Tupac Shakur Biography, Photos and Posters

Tupac Shakur

Biography

Born: June 16, 1971
City and Country of Origin: New York, New York
Music Training: 127th Street Ensemble at age 12; Baltimore School for the Arts, he studied ballet, poetry, jazz, and acting
Awards: Hip-hop Hall of Fame 2002;
Top Recordings: "Brenda's Got A Baby," "Trapped," "If My Homie Calls," "Keep Ya Head Up," "I Get Around," "Papa'z Song," "California Love," "How Do U Want It"
Comments: Tupac Amaru Shakur (Lesane Parish Crooks) was named after an Incan revolutionary who led a Peruvian revolution against Spain. His mother was an active member of the Black Panther Party during the late 60s and 70s in New York and was acquitted of a 100 count indictment of conspiracy against the United States government. His godfather was convicted of murder and his stepfather was found guilty of attempted robbery of a Brinks armored car in which 2 police officers and a guard were killed. As a member of the famous Harlem 127th Street Ensemble he performed in A Raisin in the Sun. In 1984 his family relocated to Baltimore where he attended the Baltimore School for the Arts where he befriended Jada Pinkett Smith.

In 1988 his family relocated to Marin City, California. At 17 he moved out away from home trying to make it on his own. In 1990 he was hired as a backup dancer and roadie for an up and coming rap group Digital Underground. The following year he made his professional debut as a rapper with the release of the single "Same Song" and appeared in the movie Nothing But Trouble. He released his first album in 1991 2Pacalypse Now whaich was aimed the the problems of young black men. The effort received public criticism for its graphic language and violent imagery. It did not do well on the charts. His next album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., produced 2 number 1 hits Keep Ya Head Up and I Get Around. In addition to his recording career Tupac also performed in several films including: Juice, Poetic Justice, Above the Rim, Gridlock'd, Bullett and Gang Related. In 1993 he formed the froup Thug Life with Big Syke, Macadoshis, his step-brother Mopreme, and Rated R. The group was responsible for the gold album Thug Life Volume 1.

Legal problemsseemed to dog the rapper everywhere he went. There was an alleged beating by police officers over a jaywalking incident, the shooting of 2 intoxicated police officers harrassing a black motorist and sexual abuse of a woman in his hotel room, an incident for which he was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison. In 1994 he was convicted of attacking a former employee on a music video set. In 1995 a wrongful death suit was filed against him when a stray bullet hit and killed a 6 year old during a shootout between his entourage and that of a rival. On the night of November 30, 1994 he was shot 5 times, during an apparent robbery attempt, in the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan. Shakur began serving his prison sentence immediately after he recovered from his wounds. Shortly after this he released the multi=platinum album Me Against the World, thus becoming the first artist to ever have a number 1 album while serving a prison sentence. While incarcerated he married his ong-time girlfriend Keisha Morris. While in prison he passed the time brushing up on political philosophy by reading the works of Niccolò Machiavelli and Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

Due to the efforts of Marion "Suge" Knight, CEO of Death Row Records he gained his early release after serving only 8 months by posting a 1.4 million dollar bond. This was more than just a good deed on the part of "Suge," it was good business as in return Tupac was obligated to release 3 albums on Suge's label. HE formed a new group Tha Outlawz and released "Hit 'Em Up", a scathing lyrical attack on the Notorious B.I.G (Christopher Wallace) and others associated with him. Shakur had learned that Sean Combs and Wallace knew about his shooting and failed to warn him. Shakur aligned himself with Suge and an East Coast/West Coast hip-hop war ensued. September 7, 1996, after attending after attending the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon boxing match Shakur attacked Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, a member of the Southside Crips in the MGM Grand lobby. Anderson had allegedly beat a member of Shakur's entourage in a shopping mall a few weeks earlier. Later that night while stopped at an intersection Shakur was shot 4 times he died 6 days later.
Died: September 13, 1996

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