Tupac Amaru Shakur,also known as 2Pac and Makaveli,was an American rapper. 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.
2Pacalypse Now is the debut studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on November 12,1991,by Interscope and Jive Records. 2Pacalypse Now is Tupac's commentary on contemporary social issues facing American society,such as racism,police brutality,poverty,black on black crime,and teenage pregnancy. It featured three singles:"Brenda's Got a Baby","Trapped",and "If My Homie Calls".
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 seven days in 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.
Loyal to the Game is the ninth studio album and fifth posthumous studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur. The album was produced by Eminem and consists of remixes of previously unreleased music recorded by Tupac before his death in 1996. Released in the United States on December 14,2004,Loyal to the Game debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Gregory Edward Jacobs,known professionally as Shock G and by his alter ego Humpty Hump,was an American rapper and musician who was best known as the lead vocalist of the hip hop group Digital Underground. He was responsible for Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance",2Pac's breakthrough single "I Get Around",and co-producer of 2Pac's debut album 2Pacalypse Now.
Better Dayz is the eighth studio album and fourth posthumous album by the late American rapper 2Pac,and is his last to be a double-album.
"California Love" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring fellow American rapper-producer Dr. Dre and American singer Roger Troutman. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single after his release from prison in 1995 and was his first single as the newest artist of Death Row Records. The remix is featured on the UK version of his fourth album,All Eyez on Me (1996),and is one of 2Pac's most widely known and most successful singles. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and also topped the charts of Italy,New Zealand,and Sweden. The song was posthumously nominated Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997.
"Changes" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring vocals by the group Talent first released as a single from Shakur's greatest hits compilation on October 13,1998. The song makes references to the war on drugs,the treatment of black people by the police,racism,the reconciliation between the black and white people in America,the perpetuation of poverty and its accompanying vicious-cycle value system in urban African American culture,and the difficulties of life in the ghetto. "Changes" samples Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s song "The Way It Is".
"I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" is a song by American rapper 2Pac. It was released as the first single from the posthumous album R U Still Down?. The original version,titled "I Wonda if Heaven's Got a Ghetto",was released as a B-side on the 1993 single,"Keep Ya Head Up".
"Keep Ya Head Up" is a song by American rapper 2Pac 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. The song features R&B singer Dave Hollister and is dedicated to his godson Elijah,Corin Wray from Salt-N-Pepa and Latasha Harlins. Tupac emphasizes the abuse black women face in the society.
"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.
"I Get Around" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his second studio album,Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993). It was released on June 10,1993 as the album's second single and features Shakur's mentor Shock G and Money-B of Digital Underground,Shakur's old group. It was produced by Shock G,who produced it under the alias,The D-Flow Production Squad. AllMusic notes that in the song Shakur "brags about his sexual conquests". Chart-wise,it was the album's most successful single reaching number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
"To Live &Die in L.A." is a song by rapper Tupac Shakur from his fifth studio album,The Don Killuminati:The 7 Day Theory (1996). Released in Europe and parts of Oceania under the Makaveli stage name as the album's second single,it featured vocals from Val Young. The song peaked at number ten on the UK Singles chart and number 2 on the UK R&B chart.
"'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.
"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.
"Runnin'" is a 1995 song by rappers 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Stretch,Dramacydal and Buju Banton. The song is significant,being one of very few compositions 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. created together,as later hostility arose between the two rappers,ending all possible collaborations and inciting the East-West Coast Rivalry. The song,originally slated to appear on Thug Life's 1994 debut album,Thug Life:Volume 1,and 2Pac's 1995 album,Me Against The World,was scrapped both times due to varying controversies. It was later featured on the 1995 One Million Strong compilation album. The song was released by Black Jam as an unofficial single in 1997 after the death of the two rappers. It charted at #81,#57 and #13 on the Billboard Hot 100,Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles &Tracks &Hot Rap Singles charts,respectively.
Live from the Styleetron is the debut studio album by Oakland-based hip hop group Raw Fusion. The group was fronted by Ron Brooks,known as Money-B,an active member of Digital Underground who produced this album as a side project with fellow group member David Elliot known as DJ FUZE. Among many featured artists was a young unknown performer named Tupac Shakur who would later become a legendary figure in the world of hip hop.
