Known as 2 Pac or Pac, he was THE American Rapper, Actor, & Social Activist, selling over 75 million albums & is rated one of the best selling music artists in the world.
Tupac portrayed music that was full of violence & showed lyrically the hardships of the ghetto & the racism faced everyday. Tupac started off his career as a roadie & backup dancer. He became by exquisite self force the solo premier of all his work.
Tupac was the target of lawsuits & was shot 5 times, robbed in the lobby of a recording studio in New York City. After this experience he grew more suspicious that other people in the rap industry had prior knowledge of the shooting & did not warn him. This controversy sparked the East Coast - West Coast Hip Hop rivalry.
Unfortunately later after he was back on his feet, Tupac was convicted of a sexual assault & sentenced to 1 1/2 - 4 1/2 years in prison. He was released from prison on an appeal financed by Marion 'Suge' Knight, the CEO of Death Row Records. In exchange for Knight's assistance, Tupac agreed to release 3 albums for the Death Row label.
Tupac was shot 4 times in a drive by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, September 7th, 1996 & passed away 6 days later of respiratory failure & cardiac arrest.
ALBUMS:
2 Pacalypse Now - 1991
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. - 1993
Me Against the World - 1995
All Eyez on Me - 1996
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory - 1996
RU Still Down? - 1997
Until the End of Time - 2001
Better Dayz - 2002
Loyal to the Game - 2004
Pac's Life - 2006
Shakurpeare - 2010
FILMOGRAPHY:
Nothing But Trouble - 1991
Juice - 1992
Drexelli's Class - 1992
A Different World - 1993
Poetic Justice - 1993
In Living Color - 1993
Above the Rim - 1994
Murder Was the Case: The Movie - 1995
Bullet - 1996
Gridlock'd - 1997
Gang Related - 1997
Tupac: Resurrection - 2003
Notorious - 2009
Live 2 Tell - 20--?
Tupac was born in New York City & grew up in Harlem. Moving from there, to Baltimore, Maryland, to Oakland California - his career started in 1991 when he became a member of the group Digital Underground.
His fame spread as a leading figure of the 'gangsta rap' revolution. He continued to voice his disparing violence both in his music & unfortunately in his life style.
As his film career took off as an actor, Tupac was beginning to be known for his sharp acting talent, always a stand out performance & he made the screen small as he appeared larger than life. He held a charisma that made you want to notice him.
As much as Tupac was praised for his music & acting talent - he was also condemned for his explicit violent lyrics. His aggressive gangster rap persona became his image to young adoring fans near & far.
At the time of his passing he was just beginning to tap into a reflective soulful part of his character; which would have proven his career to be up with the major musicians & actors of his time. We only received a glimpse of what could have been for Tupac.
