18 Extraordinary Facts About Tupac Shakur!

The American Rapper and Actor fondly called as 2Pac has sold over 75 million records worldwide, which makes him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His albums All Eyez on Me (1996) and his Greatest Hits (1998) are two of the best-selling albums in the United States.

Tupac in his small lifetime had a huge influence on the music scene of America. He is listed among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Though he accomplished the success which most of the musicians consider as zenith, he attracted troubles. He was born in poverty, got sentenced to a term in prison and died untimely in a shooting. But he left a legacy that will resonate in the music scene for years to come.

1. Always a winner

Dana Smith, a.k.a. The Mouse Man, who was a good pal of 2Pac recalls that the duo used to spend their time composing raps. Smith fondly remembers “He kicked a rhyme to me, and I was like, ‘Whoa, this is crazy.”

Smith and Shakur created “Library Rap” for the youth rap contest organized by Enoch Pratt Free Library. The contest called entrants to “write the best rap about the Pratt Library and be eligible for a cash prize.” Needless to say, that they aced it. The judges exclaimed that ‘The scrawny kid lit up the room with his rapping’. Source

2. A lover of arts

2Pac respected performance arts and had a keen desire to learn and express. While he was attending Baltimore School Of The Arts, he attended ballet along with acting, jazz, and poetry. He even played the role of Mouse King in the school play, The Nutcracker. Source

3. Tupac loved his mama

Been bred in poverty, 2Pac ensured that his mother would not be poor anymore. He provided Afeni, his mother, an allowance of $16,000 a month. In 1995, he bought her a 2.2-acre estate with a six-bedroom home. Though Afeni had a history of substance abuse and self-admittedly was not a stable mother, 2Pac loved her and the duo was close till he was alive. Source

4. Maya Angelou and Tupac had an encounter

It was 1993 when Maya Angelou, Janet Jackson, and Tupac were working on the film Poetic Justice. 2Pac was cursing and finicky. But Angela knew what the young man wanted. She said, “When was the last time anyone told you how important you are? Did you know our people stood on auction blocks, were sold, bought and sold, did you know so that you could stay alive today? She said “And finally he heard me and stopped talking and started to weep and I put my arms around him and I walked him back into the arena and he quieted.” Source

5. Unconventional ladies in Tupac’s life

Assata Shakur, the Godmother of 2Pac, was convicted in 1977 of first-degree murder. She escaped from prison in 1979 and was granted political asylum in Cuba. Her status is still ‘a fugitive’. She was allegedly associated with Black Liberation Army. Source

Tupac’s mother Afeni was also associated with Black Panther movement. She was arrested along with other party members in 1969 under the charges of conspiring to bomb multiple city landmarks. In 1971, she was acquitted of all the charges. She represented herself in the court while being heavily pregnant with Tupac. Source

6. Not just a rapper but a sensitive poet too

It is a fact that very few of 2Pac’s fans know he was a poet at heart. He even wrote a best-seller poetry book The Rose That Grew from Concrete. The book was published posthumously. As per the publisher – ‘this collection of deeply personal poetry is a mirror into the legendary artist’s enigmatic world and it’s many contradictions.’ Source

7. ‘Dear Mama’ has been added to the National Recording Registry

The track as stated by the Library of Congress is “a moving and eloquent homage to both the murdered rapper’s own mother and all mothers struggling to maintain a family in the face of addiction, poverty, and societal indifference.” Source

8. Eminem wrote Tupac’s mom a fan-mail

Eminem-The Rap God wrote Afeni (Tupac’s mother) a letter after he was no more.  He wrote “as I have said before, you have no idea how much your son and his music has inspired not only the ‘hip-hop’ world but, speaking for myself, has inspired my whole career. He was, and still is, the true definition of a ‘Soldier’.”

The letter along with a drawing of the late rapper is on display at Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, which was founded by Tupac’s mother in his memory. Source

9. Pope Benedict XVI’s Myspace playlist included Tupac

A 2009 Myspace playlist was publicized as music from the Holy See by none other than the Vatican itself. The playlist was created for the launch of Myspace’s UK site. Most of the featured tracks in the playlist were expected like Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni.’ But to the surprise of everyone the playlist also had 2Pac’s ‘Changes.’ The Vatican asserted that all the artists in the playlist “share the aim to reach the heart of good minded people.” Well, we don’t doubt that. Source