| Selling more than 75 million records | | | | also opened him up to charges of |
| world-wide in his all-too-short career, | | | | exploitation. Signing with Death Row |
| the legend that is Tupac Shakur | | | | Records in late 1995, 2Pac released the |
| continues to live on today. 2Pac became | | | | double-album All Eyez on Me in the |
| the unlikely martyr of gangsta rap when | | | | spring of 1996, and the record, as well |
| he died on September 13, 2006, six days | | | | as its hit single "California Love," |
| after being shot during a drive-by | | | | confirmed his superstar status. |
| shooting. | | | | Although Shakur was selling records and |
| 2pac's young life and career began in | | | | earning praise for his music and acting, |
| relatively normal fashion. He did well | | | | he began having serious altercations |
| in school, stayed out of trouble and was | | | | with the law (prior to becoming a |
| interested in acting, music and | | | | recording artist, he had no police |
| entertainment. Before he could graduate | | | | record). He was arrested in 1992 after |
| from high school, Shakur's family moved | | | | he was involved in a fight that |
| to Marin City, CA, when he was 17 years | | | | culminated with a stray bullet killing a |
| old. Over the next few years, 2pac lived | | | | six-year-old bystander; the charges were |
| on the streets and began hustling. | | | | later dismissed. 2Pac was filming Menace |
| Eventually, he met Shock-G, the leader | | | | II Society in the summer of 1993 when he |
| of Digital Underground. The | | | | assaulted director Allen Hughes; he was |
| Oakland-based crew decided to hire him | | | | sentenced to 15 days in jail in early |
| as a dancer and roadie, and as he toured | | | | 1994. |
| with the group, he worked on his own | | | | 2pac was shot just after seeing the Mike |
| material. | | | | Tyson-Bruce Seldon fight at the MGM |
| At the onset of his career, it didn't | | | | Grand. As he was leaving the hotel, |
| appear that he would emerge as one of | | | | 2Pac got into a fight with an unnamed |
| the definitive rappers of the '90s -- he | | | | young black man. It has been suggested |
| started out as a second-string rapper | | | | that this was the cause of the drive-by |
| and dancer for Digital Underground, | | | | shooting, and it has also been suggested |
| joining only after they had already | | | | that Knight's ties to the mob and to |
| landed their biggest hit. 2Pac made his | | | | gangs were the reason; another theory is |
| first recorded appearance on the group's | | | | that the Notorious B.I.G. arranged the |
| spring 1991 record, This Is an EP | | | | shooting as retaliation for 2Pac's |
| Release, and he also appeared on their | | | | comments that he slept with Biggie's |
| second album, Sons of the P. The | | | | wife, Faith Evans. Either way, Shakur |
| following year, he released his own | | | | was shot four times and was admitted to |
| debut, 2Pacalypse Now. The album became | | | | University of Nevada Medical Center. He |
| a word-of-mouth hit, as "Brenda's Got a | | | | died six days later. |
| Baby" reached the R&B Top 30 and the | | | | The music of 2pac continues to live on |
| record went gold. | | | | today. He is remembered as a true |
| His escalating outlaw reputation helped | | | | innovator, who would stop at nothing to |
| his 1995 album Me Against the World | | | | get his views heard and his message |
| enter the charts at number one, and it | | | | across. |