Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. He is widely 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.
Me Against the World is the third studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on March 14, 1995, by Interscope and Jive 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.
Tupac: Resurrection is a soundtrack album for the Academy Award-nominated documentary of the same name. It was released on November 14, 2003 by Amaru Entertainment and Interscope Records.
Orlando Tive "Baby Lane" Anderson was the prime suspect in the murder of Tupac Shakur. Anderson belonged to the California-based gang known as the Southside Compton Crips. Detective Tim Brennan of the Compton Police Department filed an affidavit naming Anderson as a suspect.
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. The film was in theaters from November 16, 2003, to December 21, 2003. As of July 1, 2008 it had earned over $7.8 million, making it the 21st-highest-grossing documentary film in the United States -. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 77th Academy Awards.
R U Still Down? is the sixth studio album and second double album by American rapper, 2Pac, released on November 25, 1997. It was the first album to be released without his creative input and contains previously unreleased material from the time period of his albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., Thug Life: Volume 1 and Me Against the World. Throughout the album, 2Pac airs his views on life from a time before he became involved in the controversial East Coast–West Coast rivalry. His lyrics foreshadow his death in songs like "Open Fire", "Thug Style" and "Only Fear of Death." The album spawned two hits, "Do for Love" and "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto", of which "Do for Love" was certified Gold by the RIAA. R U Still Down? sold 549,000 copies in its first week, reached multi-Platinum status in under a month, and topped the R&B charts in the United States for three weeks.
Don't Go 2 Sleep is a compilation EP by American rappers Makaveli and Daz Dillinger. It has eight tracks. There are two other (bootleg) versions of the EP, but the original has only eight tracks. It was released December 24, 2001, on D.P.G. Recordz. The tracks were recorded at Death Row Records between 1995–96 for Tupac's and Boot Camp Clik's project "One Nation". Later when Daz left Death Row, he stole an unknown amount of Tupac's unreleased masters, some of which can be heard on this EP. The only track left untouched by Daz is "They Don't Give a Fuck About Us", all other tracks were remixed and Daz also added himself onto tracks he originally didn't appear on, despite Dillinger marketing the EP as an original collaboration album.
Amaru Entertainment is a record label founded in 1997 by Afeni Shakur after the death of her son Tupac Amaru Shakur. The label was created to handle the release of Tupac's previously unreleased material, and was given the rights to release recordings made during his time at both Interscope and Death Row Records, as well as the rights to re-release his Interscope albums 2Pacalypse Now, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..., Thug Life: Volume 1, and Me Against the World. The label initially distributed its releases through Jive Records, beginning with R U Still Down? , but, as of 2011, the releases were being distributed by Interscope. Amaru has released 11 posthumous albums by 2Pac, as well as a documentary, titled Tupac: Resurrection. On May 2, 2016, Afeni Shakur died of a heart attack.
"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.
Jamal Joseph is an American writer, director, producer, poet, activist, and educator. Joseph was a member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. He was prosecuted as one of the Panther 21. He spent six years incarcerated at Leavenworth Penitentiary.
"Temptations" is a song by American rapper Tupac Shakur (2Pac) from his third studio album, Me Against the World (1995). It was released as a single in the US on August 29, 1995, and was released as a CD, cassette, and 12" promo. While rapping is solely performed by Shakur, Erick Sermon and producer Easy Mo Bee are also featured in the song primarily as background vocalists. The song uses the bassline from the "Computer Love", and the theme focuses on relationship and infidelity issues. Debuting at number sixty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100, the song did fairly well in the United States. It was also well received by critics, with many writers commenting on its romantic tone.
All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac and the last to be released during his lifetime. Released on February 13, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records, the album features guest appearances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Redman, Method Man, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, Daz Dillinger, E-40, K-Ci & JoJo, and the Outlawz, among others.
"Holler If Ya' Hear Me" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his second solo studio album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993). It was released on February 4, 1993 as the album's lead single. The track, which samples "Do It Any Way You Wanna" People's Choice and Public Enemy's "Rebel Without a Pause", is an anthem of resistance. Frustrations with black poverty, police injustice, and Tupac's perceived persecution from political figure Dan Quayle fuel the majority of the track. The song is autobiographical in nature, referring to various traumas experienced by Tupac himself, and the editor of Vibe was quoted in Time magazine as stating that the song struck a chord with a large section of disaffected youth.
Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the world's most well-known African-American poets, her work includes poetry anthologies, poetry recordings, and nonfiction essays, and covers topics ranging from race and social issues to children's literature. She has won numerous awards, including the Langston Hughes Medal and the NAACP Image Award. She has been nominated for a Grammy Award for her poetry album, The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. Additionally, she has been named as one of Oprah Winfrey's 25 "Living Legends".
Tupac Assassination: Conspiracy or Revenge is a documentary film about the unsolved murder of rapper Tupac Shakur produced by Frank Alexander, a Shakur bodyguard who was with the rapper at the time of the shooting, produced and directed by Richard Bond.
Leila Steinberg is an American manager, business woman, educator, writer, poet, and founder of AIM4TheHeART, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping at-risk youth find their voice using an emotional literacy curriculum and writing workshops. She is best known as the artist mentor and first manager for superstar rapper Tupac Shakur. They met when he was a student in her writing workshop, The Microphone Sessions, in the Oakland Bay area. Today Leila manages the rapper Earl Sweatshirt, formerly of Odd Future.
Parris Fluellen, better known as Cha Cha, and currently Parris Franz, is an American rapper, radio personality and actress formally signed to Epic Records.
Yafeu Akiyele Fula, better known by his stage name Yaki Kadafi, was an American rapper and a founder and member of the hip hop groups Outlawz and Dramacydal.
All Eyez on Me is a 2017 American biographical drama film about the African-American rapper Tupac Shakur, directed by Benny Boom and written by Jeremy Haft, Eddie Gonzalez, and Steven Bagatourian. Titled after Shakur's 1996 fourth studio album as well as the song of the same name, the film stars Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Shakur with Kat Graham, Lauren Cohan, Hill Harper, and Danai Gurira in supporting roles, with Jamal Woolard reprising his role as Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace from Notorious (2009).
