panther Party. His family was struggling with poverty. They moved homes often, and even had to stay in shelters.
Tupac was involved in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud. On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He died six days later from respiratory failure and cardiopulmonary arrest during his operation. Since Shakur's death, seven more albums have been released. They have all been certified platinum.
Shakur acted in eight movies.
He holds the Guinness World Record for the highest selling rap/hip hop artist, selling 165 million worldwide and 43 million in the US alone. He was even listed as 13th of the top 50 poets of all time (by poetry soup) and the 83rd Greatest artist of all time (by Rolling Stone).[source?] On June 7, 2023, Tupac was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[5]
Shakur was convicted of assault and sexual assault in separate incidents.[6]
His work of music had very big influences on the Hip-hop/rap industry in the US.
In 2014, a biographical movie about Tupac was announced.[7][8] The movie, titled All Eyez on Me, was released on June 16, 2017.
Early life
He was born as Lesane Crooks in East Harlem, New York. Crooks was later renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur after Túpac Amaru II, a ruler in Peru. His family later moved to Marin City, California when Tupac was 17. Tupac went to the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he found it interesting to read Shakespeare's poems. He got very affected by the beauty of rhyming, choosing the word and expression. He studied poetry, acting, jazz, and ballet.
Music career
In 1990, Shakur joined with the Oakland, California-based alternative hip hop group Digital Underground. He appeared on two of the group's albums in 1991: This Is an EP Release and Sons of the P. Later that year he produced and released his first solo album, 2Pacalypse Now. The album protested problems such as racism, and made him much more popular.
His second album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., was released in 1993. It contained the hit singles "I Get Around" and "Keep Ya Head Up."
His third album, Me Against the World, was released in 1995. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. He was incarcerated (in prison) at the time.
His fourth album, All Eyez on Me (1996), was the last album released during his lifetime. All Eyez on Me included the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles "How Do U Want It?" and "California Love."
Shakur won the Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Album in 1996 for ‘Me Against the World’. He received the American Music Award for the Favorite Rap/Hip Hop artist posthumously in 1997.
Several of Shakur's albums were released posthumously. It contained previously recorded material from when he was alive.
Assassination
On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting by someone in a Cadillac car at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas, Nevada.[9] He died six days later at the Southern Nevada University Medical Center.[10] His murder is still unsolved.[11]
Shakur's friend and labelmate from Death Row Records, Marion "Suge" Knight, was in the car with Shakur. Knight survived the shooting.[11]
In 1998, a prime suspect in Shakur’s murder, Orlando Anderson (aka Baby Lane) was killed in another drive-by shooting. Shakur once attacked Anderson. [source?]
In 2002, reporter Chuck Phillips wrote in the Los Angeles Times that another rapper called Biggie Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G.) could have paid members of the Crips street gang to kill Shakur and that he could have given them the gun.[11]
A suspect arrested in 2023
On September 29, 2023, Duane "Keffe D" Davis was named as a suspect and was arrested by the Las Vegas Police Department in connection with the murder of Shakur.[12] Keffe D had previously admitted to killing Tupac on July 2, 2018 when he [thought that he was going to die soon, or] was dying from cancer.[13] A trial against Davis is scheduled to start in June 2024.[14]
There were four people in the car that was used by the suspects during the murder, according to the media. Three of the suspects are dead as of 2023.[15]
Legacy
There are murals of Shakur in North America (New York), South America (Brazil), Africa (Sierra Leone), and Europe (Bulgaria). There are also statues of him in Atlanta and Germany.
Discography
Studio albums
| Released | Album | Peak chart | Certifications[21][22][23][24] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 200 | US R&B | US | CAN | ||
| November 12, 1991 | 2Pacalypse Now | 64 | 13 | Gold | |
| February 16, 1993 | Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. | 24 | 4 | Platinum | |
| March 14, 1995 | Me Against the World | 1 | 1 | 5× Multi-Platinum | |
| February 13, 1996 | All Eyez on Me | 1 | 1 | 10x Diamond. 42 Million copies sold Worldwide | Platinum |
| November 5, 1996 | The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (as Makaveli) | 1 | 1 | 9x Platinum. 35 Million copies sold Worldwide | Platinum |
Studio albums after death
| Released | Album | Peak chart positions[20][25][26] | Certifications[21][21][23] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | U.S. | CAN | ||
| November 25, 1997 | R U Still Down? (Remember Me) | 2 | 1 | 6× Multi-Platinum | |
| March 27, 2001 | Until the End of Time | 1 | 1 | 8× Multi-Platinum | 4× Platinum |
| November 26, 2002 | Better Dayz | 5 | 1 | 2× Multi-Platinum | 3× Platinum |
| December 14, 2004 | Loyal to the Game | 1 | 1 | Platinum | |
| November 21, 2006 | Pac's Life | 9 | 3 | 3× Multi-Platinum | |
Collaboration
| Album Artist | Released | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications[21][27] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | U.S. | CAN | |||
| Thug Life | September 26, 1994 | Thug Life: Volume 1 | 42 | 6 | Gold | |
| 2Pac + Outlawz | December 14, 1999 | Still I Rise | 6 | 2 | Platinum | Gold |
Compilations
| Released | Album | Peak chart positions[20] | Certifications[21][23] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 200 | US R&B | US | CAN | ||
| November 24, 1998 | Greatest Hits | 3 | 1 | 10x Diamond. 38.5 Million copies sold Worldwide | Platinum |
| October 17, 2000 | The Rose That Grew from Concrete | 89 | 28 | ||
| 2003 | The Prophet: The Best of the Works | ||||
| October 7, 2003 | Nu-Mixx Klazzics | 15 | 5 | ||
| August 6, 2004 | 2Pac Live | 54 | 16 | ||
| September 20, 2005 | The Rose, Vol. 2 | ||||
| October 3, 2005 | Live at the House of Blues | 159 | 48 | ||
| June 12, 2007 | Beginnings: The Lost Tapes 1988-1991 | ||||
| August 14, 2007 | Nu-Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2 | 45 | 8 | ||
| December 4, 2007 | Best of 2Pac | 65 | 13 | ||
Soundtrack appearances
| Released | Album | Chart position | RIAA Certification[28][29][30][31][32] | Songs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 29, 1993 | Poetic Justice | 23 | Gold | "Definition of a Thug Nigga" |
| March 22, 1994 | Above the Rim | 1 | 2× Multi-Platinum | "Pour out a Little Liquor", "Pain" |
| August 15, 1995 | The Show: The Soundtrack | 4 | Platinum | "My Block" |
| November 7, 1995 | One Million Strong | 4 | "Runnin'" | |
| April 23, 1996 | Sunset Park (soundtrack) | 1 | "High 'Til I Die " | |
| January 17, 1997 | Gridlock'd soundtrack | 1 | "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Out the Moon (Boom, Boom, Boom)", "Never Had a Friend Like Me", "Life's a Traffic Jam" | |
| October 7, 1997 | Gang Related soundtrack | 1 | 2× Multi-Platinum | "Life So Hard", "Starin' Through My Rear View", "Made Niggaz", "Lost Souls" |
| November 11, 2003 | Tupac: Resurrection | 2 | Platinum | "Runnin' (Dying to Live)", "One Day at a Time", "Ghost", "The Realist Killaz" |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions[33] | Album | RIAA Certification[34] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | UK | ||||
| 1991 | "Brenda's Got a Baby" | — | 23 | 3 | — | 2Pacalypse Now | |
| "If My Homie Calls" | — | — | 3 | — | |||
| 1992 | "Trapped" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "Holler If Ya Hear Me" | — | 110 | — | — | Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. | |
| "I Get Around" (featuring Digital Underground) | 11 | 5 | 8 | — | Gold | ||
| "Keep Ya Head Up" | 12 | 7 | 2 | — | Gold | ||
| 1994 | "Papa'z Song" (featuring Wycked) | 87 | 82 | 24 | — | ||
| "Cradle to the Grave" (featuring Thug Life) | — | 91 | 25 | — | Thug Life: Volume 1 | ||
| "Pour Out a Little Liquor" (featuring Thug Life) | — | — | — | — | |||
| "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" (featuring Thug Life) | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1995 | "Dear Mama" | 9 | 3 | 1 | 27 | Me Against the World | Platinum |
| "Can U Get Away" A | — | 70 | — | — | |||
| "So Many Tears" | 44 | 21 | 6 | — | |||
| "Temptations" | 68 | 35 | 13 | — | |||
| "Runnin' (Dying to Live)" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G. & Stretch) | 81 | 57 | 13 | 15 | One Million Strong | ||
| "California Love" (featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman) 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | All Eyez on Me | 5× platinum | |
| "How Do U Want It" (featuring K-Ci and JoJo) 1 | 17 | ||||||
| 1996 | "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" (featuring Snoop Dogg) A | — | 46 | — | — | ||
| "Hit 'Em Up" (featuring Outlawz) | — | — | — | — | Greatest Hits | ||
| "All Bout U" (featuring Nate Dogg, Hussein Fatal & Yaki Kadafi) | — | — | — | — | All Eyez on Me | ||
| "Life Goes On" | — | — | — | 15 | |||
| "I Ain't Mad at Cha" (featuring Danny Boy) A | 58 | 18 | — | 13 | |||
| "Toss It Up" (featuring Danny Boy, K-Ci & JoJo and Aaron Hall) A | — | 34 | — | 15 | The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory | ||
| 1997 | "To Live & Die in L.A." | — | — | — | 10 | ||
| "Hail Mary" A | — | 12 | 8 | 43 | |||
| "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" | 67 | 14 | 18 | 21 | R U Still Down? (Remember Me) | ||
| "Do for Love" | 21 | 10 | 2 | 12 | Gold | ||
| 1998 | "Changes" | 32 | 12 | 1 | 3 | Greatest Hits | |
| "Happy Home" | — | — | — | 17 | Until the End of Time | ||
| 1999 | "Unconditional Love" | — | — | — | — | Greatest Hits | |
| 2000 | "Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)" (featuring Tha Outlawz) | 72 | 36 | — | — | Still I Rise | |
| 2001 | "Until the End of Time" (featuring R.L.) | 52 | 21 | — | 4 | Until the End of Time | |
| "Letter 2 My Unborn" | — | 64 | — | 21 | |||
| 2002 | "Thugz Mansion" (featuring Nas) | 19 | 10 | 4 | 24 | Better Dayz | |
| 2003 | "Still Ballin (Nitty remix)" (featuring Trick Daddy) | 69 | 31 | 15 | — | ||
| "Runnin' (Dying to Live)" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.) | 19 | 11 | 5 | 17 | Tupac: Resurrection | ||
| "One Day at a Time (Em's Version)" (featuring Eminem & Tha Outlawz) | — | 50 | 51 | 22 | — | ||
| 2004 | "Thugs Get Lonely Too" (featuring Nate Dogg) | 98 | 55 | — | — | Loyal to the Game | |
| 2005 | "Ghetto Gospel" (featuring Elton John) | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2006 | "Untouchable" (featuring Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) | — | — | — | — | Pac's Life | |
| "Pac's Life" (featuring T.I. & Ashanti) | — | 104 | — | 21 | |||
| 2008 | "Playa Cardz Right" (featuring Keyshia Cole) | 63 | 9 | — | |||
- A Did not chart on the Hot 100 or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts (Billboard rules at the time prevented album cuts from charting). Chart peak listed here represents Hot 100 Airplay and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts data.
- 1 Double-A-Side in the U.S.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Nothing But Trouble | Himself | (Brief appearance) |
| 1992 | Juice | Bishop | First starring role |
| 1992 | Drexell's Class | Himself | Season 1: "Cruisin'" |
| 1993 | A Different World | Piccolo | Season 6: "Homie, Don't You Know Me?" |
| 1993 | Poetic Justice | Lucky | Co-starred with Janet Jackson |
| 1993 | In Living Color | Himself | Season 5: "Ike Turner and Hooch" |
| 1994 | Above the Rim | Birdie | Co-starred with Duane Martin, Last movie before Shakur's death |
| 1995 | Murder Was the Case: The Movie | Himself | (Uncredited) |
| 1996 | Bullet | Tank | Released one month after Shakur's death |
| 1997 | Gridlock'd | Ezekiel 'Spoon' Whitmore | Released four months after Shakur's death |
| 1997 | Gang Related | Detective Rodríguez | Shakur's last performance in a movie |
| 2003 | Tupac: Resurrection | Himself | Official documentary film |
| 2009 | Notorious | Himself (archive footage) | Portrayed by Anthony Mackie |
| 20?? | Live 2 Tell | Screenwriter | (Written in 1995)[35] |
References
- ↑ O'Malley, Zack (November 1, 2010). "Tupac Shakur's Ghastly Halloween". Forbes. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- ↑ Tupac Shakur – Thug Angel (The Life of an Outlaw). 2002.
- ↑ "Tupac Shakur". Hotshotdigital.com. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
- ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 330.
- ↑ "Tupac Shakur posthumously receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame". CBS News. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ↑ "Bio". Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ↑ "Tupac Biopic Set to Roll Film in Spring 2014". Billboard.
- ↑ "Tupac Shakur biopic to be filmed in 2014". Entertainment Weekly. September 20, 2013. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- ↑ Antonio Planas (April 7, 2011). "FBI outlines parallels in Notorious B.I.G., Tupac slayings". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
- ↑ Tupac Shakur's death certificate details Archived 2012-05-23 at Archive.today reported by Cathy Scott. Retrieved 2007-10-05.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Famous Unsolved Crimes: The death of Tupac Shakur". CBS. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ↑ "Man Tied to Suspected Shooter in Tupac Shakur's 1996 Killing Arrested in Las Vegas, AP Sources Say". Associated Press. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ↑ "The 'Keffe D' Tapes: 10 Highlights of Confession From Gangster Who Says Sean Combs Hired Him to Kill Tupac". LA Weekly. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ↑ https://pitchfork.com/news/trial-date-set-in-tupac-shakur-murder-case/. Retrieved 2023-11-09
- ↑ https://www.vg.no/rampelys/i/wAGqbL/tupac-siktet-i-retten-for-drap-var-shotcalleren. VG.no. Retrieved 2023-10-05
- ↑ "Discography entry for 2Pacalypse Now at Billboard.com". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ↑ "Discography entry for Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. at Billboard.com". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ↑ "Discotraphy entry for Me Against the World at Billboard.com". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ↑ "Discography entry for All Eyez on Me at Billboard.com". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 allmusic (((2Pac > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums))). Allmusic. Accessed May 11, 2008.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums by Tupac Shakur". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
- ↑ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums by Makaveli". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 "CRIA Gold and Platinum database". Archived from the original on January 11, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ↑ http://www.hitemup.com/tupac/lawsuit-agnant.html Archived 2008-11-20 at the Wayback Machine (The official legal documents)
- ↑ "Discography entry for RU Still Down? (Remember Me) at Billboard.com". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ↑ "Discography entry for Until the End of Time at Billboard.com". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ↑ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums by Thug Life". Recording Industry Association of America.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums titled Poetic Justice". Recording Industry Association of America.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums titled Above the Rim". Recording Industry Association of America.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums titles The Show". Recording Industry Association of America.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums titled Gang Related". Recording Industry Association of America.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums titled Tupac Resurrection". Recording Industry Association of America.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Artist Chart History Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine. Billboard. Accessed September 26, 2007.
- ↑ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for singles by Tupac Shakur. RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 11, 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ alex (April 21, 2018). "Billboard biz". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
Other websites
- 2Pac Legacy (official website)
- Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation for the Arts
- Tupac Legacy Tour Archived 2012-02-05 at the Wayback Machine
- pacside
- Tupac Nation Archived 2008-11-21 at the Wayback Machine