Short description
Tupac Shakur tells the story of the short, tumultuous life of one of rap music's brightest and most controversial stars. The son of a Black Panther activist, Tupac had a short childhood in Harlem and the Bronx, and a violent adolescence as a drug dealer, before he found fame with his first 'gangsta rap' album, 2Pacalypse Now, in which he drew on his experiences to describe the violence and danger of gang life in the ghetto.
Long description
Tupac Shakur tells the story of the short, tumultuous life of one of rap music's brightest and most controversial stars. The son of a Black Panther activist, Tupac had a short childhood in Harlem and the Bronx, and a violent adolescence as a drug dealer, before he found fame with his first 'gangsta rap' album, 2Pacalypse Now, in which he drew on his experiences to describe the violence and danger of gang life in the ghetto. The album launched a phenomenally successful music and film career for Tupac, with multi-platinum record sales and roles in movies such as Juice, Gridlock'd, and Gang Related. Like many gangsta rappers, however, Tupac felt that leaving his 'Thug Life' behind him when he became famous would make him appear out of touch with the subject of his songs - a fake. He continued to live the life of a gang member in Los Angeles, being arrested frequently on assault and weapons charges. His lyrics baited rappers from rival gangs, particularly those from the East Coast, such as Biggie Smalls, whose wife he claimed to have slept with. Ultimately, Tupac died the death of a gang member too - gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas at the age of 25. The murder remains unsolved but Tupac's friends and the media point the finger at his gang allegiances and rivalries. This revised and updated edition follows further investigations by the editors of Vibe Magazine into the rap star's still unsolved killing and the three murders that followed. There are no easy answers to the myriad questions surrounding Tupac's death, and these investigations reveal what a tangled web of intrigue extends deep into the L.A. underworld - a place where entertainers, cops, gangstas, lawyers and bodyguards coexist in the same shadowy milieu of corruption - where the truth is hard to come by. Extensively illustrated with over 100 colour photographs, as well as with exclusive interviews with the star and contributions from other key figures in the world of rap, Tupac Shakur is the first book to take on the contradictions of Tupac, to examine the talented private man behind the violent public image, and to pay tribute to an extraordinary life lived on the edge.