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Toss It Up for Tupac's Born Day - Makeveli Tha Don would have been 45 today if his life had not been tragically cut short nearly 19 years ago. Despite leaving the game so early, his presence and influence are still living throughout hip hop today through some of your favorite MCs. In honor of Tupac's birthday, take a look at a few rappers whose style he helped father as his legacy continues to live out through the end of time. -Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photos from top left, clockwise: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella, Karl Walter/Getty Images for Coachella, Jason Merritt/Getty Images, Death Row / Interscope)

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Game - Game has never made it a secret that he was influenced by Death Row’s finest and you can hear the essence of Pac’s rage and aggressiveness in the Compton MC’s rhymes. You can tell he had “Hit ‘Em Up” on repeat at one point because when he unloads venomous disses like “100 Bars,” you can feel the hate as he tries to leave his competition breathless.Pac’s heart of a lion also beats heavily in Chuck Taylor because the Game will beef with anyone no matter their size and won’t hesitate to throw blows too as he encompasses the perfect example of Pac’s definition of a “ridah.” (Photo: Mike Windle/Getty Images for Equinox)

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Kendrick Lamar - Kendrick’s conscious vibe mixed with his street sensibility has made him the people’s champ just as Pac was during his reign. Tupac songs like “Trapped” helped spark To Pimp A Butterfly and the West Coast Don has acknowledged his idol’s influence on several occasions with cuts like “Mortal Man.”Not afraid to point out the government’s involvement in problems that cause economic disenfranchisement in the Black community, K.Dot (like Pac) also isn’t afraid to call out his people too on some of their self-imposed grief like Black on Black crime. Addressing both sides of the coin, it’s evident that tracks like “The Blacker The Berry” bare an updated resemblance to classic gems like “Words of Wisdom.”(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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T.I. - Pac stayed in the streets with his music, but he had a calculated way of bringing women into his fold too. Tip obviously took Pac’s words as truth when he stated, “If you make music for women, then the guys will follow,” because his catalog is filled with a slew of records of him letting his guard down for the opposite sex like “Why You Wanna” and “Freak Though.”T.I’s articulation skills are also on point like Pac’s too because let’s face it, some rappers you don’t want speaking to news outlets about serious issues, and T.I. has proven he can handle it and voice the grievances of the people. (Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Power 105.1)

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Jeezy - There are many layers to Jeezy’s Thug Motivation concept just as Pac’s Thug Life movement was filled with complexities, but the overall goal was to create new leaders and wealth despite their sometimes questionable tactics. The Snowman even told Hot 97 that he likens himself more so to Makaveli Tha Don as opposed to Jay Z, stating, “Hov is a business man, but me and Pac were more so on some revolutionary leadership. Don’t get me wrong – Hov, that’s my G. At the end of the day, I respect anything he do, but he’s a boss. He makes boss moves. But you have somebody like me and Pac, we’re always on the ground level trying to motivate and inspire the people with my music.” (Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Power 105.1)

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Rick Ross - Rozay's swag and confidence are a few elements that he borrowed from the West Coast don. Ross even paid tribute on Meek's "Tupac Back" and admitted to HipHopDX, “Tupac was such a huge influence on the musical level as well as outside of music...”  (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Raury - Atlanta’s Raury has stated that his mother had Pac on blast growing up so there’s no surprise that his preference for wearing his heart on his sleeve and revealing his sensitivities in his music were influenced by the Me Against the World creator. Jumping forward nearly 20 years, you can hear Raury trying to find his way with cuts like “God’s Whisper,” as Pac did with “Temptations” and “Young N****z.”(Photo: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for PANDORA Media)

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Big K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T.’s music reports on the struggles of those really going through it and trying to make a better way. Just like Pac was the “Rebel of the Underground,” The Mississippi MC’s bars are almost devoid of flash and flossing, but more focused on how he can better his fellow brother as evidenced on his works like Live From the Underground. Taking the social commentary cue from Pac, K.R.I.T. strives to be the voice of the people too.(Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Electus Digital)

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Fetty Wap - Rocking his bandanna in homage to Makaveli Tha Don, Fetty Wap also studied Pac’s proven formula of mixing the streets and love on one track as his monstrous hit “Trap Queen” was definitely influenced by Pac’s gangsta love anthems like “Just Like Daddy,” “Thug Passion” and “Rather Be Ya N***a.”(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Kanye West - Truth is a hard pill to swallow, but fortunately (or unfortunately for some), that has never been a problem for Tupac or Kanye. Kanye’s convictions to speak his mind regardless of public opinion can be traced back to the book of Makaveli as both have spoken out when it was needed while others seemed to be stuck in fear of losing a check. Ye’s George Bush remarks had Pac smiling from above.True Geminis too, some of their ideas were sometimes contradictory, which they both admitted but never apologized for. (Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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Drake - Drake studied thoroughly from Pac’s blueprint and made his career off creating hip hop ballads for the ladies. You can tell that some of Pac’s softer cuts like “Can U Get Away” and “Do for Love” paved the way for Drizzy's new school classics including “Marvins Room” and “Take Care.”  (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)

Photo By Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella

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50 Cent - Getting shot multiple times seems to make you fearless because you know that death is literally around the corner. 50 Cent's no looking back mentality shows a lot of Pac's traits and influences because the two approached life and music differently after those life changing events.The way 50 Cent plays leader and big brother to his G-Unit Crew also parallels the friendship between Pac and the Outlawz.(Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Starz)

Photo By Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Starz

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DMX - DMX emerged on the scene shortly after Tupac was killed, so the comparisons were immediate as they both rocked bald heads and had the love of the streets. Many might even say X was embraced so hard because the realness and truth in his music picked up where Pac left off. Dropping two albums within a year’s time also showed he captured Pac’s work ethic as he kept the hits coming. (Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for Coachella)

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Ja Rule - Ja Rule never had a problem admitting Pac's influence on him and it was visibly seen with his bald head and tattoos. His hit making ability to create records that the ladies would love and the thugs would groove too also comes from Tupac's DNA. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV)

Photo By Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV

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Trick Daddy - Pac's "Thug Life" mentality had the Miami rapper wanting to be the hardest MC he could be and Trick's social commentary records also left uplifting messages that formed from his studies of the Death Row rapper. (Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Stephen Lovekin/

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Plies - Plies's "Goon" mantra and "keeping it real" mentality were both filled with inspirations from Afeni's baby boy as he locked down the streets. His shirtless swag and demeanor are also clear indicators that his style was birthed by the West Coast ridah. (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

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3D Na'Tee - New Orleans MC 3D Na'Tee definitely studied Tupac's revolutionary ways and picked up on his ideals for uplifting Black women. Pac was known for standing tall with strong sisters like Queen Latifah and Storm and Na'Tee is an extension of that branch. (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Samsung)

Photo By Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Samsung

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Wale - Tupac was a lover of poetry, and many of his rhymes were poems that had beats added to them later. MMG's DC spitter also has a fascination for written prose and his knack for creating musical love ballads were inspired by the "Keep Ya Head Up" creator. (Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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Meek Mill - Meek channeled Makeveli when he dropped "Tupac Back" in 2011 and had no problem saluting his idol. Meek's questionable arrests and convictions are also similar to Pac's life which made fans feel them both.(Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Clear Channel)

Photo By Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Clear Channel

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Joey Bada$ - Joey Bada$ grew up on the '90s era of hip hop and has admitted that Makaveli was a tremendous influence on his style. Just like Pac, Joey has also been on the front lines fighting and protesting against inequality and police brutality off the mic as well.  (Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for BET)

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Killer Mike - Killer Mike's Black empowerment rhymes and addressing the problems with the system are straight from the teachings of the All Eyez on Me spitter but Mike's conviction to be a leader are also traits that Pac helped spawn and would have him looking down smiling at his fellow revolutionary MC. (Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images for Coachella)

Photo By Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images for Coachella

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J. Cole - J. Cole has never made qualms that Pac was his favorite MC growing up and has built his career off of dropping social commentary in his rhymes and standing up for Black women. In fact, songs like “Lost Ones” take a look at teenage pregnancy like “Brenda’s Got a Baby” did while “Crooked Smile” has you looking at the positivity of life similar to “Keep Ya Head Up” and “Mama Don’t Cry.”(Photo: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for ESPN)

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Pusha T - Pusha T may not be Gemini, but he does have two sides and in between the drug talk lays a revolutionary soldier. On “Keys Open Doors,” he may have rapped, “The realest s**t I ever wrote, not Pac inspired / It’s crack pot inspired,” but the VA rhyme spitter also doesn’t possess a muzzle for his mouth either when it comes time to address racial discrimination and that was something Tupac was very boisterous about.King Push’s conscious also weighs heavily at times on cuts like “My God” and “New God Flow,” where he wrestles with his demons of the streets and like Pac, he feels only God can judge him, and isn’t afraid to put his insecurities out there either. (Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Ketel One)

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dead prez - dead prez’s Revolutionary But Gangsta style is parallel to many of Pac’s rhymes and the influence is easily noticeable as they continued the charge to stand up and fight the powers that be that hold minorities in repressive states. M-1 and stic.man even recorded a tribute to Pac called “If I Fail” which was inspired by Pac’s poetry.Tupac’s Black Panther upbringing and teachings also helped guide dead prez in their teachings and many of their elders (who they would later come to meet) also guided Makaveli early on. (Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images) 

Photo By Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

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Lupe Fiasco - Tupac’s earlier albums 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 my N.I.G.G.A.Z… were highly centered on young Black males trapped in the ghetto and the penal system with no way out. Chicago’s Lupe has delivered that same message throughout his career in hopes to inspire and provoke change.Whether it was calling for absentee fathers to step up on “He Say She Say” or putting America on blast for its racist practices on “Audobon Ballroom,” you can hear the continuation of Pac’s gems like “Words of Wisdom,” “Papa’z Song” and “Keep Ya Head Up” and conclude that Lupe had Pac blaring in his disc-man when he was coming of age.(Photo: Chris Weeks/Getty Images for Sonos)

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Lil Boosie - The fans christened Boosie Badazz “The Tupac of the South” because his music has a way of touching people’s hearts and souls. Like Makaveli, Boosie’s rhymes are hard and resonate with G’s in the streets because they often tell the story behind the pain. The Louisiana MC told Complex when he got of jail last year that the comparisons to Pac weren’t new and had nothing to do about them both serving time.He explained, “It’s a privilege to get compared to Tupac. This didn’t start when I came home. This been going on way before I came home because we both got heartfelt music. And when you got heartfelt music you get put in that category with Tupac… And I always did make that music that touched people, man. You know it’s different. Like some artists can have three million fans. And some artists can have a million fans, but a heartfelt artist, a million fans love him five ti...