Tupac Shakur Biography

Tupac Shakur was an American rapper and actor, who was one of the more notable figures in the 1990’s East Coast, West Coast hip hop rivalry. He released four albums between 1991 and 1996, ultimately selling over 75 million albums worldwide. He was killed in a drive-by shooting after watching a Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tupac was a married man and divorced. He was dating Kidada Jones when he died.

Tupac Shakur Early Life & Education

Born as Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, to Billy Garland and Afeni Shakur in East Harlem, New York, U.S. His mother was jailed while she was pregnant with him. Then, he became acquainted with his biological father Billy Garland just after he became an adult. Tupac had a tough childhood spent in the company of people who had been convicted of serious crimes and had been jailed. Tupac had been shown to violence from an early age.

He read poetry, jazz, acting and ballet at the Baltimore School for the Arts. He was a skilled rapper who gained many competitions while in school. Tupac enrolled Tamalpais High School and poetry classes with Leila Steinberg.

As a teen:

Tupac Shakur Career

His first acting work was in 1983 with the Harlem’s 127th Street Repertory Ensemble when he performed in play ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ at the Apollo Theater. He began his profession working as a roadie and backup dancer with the alternative hip hop group Digital Underground in 1990.

He played with the band for the soundtrack of the movie “Nothing but Trouble” and also seemed in the film in 1991.Tupac released his debut solo album “2Pacalypse Now” by the end of 1991. It featured content on prejudice, violence, poverty, and teenage pregnancy. It created considerable controversy and made the rapper very famous.

His ‘Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z’ registered in 1993. It was more successful than its predecessor and received the hits ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ and ‘I Get Around.’ He developed a group “Thug Life” along with musicians Big Syke, Mopreme Shakur, Rated R and others. They released one album “Thug Life: Volume 1” in 1994.

Around this time he had few battles with the law and was shot in an armed robbery case. After recovering from the gunfire, he was sent to prison on a sexual assault charge. He read a lot of books during custody and also resumed working on his music.

He distributed the album “Me Against the World” in 1995 while serving his prison term. The album was an immediate success and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It is rated one of the most prominent hip hop albums of all-time.

Youtube: Me against The World by Tupac;

In 1996, he released “All Eyez on Me’” and became the last one released during his lifetime. It highlighted five singles and went multi Platinum just months after its release. And  highlighted the hits ‘How Do U Want It’ and ‘California Love.’

Brutal Death in Vegas

Tupac shotted again on September 7, 1996. This time he would not persevere. He along with Knight to watch a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand hotel in Vegas. There was a fight after the session between a member of the Crips gang and Tupac. Knight, who was involved with the rival Bloods gang, and members of his entourage also gathered in.

Later, as a car that Tupac was partying with Knight paused at a red light, a man developed from another car and fired 13 shots, beating Tupac in the hand, pelvis, and chest. He died at the hospital six days later.

His body was cremated, and members of his old band Outlawz made the controversial claim that they had burned some of his ashes in honor of him. As for the death of the rapper’s remains, his mother declared she would scatter her son’s ashes in Soweto, South Africa the “birthplace of his ancestors” on the 10th anniversary of his murder.

His murder has never been determined; collision theories have raged ever since. On March 9, 1997, six months after Tupac died, Biggie Smalls was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His murder has never been solved, either.

Controversy

Tupac’s fifth album ” Don Killuminati: The Seven Day Theory” was released just eight weeks after his death. It would also reach No. 1. It was the first of six posthumous studio albums, up to and including Pac’s Life in 2006, two more than Tupac headed when he was active. He has contracted more than 75 million albums to date.

On April 7, 2017, Tupac Shakur got one of the music’s highest honors by being drafted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’. A biopic, All Eyez on Me, directed by Benny Boom and starring Demetrius Shipp Jr., is due to be released in U.S. cinemas in June 2017.

Personal Life

On April 29, 1995, Tupac married girlfriend, Keisha Morris at Clinton Correctional Facility. The civil ceremony was seen by her mother and Tupac’s cousin. But the couple separated after he got released from jail in 1996.

As a matter of fact, the couple met at the Capitol, nightclub. The dou got close after they danced and chatted together. That time he was going through something legally, and she told him just to be careful of the people. Then, she saw him a month later at the Tunnel another nightclub, and he remembered the whole conversation. He told her he had been looking for her for a month, going to every club.

Tupac Shakur with his ex-wife Keisha Morris
Source: AcidCow.com

He gave his girlfriend his number, and she gave him her house number. It was too expensive to have a cell phone back then, so he gave her his SkyPager. The next day, she had to go work, and he called her when she got home. She was in shock, and from there, their relationship began to bloom.

Tupac Shakur was in an affair with Kidada Jones in 1995. She and his mother Afeni were both with him in his final days. Moreover, he also dated to Madonna (1994), Rosie Perez (1993), Jada Pinkett Smith (1986 – 1989) and Sharise Neil.

Besides, Tupac Shakur was also rumored to be dating Faith Evans (1995), Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes (1991), Angel Kelly, Jara Everett, Heather Hunter, Nina Hartley, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Whitney Houston (1994).

Net Worth

Shakur is earning money like he is still alive. The late rapper’s estate took in about $3.5 million last year, by our estimates. Shakur has sold over 75 million records worldwide, with the bulk of that coming after his death; seven of his 11 platinum albums. As recently as 2007 Shakur’s net worth banked $9 million more than Eminem or 50 Cent made last year.

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• Tupac Shakur