2Pac HHV Records 46 Items

Hip Hop in 2Pac’s Hands

The history of West Coast hip hop goes through several highs and lows in the 90s, but it’s clear that there is a world before Tupac Shakur and a world after him, and both are entirely different from each other. Within just a few years, the Californian artist reached the top of the genre with numerous hit songs, delivering activist-conscious rap as well as the classic gangsta style and even establishing himself as an actor. His clearly defined and often envied flow gave him tremendous rhythmic and political expression: for a brief period, hip hop was entirely in Tupac’s hands. In the mid-90s, the superstar then became involved in the most famous beef of all time. With disastrous consequences – the conflict between East Coast and West Coast claimed his life. His journey began in 1971 in New York City – Tupac’s parents were members of the revolutionary Black Panther Party, and the family lived in poverty for a long time. When the teenager Shakur was accepted at the Baltimore School for the Arts, he found space for the first time to write his own lyrics, and under the name MC New York, he organized his first concerts with his crew Strictly Dope in the late ’90s. At the same time, he was discovered by the rap group Digital Underground, which welcomed him as a tour dancer from then on.

Rap and Revolution

At the same time, the emerging artist was working on his own projects in the background. In 1991, he made his debut as 2Pac on Digital Underground’s track Same Song, and shortly after, he released his first solo album 2Pacalypse Now under Interscope . Although the album didn’t become an immediate hit, it made waves. It was evident that it disturbed authorities, as noted by the words of the then-US Vice President, who stated that the album had “no place in our society.” Tupac talked about the socio-political burdens faced by the Young Black Male in America – police, racism, inequality: he didn’t shy away from addressing these issues. In 1993, with Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…, he entered the Top 30, once again proving himself as a mediator between rap and revolution: “I’m supposed to say peace, sing songs, and get capped on / But it’s time for a new plan.” Simultaneously, the Californian rapper scored his first hits with Keep Ya Head Up and I Get Around, and he also pursued a career in acting. As his music gained momentum, he formed the group Thug Life and recorded an album with his crew members. However, he also found himself in conflict with the law – in 1995, Tupac had to serve a prison sentence for sexual assault, and during that time, he was shot by an anonymous group. From his prison cell, he accused the Notorious B.I.G on the other side of the continent of being behind the shooting, further fueling the conflict between the two parties.

Unlike anyone who came before him

With Me Against the World, Tupac landed a number-one album during his incarceration. After eight months of being released, the Grammy nominations hardly waited, and he worked on his first record for the Death Row Label, All Eyez On Me, which, in turn, stormed the charts in 1996. The first double album in hip hop history narrated tales of gangster life and lost friends, accompanied by guests like Snoop Dogg and Method Man. The record solidified 2Pac’s legendary status as an icon of the ‘90s, standing tall in the rap world. In September 1996, he died in Las Vegas as a result of a drive-by shooting, and his supposed rival B.I.G met a similar fate six months later – marking the end of an era. Artists like 50 Cent today confess their fascination with Tupac: "Every rapper who grew up in the Nineties owes something to Tupac. He didn’t sound like anyone who came before him."