Jon Salgado

English 1102
Life During Fame

Tupac Amaru Shakur was born Lesane Parish Crooks in Brooklyn, New York
City, on June 16, 1971. He would soon learn that moving around was going to be the
norm for him since his parents were basically non existing. It was at the age of 12 where
his love for the arts initiated, participating in theater. Tupac for the very first time in his
life "loved his classes" and had the opportunity to study theater, ballet, and other arts.
Tupac slowly started to make friends and kept growing as a person. He made friends
that helped spark his interest into rap music. He started off small with two other guys
and created the group called Strictly Dope. It got buzz that he wanted and ended up
landing an audition with Shock G of Digital Underground. He landed himself a job as a
backup dancer for them, but that didnt keep him from reaching his goal. He kept
working hard and trying to prove himself. He would keep rapping with the group, but
then ended up leaving the group to pursue a solo career. He would soon after make his
debut, after which he signed to Interscope Records and released his first solo album
entitled "2Pacalypse Now" in 1991. This really got the attention he wanted. It made
Tupac the most controversial rapper because it was encouraging a mix of hardcore,
Thug Life, guns and many more that exposed the darker image of Tupac. That album
quickly went gold with his biggest hit single Trapped and Brendas Got a Baby. His
fame was at an all time high and he just kept making it bigger, coming out with his next
album called Strictly 4 My N.G.G.A.Z. His lyrics talked about the controversies
surrounding him and featured two other rappers, Ice-T and Ice Cube, that were big
during his time. This album just like the first was also very loved by his fans, which went
platinum. That same year he co-started with Janet Jackson which increased his

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celebrity status. He also performed in Above The Rim, a basketball movie. The
soundtrack produced by another a-list rap producer Dr. Dre. In the next years coming
even with all the success, fame, and popularity Tupac found himself in trouble. Coming
in and out of jail with various charges. Being a celebrity is not for everyone and some
could see themselves in even bigger problems. Nowadays you can see that celebrities
are still the same and are always finding themselves on the news. Tupac was huge on
letting everyone know what he thought and he had no filter or shame expressing
himself. With all that on his plate during that time he also managed to record and
release his third album Me Against The World in 1995. Just like his other two previous
albums this one debuted at No. 1, went platinum, and made Tupac one of the most
successful and popular gangster rapper to emerge in the 90s. Once he was released
from prison he decided to sign to Death Row Records. He kept dedicating his life to
music and was in the studio recording his double album All Eyez On Me in 1996. This
album, too, became a big hit and sold more than six million copies. Throughout the
years with fame and popularity also comes a whole lot of problems. Him being famous
of course what girl wouldnt want to be with him and live his lifestyle. Thats what put him
in jail in the first place thats why you always have to be cautious because you never
know whos going to expose you. Back to Tupacs music career he would later devote
more of his time to acting, starting in films like: Bullet, Gang Related, and Gridlockd. He
would also still be involved in music during that time making even more guest
appearances with other rappers. Soon after in 1996 he was gunned down in Las Vegas.
His life was short lived but he managed to make a name for himself and become one
memorable artist for years to come. He was working so hard at what he loved that

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Tupac had recorded so much material that albums even after his death have been
released. He was super talented and only crafted to the best of his ability. In the end I
believe that he has left us behind a true being testament to his word, and a legend from
his era. Tupac is a completely different generation than mine the millennials but his
words speak to us all for his words are like Shakespeare's they speak of problems
hidden in society. Tupac opened us to see our surrounding even before we knew what
he was trying to tell us.

Jon Salgado
English 1102
Works Cited
Biography.com Editors. "Tupac Shakur." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 16
June 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
Kreps, Daniel. "Tupac Shakur Biography." Rolling Stone. Simon & Schuster, 21 Feb.
2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.