Tupac Ameru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 to Afeni Shakur and Billy Garland, two active members of the Black Panther Party. Shakur, also referred to as 2Pac and Makaveli, would grow up to become one of the most influential and thought-provoking hip-hop artists of all time. His lyricism and his interviews often overflowed with profound ideologies and astute observations. Unfortunately, Shakur was gunned down and murdered on September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas. Despite his passing, his legacy lives on through the countless artists he has inspired in the wake of his transcendent career, as well as the social and political influence he has had on global affairs.

Shakur’s debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, is widely hailed as one of his classic records. While not being as refined as some of his later works, the album showcases an abundance of political overtones. He addresses pressing issues facing America, such as police brutality, teen pregnancy, and racism, among others. Many contemporary rappers point to 2Pacalypse Now as a paramount source of influence on their careers. His following releases, including Thug Life: Volume 1 and Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, were also critically acclaimed and helped to maintain Shakur’s meteoric rise throughout hip-hop’s underground, the consciousness of the general public, and the mainstream music industry. Although he only released four albums during his tragically short career, his legacy benefitted from a slew of posthumous album releases that only furthered his reputation as an exceptional mind that existed in rarefied air. Before his death, Shakur also enjoyed a prolific acting career which saw him become an incredibly talented and multi-faceted artist.

Tupac Shakur possessed a sharp mind, as evidenced by his love for literary classics, especially the works of William Shakespeare. The environment in which Shakur was raised allowed, or rather forced, him to mature at an accelerated rate. He was able to take Shakespearean themes and project them upon the situations he saw growing up in East Harlem. As he stated in a 1995 interview for the Los Angeles Times, “I really like stuff like “Les Miserables” and “Gospel at Colonus.” And I love Shakespeare. He wrote some of the rawest stories, man. I mean look at Romeo and Juliet. That’s some serious ghetto [expletive]. You got this guy Romeo from the Bloods who falls for Juliet, a female from the Crips, and everybody in both gangs are against them. So they have to sneak out and they end up dead for nothing. Real tragic stuff.”

Tupac’s firsthand experiences and passion for intellectualism coalesced beautifully to create the source from which his artistry sprang forth. One unintended and unforeseen result was Shakur’s posthumous transformation into a lightning rod for African rebels and their cause. The Sierra Leone conflict was one considered to be void of much, if any, ideologies or true purpose. Tupac’s music provided guidance to those who had none. Rebels wore Tupac shirts, shared his hairstyle, adopted his mottos, and adorned their vehicles and weapons with his sayings. Shakur’s death came in the midst of the Sierra Leone conflict and many African rebels felt they could relate to their idol’s poignant lyricism. Professor of African history at UC San Diego, Jeremy Prestholdt, aptly sums up the phenomenon. “In a lot of different contexts, certainly not only Sierra Leone, Tupac offered this image of resilience, invincibility, bravado, and hyper-masculinity.”

Tupac Shakur endured many hardships, and was thus afforded the opportunity to inspire countless individuals around the world to overcome, or at least survive, their disadvantages. With Shakur, what you saw was not always what you got. His demeanor and attitude created the façade of a gangster rapper, but Shakur himself went on record as saying that he was no such thing. He simply spoke of the gritty realities that faced urban youth. He was intriguing and charismatic, with a legacy and spirit that transcended life itself.