
Mark Hatfield
American politician, governor of Oregon and U. S. Senator (1922-2011)
Tupac Shakur was an iconic American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential of all time. He was a prominent political activist and known for his socially conscious lyrics addressing issues like injustice and marginalization. Despite a turbulent life, Shakur left an incredible legacy, with over 75 million records sold worldwide and numerous hit songs that are still beloved today.
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Tupac Amaru Shakurand Me Against the Worldis one of his two releases–and one of only nine hip hop albums–to have been certified Diamond in the United States. Five more albums have been released since Shakur’s death, including his critically acclaimed posthumous album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theoryunder his stage name Makaveli, all of which have been certified multi-platinum in the United States. In 2002, Shakur was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked Shakur among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2023, he was awarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His influence in music, activism, songwriting, and other areas of culture has been the subject of academic studies.
Tupac Shakur was an American rapper and actor considered one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. He was known for his conscious rap and political rap lyrics, as well as his starring roles in movies.
Tupac Shakur’s most notable songs include ‘California Love,’ ‘Changes,’ ‘Dear Mama,’ ‘Hail Mary,’ ‘Keep Ya Head Up,’ ‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ ‘Ambitionz az a Ridah,’ ‘All Eyez on Me,’ ‘Ghetto Gospel,’ ‘Do for Love,’ ‘So Many Tears,’ ‘To Live & Die in L.A.,’ ‘How Do U Want It,’ ‘2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted,’ ‘Brenda’s Got A Baby,’ and ‘I Get Around.’
Tupac Shakur was born in New York City to parents who were both political activists and Black Panther Party members. He was raised by his mother, Afeni Shakur, and later relocated to Baltimore in 1984 and the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988.
Tupac Shakur’s music career began with the release of his debut album ‘2Pacalypse Now’ in 1991, which made him a central figure in West Coast hip hop. He then achieved further critical and commercial success with follow-up albums like ‘Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…’ and ‘Me Against the World.’
Tupac Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996 and died six days later. His friend-turned-rival, the Notorious B.I.G., was initially considered a suspect due to their public feud, but he was also murdered in another drive-by shooting six months later.
Tupac Shakur is considered one of the most influential music artists of the 20th century, and his influence in music, activism, songwriting, and other areas of culture has been the subject of academic studies. He was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
In addition to his music career, Tupac Shakur starred in several films, including ‘Juice,’ ‘Poetic Justice,’ ‘Above the Rim,’ ‘Bullet,’ ‘Gridlock’d,’ and ‘Gang Related.’
My mama always used to tell me: ‘If you can’t find somethin’ to live for, you best find somethin’ to die for.’
American rapper (1971-1996)
Let the Lord judge the criminals.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I don’t have to talk about whether or not I got raped in jail.
American rapper (1971-1996)
America wants its respect.
American rapper (1971-1996)
Somebody help me, tell me where to go from here cause even Thugs cry, but do the Lord care?
American rapper (1971-1996)
It seems like every time you come up something happens to bring you back down.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I worked hard all my life as far as this music business. I dreamed of the day when I could go to New York and feel comfortable and they could come out here and be comfortable.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I don’t see myself being special; I just see myself having more responsibilities than the next man. People look to me to do things for them, to have answers.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I think I’m a natural-born leader. I know how to bow down to authority if it’s authority that I respect.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I don’t have no fear of death. My only fear is coming back reincarnated.
American rapper (1971-1996)
With all my fans I got a family again.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I’m 23 years old. I might just be my mother’s child, but in all reality, I’m everybody’s child. Nobody raised me; I was raised in this society.
American rapper (1971-1996)
All I’m trying to do is survive and make good out of the dirty, nasty, unbelievable lifestyle that they gave me.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I never killed anybody, I never raped anybody, I never committed no crimes that weren’t honorable.
American rapper (1971-1996)
It’s a struggle for every young Black man. You know how it is, only God can judge us.
American rapper (1971-1996)
Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.
American rapper (1971-1996)
In my mind I’m a blind man doin’ time.
American rapper (1971-1996)
Don’t change on me. Don’t extort me unless you intend to do it forever.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I just spent 11 and a half months in a maximum-security jail, got shot five times, and was wrongly convicted of a crime I didn’t commit.
American rapper (1971-1996)
The only thing that comes to a sleeping man is dreams.
American rapper (1971-1996)
There’s nobody in the business strong enough to scare me.
American rapper (1971-1996)
It’s the game of life. Do I win or do I lose? One day they’re gonna shut the game down. I gotta have as much fun and go around the board as many times as I can before it’s my turn to leave.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I would rather have been shot straight-up in cold blood-but to be set up? By people who you trusted? That’s bad.
American rapper (1971-1996)
The only time I have problems is when I sleep.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I’m a reflection of the community.
American rapper (1971-1996)
If I win and get the money, then the Oakland Police department is going to buy a boys’ home, me a house, my family a house, and a Stop Police Brutality Center.
American rapper (1971-1996)
Is it a crime, to fight, for what is mine?
American rapper (1971-1996)
Dre was one of my heros in the music industry. If he’s not down for his homeboys, I don’t wanna be a part of him or around him.
American rapper (1971-1996)
When you do rap albums, you got to train yourself. You got to constantly be in character.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I’ll probably be punished for hard living.
American rapper (1971-1996)
If you believe in God, believe in Death Row East.
American rapper (1971-1996)
We all gonna die, we bleed from similar veins.
American rapper (1971-1996)
I just don’t know how to deal with so many people giving me that much affection. I never had that in my life.
American rapper (1971-1996)
Thug Life to me is dead.
American rapper (1971-1996)
What I learned in jail is that I can’t change. I can’t live a different lifestyle-this is it. This is the life that they gave and this is the life that I made.
American rapper (1971-1996)