24 Surprising Things About Tupac We Still Can't Get Over
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seTupac Amaru Shakur, the legendary rapper, whose passing is still a mystery to many, remains a rap icon nonetheless almost 22 years after his unfortunate incident. Though we know him by Tupac Shakur or his stage name, 2Pac, the rap icon's actual name was Lesane Parish Crooks, and he was born on June 16, 1971.
The reason Tupac's name is still overheard so habitually and remains on people’s minds and alive, is because until this day, people do not believe the reason cited for his death; people are not fully convinced that the rapper is dead. It is hard to make such a bold statement, but it has been years now that fans and non 2Pac fans alike have questioned his reported the death and the cause. Until this day, it seems that the number-one thing that surprises fans about 2Pac is how his death is still something they ponder. The reason and story cited behind his passing, is that he suffered respiratory failure and cardiac arrest after being shot four times in Las Vegas. Now, the reason this has been such a conspiracy is because still, after all these years, no one has been formally charged for it. We cannot speculate and say those who believe he is still alive are right or wrong, but we do have our very own questions. Speculation aside, Tupac was a talented artist that was taken away way too soon. And because people still follow his music, here are plenty of fascinating facts you may have forgotten or not known.
Tupac Loved English Literature
The man, who was not only a rapper but an activist and actor, was a great influence in all domains; in anything he touched quite frankly. Not only was his rapping extraordinary, but so was his personality, which is why he remains still so loved until this very day. People who do not even rejoice over rap music know who 2Pac is. And so, you may be surprised to find out that 2Pac's greatest inspiration came from English literature and poetry precisely. To be more specific, the legendary rapper looked to the great William Shakespeare for inspiration.
Yes, a rapper took his inspiration from a man who made literature his own. You may be thinking to yourself "ya right," but studying Shakespeare and going over and analyzing his work would actually make one better understand some of Tupac's deepest raps. Tupac once said in an interview,
"I love Shakespeare. He wrote some of the rawest stories, man."
Tupac Was A Dancer
Some people always strive to get to the top and never give up on their dreams, and Tupac was one of them. Before becoming the crème de la crème of rap, Tupac had to climb many steps on the ladder to get there. And if anyone started from the bottom Drake, it was 2Pac, the man who started it all. The hardcore rapper was actually, once upon a time, a ballet dancer. We are sure many of you have heard about the Christmas classic The Nutcracker, well the rapper played a role in the ballet show in school.
His journey began with being a ballet dancer, while slowly moving up the ladder and climbing the mountain. After that, Tupac used his dancing skills to make himself a part of an underground group called Digital Underground, where he was a backup dancer and an MC.
He was hired by the group as a roadie and dancer before making it as a solo artist — how unconventional is this story considering he was to become the greatest rapper alive?
Tupac’s Controversial Lyrics
It has been two decades since his passing, but the music industry and people still feel the impact of his music ultimately. When Tupac debuted as an artist, he was immediately very upfront and “in your face,” and it created the biggest buzz in the music industry, but until this day, people are still rather surprised about his lyrical content. From his debut, there was controversy surrounding his lyrics; his raps did not shy away from political issues, poverty, racism, and police brutality. We cannot even begin to imagine what political leaders and the media were saying about this young man's confrontational and aggressive words. His explicit and controversial lyrics are what led many die-hard fans to believe that Tupac was either purposely targeted or demanded to go live a secret life in hiding. The most defining moment in his career was the album “2Pacalypse Now,” yet that album was also surrounded by endless stigma, even now after his passing.
Tupac Easily Lost Trust
Tupac was a man who was not afraid to speak out and do what he believed was right, and this fact proves that he thought that way about every aspect in life. And let us remind you, that before his passing at the very young age of 25, Tupac went through a lot of crazy near-death experiences, and this happened to be one of them. And how he survived them says a lot about the hard-shelled person Tupac was.
While in a hotel room with his ex-wife Keisha Morris, the room they were in actually got caught on fire (what are the chances?) and Morris reportedly fled the room quickly without him, leaving him behind. Now, Tupac was a wise man, evidently not afraid to speak the truth, and following the fire, he reportedly said that he was disappointed in her and could no longer trust her because she did not stay by his side to fight the fire. Maybe this explains why their relationship did not last.
Tupac Was Homeless
We now know that Tupac started his career with the hip-hop group Digital Underground before making it to the top, but did you know that before that, Tupac had even more family issues and struggles? Afeni Shakur Davis, who was Tupac's mother, and who was the central figure and inspiration behind the song "Dear Mama" that Tupac wrote for her, did not have an easy time raising her family. Just one listen to the very deep and emotional song, and you will get a gist of the issues his mom dealt with and his rough upbringing. A part of that rough upbringing was that Tupac was constantly on the move and go. Tupac did not live a static life, even when his fame came along.
Tupac Created A Group
You do not have to be a part of the thug life to be interested by Tupac Shakur's infamous life; the man did so much in his short 5-year career, which makes us all sigh — imagine what he could have done had he still been alive. Along with being a rapper, actor, and activist — a true triple threat — Tupac also helped others get fame and success when he was on top. Tupac was not selfish when the fame came knocking at his door, instead, he opened it up to others.
In 1994, Tupac formed the group Thug Life, which some may or may not know. The tattoo that was marked in very big letters across his abdomen was not to show off and say that he belonged to some kind of street gang, but instead was dedicated to the hip-hop group that he himself formed. And we do not blame him for being so proud as to ink himself because the group's one album actually went gold.
Tupac Was Great Friends With Jim Carrey
Tupac's other niche in life must have been choosing the right people to look up to, because besides using Shakespeare as an influence, Tupac also looked to comedian and actor Jim Carrey. Both were Hollywood heavyweights at the time, but the friendship between the two prominent stars did seem odd.
What is not odd about this situation and makes total sense, is that it was Carrey's humour that helped the rapper get through his tough times in life during his short career.
It was comic relief that made Tupac smile and laugh while he was incarcerated. Carrey was brilliant in whatever he did, and so, when he found out his friend Tupac was doing time, he went to his rescue by using his gift, which is his humour until this day. Carrey did not agree with Tupac's sentence, and to aid his rapper friend, Carrey wrote him numerous comical letters. Tupac, known for his explicit lyrics found the greatest friend in a prolific comedian.
Joshua's Dream
Many people got and still get the wrong impression of Tupac because of his explicit and violent lyrics and his involvement in crimes, but the rap icon was also known to be extremely friendly and considerate. Most people have idols growing up and idols are usually A-listers, which makes it quite impossible to meet them, but Tupac thought otherwise when it came to his fans. Joshua Torres was an 11-year-old die-hard fan of Tupac who was terminally ill (he had muscular dystrophy complications), and his wish that he vocalized to his loved ones was to get to meet Tupac. With that being said, the young boy's parents took his wish as their command and wrote a letter to Tupac pleading for him to make their son’s wish come true (yes, people sent letters in the '90s). The letter got in the hands of Tupac, and on October 14,1993, he took a last-minute flight to Maryland to meet Joshua selflessly. He fulfilled the little boy’s wish just sometime before the boy let go.
There are conflicting reports as to what Tupac did when he went to see Joshua; some say he took him to a basketball game, while other outlets say he spent over an hour with him at his home, holding his hand and talking.
After Joshua's unfortunate passing, Tupac was so affected by the tragedy that he renamed his publishing company from Ghetto Gospel Music to Joshua's Dream.
Tupac Bonded With Maya Angelou
The renowned poet Maya Angelou is another writer that Tupac looked to for inspiration. It seems, despite Tupac's mostly violent lyrics, that much of his influence came from the people who were quite different from him. Upon Tupac's encounter with the world-famous author and poet, the two were working on a film called Poetic Justice, but they did not know each other. As a matter of fact, Angelou had no idea who Tupac was. Tupac was rap's brightest prodigy, while Angelou was an author that left a grand mark on American society and culture, so when the two met, there was bound to be a lot of emotion. Not knowing who he was at all, Angelou was the one who took the first steps towards Tupac after she overheard him angrily cursing on set of the 1993 film. Angelou pulled him aside, keeping an empathetic approach in mind and the rest is history.
In the interview Angelou gave about her conversation with the rap legend, she recalled how passionate Tupac was. However, what stood out most about the interview is when she said “And finally, he heard me and stopped talking and started to weep.”
Up until her passing, Angelou often recounted the story of her meeting with Tupac, which, if you did not know, left him in hysterical tears.
Tupac Had Issues
We do not know exactly how Tupac felt about cops, but through his lyrics, we can conclude that he had an issue with cops and how they treated people of colour. And so, it is no surprise that Tupac did not always feel it necessary to abide by the law. At 22 years old, the performer was charged in California when he went after two off-duty police officers. This altercation took place in 1993, and he was arrested almost immediately at his hotel; we guess there was something in the air that made him believe that he would get away with the crimes he committed right there and then. Then again, it is no surprise because the prodigy's best-known hits emphasized his hatred toward cops in his songs. His prominent lyrics gave proof that Tupac had a rebellious nature, but the details of the case were never too clear and instead murky, so the charges against him were dropped.
Tupac Had It Rough
For some reason, Tupac's short life as a popular man was always surrounded by controversy involving crime, whether true or not. The following incident may alter your view on the legendary rapper if you did not hear of it before, but besides his passing, this is another fact about his life that many people remain surprised about. However, despite his altercations with the law, it did not skew many people's perspectives on him. To briefly explain the incident that put him behind bars, on November 18,1993, 2Pac got in trouble for abusing a 19-year-old woman, along with his friends, that he met at a nightclub, but 2Pac denied the charges. Around two years later, in February of 1995, he was sentenced to four and a half years, but was let out early in just a couple of months. To be exact, Tupac spent 9 reflective months doing time and this was when he received the letters from his favourite actor Jim Carrey that helped him laugh and smile throughout. There is no word until this day as to why he was let out early, though we were informed the sodomy and weapon charges against him were dropped.
Tupac Was Not From The West Coast
If anyone remembers the '90s hip-hop and rap scene prominently, they will recall that there was a constant battle between the East and West Coast in the field. Tupac became a legend quickly in his own right, but he became a West Coast icon. Okay, fine, what is the problem with that then? The issue many had with Tupac grandly representing the West Coast was because he was not even born there, but rather, the East Coast. Tupac, whose actual name to remind you all was Lesane Parish Crooks, was born in East Harlem, New York City. For people who did not tail the whole beef between the two coasts, this might not seem as surprising, but it was because he actually helped fuel the feud and fire between the two by not even representing where he was from but rather choosing the latter.
However, as previously mentioned, 2Pac later moved to California with his mother that lived in great poverty, and it is there, after all, that made him become the icon that we know him as. Many conspire that the whole feud between both coasts was just a gimmick to sell more records. And even if it was a "real" feud, then 2Pac had every right to choose which side he wanted to represent.
Tupac Was Ambushed
Seriously, if anyone went through a lot of damage and pain, and still remained inspirational and truthful it was Tupac Shakur; we sometimes think of his life as a typical crime movie with an unfortunate ending. Before his passing and after his sentence, Tupac managed to escape death. And the man, who is now behind bars after he tried to take away Tupac's life, recently opened up and confessed to authorities and the world what happened that night at the NYC studio lobby and why. Before we get into that though, let us explain the events that took place on November 30,1994. Tupac was ambushed by men who robbed him of $35,000 in cash and jewelry. And that was not at all, Tupac was also shot five times and survived. Now, fast forward to many years later, and the man who is serving life in prison (for another sentence as he was never charged for this one against Tupac) and who was paid to commit the non-fatal crime opened up to the world, astonishing many when he admitted that he was paid by hip-hop manager Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond to ambush, mug and shoot Tupac. It is this incident that led off a tumultuous domino effect.
Tupac Nicknamed Himself
As we've already mentioned, Tupac found great inspiration in many great people before him — is it not coincidental that he has long been inspiration to countless people too? While Tupac was still alive and at his prime, he gave himself a particular nickname; Makaveli. Fans of literature or people who have studied English literature, philosophy, or the political sciences will easily understand the reference made here. As a matter of fact, it is quite astonishing how much of an importance Tupac placed on the great writers and poets — we applaud him for keeping literature alive.
Any fan of Tupac will know that in the later years of his life, he went around calling himself Makaveli; it later became another name he performed under. Through 2Pac's lyrics, it was completely evident that he was aware of what was going on around him; he was completely politically conscious.
And so, if someone is so intrigued and feels so deeply about a subject, they will read on it and educate themselves, and that is what he did with Machiavelli. While serving his sentence, Tupac decided to pick up the book The Prince by Machiavelli, and it was then that his new nickname was born. We could get into analysis, but briefly, it is apparent that he gave himself that name because there was a correlation between him and the book's main character or Machiavelli himself.
Tupac And Jada Pinkett Smith
Before we knew who Tupac was or Jada Pinkett (now Jada Pinkett Smith), the two had each other's backs. The now Mrs. Smith could have maybe been Mrs. Shakur — who knows? Pinkett Smith said she had a deep platonic relationship with the reported greatest rapper.
Pinkett Smith and Tupac's relationship was deep-rooted; the two first met when they were just aspiring artists at the Baltimore School for the Arts (the same school that Tupac studied Shakespeare at). Their relationship has been extensively spoken about and was even one of the main storylines in the Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me. They were so close, and their story was so perfect, that we would have loved to see it turn into something romantic, but according to Pinkett Smith, that was nowhere near the case; there was no physical chemistry or attraction. Pinkett Smith once said: " “There was a time when I was like, ‘Just kiss me! Let’s just see how this goes,’ and when I tell you it had to be the most disgusting kiss for us both.” That confirms to us that she adored him and only saw him as a brother figure.
Tupac Dated Madonna
We do not know if it is Tupac we could not keep up with or Madonna that we still cannot, or both. Though Queen Madge is still around, while Tupac's life was cut short, the two have/had a very eventful life. We cannot count on our fingers the times that these two artists have surprised us and left us on our toes. And alas, the two evidently had to have crossed paths at some point, and they did — oh, and they dated. Madonna has been involved in so many antics and with so many men too that we are not surprised this pair found their way to each other. In a recent interview, the singer known to be the Queen of Pop revealed to Howard Stern on a Sirius XM interview that she and the great rap icon were, as thought, romantically involved. The singer met the rapper before his series of awful events, in 1993.
Though there have always been whispers about this relationship, not many more details about the relationship came forward. Madge did however confirm in her interview that she wanted a baby with the rapper.
Tupac Had A Feud With A Director
The gangster drama classic Menace II Society, was supposed to have Tupac in it, but things quickly changed for the rapper and actor. Tupac was originally cast to star in the film by director Allen Hughes, but things escalated rapidly on set between the star and director and it all went downhill from there. It is a fact, that many A-listers are hard to work with, but with all issues and problems Tupac was involved in, we would have thought that he would make his opportunity to be on screen, and part of a critical film a smoothed one. As we mentioned before, Tupac was serving nine months, though it was his longest and more serious conviction. Before things escalated and blew up between the actor/rapper and Hughes, there were mega problems on set that led to the final countdown. When we say things blew up between the two, we mean they completely scrapped it out. Tupac was found guilty after he punched the director in the face, along with an entourage of men that he brought to accompany him in the meltdown. That cost Tupac 15 days behind bars.
Tupac And Notorious B.I.G. Were Friends From The Start
There is a complete history behind the rivalry between Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, and you may be surprised to hear how it started; the two were actually good friends. Yes, before the aforementioned East Coast and West Coast battle came along, the two did like each other. There is a lot to this untold history, as a lot of information has been released since his death with the advancement of technology, but we will sum it up.
Tupac, by then, became the inspiration for other aspiring artists, and was actually a mentor to Big, who was only a local rapper, while Tupac was already a platinum-selling artist. Tupac let Biggie crash at his place when he visited California, and practically housed him; it was then that Biggie had asked if he could have been a part of the Thug Life group that 2Pac had created. After 2Pac refused being Biggie's manager, and Biggie had Puffy do the job instead, that everything went downhill — and things became deadly for the two, literally. From the prison sentence, to the near fatal ambush, all these events occurred with Biggie around.
Tupac’s Album Reached Number One
Even while serving time, there was just no stopping the legendary rapper; another reason why the man remains a rap icon until this day. While serving his sentence for the reported abuse, Tupac Shakur still managed to make it to the top. Clearly, what occurred to the rapper did not stop his fans from adoring and idolizing him since he made the greatest impact while behind bars. It is crazy to think that his incarceration did not hinder his success when he released his third album; his two previous albums already made him a platinum selling artist anyway.
while serving time. The album was an introspective one as most of his lyrics dealt with issues of being incarcerated, the issue of poverty, and confrontation with police. His career was definitely not put on hold when he dealt with the consequences of committing a crime.
Tupac Warned People
Do not blame us if we find this totally odd and coincidental, but when 2Pac was alive, he shared a lot of hatred toward Trump. Was 2Pac able to see the future? Did he predict this was going to happen? We will never know, but Tupac did not shy away from expressing his beliefs concerning the man. Tupac was a man who discussed politics and racism a lot in his raps, and so it is no surprise that he had a few words to share back in 1992 about Trump. What is surprising is that the rapper forewarned us about what was to come.
Tupac's main concern with Trump, and other very wealthy people, was how they could not bring themselves to donate to the less fortunate, or at least help out. Tupac brought this up in the unaired interview saying: “If you want to be successful, if you want to be like Trump, give me, give me, give me. Push, push, push. Step, step, step. Crush, crush, crush. That’s how it all is, it’s like nobody ever stops,” Shakur told MTV. “I feel like there’s too much money here. Nobody should be hitting £36million on the lottery and there’s people starving on the streets. That's not idealistic, that’s just real."
Tupac’s Mother
When Tupac became popular, and then iconic, his mother became a prominent figure as well. Tupac's mother, Ms. Afeni Shakur Davis, lived a life that was somewhat as controversial as her sons — the apple does not fall far from the tree. His now late mother, was the central figure behind much of Tupac's success, and more specifically the revered hip-hop song "Dear Mama." What came as a shock to many when Tupac hit the big time is that his mother was a Black Panther activist.
People are always surprised to find this out, but at the same time they are not because Tupac discusses a lot of his issues growing up with his mother in his lyrics; his lyrics confirm his upbringing was nowhere near easy.
Tupac Sold More Later On
We all know that when an artist passes away, they instantly make more money because people revisit the artist's music, etc. It is quite surprising that after being a platinum selling artist that one could achieve even more than that after his passing; it is unfortunate to say, but death sells records. Billboards have proven that record sells quickly jump after a star passes. When stars like Tupac pass away through tragedy, many feel compassion for the artist and share their agony by constantly replaying the dead artist's music until the passing becomes less spoken about.
Before Tupac passed away, he was working on "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory" album under Death Row, and 2 months after his passing, the album was released and it sky-rocketed to number 1 within the first week of it being released. At the time of this album's recording, Tupac was now using the stage name that was mentioned before, Makaveli. Until this day, with apps like Spotify, there continues to be a fascination with the rap icon. Whether people still believe that Tupac is in hiding, it remains a mystery as to how the man made even more money after his passing. And with new songs being released since his death, more than when he was alive, the legendary artist remains a mystery.
Janet Jackson Insulted Tupac
With a top-charting career and instant rise to fame, there came all the women in the world. Tupac, who was always a controversial figure because of the crimes he was involved in and the things he wrote, spoke, and rapped about, also always had women surrounding him; women appearing in hip-hop and rap music video clips is not a new phenomenon. Though his other issues and incidents over-shadowed the details of his life with women, we do know that Tupac obviously had his fun in his short five-year career despite being engaged at the time of his passing. There was also no social media back then, so it was easier for artists to mask their private lives.
The rapper, who also made a name for himself in acting, had a role in the film Poetic Justice alongside pop icon Janet Jackson. In the film, Jackson and Tupac shared a love interest, and with that came the need to film a kissing scene for the movie. This is where things took a hefty turn and Tupac got very upset; Jackson thought this was a peril situation and demanded Tupac to take a HIV test before being allowed to lock lips with her. Tupac was really upset about this and didn't think it was necessary.
Tupac Refused To Wear His Vest
Everything about the late Tupac Shakur is surprising and interesting nonetheless. We, and many people, however, feel that Pac was misunderstood throughout his whole career. The man, who was the greatest influence on the hip-hop culture, was more than his violent lyrics and supposed crimes; he was a man that grew up from the bottom of the ladder, a man that did ballet, studied poetry, had a love for many peers, believed in helping those in need and addressing issues, a man who was a Shakespeare aficionado. After the 1994 ambush, Tupac started making a habit out of wearing a bulletproof vest — it is pretty crazy that he had to live his life with scarcity. On the night that Tupac was fatally shot, he was at that point engaged to Kidada Jones, who almost saved his life. Jones, before taking off to Las Vegas for the Mike Tyson boxing match that they were attending, was helping her fiancé pack, and by doing so, she attempted to pack his bulletproof vest when Tupac himself stopped her from doing so.
References: capitalxtra.com, businessinsider.com, globalgrind.cassiuslife.com, vanityfair.com, thevintagenews.com, hiphopdx.com, nytimes.com, thoughtco.com, thoughtco.com, theguardian.com, quora.com, people.com, dailymail.co.uk, dailymail.co.uk, buzzfeed.com, revolt.tv
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