Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16th 1971 in New York. In 1986 he moved to Baltimore where he enrolled in an art school studying acting and ballet. At the age of 17 he then moved to Marin City in California with his family, and attended high school but didn't stay long enough to graduate. He later got an equivalency diploma. Tupac formed a group called Strictly Dope with 5 other members and recorded an album with TNT, a record that has never been released. He then rapped and danced for Digital Underground in 1990 and in 1991 Tupac released his debut album 2Pacalypse now, which included the no.3 hit "Brenda's Got A Baby". Tupac's second album Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z. was released in 1993 and had hit singles "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Get Around" included on it, and introduced him into the pop charts.
He then formed the group Thug Life with Mopreme, Rated R, Big Syke and Macadoshis; an album was released in 1994 called Thug Life Vol. 1. It had "How Long Will They Mourn Me" and "Pour Out A Little Liquor" hit singles on it. By this time in his life he had also appeared in several films such as Poetic Justice and Above The Rim.

In November of 1994, Tupac went to Quad recording studios to record a rap for Little Shawn, when entering the building he was shot five times during a robbery in which thieves were said to have made off with ten of thousands of dollars worth of his jewellery. Shakur discharged himself from hospital the next day. The day after he went to court for a sexual assault charge, the incident allegedly occurred earlier that year. He was found guilty and sentenced to 4 years in prison beginning in February 1995. He went to the Clinton correctional facility and it was whilst in prison when he released his third album Me Against The World. It debuted at No.1 on the album chart with the big hit "Dear Mama".
In April of 1995 whilst still in prison Tupac married Keisha Morris. Suge Knight (C.E.O. of Death Row Records) bailed Tupac under the understanding that he would sign under Death Row and produce 3 albums.
On January 1st "California Love", with Dr Dre, had it's world premier on MTV and was Tupac's first No.1 single. His first album under Death Row was All Eyez On Me and was the first ever double rap CD.

Tupac then changed his name to Makaveli after Italian Niccolo Machiavelli, the first album release after this name change was The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, featuring some of the members of The Outlawz (Tupac's group). This album was released after Tupac's death and included hit singles such as "To Live & Die In LA", "Toss It Up" and "Hail Mary". He was shot in Las Vegas on September 7th 1996 inside his and Suge Knight's limo, after attending a Mike Tyson fight. Suge rushed Tupac to hospital where he passed away 6 days later due to internal bleeding. Post his death two more films were released Gridlock'd and Gang Related, a double album R U Still Down?, his greatest hits containing 4 unreleased songs, a book including 72 poems and The Outlawz album called I Still Rise in 1999.
Tupac is a rap legend whose music will live forever. RIP.