Tupac Amaru Shakur,also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli,was an American rapper and songwriter. He is considered to be one of the most influential and successful rappers of all time,and according to academics one of the most influential music artists of the 20th century and also a politically conscious activist voice for Black America. Shakur is among the best-selling music artists,having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. His lyrical content has been noted for addressing social injustice,violence,and the marginalization of African-Americans.
Me Against the World is the third studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on March 14,1995,by Interscope Records and Out da Gutta Records and distributed by Atlantic Records. 2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impending prison sentence,troubles with the police,and poverty.
Afeni Shakur Davis was an American political activist and member of the Black Panther Party. Shakur was the mother of rapper Tupac Shakur and the executor of his estate. She founded the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation and also served as the CEO of Amaru Entertainment,Inc.,a record and film production company she founded.
The Don Killuminati:The 7 Day Theory is the fifth studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur,his first posthumous album and the last released with his creative input. Recorded in July and August 1996,it was released on November 5,1996,almost two months after his death,under the stage name of Makaveli,through Death Row Records,Makaveli Records and Interscope Records.
Tupac:Resurrection is a 2003 American documentary film about the life and death of rapper Tupac Shakur. The film,directed by Lauren Lazin and released by Paramount Pictures,is narrated by Shakur himself.
"Hit 'Em Up" is a diss track by American rapper 2Pac,featuring the Outlawz. It is the B-side to the single "How Do U Want It",released on June 4,1996. The song's lyrics contain vicious insults to several East Coast rappers,chiefly Shakur's former friend turned rival,The Notorious B.I.G.. The song was recorded at Can Am Studios in 1996. A previous version of the song was recorded in October 1995.
Live Squad was an American hip hop group and production team from Hollis,Queens,New York consisting of brothers Stretch and Majesty and DJ K-Low,best known for their early collaborations with Tupac Shakur.
"Keep Ya Head Up" is a song by American rapper Tupac Shakur from his second studio album,Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...(1993). It was released on October 28,1993 as the album's third single.
"Dear Mama" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his third studio album,Me Against the World (1995). It was released on February 21,1995,as the lead single from the album. The song is a tribute to his mother,Afeni Shakur. In the song,Shakur details his childhood poverty and his mother's addiction to crack cocaine,but argues that his love and deep respect for his mother supersede bad memories. The song became his first top ten on the Billboard Hot 100,peaking at number nine. It also topped the Hot Rap Singles chart for five weeks. As of March 2021,the song is certified 3×Platinum by the RIAA.
The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was a dispute between artists and fans of the East Coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop scenes in the United States,especially from the mid-1990s. Focal points of the feud were East Coast–based rapper The Notorious B.I.G. with Puff Daddy and their New York City–based label,Bad Boy Records,and West Coast–based rapper Tupac Shakur with Suge Knight and their Los Angeles–based label,Death Row Records. The feud culminated in the murders of both rappers in drive-by shootings within six months of each other;both murders remain unsolved. The rivalry ended with a "peace" summit in 1997 at the behest of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
Randy Walker,better known by his stage name Stretch,was an American rapper and record producer,working in Live Squad. In the early 1990s,he joined 2Pac's rap group Thug Life. The November 30,1994,shooting of Shakur led to their split. On November 30,1995,Walker was shot and killed at the age of 27.
"I Ain't Mad at Cha" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from Shakur's fourth studio album,All Eyez on Me (1996). It was released on September 15,1996 two days after Shakur's death as the album's fourth and final single. The song features contemporary soul singer Danny Boy providing vocals for its hook and was written by Shakur,Danny Boy and Daz Dillinger,who produced the song using a sample from DeBarge's "A Dream". The lyrics focus on Shakur reminiscing about past friends,love interests and associates he has lost touch with. The song is widely considered one of Shakur's best with Cheo Hodari Coker calling it "possibly the best song 2Pac has ever recorded". In 1998,The Source ranked the song's three verses second in its category of "dopest verses" in the history of hip-hop.
"Who Shot Ya?" is a song by American rapper the Notorious B.I.G.,backed by Sean Combs. Bad Boy Entertainment released it on February 21,1995,on an alternate reissue of Wallace's single "Big Poppa/Warning". Its new B-side "Who Shot Ya",a revision of a track already issued earlier in 1995,was "controversial and hugely influential." Widely interpreted as a taunt at Tupac Shakur,the single provoked a "rap battle" between the two rappers,formerly friends.
"Thugz Mansion" is a song by 2Pac,released as a posthumous single with two known popular versions both released on the 2002 album Better Dayz. It was nominated by the Source Awards for Single of the Year.
"I Shot Ya" is a song by American rapper LL Cool J featuring Keith Murray,from his sixth album Mr. Smith. The remix version,which featured Prodigy of Mobb Deep,Fat Joe,and Foxy Brown,of the song was released as a B-side to "Hey Lover",but received a video directed by Hype Williams,leading some to believe the track was an actual single from the album. Produced by Trackmasters,the remix was released in 1995 for Def Jam Recordings,and peaked at number 55 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for the Billboard charts.
Kenny Leon is an American director and producer. He is notable for his extensive work on Broadway,on television,and in regional theater. He has received a Tony Award and a Drama League Award as well as nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Drama Desk Award.
Malcolm Greenidge,known as E.D.I Mean and EDIDON,is an American hip hop artist and a member of the Outlawz. The name is a play on the name Idi Amin,former dictator of Uganda. While in the third grade,Malcolm became friends with Katari "Kastro" Cox who later introduced him to his cousin,Tupac Shakur.
"Holler If Ya Hear Me is a jukebox musical written by Todd Kreidler featuring the rap music of Tupac Shakur.
Notorious is a 2009 American biographical drama film directed by George Tillman Jr. and written by Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker. It is based on the life of Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist The Notorious B.I.G. Much of the film dramatizes key events in Biggie's life:his criminal lifestyle,arrest and release from prison,his relationships with Sean Combs,Tupac Shakur,Lil' Kim and Faith Evans,his involvement in the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry and his drive-by-shooting murder on March 9,1997. The film stars Jamal Woolard as Wallace,with Angela Bassett,Derek Luke,and Anthony Mackie in supporting roles. Biggie's mother,Voletta,served as a producer for the film,alongside his former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts.
All Eyez on Me is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by Benny Boom. Titled after the 1996 studio album,as well as the song of the same name,it is based on the life and death of the titular American rapper Tupac Shakur. The film stars Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Tupac,with Kat Graham,Lauren Cohan,Hill Harper,and Danai Gurira. Jamal Woolard reprises his role as Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace / The Notorious B.I.G. from Notorious (2009).
