Eventually, he met Shock-G, the leader of Digital Underground. Over the next few years, he lived on the streets and began hustling. Before he could graduate, his family moved to Marin City, CA, when he was 17 years old. While he was at the school, his creative side flourished, as he began writing raps and acting. Frequently, the family was at the poverty level, but Shakur managed to gain acceptance to the prestigious Baltimore School of the Arts as a teenager. His parents had separated before he was born, and his mother moved him and his sister around the country for much of their childhood. The son of two Black Panther members, Tupac Amaru Shakur was born in New York City. On September 13, six days after the shooting, 2Pac passed away, leaving behind a legacy that was based as much on his lifestyle as it was his music. Even with such conflicts, however, 2Pac's drive-by shooting in September 1996 came as an unexpected shock. While his celebrity was at its peak, he publicly fought with his rival, the Notorious B.I.G., and there were tensions brewing at Death Row. Unfortunately, the gangsta lifestyle he captured in his music soon overtook his own life. Signing with Death Row Records in late 1995, 2Pac released the double-album All Eyez on Me in the spring of 1996, and the record, as well as its hit single "California Love," confirmed his superstar status. Yet, as the single "Dear Mama" illustrated, he was capable of sensitivity as well as violence. His burgeoning outlaw mythology helped his 1995 album Me Against the World enter the charts at number one, and it also opened him up to charges of exploitation. By 1994, 2Pac rivaled Snoop Dogg as the most controversial figure in rap, spending as much time in prison as he did in the recording studio. Over the course of one year, his profile rose substantially, based as much on his run-ins with the law as his music. But in 1991, he delivered an acclaimed debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, and quickly followed with a star-making performance in the urban drama Juice. At the outset of his career, it didn't appear that he would emerge as one of the definitive rappers of the '90s - he started out as a second-string rapper and dancer for Digital Underground, joining only after they had already landed their biggest hit. It featured three singles, “Brenda’s Got a Baby”, “Trapped”, and “If My Homie Calls”.2Pac became the unlikely martyr of gangsta rap, and a tragic symbol of the toll its lifestyle exacted on urban black America. The record never achieved the same success as many of Shakur’s later albums owing in part to rough construction and sometimes repetitive beats, but it was important in showcasing Shakur’s political conviction and lyrical talent. Quayle made the statement, “There’s no reason for a record like this to be released. The album generated significant controversy stemming from Dan Quayle’s public criticism after a youth in Texas shot a state trooper and his defense attorney claimed he was influenced by 2Pacalypse Now and its strong theme of police brutality. It is hailed by many critics and fans for its underground feel, with many rappers such as Nas and Talib Kweli having pointed to it as a source for inspiration from the album.Although the album was originally released on Interscope, Amaru Entertainment, the label owned by the mother of Tupac Shakur, has since gained the rights to it. He addresses social problems such as police brutality, poverty, teenage pregnancy, and drug use, some issues giving a lyrical glimpse into the world of a young black person on the urban streets of the United States. Though less polished and lacking the hard-hitting produced beats of his later albums, it was his most overtly political work. 2Pacalypse Now:2Pacalypse Now was Tupac Shakur’s debut album, released in November 1991.
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