Baller Alert’s Today in Hip-Hop: 21st Anniversary of the Death of Tupac Shakur

21 years ago today, the world lost the rap icon Tupac Shakur. Shakur was born Lesane Parish Crooks on June 16, 1971 in East Harlem, New York.

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He got his start at a young age as a background dancer for Digital Underground, before starting his own rap career in 1991. His debut album, ‘2Pacalypse Now’, was an instant success ranking in at #13 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

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By the time his second album arrived in February of 1993, Pac had become widely recognized for not only his extraordinary lyricism, but also his ability to speak freely about issues affecting the urban youth.

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With songs like ‘Brenda’s Got A Baby’ and ‘Keep Ya Head Up’, Pac shows us the sometimes ugly truth of growing up poor in America, and encourages us to overcome it.

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Right before his death, Shakur signed to Death Row Records where he released music like ‘California Love’ and his fourth album, ‘All Eyez On Me’.

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On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot in Las Vegas, Nevada. He died Sept. 13 while in the intensive care unit from internal bleeding.

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Through his music and films, Tupac remains a legendary and unparalleled artist of his time. His impact on the music industry will forever live on through his work.