Born in Harlem, New York in 1971, Tupac Amaru Shakur was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, before eventually moving across the country to Oakland, California in 1988. Being a person of color in a time when racial tensions were high, life wasn’t always fair. Moreover, he had an absent father and a mother who, while pregnant with Tupac, was facing jail time.
Tupac was a natural lyricist who attended Baltimore School for the Arts, a school which specializes in all types of art, ranging from music to painting. His first 1991 album, 2Pacalypse Now, peaked at 64th on the Billboard Top 200 and put on display his natural ability, alongside what he learned during his time in Baltimore.
2Pacalypse Now displayed several issues that affected minority people. Tracks like “Brenda’s Got a Baby” tackles the issue of unwanted pregnancies, unsupportive parents, and missing fathers, and “Trapped” talks about police brutality and unfair arrests. Furthermore, it describes how black people “couldn’t find a trace of equality” and the feeling of being trapped in their own community.
After the wide success of his debut album, Tupac’s second album, Strictly 4 My N.*.*.*.*.Z, discusses new topics alongside the previous ones, including the women’s rights movement and mass violence between communities. Unlike 2Pacalypse Now, his second album gained more popularity, peaking at 24th on the Billboard 200.
In turn, this album popularized Tupac for his political and social views, and his music is meant to raise awareness about issues involving his community. It has left an impact on music itself, and it has influenced and inspired many other artists in the 1990’s, like Nasir Jones in New York City, and even artists today, such as Kendrick Lamar.
Widely known rapper J. Cole has openly stated that, even though he was too young to understand the lyrics when he was younger, he “could hear Pac’s early albums and feel the truth.” Kendrick Lamar, who took much inspiration from Tupac’s early work, has said that “you felt the passion behind” his lyrics.
The last two albums Tupac made while he was alive, All Eyez On Me and Me Against The World, moved away from the concept of raising awareness of social issues to focusing on stories about the artist himself. These albums feature topics, such as the feeling of constantly being watched and overcoming impossible odds while growing up.
Despite using his platform to voice racial injustice, Tupac also helped people outside the hip-hop industry. He worked on many different projects with various organizations to aid those in need. Furthermore, he founded the Amaru Shakur Foundation, to support the health and wellness of at-risk youth.
It’s safe to say that Tupac has had a significant impact, not only on the music industry, but also on the world. His legacy will forever live on in the hearts and minds of his loyal fans and the lives he changed.
