Biography: Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)

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Biography: Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)

Tupac Shakur became the unlikely sufferer of gangsta rap becoming the tragic symbol of  

Hardcore rap. At the outset of his career, it didn’t appear that he would become one of the

most definitive rappers of the 90’s, especially since he was a second- string rapper for

Digital Underground. But in 1992, he delivered an acclaimed debut album, 2Pacalypse

Now, which quickly followed with a star-making performance in the urban drama, Juice.

Over the course of one year his profile substantially grew, as he became as well known for

his run-ins with the law as he did for his music. By 1994, 2-Pac was rivalling Snoop Doggy

Dogg as the most controversial figure in rap, as he was spending as much time in prison

as he was in the recording studio. In 1995 his album ‘Me Against the World’ entered the

Charts at number one. As the single “Dear Mama” illustrated he was capable of sensitivity

as well as violence. Unfortunately the gangsta lifestyle he captured in his music soon

Overtook his own life. Signing with Death Row Records in late 1995, Shakur released the

Double-album All Eyez on Me in the spring of 1996, and the record, as well as its hit single

"California Love," confirmed his superstar status. While his celebrity was at its peak, he

was publicly fighting with his rival the Notorious B.I.G. and there were tensions brewing at

Death Row. Even with such conflicts, 2-Pac’s drive-by-shooting in September 1996 was

unexpected. On September 13, six days after the shooting, Shakur passed away, leaving

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behind a legacy that was based as much on his lifestyle as it was his music.

Tupac Amaru Shakur was born in the year 1971 in New York City. His parents had

separated before he was born, and their mother for much of their childhood moved him

and his sister around the country. The family was frequently at poverty level, but Shakur

managed to gain acceptance to the Baltimore School of the Arts as a teenager. While he

was at the school, his creative side developed, as ...

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