Tupac Shakur

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"Tupac" redirects here. For other people with this name, see Tupac (name).
"Makaveli" redirects here. For the Italian polymath, see Niccol Machiavelli.

Tupac Amaru Shakur

Shakur in 1992

Lesane Parish Crooks

June 16, 1971

Born

East Harlem, New York, U.S.

September 13, 1996 (aged 25)

Died

Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Cause of death

Other names

Years active

Gunshot wounds
2Pac
Pac
Makaveli
19871996

Musical career
Hip hop

Genres

Occupation(s)

Rapper

activist

poet

actor

record producer

song writer
Vocals

Instruments

Labels

Interscope (199195)

Death Row (199596)

Makaveli (1996)

Outlawz

Thug Life

Danny Boy

Digital Underground

Dr. Dre

Ice T

Suge Knight

Johnny "J"

K-Ci & JoJo

Tha Dogg Pound

Associated acts

E-40

Ice Cube

Nate Dogg

The Notorious B.I.G.

Snoop Dogg

Stretch

Goodie Mob

Scarface

Richie Rich

Boot Camp Clik

Spice 1

Website

MC Hammer
www.2pac.com

Tupac Amaru Shakur (/tupk kr/ TOO-pahk sh-KOOR;[1] born Lesane Parish
Crooks; June 16, 1971 September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and
Makaveli, was an American rapper, record producer, and actor.[2] As of 2007, Shakur has sold
over 75 million records worldwide.[3] His double disc albums All Eyez on Me and his Greatest
Hits are among the best selling albums in the United States with All Eyez on Me selling
5,000,000 copies and Greatest Hits selling 5,100,000 copies.[4] He has been listed and ranked as
one of the greatest artists of all time by many magazines, including Rolling Stone which ranked
him 86th on its list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[5] He is consistently ranked as one of
the greatest and most influential rappers of all time.[6]
Shakur began his career as a roadie, backup dancer, and MC for the alternative hip hop group
Digital Underground, eventually branching off as a solo artist.[7][8][9] The themes of most of
Shakur's songs revolved around the violence and hardship in inner cities, racism, and other social
problems. Both of his parents and several other people in his family were members of the Black
Panther Party, whose ideals were reflected in his songs. During the latter part of his career,
Shakur was a vocal participant during the East CoastWest Coast hip hop rivalry, becoming
involved in conflicts with other rappers, producers, and record-label staff members, most notably
The Notorious B.I.G. and the label Bad Boy Records.[10]
On September 7, 1996, Shakur was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting at the intersection of
Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas, Nevada.[11] He was taken to the University
Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where he died six days later.[12]

Contents
[hide]

1 Early life
2 Career
o 2.1 198793: Beginnings and rise to fame
o 2.2 199395: Acting and rise to prominence
o 2.3 199596: Final recordings
3 Other ventures
o 3.1 Death Row Records
o 3.2 Outlawz
o 3.3 Acting career
4 Artistry
o 4.1 Influences
5 Personal life
6 Legal issues
o 6.1 Sexual assault case

o
o

6.2 Attack at Quad Recording Studios

6.3 Prison sentence
7 Death
o 7.1 September 1996 shooting
o 7.2 Aftermath
8 Legacy
o 8.1 Biopic
9 Accolades and honors
10 Discography
o 10.1 Studio albums
o 10.2 Posthumous studio albums
o 10.3 Collaboration album
o 10.4 Posthumous collaboration album
o 10.5 Compilation albums
11 Filmography/Television
o 11.1 Biographical portrayals in film
o 11.2 Documentaries
12 See also
13 References
14 Further reading
15 External links

Early life

East Harlem neighborhood of New York City, where Shakur was born
Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City.[13]
His birth name was Lesane Parish Crooks, but in 1972, he was renamed after the last Incan
emperor.[14][15][16] He was named after Tpac Amaru II,[17][18] the 18th-century Peruvian
revolutionary who was executed after leading an indigenous uprising against Spanish