Tupac Shakur

Infamous 25-year-old gangsta rapper and actor Tupac Shakur was shot and killed before he had a chance to fulfill the promise of a successful career in both fields. He was born in New York City and his mother Afeni Shakur was a member of the Black Panther Party. Shakur spent much of his youth in Oakland, CA, where he first gained notice as a rapper in 1991 with the group Digital Underground. Later that year, he released a solo album, ^2Pacalypse Now that earned both notoriety and acclaim from fans of the genre. Shakur began his acting career in the late '80s with an appearance on the television series A Different World. He made his feature film debut in 1992 with the film Juice and followed it up co-starring with Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice in 1993. Shakur had a certain charisma that always made him stand out in his films. This was especially true in Gridlock'd (1997) which proved that the versatile young artist had the makings of being a major star. Unfortunately, he was murdered during a drive-by shooting outside a Las Vegas hotel a few months before its release. Just before he died, Shakur was also involved in another film, Gang Related (1997). ~ Sandra Brennan Full Biography »