Tupac Amaru Shakur (born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13… Read Full Bio ↴Tupac Amaru Shakur (born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), better known by his stage name 2Pac and later by his alias Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Considered one of the most influential rappers of all time, Shakur is among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Much of Shakur's music has been noted for addressing contemporary social issues that plagued inner cities, and he is considered a symbol of activism against inequality.

Shakur was born in New York City to parents who were both political activists and Black Panther Party members. Raised by his mother, he relocated to Baltimore in 1984 and to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. With the release of his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, he became a central figure in West Coast hip-hop for his conscious rap lyrics. Shakur achieved further critical and commercial success with his follow-up albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993) and Me Against the World (1995). His Diamond certified album All Eyez on Me (1996), the first double-length album in hip-hop history, abandoned his introspective lyrics for volatile gangsta rap. In addition to his music career, Shakur also found considerable success as an actor, with his starring roles in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above the Rim (1994), Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997).

During the later part of his career, Shakur was shot five times in the lobby of a New York recording studio and experienced legal troubles, including incarceration. In 1995, Shakur served eight months in prison on sexual abuse charges, but was released pending an appeal of his conviction. Following his release, he signed to Marion "Suge" Knight's label Death Row Records and became heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry. On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas; he died six days later. Following his murder, Shakur's friend-turned-rival, the Notorious B.I.G., was at first considered a suspect due to their public feud, but was also murdered in another drive-by shooting six months later in March 1997 while visiting Los Angeles.

Five more albums have been released since Shakur's death, all of which have been certified Platinum in the United States. In 2002, Shakur was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Shakur among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City. While born Lesane Parish Crooks, at age one he was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur. He was named after Túpac Amaru II, the descendant of the last Incan ruler, Túpac Amaru, who was executed in Peru in 1781 after his failed revolt against Spanish rule. Shakur's mother explained, "I wanted him to have the name of revolutionary, indigenous people in the world. I wanted him to know he was part of a world culture and not just from a neighborhood."

Shakur had an older stepbrother, Mopreme "Komani" Shakur, and a half-sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, two years his junior.

13 Until The End Of Time
2Pac Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come on

Perhaps I was addicted to the dark side
Somewhere inside my childhood witnessed my heart die
And even though we both came from the same places
The money and the fame made us all change places
How could it be? Through the misery that came to pass
The hard times make a true friend afraid to ask for currency

But you could run to me when you need and I'll never leave
Honestly, someone to believe in, as you can see
It's a small thing to a true, what could I do?
Real homies help you get through
And come to knew he'd do the same thang if he could
'Cause in the hood true homies make you feel good
And half the times we be actin' up call the cops
Bringin' a cease to the peace that was on my block
It never stops, when my mama ask me will I change, I tell her
"Yeah, but it's clear I'll always be the same until the end of time"

Take these broken wings
I need your hands to come and heal me once again (until the end of time)
So I can fly (I can fly, I can fly, I can fly)
'Til the end of time ('til the end of time)
'Til the end of time (time, 'til the end of time)

Please Lord forgive me for my life of sin
My hard stare seem to scare all my sister's kids
So you know, I don't hang around the house much
This all-night, money makin' got me outta touch, shit
Ain't flashed a smile in a long while
An unexpected birth worst of the ghetto childs
My attitude got me walkin' solo, ride out alone in my lo-lo
Watchin' the whole world move in slow-mo
For quiet times, disappear, listen to the ocean
Smokin' Ports, think my thoughts, then it's back to coastin'
Who can I trust in this cold world?
My phony homie had a baby by my old girl
But I ain't trippin', I'm a player, I ain't sweatin' him
I sex his sister, had her mumble like a Mexican
His next of kin, no remorse it was meant to happen, besides rappin'
Only thing I did good was scrappin', until the end of time

So take these broken wings
I need your hands to come and heal me once again (until the end of time)
So I can fly (I can fly, I can fly, I can fly)
'Til the end of time ('til the end of time)
(Time, 'til the end of time)

Please take these broken wings
I need your hands to come and heal me once again (until the end of time)
So I can fly (I can fly, I can fly, I can fly)
'Til the end of time ('til the end of time)
(Time, 'til the end of time)

Now who's to say if I was right or wrong?
To live my life as an outlaw all along
Remain strong in this planet full of player haters
They conversate but death row full of demonstrators
And in the end drinkin' Hennessey made all my enemies envy me
So cold when I flow, eliminatin' easily
Falls to they knees, they plead for they right to bleed (please, please, please)
While beggin' me to keep the peace (please)
What I can see is closer to achieve
In times of danger don't freeze, time to be a G
Follow my lead, I'll supply everything you need
An ounce of game and the trainin' to make a G
Remember me, as an outcast, outlaw
Another album out, that's what I'm about more
Gettin' raw 'til the day I see my casket
Buried as a G while the whole world remembers me until the end of time

Lord, take these broken wings
I need your hands to come and heal me once again (once again, once again)
(Until the end of time) so I can fly
(I can fly, I can fly, I can fly) so I can fly away, away, away, away
'Til the end of time (away, away, away)
(Time, 'til the end of time) 'til the end of

Lord, take these broken wings
I need your hands to come and heal me once again (once again)
(Until the end of time) so I can fly
(I can fly, I can fly, I can fly)
'Til the end of time ('til the end of time)
(Time, 'til the end of time)

If an angel comes down and takes me away
Memories of me and my songs will always
(Until the end of time) because time
(I can fly, I can fly, I can fly)
'Til the end of time
'Til the end of time

Maybe it's the thug in me

Overall Meaning

In "Until The End Of Time," Tupac reflects on his life on the dark side and how the streets and the fame have changed him. He confesses his addiction to the dark side and how his childhood witnessed his heart die. Tupac sings he and his friends came from the same place, but the money and fame made them change places. He reflects on his life as a gangster, stating that even in the misery that came to pass, hard times make true friends afraid to ask for currency. Tupac says, "real homies help you get through" even in hardships and that "true homies make you feel good."

Additionally, Tupac mentions his past mistakes and sins and asks the Lord for forgiveness. He speaks about his attitude that has made him walk solo and watch the world move in slow motion. He says that he can't trust anyone in this cold world but remembers what he did good, which was scrapping. Tupac also raps about his enemies and how they envy him because of his talent and ability to eliminate easily. In the end, Tupac sees himself as an outcast outlaw and that he will remain raw until the day he sees his casket, buried as a G while the whole world remembers him.

Line by Line Meaning

Perhaps I was addicted to the dark side
I may have become too comfortable with my struggles.

Somewhere inside my childhood witnessed my heart die
My traumatic childhood experiences have hardened me and made it hard for me to connect emotionally.

And even though we both came from the same places
Though we started from similar backgrounds,

The money and the fame made us all change places
The wealth and notoriety we achieved changed the dynamic of our friendship.

How could it be through the misery that came to pass
Despite the hardships we've faced,

The hard times make a true friend afraid to ask, for currency
Going through tough times makes it hard for a true friend to ask for financial help.

But you could run to me when you need and I'll never leave
You can always count on me when you need me, and I'll never abandon you.

Honestly, someone to believe in, as you can see
I hope to be someone you can rely on and trust.

It's a small thang to a true, what could I do?
Helping someone in need is no trouble for a genuine person.

Real homies help you get through
True friends support you in tough times.

And come to know he'd do the same thang if he could
I know that you would do the same for me if you could.

'cause in the hood true homies make you feel good
In the neighborhood, true friends bring joy and happiness.

And half the times we be actin' up call the cops
Sometimes we misbehave and attract police attention.

Bringin' a cease to the peace that was on my block
The police presence disrupts the peace in my neighborhood.

It never stops, when my mama ask me will I change
The cycle of violence and poverty seems never-ending, and my mother asks me if I'll ever change my ways.

I tell her yeah, but it's clear I'll always be the same
I assure her that I will change, but deep down I know I will always have the same struggles.

Until the end of time
These struggles will continue to be a part of my life.

Take these broken wings
Please help me heal from my hurt and pain.

I need your hands to come and heal me once again
I need your love and support to help me overcome my struggles.

(Until the end of time)
These struggles will continue until I die.

So I can fly away, till the end of time
I hope to overcome my struggles and be free from my pain.

Please Lord forgive me for my life of sin
I ask for God's forgiveness for the mistakes I've made.

My hard stare seem to scare all my sister's kids
My tough exterior can be intimidating to my own family members.

So you know, I don't hang around the house much
Because of my lifestyle, I'm not around my family as much as I would like to be.

This all night, money making got me outta touch, shit
My focus on earning money has made me lose touch with my loved ones and the reality of my situation.

Ain't flashed a smile in a long while
I haven't been genuinely happy in a long time.

An unexpected birth worst of the ghetto childs
The birth of a child was unexpected and challenging in the poverty-stricken environment I come from.

My attitude got me walkin' solo, ride out alone in my lo-lo
My negative attitude and tough persona make me feel like I'm always alone, even when I'm surrounded by others.

Watchin' the whole world move in slow-mo
I feel like the world is passing me by and I can't keep up.

For quiet times disappear, listen to the ocean
My moments of peace are fleeting and rare, and I find solace in listening to the waves of the ocean.

Smokin' Ports, think my thoughts, then it's back to coastin'
I smoke and reflect on my life, but then return to my usual routine.

Who can I trust in this cold world?
It's hard to know who I can rely on in a world full of deceit and betrayal.

My phony homey had a baby by my old girl
My so-called friend had a child with my ex-girlfriend, which feels like a betrayal.

But I ain't trippin', I'm a player, I ain't sweatin' him
I don't let it bother me because I see myself as someone who doesn't get attached and doesn't let things get to him.

I sex his sister, had her mumble like a Mexican
I had sex with his sister, and she moaned loudly.

His next of kin, no remorse it was meant to happen
I have no regrets about sleeping with his sister because it was bound to happen.

Besides rappin' the only thing I did good was scrappin'
Besides my music career, the only thing I was good at was fighting.

Until the end of time
These struggles will continue to be a part of my life until I die.

You gotta learn to fly and learn to live so free
You have to learn to overcome your struggles and live freely.

(Until the end of time)
These struggles will always be present.

So I can fly away, till the end of time
I hope to overcome my struggles and be free from my pain.

Now who's to say if I was right or wrong?
It's hard to determine whether my decisions and actions were right or wrong.

To live my life as an outlaw all along
I've lived a life of breaking the law and going against societal norms.

Remain strong in this planet full of player haters
I try to stay strong despite the negativity and hate around me.

They conversate but death row full of demonstrators
People talk about standing up for what they believe in, but many of those on death row were willing to put their lives on the line for their beliefs.

And in the end drinkin' Hennessey made all my enemies envy me
My success and ability to enjoy life despite my struggles made my enemies jealous.

So cold when I flow eliminatin' easily
I am skilled at rapping and can easily defeat my competition.

Falls to they knees, they plead for they right to breath
My enemies are brought to their knees and beg for their lives.

While beggin' me to keep the peace
They ask me not to harm them.

What I can see closer to achieve
I can see success within reach.

In times of danger don't freeze, time to be a G
When facing danger, I keep my cool and act like a true gangster.

Follow my lead, I'll supply everything you need
If you follow my example, I can provide everything you need to succeed.

An ounce of game and the trainin' to make a G
I can teach you the skills you need to become a successful gangster.

Remember me, as an outcast outlaw
I want people to remember me as someone who lived outside of society's norms.

Another album out, that's what I'm about more
My music career is my main focus and what I'm most dedicated to.

Gettin' raw till the day I see my casket
I will continue making music until the day I die.

Buried as a G while the whole world remembers me
I want to be remembered as a true gangster, even after I've passed away.