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.
2Pac And Biggie At War
2Pac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the world turns.
As the world turns my niggaz grow and grow and grow
and get dough and roll and ride
niggaz die and mommas cry
niggaz got alibis and suicides and homicides
and three strikes and yo' life and my life and times change
And niggaz fame, as the world turns.
Though I walk thru the valley of hell the shadow follows me
Wisdom hard to swallow tomorrow expect apologies
You probably panic, stranded in search of a better planet
Realism hard to understand, we stand slanted
and still stranded, merciless thieves stole the best of me
I pray to black Jesus to please take the rest of me
And still, the best of us build, and reach monetary gains
Some of us kill, but still, most of us can change
if we search deeper, god bless the hustler, curse the first sleeper
Enemies get beside me, flows go deeper inside
We we ride plots keep all my enemies blinded
Time will soon show, a thought can last for years
Outshinin them fakes smile plastic tears
like last year, niggaz stuck in the past, and it's clear
Just some busta ass bastards allergic to cash this year
Makaveli for the Mob, M-O-B
Killin bustaz is my motherfuckin job, him or me
Lyrically fatally driven, niggaz reported missin
My competition dead or in prison, as the world turns...
[Chorus: Darryl 'Big D' Harper, (Tupac - in background)]
(Turns. turns, turns, turns, and turns
My niggaz grow and grow and grow
and gettin dough and dough and dough
from this state to that state
from this cell to that cell, as the world turns)
As the world keeps turnin round and round
It's gon' be goin round as the world turns. and steady turnin
[Young Noble]
As the world turn burnin paths, starin through my rearview
It's a war goin on, and the President is in too
I hear Tu-Pac sayin, "Watch em they'll kill you"
Sippin Thug Passion, scrub actin like he feel you
Steady plottin, ready or not; Outlawz lost
but not forgotten, from Gittere to Compton
A spitter of the hotness, long timeness
So like six I ain't never been rich
I need cream, to buy Ellene a dream house
She no longer fiend out y'all, Outlawww
[Napoleon]
Another lonely nigga with a 12-gage pump
with a 12-hour rush to run and get this money, fuck these punks
Road rules I swim in the dirt, I stay in some skirt
I hit where it hurts, I ride or die for my turf
I ride or die for Makaveli the legendary war thug nigga
Kadafi betta unslug this nigga, Seike betta undrug this nigga
Out of the buildin we street children with no souls
Our hearts gon' stay cold, the war gon' stay on
We serve em, like Pac told us to, catch em wet with the tec
Hit em in the neck and watch him die like he supposed to
Napoleon the front line soldier, front times over
Rider for the mightly dollar rather drunk or sober
nigga talkin thug walkin all through yo' squad
Y'all niggaz scared by a dog, I got my fo'-fo' for y'all
It's like a hot, heated day homie, warfare don't play homie
Better be prepared than try to dunk away from these strays homie
Worlds turn, thangs burn, all in one shot
Rest in peace to the fallen soldiers, all that we got
As the world turns.
[Chorus: Darryl 'Big D' Harper, (Tupac - in background)]
(And my niggaz roll and ride, hahaha
niggaz gettin swoll out
And it don't stop and it don't quit
That real shit! As the world turns.
niggaz die for
How many you niggaz try for this? As the world turns
Murderin methods. haha OUTLAW!)
As the world keeps turnin round and round
It's gon' be goin round as the world turns. and steady turnin
As the world keeps turnin round and round
It's gon' be goin round as the world turns.
[E.D.I. Amin]
Only haters caught feelings, when my homie caught millions
And acquired the desired status of boss livin
We cross driven, cornered into a life that's hellish
Payin our dues with bloodshed, ain't shit y'all could tell us
Fellas - mount up, it's time for battle, it's on now
Two worlds collidin armies ridin soldiers, gone wild
Sometimes I think my glory days was back in my youth
I sought too for family, but I got it lost in these ounces
Now as the world turns court adjourns, I'm sentenced to burn
The cost of my sins too much, nuttin left to earn
[Kadafi]
October 9th 1977 first day out my baby carriage
Married my Mack-11 hit the block playin
Only five years up in this bitch, poppa runnin from the Feds
Puttin peanut butter on the walls to hide his prints
Me on my own, not yet grown but only man of the home
to protect my zone in these streets I roam
Dough on d-low, downin straight shots of Cristal Brothers
Hundred dollar snot box on cee-lo, fuck eighth
I need a kilo, got a plot, move my block down state
Got the drop on the spot, movin pounds of weight
fuck my fate and lots of loot to burn, a hustler's yearn
for this dirty money earned as this crooked world turns
[Chorus: Darryl 'Big D' Harper (repeats as Tupac speaks)]
[2Pac]
Hahaha. as the world turns.
and turns and turns and turns. haha
This for the soldiers out there involved in the everyday struggle
Hopin to bubble, keep on hustlin, as the world turns
Money come and go, hoes come and go, foes come and go
Friends come and go. my soldiers, stay eternal
Outlaw Immortalz, dedicated
I send this to black Jesus, only he can feed us
When you need us, as the world turns
Throw this shit in the deck, hahah
niggaz gettin chin checked
From the East to the West best to wear a vest
nigga we ain't the ones to test, fuck you
As the world turns
Outlaw ridahs, Mutah right beside us
Camillion, wanna make a million
Haha legit, as the world turns. haha.
Burn baby burn
[Napoleon]
A lot of niggaz get burned as the world turns
A lot of niggaz gettin burned as the world turns.
Gettin burned as the world turns
"2Pac and Biggie at War" is a collaborative track featuring Tupac, Young Noble, Napoleon, E.D.I. Amin and Kadafi, members of the Outlawz. The track starts with Tupac rapping about how the world turns and how things change, including the struggles that people go through. He talks about the shadow that follows him and how it is difficult to accept wisdom when the future is expected and apologies aren't given. He talks about how people panic while trying to search for a better planet.
Young Noble comes in with his verse and talks about how the world is burning and that it is currently at war. He makes a reference to a watchful eye that watches over us and makes sure that we do not get killed. Napoleon follows with his verse and talks about how he is a lonely nigga with a 12-gage pump, how he is a front line soldier, and mentions the Outlaws.
E.D.I Amin also raps about the glory days of his youth and how he's had to pay his dues with bloodshed. Kadafi ends the song with his verse and talks about his childhood and how he had to protect his home when he was only five years old. He talks about how he moves pounds of weight and hustles for his money.
Line by Line Meaning
As the world turns my niggaz grow and grow and grow
and get dough and roll and ride
niggaz die and mommas cry
The world keeps moving forward, and my friends are growing wealthier. They're living life to the fullest, but unfortunately, some of them end up dying, causing their mothers much heartache.
niggaz got alibis and suicides and homicides
and three strikes and yo' life and my life and times change
And niggaz fame, as the world turns.
Life is not always perfect, and people get into trouble. Some might have alibis for their wrongdoing, while others commit suicide or murder. There are also certain laws that limit individuals' opportunities and fame fluctuates over time. Despite all this, life continues moving forward.
Though I walk thru the valley of hell the shadow follows me
Wisdom hard to swallow tomorrow expect apologies
Despite being in a dark place, where it feels like everything is falling apart, my past still follows me. It's hard to accept that tomorrow could bring a new day to make things right.
You probably panic, stranded in search of a better planet
Realism hard to understand, we stand slanted
and still stranded, merciless thieves stole the best of me
Feeling lost and alone, I'm searching for a way out of my struggles. The harsh truth of reality is tough to grasp, and it makes me feel off-balance. It's as if someone stole the best parts of me and left me with nothing.
I pray to black Jesus to please take the rest of me
And still, the best of us build, and reach monetary gains
Some of us kill, but still, most of us can change
if we search deeper, god bless the hustler, curse the first sleeper
I'm asking for help from a higher power to take away the rest of my pain. Despite all the bad around me, I try to focus on the positive aspects. Some people resort to violence, but others can change their ways if they look deep within themselves. God blesses hard-working individuals and curses those who miss out on opportunities to succeed.
Another lonely nigga with a 12-gage pump
with a 12-hour rush to run and get this money, fuck these punks
Feeling isolated and desperate, a person is willing to do whatever it takes to make money, even if it means resorting to violence against those getting in their way.
Our hearts gon' stay cold, the war gon' stay on
We serve em, like Pac told us to, catch em wet with the tec
Hit em in the neck and watch him die like he supposed to
Napoleon the front line soldier, front times over
We've been hardened by war, and our hearts will remain cold. Our only objective is to kill anyone who tries to stop us. We follow Tupac's lead and use our guns to take out our enemies with deadly force.
Only haters caught feelings, when my homie caught millions
And acquired the desired status of boss livin
We cross driven, cornered into a life that's hellish
Payin our dues with bloodshed, ain't shit y'all could tell us
Critics show their jealousy when my friend becomes wealthy and successful, having acquired the coveted status of being a boss. We're dedicated to our cause, which involves living a difficult and dangerous life, where people constantly pay with their blood, and no one can judge us for it.
Got the drop on the spot, movin pounds of weight
fuck my fate and lots of loot to burn, a hustler's yearn
for this dirty money earned as this crooked world turns
I have insider knowledge about a place where drugs are sold. I'm planning to move a lot of weight there and earn a considerable amount of money, even if it's morally questionable. It's the life of a hustler, earning cash in this corrupt world as it continues to turn.
Money come and go, hoes come and go, foes come and go
Friends come and go. my soldiers, stay eternal
Material possessions and people, both good and bad, come and go, but my loyal soldiers will remain by my side forever.
A lot of niggaz get burned as the world turns
A lot of niggaz gettin burned as the world turns.
Gettin burned as the world turns
The world is a harsh and unfair place, where many people get hurt and taken advantage of as it keeps moving forward.
Contributed by Jackson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DJ Makaveli West
Dope G🔥🔥💯
Tupac Shakur
🔥🔥🔥🔥💯
LUNATIC
Dopeeeeee 🔥🔥🔥
STR8Fightah
Beat’s bumpin’ son word up
ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME.
🔥🔥🔥...👍
Abdullah
🔥👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾
boomerang kid beats
nice vibes my g
boomerang kid beats
@Negus96 hit me up for me to send over some beats
Negus96
Appreciate it ✌🏾
mrmyiagi Bonzai
When the music dies with love worh lies industrie told me no never did shit fore me qnd play game my kingdim from the devil war with illumanti i klill thete soul in qbet 1 fore them 10 fore me like forever