Keep Ya Head Up - Music

Tupac Amaru Shakur Born Lesane Parish Crooks June 16 1971 – September 13 1996 Better Known By His Stage Name 2Pac And Later By His Alias Makaveli Was An American Rapper And Actor. Considered One Of The Most Influential Rappers Of All Time Shakur Is Among The Best-Selling Music Artists Having Sold More Than 75 Million Records Worldwide. Much Of Shakur's Music Has Been Noted For Addressing Contemporary Social Issues That Plagued Inner Cities And He Is Considered A Symbol Of Activism Against Inequality. Shakur Was Born In New York City To Parents Who Were Both Political Activists And Black Panther Party Members. Raised By His Mother He Relocated To Baltimore In 1984 And To The San Francisco Bay Area In 1988. With The Release Of His Debut Album 2Pacalypse Now In 1991 He Became A Central Figure In West Coast Hip-Hop For His Conscious Rap Lyrics. Shakur Achieved Further Critical And Commercial Success With His Follow-Up Albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... 1993 And Me Against The World 1995 . His Diamond Certified Album All Eyez On Me 1996 The First Double-Length Album In Hip-Hop History Abandoned His Introspective Lyrics For Volatile Gangsta Rap. In Addition To His Music Career Shakur Also Found Considerable Success As An Actor With His Starring Roles In Juice 1992 Poetic Justice 1993 Above The Rim 1994 Bullet 1996 Gridlock'd 1997 And Gang Related 1997 . During The Later Part Of His Career Shakur Was Shot Five Times In The Lobby Of A New York Recording Studio And Experienced Legal Troubles Including Incarceration. In 1995 Shakur Served Eight Months In Prison On Sexual Abuse Charges But Was Released Pending An Appeal Of His Conviction. Following His Release He Signed To Marion "Suge" Knight's Label Death Row Records And Became Heavily Involved In The Growing East Coast–West Coast Hip Hop Rivalry. On September 7 1996 Shakur Was Shot Four Times By An Unidentified Assailant In A Drive-By Shooting In Las Vegas He Died Six Days Later. Following His Murder Shakur's Friend-Turned-Rival The Notorious B.I.G. Was At First Considered A Suspect Due To Their Public Feud But Was Also Murdered In Another Drive-By Shooting Six Months Later In March 1997 While Visiting Los Angeles. Five More Albums Have Been Released Since Shakur's Death All Of Which Have Been Certified Platinum In The United States. In 2002 Shakur Was Inducted Into The Hip-Hop Hall Of Fame. In 2017 He Was Inducted Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame In His First Year Of Eligibility. Rolling Stone Magazine Ranked Shakur Among The 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time. Shakur Was Born On June 16 1971 In The East Harlem Section Of Manhattan In New York City. While Born Lesane Parish Crooks At Age One He Was Renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur. He Was Named After Túpac Amaru II The Descendant Of The Last Incan Ruler Túpac Amaru Who Was Executed In Peru In 1781 After His Failed Revolt Against Spanish Rule. Shakur's Mother 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." Shakur Had An Older Stepbrother Mopreme "Komani" Shakur And A Half-Sister Sekyiwa Shakur Two Years His Junior. read less