upac Amaru Shakur (/ˈtuːpɑːk ʃəˈkʊər/ TOO-pahk shə-KOOR; born Lesane Parish Crooks;

June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was
an American rapper and an activist.[2] Considered one of the most influential and successful
rappers of all time,[3][4] he 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.[5]
Shakur was born in New York City to parents who were both political activists and Black Panther
Party members. Raised by his mother, Afeni Shakur, he relocated to Baltimore in 1984 and to
the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. With the release of his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in
1991, he became a central figure in West Coast hip hop for his conscious rap lyrics.[6][7] Shakur
achieved further critical and commercial success with his follow-up albums Strictly 4 My
N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993) and Me Against the World (1995).[8] His Diamond certified album All Eyez
on Me (1996), the first double-length album in hip-hop history, abandoned his introspective lyrics
for volatile gangsta rap.[9] In addition to his music career, Shakur also found considerable success
as an actor, with his starring roles in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above the
Rim (1994), Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997).
During the later part of his career, Shakur was shot five times in the lobby of a New York
recording studio and experienced legal troubles, including incarceration. Shakur served eight
months in prison on sexual abuse charges, but was released pending an appeal of his conviction
in 1995.[10] Following his release, he signed to Marion "Suge" Knight's label Death Row
Records and became heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry.
[11]
On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by
shooting in Las Vegas; he died six days later. Following his murder, Shakur's friend-turned-
rival, the Notorious B.I.G., was at first considered a suspect due to their public feud; he was also
murdered in another drive-by shooting six months later in March 1997, while visiting Los
Angeles.[12][13]
Shakur's double-length posthumous album Greatest Hits (1998) is one of his two releases—and
one of only nine hip hop albums—to have been certified Diamond in the United States.[14] Five
more albums have been released since Shakur's death, including his critically acclaimed
posthumous album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)[15] under his stage name
Makaveli, all of which have been certified Platinum in the United States.[16] In 2002, Shakur was
inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame.[17] In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in his first year of eligibility.[18] Rolling Stone ranked Shakur among the 100 Greatest Artists
of All Time.[19] In 2023, he was awarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[20]

Early life

East Harlem, the neighborhood of New York City where

Shakur was born
Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, in East Harlem, Upper Manhattan, New York City.[21][22][23]
[24]
While born Lesane Parish Crooks,[25][26][27] at age one he was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur.
[28]
He was named after Túpac Amaru II, a descendant of the last Incan ruler, who was executed
in Peru i