Tupac" redirects here. For other people with this name, see Tupac (name).
"Makaveli" redirects here. For the Italian polymath, see Niccolò Machiavelli.
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur2.jpg
Tupac Shakur in 1992
Born Lesane Parish Crooks
June 16, 1971
East Harlem, New York, U.S.
Died September 13, 1996 (aged 25)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Cause of death Ballistic trauma
Other names Tupac Amaru Shakur
Years active 1987–1996
Musical career
Genres Hip hop
Occupation(s)
Rapper activist poet actor record producer song writer
Instruments Vocals
Labels
Interscope (1991–95) Death Row (1995–96) Makaveli (1996)
Associated acts
Outlawz Thug Life Danny Boy Digital Underground Dr. Dre Ice T Suge Knight Johnny "J" K-Ci & JoJo Tha Dogg Pound E-40 Ice Cube Nate Dogg The Notorious B.I.G. Snoop Dogg Stretch Goodie Mob Scarface Richie Rich Boot Camp Clik Spice 1 MC Hammer
Website www.2pac.com
Tupac Amaru Shakur (/ˈtuːpɑːk ʃəˈkʊər/ too-pahk shə-koor;[1] born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an African-American rapper, record producer, actor, and poet.[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 10,000,000 copies and Greatest Hits selling 10,200,000 units.[4] He has been listed and ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time by many publications, 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] On April 7, 2017, Shakur will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.[7]
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.[8][9][10] 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 Coast–West 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.[11]
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.[12] He was taken to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where he died six days later.[13]
