Remembering Tupac Shakur
With what would have been Tupac's 39th birthday passing | BET.com remembers the artist | the visionary and the actor.
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The Beginning - It's hard for many to believe that Tupac began his career in music as a dancer for Digital Underground before deciding to pick up the mic.
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Clowning With The Underground - Tupac made his presence felt when he appeared on the Digital Underground song "Same Song."
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Ambitionz Of A Rider - Tupac became a solo artist with "2Pacalypse Now,” which was released on November 12, 1991. It launched his legendary career and was the first of many critically acclaimed projects.
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More Money, More Problems - Even as his career escalated, his problems with the law seemed to grow every step of the way. Several much-publicized run-ins with the law included the high-profile sexual assault case that eventually led to Shakur spending some time in prison.
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The Thespian - Taking his career to the next level, Tupac took up acting and was featured in films such as “Juice” and “Gridlock'd.” His stirring performances were only a fraction of what he could have offered to Hollywood.
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Enjoying Life - Tupac was known to party hard and really enjoy his life. In between weaving street tales with thought provoking lyrics, Pac would spend time with his industry buddies. Here he is pictured with Luther Campbell.
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Before There Was Beef - Before there was beef, Tupac was liked by everyone. Here he is pictured with Sean "Diddy" Combs.
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Stranded On Death Row - Tupac's popularity heightened, but so did his troubles when he signed with the infamous Suge Knight and Death Row Records. His album "All Eyez On Me" went 9-times platinum. This would be the last album Tupac would live to see released.
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Mainstream Appeal - His acting, music and engaging personality brought his career to new heights. Tupac is pictured presenting at the Grammy Awards with legendary rock group Kiss in 1996.
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Two Sides - Although some cast a negative light on Tupac's music, more will remember Pac for uplifting songs like "Dear Mama" and "Keep Ya Head Up." There was no denying that Tupac had a way with words.
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What's Beef? - The highly publicized - and ultimately tragic - beef between Tupac and New York's Notorious B.I.G. sent shockwaves through the industry. Mainstream publications turned the war of words into a battle between the East Coast and the West Coast. Tempers flared and led to the demise of two significant figures in hip hop.