The life and death of Tupac Shakur

Raymond Boyd // Getty Images While 2023 marks the 27th anniversary of Tupac Shakur’s death, for many, it feels like only yesterday. In a music career that would only last five years and three studio albums before his killing, the man, myth, and antihero left an indelible impression on hip-hop, the music industry, and the world. His words and philosophies are even taught at prestigious universities, including Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley. The message of his music has managed to sell more than 75 million albums, making him one of the bestselling artists of all time. His likeness is captured on T-shirts, posters, and any manner of merchandise you can think of, further immortalizing him in pop culture iconography. No matter how you feel about rap, Tupac’s legacy goes far beyond music. Born to a mother who was also a Black Panther and raised amid the wreckage of the revolution, Tupac played many roles throughout his life–son, brother, friend, protector, revolutionary, antagonist, and hero. From becoming the first solo rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to earning a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June 2023, he broke barriers and earned accolades in every realm he entered. On paper, it seemed like he could have had it all. In honor of Tupac’s enduring impact, Stacker looked at the life and death of the hip-hop legend. Using various sources, including interviews captured in the Hulu biography “Dear Mama,” court documents, first-person accounts, and numerous other sources, we bring you the legacy the rapper-actor left behind. Tupac was conceived amid a political revolution Gary Reyes/Bay Area News via Getty Images On April 2, 1969, police arrested members of the Panther 21–composed of 19 men and two women, including Afeni Shakur–under accusations of conspiracy to commit violence against various locations in New York City after an undercover police officer infiltrated the Panthers through Cointelpro. If found guilty, Afeni would face 350 years in prison. While pregnant, Afeni was placed on bond, rearrested, rereleased on bond, and infamously defended herself against the state. She was eventually released and acquitted on all charges; a month later, she gave birth to a son. The birth of a legend