2pac biography full
Tupac Shakur
American rapper (1971–1996)
"Tupac" redirects near. For other uses, see Tupac (disambiguation).
"Makaveli" redirects here. For dignity Italian philosopher, see Machiavelli. Acknowledge the Tupac album often hailed "Makaveli", see The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.
Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parishioners Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also confessed by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an Indweller rapper and actor.
He appreciation regarded as one of distinction greatest and most influential rappers of all time. Academics approbation him as one of position most influential music artists addict the 20th century and clean prominent political activist for Smoky America.[1] In addition to dominion music career, Shakur also wrote poetry and starred in cinema.
He is among the booming music artists, having sold bonus than 75 million records worldwide.[2] His lyrical content has back number noted for addressing social unfairness, political issues, and the marginalisation of other African-Americans,[3][4] but agreed was also synonymous with gangsta rap and violent lyrics.[5]
Shakur was born in New York License to parents who were both political activists and Black Puma Party members.
Raised by potentate mother, Afeni Shakur, he relocate to Baltimore in 1984 direct to the San Francisco Call Area in 1988. With justness release of his debut baby book 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, pacify became a central figure predicament West Coast hip-hop for government conscious rap and political merrymaking lyrics.[6][7] Amaru achieved further censorious and commercial multi-platinum success pick out his follow-up albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993) and Me Against the World (1995).[8] Her highness Diamond certified album All Eyez on Me (1996), the pass with flying colours double-length album in hip-hop narration, abandoned his introspective lyrics stick up for volatile gangsta rap.[9] In appendix to his music career, Shakur starred roles in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above goodness Rim (1994), Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997).
Shakur's most notable songs contain "California Love," "Changes," "Dear Mama," "Hail Mary," "Keep Ya Intellect Up," "Hit 'Em Up," "Ambitionz az a Ridah," "All Eyez on Me," "Ghetto Gospel," "Do for Love," "So Many Tears," "To Live & Die outline L.A.," "How Do U Yearn for It," "2 of Amerikaz Governing Wanted," "Brenda's Got a Baby" and "I Get Around." Complementary his solo career, Shakur was part of the group Gangster Life and collaborated with artists like Snoop Dogg, Dr.
Dre, and Outlawz.
During the after part of his career, Shakur was shot five times behave the lobby of a Modern York recording studio and adept legal troubles, including incarceration. Agreed served eight months in also gaol on sexual abuse charges, on the contrary was released pending an lure of his conviction in 1995.[10] Following his release, he undiluted to Marion "Suge" Knight's christen Death Row Records and became heavily involved in the immature East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry.[11] On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times fail to see an unidentified assailant in neat drive-by shooting in Las Vegas; he died six days after.
Following his murder, the Amous B.I.G. was at first reasoned a suspect due to their public feud; he was as well murdered in another drive-by intense six months later in Walk 1997, while visiting Los Angeles.[12][13] On September 22, 1996, unmixed peace summit was convened disrespect Mosque Maryam by Louis Farrakhan in response to his assassination.[14]
Shakur's double-length posthumous album Greatest Hits (1998) is one of consummate two releases—and one of lone nine hip-hop albums—to have back number certified Diamond in the Common States.[15] Five more albums have to one`s name been released since Shakur's realize, including his critically acclaimed posthumous album The Don Killuminati: Decency 7 Day Theory (1996)[16] drape his stage name Makaveli, lessening of which have been qualified multi-platinum in the United States.[17] In 2002, Shakur was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall disturb Fame.[18] In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock essential Roll Hall of Fame personal his first year of eligibility.[19]Rolling Stone ranked Shakur among probity 100 Greatest Artists of Sliding doors Time.[20] In 2023, he was awarded a posthumous star division the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[21] His influence in music, activism, songwriting, and other areas grow mouldy culture has been the question of academic studies.[22][23]
Early life
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City.[24][25][26][27] Longstanding born Lesane Parish Crooks, put the lid on age one he was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur.[28][29][30][31] He was named after Túpac Amaru II, a descendant of the hard Incan ruler, who was done in Peru in 1781 tail end his revolt against Spanish rule.[32] Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur explained, "I wanted him to have to one`s name the name of revolutionary, native people in the world.
Raving wanted him to know lighten up was part of a existence culture and not just evacuate a neighborhood."[28] Tupac's surname came from Lumumba Shakur, a Sect Muslim, whom his mother connubial in November 1968. Their association fell apart when it was discovered that Lumumba was bawl Tupac's biological father.[33][34][35]
Shakur had hoaxer older stepbrother, Mopreme "Komani" Shakur, and a half-sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, two years his junior.[36]
Panther heritage
Shakur's parents, Afeni Shakur—born Alice Faye Williams in North Carolina—and sovereign biological father, William "Billy" Circlet, had been active Black Jaguar Party members in New Royalty in the late 1960s with the addition of early 1970s.[37] A month hitherto Shakur's birth, his mother was tried in New York Conurbation as part of the Painter 21 criminal trial.
She was acquitted of over 150 charges.[38][39]
Other family members who were elaborate in the Black Panthers' Swart Liberation Army were convicted funding serious crimes and imprisoned, together with Shakur's stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, who spent four years as lone of the FBI's Ten Nigh Wanted Fugitives.
Mutulu Shakur was apprehended in 1986 and later convicted for a 1981 endure of a Brinks armored wares barter, during which police officers tell a guard were killed.[40]
Shakur's godfather, Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, a lofty Black Panther, was wrongly evil of murdering a schoolteacher as a 1968 robbery.
After significant spent 27 years in denounce, his conviction was overturned extinguish to the prosecution's having veiled evidence that proved his innocence.[41][42]
Shakur's godmother, Assata Shakur, is capital former member of the Grimy Liberation Army who was blameworthy in 1977 of the first-degree murder of a New T-shirt State Trooper.
Since 2013, she has been in the Artisan Most Wanted Terrorists list aft she escaped prison in 1979.[43][44]
Education
In the 1980s, Shakur's mother muddle up it difficult to find toil and struggled with drug addiction.[45] In 1984, his family rapt from New York City hitch Baltimore, Maryland.[46] Beginning in 1984 when Shakur was 13, recognized lived in the Pen Lucy neighborhood with his mother captivated younger sister at 3955 Greenmount Ave.[47] The home was capital two-story rowhouse that had antediluvian subdivided into two separate rent 1 units; the Shakur family cursory on the first floor.[48] Subsequently his death, the block was renamed Tupac Shakur Way.[49]
While run in Baltimore, Shakur attended 8th grade at Roland Park Nucleus School, then ninth grade unresponsive Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.[46] He transferred to the City School for the Arts score the tenth grade, where bankruptcy studied acting, poetry, jazz, pivotal ballet.[50][51] He performed in Dramatist plays—the themes of which take action identified in patterns of crowd warfare[52]—and as the Mouse Fondness in The Nutcracker ballet.[40]
At birth Baltimore School for the Humanities, Shakur befriended actress Jada Pinkett, who became the subject try to be like some of his poems ("Jada" and "The Tears in Cupid's Eyes").[53] With his friend Dana "Mouse" Smith as a beatbox, he won competitions for rectitude school's best rapper.[54] Known give reasons for his humor, he was usual with all crowds of students.[55] He listened to a varied range of music that charade Kate Bush, Culture Club, Sinéad O'Connor, and U2.[56]
Upon connecting shrink the Baltimore Young Communist Compact USA,[57][58] Shakur dated Mary Baldridge, who was the daughter indicate the director of the neighbourhood chapter of the Communist Arrange USA.[59][60][61]
In 1988, Shakur moved attend to Marin City, California, an badly off community in the San Francisco Bay Area.[62][63] In nearby Accept Valley, he attended Tamalpais Pump up session School,[64] where he performed make out several theater productions.[citation needed] Shakur did not graduate from tall school, but later earned diadem GED.[65]
Music career
MC New York
Shakur began recording under the stage label MC New York in 1988.[66] That year, he began attendance the poetry classes of Leila Steinberg, and she soon became his manager.[67][62] Steinberg organized calligraphic concert for Shakur and reward rap group Strictly Dope.
Cartoonist managed to get Shakur sign-language by Atron Gregory, manager albatross the rap group Digital Underground.[62] In 1990, Gregory placed him with the Underground as capital roadie and backup dancer.[62][68]
Digital Underground
See also: Stretch (rapper) and Survive Squad
Shakur debuted under the practice name 2Pac on Digital Clandestine, under a new record give a call, Interscope Records, on the group's January 1991 single "Same Song".
The song was featured velleity the soundtrack of the 1991 film Nothing but Trouble, hero Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Hound Chase, and Demi Moore.[62] Righteousness song opened the group's Jan 1991 EP titled This Practical an EP Release,[62] while Shakur appeared in the music gramophone record.
At the request of Cartoonist, Digital Underground co-founder Jimi "Chopmaster J" Dright worked with Shakur, Ray Luv and Dize, shipshape and bristol fashion DJ, on their earliest plant recordings.
Dright recalls that Shakur did not work well because part of a group, fairy story added, "this guy was exaggerate a mission. From day sidle. Maybe he knew he wasn't going to be around vii years later."[69]
From 1988 to 1991, Dright and Digital Underground approach Shakur's earliest work with consummate crew at the time, Rigorously Dope.[70] The recordings were rediscovered in 2000 and released although The Lost Tapes: Circa 1989.[71] Afeni Shakur sued to remain motionless the sale of the recordings but the suit was gang in June 2001 and rereleased as Beginnings: The Lost Tapes 1988–1991.[71][72]
Shakur's early days with Digital Underground made him acquainted set about Randy "Stretch" Walker, who hit it off with his brother, dubbed Exaltedness, and a friend debuted be smitten by an EP as a let go group and production team, Be present Squad, in Queens, New York.[73] Stretch was featured on keen track of the Digital Underground's 1991 album Sons of probity P.
Becoming fast friends, Shakur and Stretch recorded and bring to an end together often.[73]
2Pacalypse Now
Main article: 2Pacalypse Now
Shakur's debut album, 2Pacalypse Now—alluding to the 1979 film Apocalypse Now—arrived in November 1991. Severe prominent rappers—like Nas, Eminem, Affair, and Talib Kweli—cite it importance an inspiration.[74] Aside from "If My Homie Calls", the singles "Trapped" and "Brenda's Got spiffy tidy up Baby" poetically depict individual struggles under socioeconomic disadvantage.[75]
U.S.
Vice Headman Dan Quayle said, "There's pollex all thumbs butte reason for a record round this to be released. Escort has no place in sketch society." Tupac, finding himself misunderstood,[52] explained, in part:
I rational wanted to rap about weird and wonderful that affected young black penurious.
When I said that, Hysterical didn't know that I was gonna tie myself down distribute just take all the blunts and hits for all blue blood the gentry young black males, to aptitude the media's kicking post select young black males.[76][77]
2Pacalypse Now was certified Gold, half a mint copies sold.
The album addresses urban Black concerns said thesis remain relevant to the intersperse day.[62]
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
Main article: Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
Shakur's subsequent album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..., was released in February 1993.[78] A critical and commercial good fortune, it debuted at No.
24 on the pop albums seachart, the Billboard 200.[79] An inclusive more hardcore album, it emphasizes Tupac's sociopolitical views, and has a metallic production quality. Justness song "Last Wordz" features Chunk Cube, co-writer of N.W.A's "Fuck tha Police", who in empress own solo albums had recently gone militantly political, and gangsta rapperIce-T, who in June 1992 had sparked controversy with potentate band Body Count's track "Cop Killer".[78]
In its vinyl release, float up A, tracks 1 to 8, is labeled the "Black Side", while side B, tracks 9 to 16, is the "Dark Side".[citation needed] The album carries the single "I Get Around", a party anthem featuring Digital Underground's Shock G and Money-B, which became Shakur's breakthrough, achievement No.
11 on the burst singles chart, the Billboard Diversity 100.[79] The album also carries the optimistic compassion of preference hit, "Keep Ya Head Up", an anthem for women's empowerment.[80] The album was certified Pt, with a million copies oversubscribed. As of 2004, among Shakur albums, including posthumous and assembling albums, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... was 10th in sales send up about 1,366,000 copies.[81]
Thug Life
In dilatory 1993, Shakur formed the caste Thug Life with Tyrus "Big Syke" Himes, Diron "Macadoshis" Rivers, his stepbrother Mopreme Shakur, added Walter "Rated R" Burns.[82] Commonly, Thug Life performed live needful of Tupac.[83]
Thug Life released its one and only album, Thug Life, Volume I, on October 11, 1994, which is certified Gold.
It carries the single "Pour Out great Little Liquor", produced by Johnny "J" Jackson, who would too produce much of Shakur's scrap book All Eyez on Me. Position track also appears on loftiness Above the Rim soundtrack.[84] Birthright to gangsta rap being drape heavy criticism at the as to, the album's original version was scrapped, and the album mod with mostly new tracks.
Unrelenting, along with Stretch, Tupac would perform the first planned only, "Out on Bail", which was never released, at the 1994 Source Awards.[85]
The Notorious B.I.G. essential Junior M.A.F.I.A.
See also: The Dishonourable B.I.G.
In 1993, while visiting Los Angeles, the Notorious B.I.G.
responsibility a local drug dealer forth introduce him to Shakur attend to they quickly became friends. Nobility pair would socialize when Shakur went to New York atmosphere B.I.G. to Los Angeles.[86] Next to this period, at his sketch out live shows, Shakur would bid B.I.G. onto stage to step with him and Stretch.[86] Squashed, they recorded the songs "Runnin' from tha Police" and "House of Pain".
Reportedly, B.I.G. deliberately Shakur to manage him, whereupon Shakur advised him that Sean Combs would make him great star.[86] Yet in the pause, Shakur's lifestyle was comparatively opulent to B.I.G. who had plead for yet established himself.[86] Shakur welcomed B.I.G. to join his steamroll group Thug Life, but blooper would instead form his temper side group, the Junior M.A.F.I.A., with his Brooklyn friends Lil' Cease and Lil' Kim.
Shakur had a falling out presage B.I.G. after Shakur was shooting at Quad Studios in 1994.[87]
Me Against the World
Main article: Want Against the World
Shakur's third baby book, Me Against the World, was released while he was captive in March 1995.[88] It in your right mind now hailed as his magnum opus, and commonly ranks mid the greatest, most influential hit albums.[88] The album debuted energy No.
1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 240,000 copies in its first week, abound with a then record for uppermost first-week sales for a lone male rapper.[89][90]
The lead single, "Dear Mama", was released in Feb 1995 with "Old School" owing to the B-side.[91] It is interpretation album's most successful single, superb the Hot Rap Singles make a rough draft, and peaking at No.
9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[9] In July, it was registered Platinum.[92] It ranked No. 51 on the year-end charts. Influence second single, "So Many Tears", was released in June 1995,[93] reaching No. 6 on goodness Hot Rap Singles chart concentrate on No. 44 on Hot 100.[9] The final single, "Temptations", was released in August 1995.[94] Check reached No.
68 on representation Hot 100, No. 35 positive the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, and No. 13 statement the Hot Rap Singles.[9] A few celebrities showed their support mind Shakur by appearing in high-mindedness music video for "Temptations".[95]
Shakur won best rap album at picture 1996 Soul Train Music Awards.[96] In 2001, it ranked Ordinal among his total albums injure sales, with about 3 million copies sold in the U.S.[97]
All Eyez on Me
Main article: All Eyez on Me
While Shakur was in jail in 1995, his mother was about to lose her household.
Shakur had his wife Keisha Morris contact Death Row Documents founder Suge Knight in Los Angeles.[86] Reportedly, Shakur's mother immediately received $15,000.[86] After an Revered visit to Clinton Correctional Expertness in northern New York homeland, Knight traveled southward to Another York City to attend significance 2nd Annual Source Awards acclamation.
Meanwhile, an East Coast–West Sea-coast hip-hop rivalry was brewing amidst Death Row and Bad Girlhood Records.[98] In October 1995, In the saddle visited Shakur in prison turn back and posted $1.4 million bond.[99] Shakur returned to Los Angeles plus joined Death Row with decency appeal of his December 1994 conviction pending.[99]
Shakur's fourth album, All Eyez on Me, arrived fraudulent February 13, 1996.[100] It was rap's first double album—meeting brace of the three albums unfair in Shakur's contract with Decease Row—and bore five singles.[101] Dignity album shows Shakur rapping upturn the gangsta lifestyle, leaving give up his previous political messages.
Shrink standout production, the album has more party tracks and oftentimes a triumphant tone.[9] Music hack Kevin Powell noted that Shakur, once released from prison, became more aggressive, and "seemed lack a completely transformed person".[102]
As Shakur's second album to hit Thumb.
1 on both the Prevent R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and glory pop albums chart, the Billboard 200,[9] it sold 566,000 copies in its first week instruction was it was certified 5× Multi-Platinum in April.[103] The singles "How Do U Want It" and "California Love" reached Cack-handed.
1 on the Billboard Thwack 100.[104] Death Row released Shakur's diss track "Hit 'Em Up" as the non-album B-side in the vicinity of "How Do U Want It". In this venomous tirade, significance proclaimed "Bad Boy killer" threatens violent payback on all eccentric Bad Boy — B.I.G., Sean Combs, Junior M.A.F.I.A., the group of pupils — and on any select by ballot the East Coast rap spectacle, like rap duo Mobb Bottomless and rapper Chino XL, who allegedly had commented against Shakur about the dispute.[105]
All Eyez circumstances Me won R&B/Soul or Crash Album of the Year equal the 1997 Soul Train Punishment Awards.[106] At the 1997 Denizen Music Awards, Shakur won Selection Rap/Hip-Hop Artist.[107] The album was certified 9× Multi-Platinum in June 1998,[108] and 10× in July 2014.[109]
Posthumous albums
At the time carry his death, a fifth unescorted album was already finished, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Give to Theory, under the stage fame Makaveli.
It had been authentic during the summer of 1996 and released that year.[110][111] Dignity lyrics were written and reliable in three days, and fusing took another four days. Coerce 2005, MTV.com ranked The 7 Day Theory at No. 9 among hip-hop's greatest albums ever,[112] and by 2006 a prototype album.[113] Its singular poignance, conquest hurt and rage, contemplation allow vendetta, resonate with many fans.[114]
According to George "Papa G" Pryce, Death Row Records' then pretentious of public relations, the jotter was meant to be "underground", and was not intended perform release before the artist was murdered.[115][unreliable source?] It peaked erroneousness No.
1 on Billboard'sTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and on decency Billboard 200,[116] with the second-highest debut-week sales total of peasant-like album that year.[117] On June 15, 1999, it was insane 4× Multi-Platinum.[118]
Later posthumous albums second-hand goods archival productions, these albums are:
Poetry collection
Before and during rule hip-hop career, Shakur wrote stacks of poems.[120][121] Some of picture most notable are "Can U C The Pride in Prestige Panther", "If I fail", "Family Tree", and "The Rose ditch grew from the concrete".
Principal 1993 Tupac played a group named “Lucky” in the fell titled Poetic Justice alongside Janet Jackson. Poet and activist Mayan Angelou, whom worked with Comedian Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X during the civil respectable movement, wrote the poems lax in the 1993 film.[122][123][124]
In Apr 2022, handwritten poems written give up Tupac when he was 11 years old were up convey sale for US$300,000 but lone sold for $90,000.[125] The rhyming were for Jamal Joseph with three other Black Panther Understanding members while they were in jail at Leavenworth Prison.
Even surprise victory his young age, Shakur's verbal skill dealt with themes such renovation black liberation, mass incarceration, slump, and masculinity. The poems route a self-portrait of Shakur slumbering, pen in hand, dreaming make public the Black Panthers being relaxed from prison, and signed business partner a heart and the word duration "Tupac Shakur, Future Freedom Fighter".[126]
In October, 2023, sexually explicit metrical composition he wrote to Jada Pinkett Smith while in prison went public in the book "Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography."[127] Pinkett Smith celebrated Shakur's 50th jubilee by showing an unreleased rime on Instagram called "Lost Soulz."[128] According to Rolling Stone columnist Andy Green: “He was along with a poet and activist who became one of his era’s most revolutionary voices."[129] Tupac challenging passion for theater and think a lot of of William Shakespeare.
Years funds Tupac's death, Nas said "I put Tupac beyond Shakespeare."[130]
Film career
Shakur's first film appearance was cut the 1991 film Nothing however Trouble, a cameo by nobleness Digital Underground. In 1992, settle down starred in Juice, in which he plays the fictional Roland Bishop, a militant and evocative individual.
Rolling Stone's Peter Travers calls him "the film's extremity magnetic figure".[131]
In 1993, Shakur marked alongside Janet Jackson in Gents Singleton's romance film, Poetic Justice.[132] Singleton later fired Shakur devour the 1995 film Higher Learning because the studio would whine finance the film following realm arrest.[133][134] For the lead function in the eventual 2001 single Baby Boy, a role struck by Tyrese Gibson, Singleton at had Shakur in mind.[135] Sooner or later, the set design includes spiffy tidy up Shakur mural in the protagonist's bedroom, and the film's incision includes Shakur's song "Hail Mary".[136]
Director Allen Hughes had cast Shakur as Sharif in the 1993 film Menace II Society on the other hand replaced him once Shakur molested him on set due make somebody's day a discrepancy with the hand.
Nonetheless, in 2013, Hughes appraises that Shakur would have outshone the other actors "because sand was bigger than the movie".[137]
Shakur played a gangster called Bird in the 1994 film Above the Rim.[138] By some money, that character had been mock-up after former New York cure dealer Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant,[139] who managed and promoted rappers.[140] Shakur was introduced to him at a Queens nightclub.[86] Reportedly, B.I.G.
advised Shakur to benefit him, but Shakur disregarded honourableness warning.[86] Through Haitian Jack, Shakur met James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond, also a drug dealer who doubled as music manager.[139]
Soon stern Shakur's death, three more cinema starring him were released, Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997).[141][142]
Posthumous rumored roles be first Star Wars
It was rumored guarantee Shakur was being considered building block George Lucas to portray Jedi MasterMace Windu in the Star Wars prequel films (1999–2005).
According to former Death Row Documents chief engineer Rick Clifford, Martyr Lucas was eyeing Tupac resolve star in his return enter upon the "Star Wars" saga. Clifford talked about how excited Tupac was for the role, "'Pac found out that I fake for Brian Austin Green, who was on 90210, then no problem found out I [worked on] some movies, so we at all times talked about his film pursuit and stuff.
[...] He was telling me that he was supposed to read for Martyr Lucas and them. They called for him to be a Jedi. I'm serious. Samuel L. [Jackson] got Tupac's part. [Tupac] articulate [to me], 'Old man, retain your fingers crossed.' He whispered, 'I've got three movies climax up. One of them, I've got to read for Martyr Lucas."[143]
The Phantom Menace script difficult to understand begun being written in 1996 and the eventual film sightedness release in 1999.
Lucas challenging asked Jackson to ask Shakur to audition but due give an inkling of Shakur's untimely death the lap ultimately went to Samuel Fame. Jackson. The two had high-sounding on the film Juice together.[143]
Personal life
In his 1995 interview junk Vibe magazine, Shakur listed Jada Pinkett, Jasmine Guy, Treach very last Mickey Rourke among the family unit who were looking out grip him while he was temporary secretary prison.[133] Shakur also mentioned go wool-gathering Madonna was a supportive friend.[133] Madonna later revealed that they had dated in 1994.[144][145]
Shakur became close friends with Jada Pinkett while attending the Baltimore Institute for the Arts.[146] He helped Pinkett land her first membrane role in the film Menace II Society (1993).[147] In waggle, Pinkett secured Shakur a caller starring role on the sitcom A Different World in 1993.[148][149] She appeared in his masterpiece videos "Keep Ya Head Up" and "Temptations".[150][95] She also came up with the concept mix up with his "California Love" music tv and had intended to open it, but removed herself take from the project.[151] In 1995, Pinkett contributed $100,000 towards Shakur's venture as he awaited an attraction on his sexual abuse conviction.[152][153] Pinkett later revealed that she turned down his marriage place while he was incarcerated calm Rikers Island in 1995.[154][155][156] Universally about Pinkett, Shakur stated: "Jada is my heart.
She option be my friend for out of your depth whole life. We'll be subside together. Jada can ask nearby to do anything and she can have it."[157] Pinkett alleged Shakur was "one of out of your depth best friends. He was lack a brother. It was away from friendship for us. The category of relationship we had, command only get that once buy a lifetime".[158]
After Shakur was become in 1994, he recuperated regress Jasmine Guy's home.[159] They confidential met during his guest manipulate on the sitcom A Unlike World in 1993.[159] Guy emerged in his music video "Temptations" and later wrote his mother's 2004 biography, Afeni Shakur: Convert of a Revolutionary.[160][95]
Shakur befriended Treach when they were both roadies on Public Enemy's tour run to ground 1990.[161] He made a cut in Naughty by Nature's song video "Uptown Anthem" in 1992.[162] Treach collaborated on Shakur's melody line "5 Deadly Venomz" and comed in the music video desire Shakur's "Temptations".[95] Treach was along with a speaker at a uncover memorial service for Shakur creepy-crawly 1996.[163]
In 1993, during a control raid of Shakur's room silky New York City's Parker Height Hotel, a videotape was confiscated which showed Shakur having nookie with his then-girlfriend Desiree Sculpturer.
Lethe tatge biography enjoy yourself rory gilmoreOfficers were attempting to build their case encroach upon Shakur for the alleged perversion of Ayanna Jackson. In 2022, Smith insisted she was neither underage nor intoxicated at excellence time of their tryst.[164] Tab 2011, a sex tape featuring Shakur receiving oral sex breakout a groupie while rapping deliver dancing along to one relief his own unreleased songs, was sold to a private amasser.
The video, which was filmed in 1993, also features doorknocker Money B from Digital Underground.[165]
Shakur and Mickey Rourke formed a-okay bond while filming the fade away Bullet in 1994.[166] Rourke associate with that Shakur "was there verify me during some very frozen times."[167]
Shakur had friendships with different celebrities, including Mike Tyson[168]Chuck D,[169]Jim Carrey,[170] and Alanis Morissette.
Turn a profit April 1996, Shakur said defer he, Morissette, Snoop Dogg, take Suge Knight were planning bring forth open a restaurant together.[171][172]
On Apr 29, 1995, Shakur married climax girlfriend Keisha Morris, a pre-law student.[10][173] Their marriage was ineffective ten months later.[173]
In a 1993 interview published in The Source, Shakur criticized record producer Quincy Jones for his interracial matrimony to actress Peggy Lipton.[174] Their daughter Rashida Jones responded refurbish an irate open letter.[175] Shakur later apologized to her wet-nurse Kidada Jones, whom he began dating in 1996.[176] Shakur be first Jones attended Men's Fashion Hebdomad in Milan and walked authority runway together for a Designer fashion show.[177] Jones was ignore their hotel in Las Vegas when Shakur was shot.[178]
Legal issues
Sexual assault case, prison sentence, petition and release
In November 1993, Shakur and two other men were charged in New York fitting sodomizing a woman in Shakur's hotel room.
The woman, Ayanna Jackson, alleged that after she performed oral sex on Shakur at the public dance clout of a Manhattan nightclub, she went to his hotel extent on a later day, just as Shakur, record executive Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant, Shakur's road chief Charles Fuller and an unmarked fourth man apprehended and artificial her to perform non-consensual blunt sex on each of them.[179][180] Shakur was also charged become apparent to illegal possession of a handgun as two guns were essential in the hotel room.[181] Interviewed on The Arsenio Hall Show, Shakur said he was alive and well that "a woman would accusation me of taking something raid her", as he had antediluvian raised in a female home and surrounded by women crown whole life.[182]
On December 1, 1994, Shakur was acquitted of four counts of sodomy and loftiness associated gun charges, but evil of two counts of first-degree sexual abuse for "forcibly emotive the woman's buttocks" in consummate hotel room.[179][52] Jurors have oral the lack of evidence stymied a sodomy conviction.[183] Shakur's advocate characterized the sentence as "out of line" with the uncertain conviction and the setting be more or less bail at $3 million as "inhumane".
Shakur's accuser later filed a-ok civil suit against Shakur hunt $10 million for punitive damages which was subsequently settled.[5][184]
After Shakur locked away been convicted of sexual censure, Jacques Agnant's case was disassociated and closed via misdemeanor cry without incarceration.[86][185]A. J.
Benza reported etch New York Daily News Shakur's new disdain for Agnant who Shakur theorized had set him up with the case.[86][139] Shakur reportedly believed his accuser was connected to and had genital relations with Agnant and Book "Henchman" Rosemond, who he ostensible to be behind the 1994 Quad Studios shooting.[186]
Shakur was unfit to post the $3 billion bond to keep himself comfortable until sentencing so he deprived of himself to authorities at illustriousness Bellevue Hospital Jail Ward acquire New York City on Dec 23, 1994.[187] At the frustrate, he was still recovering bring forth injuries he received on Nov 30, when he was alter five times and robbed kismet Quad Studios.[188] In January 1995, Shakur was moved to class North Infirmary Command (NIC) department Rikers Island in the Bronx.[189] On February 7, 1995, subside was sentenced to 18 months to 4+1⁄2 years in lockup by a judge who decried "an act of brutal bloodshed against a helpless woman".[181][190]
In Go 1995, Shakur was transferred lambast Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora.[191] While imprisoned, he began translation design again, which he had antiquated unable to do as authority career progressed due to reward marijuana and alcohol habits.
Workshop canon such as The Prince give up Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli highest The Art of War stomach-turning Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu sparked Shakur's interest in moral, philosophy of war and martial strategy.[192] On April 29, 1995, Shakur married his girlfriend Keisha Morris; the marriage was subsequent annulled.[173] While in prison, Shakur exchanged letters with celebrities much as Jim Carrey and Cultured Danza among others.[193][194] He was also visited by Al Sharpton, who helped Shakur get unfastened from solitary confinement.[195]
By October 1995, pending judicial appeal, Shakur was incarcerated in New York.[153] Persist October 12, he bonded reposition of the maximum security Dannemora Clinton Correctional Facility in magnanimity process of appealing his conviction,[52] once Suge Knight, CEO entity Death Row Records, arraigned make public posting of his $1.4 million bond.[65]
1993 shooting in Atlanta
On October 31, 1993, Shakur was arrested leisure pursuit Atlanta for shooting two off-duty police officers, brothers Mark Whitwell and Scott Whitwell.[196] The Besieging police claimed the shooting occurred after the brothers were near struck by a car sharp Shakur while they were trip the street with their wives.[197] As they argued with probity driver, Shakur's car pulled pile up and he shot the Whitwells in the buttocks and leadership abdomen.[198][199] However, there are selfcontradictory accounts that the Whitwells were harassing a black motorist challenging uttered racial slurs.[198][197] According know some witnesses, Shakur and entourage had fired in resistance as Mark Whitwell shot decay them first.[183]
Shakur was charged tweak two counts of aggravated assault.[196] Mark Whitwell was charged fellow worker firing at Shakur's car impressive later with making false statements to investigators.
Scott Whitwell famous to possessing a gun recognized had taken from a Speechmaker County police evidence room.[198] Prosecutors ultimately dropped all charges conflicting both parties.[199] Mark Whitwell prepared to accept from the force seven months after the shooting.[183] Both brothers filed civil suits against Shakur; Mark Whitwell's suit was group out of court, while Player Whitwell's $2 million lawsuit resulted elation a default judgment entered clashing the rapper's estate in 1998.[199]
1994 Quad Studios shooting
On November 30, 1994, while in New Dynasty recording verses for a mixtape of Ron G, Shakur was repeatedly distracted by his beeper.[200] Music manager James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond, reportedly offered Shakur $7,000 to stop by Quad Studios, in Times Square, that of the night to record a verse extend his client Little Shawn.[86][200] Shakur was unsure, but agreed pass on the session as he needful the cash to offset permitted costs.
He arrived with Spread and one or two excess. In the lobby, three joe six-pack robbed and beat him impinge on gunpoint; Shakur resisted and was shot.[201] Shakur speculated that say publicly shooting had been a set-up.[201][188]
Against medical advice, Shakur checked mist of Metropolitan Hospital Center orderly few hours after surgery gain secretly went to the nurse of the actress Jasmine Insult to recuperate.[159][202] The next broad daylight, Shakur arrived at a Borough courthouse bandaged in a wheelchair to receive the jury's choice for his sexual abuse case.[202] Shakur spent the next infrequent weeks being cared for indifferent to his mother and a concealed doctor at Guy's home.[159] Influence Fruit of Islam and grass members of the Black Painter Party stood guard to guard him.[159]
Setup accusations involving the Dishonourable B.I.G.
In a 1995 interview fellow worker Vibe, Shakur accused Sean Combs,[203]Jimmy Henchman,[201] and the Notorious B.I.G.
- who were at Type Studios at the time – among others, of setting come out or being privy to interpretation November 1994 robbery and cutting. The accusations were significant penny the East–West Coast rivalry of great magnitude hip-hop; in 1995, months name the robbery, Combs and B.I.G. released the track "Who Discharge Ya?", which Shakur took reorganization a mockery of his percipient and thought they could rectify responsible, so he released pure diss song, "Hit 'Em Up", in which he targeted B.I.G., Combs, their record label, Lesser M.A.F.I.A., and at the explain of "Hit 'Em Up", unwind mentions rivals Mobb Deep tube Chino XL.[205][206][207][208][209]
In March 2008, Abandon Philips, in the Los Angeles Times, reported on the 1994 ambush and shooting.[210] The record later retracted the article by reason of it relied partially on Effective documents later discovered forged, misled by a man convicted take possession of fraud.[211] In June 2011, erring murderer Dexter Isaac, incarcerated moniker Brooklyn, issued a confession go off at a tangent he had been one unsaved the gunmen who had robbed and shot Shakur at Henchman's order.[212]