Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur (June 16, 1971-September 13, 1996)

Tupac Amuru Shakur, known as 2Pac, was born June 16, 1996. He was and still to this day is known for being the best rapper in the game period. No one has ever been able to claim that title from him, though he is deceased. His influence on hip hop still goes on and will never be forgotten. Tupac was born in New York city on June 16, 1971. I always thought it was cool that I had the same birthday month as the greatest rapper alive! Tupac's songs created messages to the world. He did however have songs such as 'How Do You Want It' and 'I Get Around,' portraying his more sexual side. For the most part though, his music such as 'Ghetto Gospel' and 'Brenda's Got a Baby' revealed to the world the hardships of life that most were blind to. His lyrics and deliverance forced people to see the pain and insanity of life in the ghetto. He rapped about the thug life and the struggling mother
 who didn't know where her last check would be coming in. About the children who got the hard life they never asked for but were bullied in it by their environment they were given. I remember being in my brothers room and hearing Tupac's song 'Dear Mama' when I was 14 years old and thinking that is was one of the greatest raps I had ever heard. I got the song on my mp3 player and listened to it on the bus every morning, getting lost in its' message. I eventually started listening to all of his music and collaborations he had with other rappers. He was one of the first rappers that introduced me to rap music. I started writing my own rap music when I was about 13 or 14 years old, and each song had a certain influence behind it. Whenever I wrote (or still write about) serious matters and struggles, Tupac is my first influence behind my songs. I always compare my lyrics to his, hoping I can even be close to sounding like him. During his rap career, Tupac did collaborations with other famous rappers such as Dr. Dre in 'California Love' and Biggie Smalls in ' Running to Die (To Live and Die in L.A.), two famous great hits. He had appearances on Yo! MTV RAPS and stared in movies such as 'Juice' and  'Poetic Justice' , where he refused to take an AIDS test, feeling it was offensive. Tupac was killed by gunshot on September 13, 1996, which was a surprise to most because he was always getting shot but always pulled through. However, this time was fatal. His legacy in hip hop will continue to go on for as long as hip hop lives.