Tupac Shakur: Life & Death of The Hip-hop Legend

Author : Hughes Nelson

Some rappers pioneered hip-hop music and culture with their sheer individuality, lyrical poetry, and unparalleled raping skills; and Tupac Shakur is a legend among them. Though, the hip-hop industry lost this legend back in 1996 with a tragic incident; his timeless creations will remain relevant and powerful through all eras. Tupac was born on June 16, 1971, and it is time to explore more about this rap legend as his birthday is here!

Personal Life

Tupac Amaru Shakur, better known as 2pacm his stage name; was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Baltimore with his family. However, his family was always on the move and soon they moved to Marin City before he could graduate. However, he was quite distinguished in both, academics and creativity. Exposed to the streets and gang culture, Tupac quickly became a street legend from where he could gather more material for his rap skills.

The name Tupac was inspired by the descendant of the last Incan ruler, as his mother Afeni Shakur once 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.” Proving his mother right; Tupac became a revolutionary hip-hop artist who talked about the topics like society, discrimination, women empowerment, and the list goes on.

Musical Contribution

Becoming the most influential figure in hip-hop culture all around the world was not an easy task however he managed to do everything within his early twenties. Some people might still like to associate him with the thug life but what made a difference in the society, are his hard-hitting bars that shook the mass. Tupac’s artistic sensibilities could reflect his passion for literature and arts which is widely visible in his musical arsenal as well. He first signed under the label Digital Underground and the rest is history.

Though his musical career was short, his hip-hop projects created a huge buzz in the music industry and his works are considered as the bible of hip-hop. He dropped a total of 4 studio albums during his career,

• 2Pacalypse Now (1991)
• Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… (1993)
• Me Against the World (1995)
• All Eyez on Me (1996)

However, there are many posthumous musical projects as well. Such as,

• The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996) 
• R U Still Down? (Remember Me) (1997)
• Until the End of Time (2001)
• Better Dayz (2002)
• Loyal to the Game (2004)
• Pac’s Life (2006)

Global Rankings

Though Tupac could not gain many awards in his short and highly impactful musical career, the rapper received the most recognition and awards in the 2000s.

• The greatest MC ever by MTV voting (2003)
• The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame placed All Eyez on Me at No. 90 and Me Against the World at No. 170 (2007)
• Number 4 of the top 50 rappers by Billboard (2023)
• 5 among “The Top 50 Lyricists” by The Source (2012)
• Grammy Museum opened an exhibition dedicated to Shakur (2015)

Despite the controversies regarding the East Coast-West Coast rivalry, there is no doubt that Tupac’s impact on the hip-hop music industry remains undeniable through all these years.

Filmography

Not only musical projects but Tupac also participated in a bunch of movies and captivated the audience with his acting skills. Other than his acting, there are many other documentaries dedicated to him and his life since he has inspired many people around the world. Some of the films are,

• Poetic Justice (1993)
• Above The Rim (1994)
• Murder Was the Case: The Movie (1995)
• Bullet (1996)
• Gridlock’d (1997)
• Gang Related (1997)

Net Worth

Tupac is the 10th among the top-earning dead celebrities according to Forbes. Shakur’s current net worth is around $40 million even after 27 years of his death.

The Death of The Legend

The story of Tupac Shakur’s death on September 13, 1996, started with a failed attempt that took place 2 years back. On November 30, 1994, Shakur was shot and seriously injured that happened during a robbery committed by two armed men in a midtown Manhattan office building. At the time, he was working on his third studio album ‘Me Against the World’. The incident sparked the “East Coast vs. West Coast” feud for which the hip-hop scene in the 1990s is wildly famous.

Later on September 7, 1996, the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon boxing match took place in Las Vegas where Shakur and his people got engaged in a rivalry with the Crips street gang. Later in the night, Death Row Records head Marian “Suge” Knight and Tupac were shot in a car, and Tupac took four bullets. University Medical Center did its best to save Shakur but died of his wounds on September 13.

Whether it was the gang war or just violence that Tupac was fighting against through his music, the legend passed away. However, what remains is his powerful and timeless hip-hop collection that can inspire people of all eras and ages.

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