2pac Free Music

[Roxine Denison]

Shakurwas born on June 16, 1971, in East Harlem, Upper Manhattan, New York City.[26][27][28][29] While born Lesane Parish Crooks,[30][31][32] at age one he was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur.[33] He was named after Tpac Amaru II, a descendant of the last Incan ruler, who was executed in Peru in 1781 after his revolt against Spanish rule.[34] Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur explained, "I wanted him to have the name of revolutionary, indigenous people in the world. I wanted him to know he was part of a world culture and not just from a neighborhood."[33] Tupac's surname came from Lumumba Shakur, a Sunni Muslim, whom his mother married in November 1968. Their marriage fell apart when it was discovered that Lumumba was not Tupac's biological father.[35][36][37]

Other family members who were involved in the Black Panthers' Black Liberation Army were convicted of serious crimes and imprisoned, including Shakur's stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, who spent four years as one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Mutulu Shakur was apprehended in 1986 and subsequently convicted for a 1981 robbery of a Brinks armored truck, during which police officers and a guard were killed.[42]

Shakur's godfather, Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, a high-ranking Black Panther, was wrongly convicted of murdering a schoolteacher during a 1968 robbery. After he spent 27 years in prison, his conviction was overturned due to the prosecution's having concealed evidence that proved his innocence.[43][44]

Shakur's godmother, Assata Shakur, is a former member of the Black Liberation Army who was convicted in 1977 of the first-degree murder of a New Jersey State Trooper. Since 2013, she has been in the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list after she escaped prison in 1979.[45][46]

In the 1980s, Shakur's mother found it difficult to find work and she struggled with drug addiction.[47] In 1984, his family moved from New York City to Baltimore, Maryland.[48] Beginning in 1984 when Shakur was 13, he lived in the Pen Lucy neighborhood with his mother and younger sister at 3955 Greenmount Ave.[49] The home was a two-story rowhouse that had been subdivided into two separate rental units; the Shakur family lived on the first floor.[50] After his death, the block was renamed "Tupac Shakur Way."[51]

At the Baltimore School for the Arts, Shakur befriended actress Jada Pinkett, who became a subject of some of his poems.[55] With his friend Dana "Mouse" Smith as beatbox, he won competitions for the school's best rapper.[56] Also known for his humor, he could mix with all crowds.[57] He listened to a diverse range of music that included Kate Bush, Culture Club, Sinad O'Connor, and U2.[58]

Upon connecting with the Baltimore Young Communist League USA,[59][60] Shakur dated Mary Baldridge, who was the daughter of the director of the local chapter of the Communist Party USA.[61][62] Baldridge, who was white, was described as an attractive young woman who was raised to look past color.[63]

In 1988, Shakur moved to Marin City, California, an impoverished community in the San Francisco Bay Area.[64][65] In nearby Mill Valley, he attended Tamalpais High School,[66] where he performed in several theater productions.[67] Shakur did not graduate from high school, but he later earned his GED.[68]

Shakur began recording under the stage name MC New York in 1989.[69] That year, he began attending the poetry classes of Leila Steinberg, and she soon became his manager.[70][64] Steinberg organized a concert for Shakur and his rap group Strictly Dope. Steinberg managed to get Shakur signed by Atron Gregory, manager of the rap group Digital Underground.[64] In 1990, Gregory placed him with the Underground as a roadie and backup dancer.[64][71]

Shakur debuted under the stage name 2Pac on Digital Underground, under a new record label, Interscope Records, on the group's January 1991 single "Same Song". The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 1991 film Nothing but Trouble, starring Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Chevy Chase, and Demi Moore.[64] The song opened the group's January 1991 EP titled This Is an EP Release,[64] while Shakur appeared in the music video.

At the request of Steinberg, Digital Underground co-founder Jimi "Chopmaster J" Dright worked with Shakur, Ray Luv and Dize, a DJ, on their earliest studio recordings. Dright recalls that Shakur did not work well as part of a group, and added, "this guy was on a mission. From day one. Maybe he knew he wasn't going to be around seven years later."[72]

Shakur's early days with Digital Underground made him acquainted with Randy "Stretch" Walker, who along with his brother, dubbed Majesty, and a friend debuted with an EP as a rap group and production team, Live Squad, in Queens, New York.[76] Stretch was featured on a track of the Digital Underground's 1991 album Sons of the P. Becoming fast friends, Shakur and Stretch recorded and performed together often.[76]

I just wanted to rap about things that affected young black males. When I said that, I didn't know that I was gonna tie myself down to just take all the blunts and hits for all the young black males, to be the media's kicking post for young black males.[79][80]

Shakur's second album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..., was released in February 1993.[81] A critical and commercial success, it debuted at No. 24 on the pop albums chart, the Billboard 200.[82] An overall more hardcore album, it emphasizes Tupac's sociopolitical views, and has a metallic production quality. The song "Last Wordz" features Ice Cube, co-writer of N.W.A's "Fuck tha Police", who in his own solo albums had newly gone militantly political, and gangsta rapper Ice-T, who in June 1992 had sparked controversy with his band Body Count's track "Cop Killer".[81]

In its vinyl release, side A, tracks 1 to 8, is labeled the "Black Side", while side B, tracks 9 to 16, is the "Dark Side".[citation needed] The album carries the single "I Get Around", a party anthem featuring Digital Underground's Shock G and Money-B, which became Shakur's breakthrough, reaching No. 11 on the pop singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100.[82] And it carries the optimistic compassion of another hit, "Keep Ya Head Up", an anthem for women's empowerment.[83] The album was certified Platinum, with a million copies sold. As of 2004, among Shakur albums, including posthumous and compilation albums, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... was 10th in sales at about 1,366,000 copies.[84]

In late 1993, Shakur formed the group Thug Life with Tyrus "Big Syke" Himes, Diron "Macadoshis" Rivers, his stepbrother Mopreme Shakur, and Walter "Rated R" Burns.[85] Usually, Thug Life performed live without Tupac.[86]

Thug Life released its only album, Thug Life, Volume I, on October 11, 1994, which is certified Gold. It carries the single "Pour Out a Little Liquor", produced by Johnny "J" Jackson, who would also produce much of Shakur's album All Eyez on Me. The track also appears on the Above the Rim soundtrack.[87] Due to gangsta rap being under heavy criticism at the time, the album's original version was scrapped, and the album redone with mostly new tracks. Still, along with Stretch, Tupac would perform the first planned single, "Out on Bail", which was never released, at the 1994 Source Awards.[88]

In 1993, while visiting Los Angeles, the Notorious B.I.G. asked a local drug dealer to introduce him to Shakur and they quickly became friends. The pair would socialize when Shakur went to New York or B.I.G. to Los Angeles.[89] During this period, at his own live shows, Shakur would call B.I.G. onto stage to rap with him and Stretch.[89] Together, they recorded the songs "Runnin' from tha Police" and "House of Pain".

Reportedly, B.I.G. asked Shakur to manage him, whereupon Shakur advised him that Sean Combs would make him a star.[89] Yet in the meantime, Shakur's lifestyle was comparatively lavish to B.I.G. who had not yet established himself.[89] Shakur welcomed B.I.G. to join his side group Thug Life, but he would instead form his own side group, the Junior M.A.F.I.A., with his Brooklyn friends Lil' Cease and Lil' Kim. Shakur had a falling out with B.I.G. after he was shot at Quad Studios in 1994.[90]

Shakur's third album, Me Against the World, was released while he was incarcerated in March 1995.[91] It is now hailed as his magnum opus, and commonly ranks among the greatest, most influential rap albums.[91] The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 240,000 copies in its first week, setting a then record for highest first-week sales for a solo male rapper.[92][93]

The lead single, "Dear Mama", was released in February 1995 with "Old School" as the B-side.[94] It is the album's most successful single, topping the Hot Rap Singles chart, and peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11] In July, it was certified Platinum.[95] It ranked No. 51 on the year-end charts. The second single, "So Many Tears", was released in June 1995,[96] reaching No. 6 on the Hot Rap Singles chart and No. 44 on Hot 100.[11] The final single, "Temptations", was released in August 1995.[97] It reached No. 68 on the Hot 100, No. 35 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, and No. 13 on the Hot Rap Singles.[11] Several celebrities showed their support for Shakur by appearing in the music video for "Temptations".[98]

All Eyez on Me won R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year at the 1997 Soul Train Music Awards.[109] At the 1997 American Music Awards, Shakur won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist.[110] The album was certified 9 Multi-Platinum in June 1998,[111] and 10 in July 2014.[112]

At the time of his death, a fifth solo album was already finished, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, under the stage name Makaveli. It had been recorded during the summer of 1996 and released that year.[113][114] The lyrics were written and recorded in three days, and mixing took another four days. In 2005, MTV.com ranked The 7 Day Theory at No. 9 among hip hop's greatest albums ever,[115] and by 2006 a classic album.[116] Its singular poignance, through hurt and rage, contemplation and vendetta, resonate with many fans.[117]

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