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.
Dont Cry
2Pac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you can't, you can't give up (Hey, 2Pac what?)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (Outlawz)
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (Keep ya head up)
So picture perfect at thirteen, an ebony queen
Beneath the surface it was more than just a crooked smile
Nobody knew about her secret so it took a while
I could see a tear fall slow down her black cheek
Sheddin' quiet tears in the back seat, so when she asked me
"What would you do if it was you?"
Couldn't answer such a horrible pain to live through
I tried to trade places in the tragedy
I couldn't picture three crazed niggaz grabbin' me
For just a moment I was trapped in the pain, Lord come and take me
Four niggaz violated, they chased and they raped me
Even though it wasn't me, I could feel the grief
Thinkin' with your brains blown that would make the pain go
No, you got to find a way to survive
'Cause they win when your soul dies
Baby, please don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (Never give up)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (Never give up)
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry
Forget him, girl (Forget him, girl), he ain't gon' never change
I ain't no hater but that nigga lost in the game
After the bright lights and big thangs
He probably could love you, but he in love with the struggle
Everyday, his mind on gettin mo' (Gettin mo')
And never your feelings, he's chasin millions fo' sho'
Oh, oh (Oh, oh), now you 'bout to have his baby? (Damn!)
Another wild-ass nigga that's gon' drive you crazy
You got too much, mo', livin to do I'm spittin this to you,
'Cause you deserve more than what he givin to you (That's right)
Beautiful, black, precious, and complicated
A new millennium dime piece, so fine she
Got em all stuck standin' still when she come through
Baby, take a little mo' time, love'll find you
And show us the sky's blue somebody other than me
Gon' give you everything you need, feel me? (Don't cry)
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (You'll be alright)
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (You'll be alright)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (Keep your head up)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (Never give up)
Even when the road is hard, never give up (No, no, oh)
Baby, don't cry
I'm tryin' to do all that I can, from jump
Now you losin', you was choosin' the wrong man
Dealt the wrong hand, you was young and beautiful
Lost and turned out, what you let that nigga do to you? (Damn)
I knew her since elementary, she blew a kiss to me
Wrote me a note in crayon, wantin' to get with me
We was kids, now she got three kids
They see their father e'ryday, and they don't know who he is
Seen him last night, homey roll a E-class
Mad cheese in the stash, still a deadbeat dad
I bring her, Pampers and food, just to stop through
But those, ain't my seeds, nuttin' really I could do (Nah)
I feel pity for you, you ain't even his wife
Seventeen with three kids, locked down for life
Shoulda chose me, she 'bout to O.D. from the pressure
Hell, nah, I won't let her (Baby, don't cry)
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (You'll be alright)
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (Baby, don't cry)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (Baby, baby, baby)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (No)
Even when the road is hard, never give up (No, oh)
Baby, don't cry, I gotta keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (Oooh, baby)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (Keep your head up)
(Keep your head up, never give up)
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry
Ah, ah, yeah, don't give up (You'll be alright)
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry
For all the ladies (Soulshock, Karlin)
Baby, don't cry
Got to keep your head up (
The song "Baby Don't Cry" is a collaboration between 2pac and Ciara, and it aims to provide hope and encouragement for those going through challenging experiences. The lyrics encourage people to keep their heads up and persevere, even when the road is tough. The song is structured around three stories of different women dealing with difficult situations, and while each story is unique, the message of strength and resilience is core to all three.
The first story highlights the struggle of a young girl with a hidden secret, while the second story is about a woman dealing with a deadbeat partner. The third story is about a woman who has been violated, and while the lyricist cannot understand her pain fully, he empathizes with her and encourages her to keep going.
The message of this song is universal and relevant to everyone regardless of their background, challenges, and struggles. It signifies hope, strength, and resilience, and it encourages listeners to never give up, even when the road is tough. The song is inspiring, and its message is timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel you (Ah) (Baby, don't)
I empathize with you and your struggles, please don't give up
But you can't, you can't give up (Hey, 2Pac what?)
It's important to keep going, no matter how difficult things get
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (Outlawz)
Don't let your pain and struggles bring you down, keep your head held high
Even when the road is hard, never give up
No matter how difficult your journey may be, don't lose hope and keep pushing forward
Now here's a story bout a woman with dreams
Let me share a story about a woman who had aspirations and hopes for her future
So picture perfect at thirteen, an ebony queen
She was young and beautiful, with flawless skin and an air of royalty
Beneath the surface it was more than just a crooked smile
But there was more to her than just her appearance, she had a deep pain hidden beneath the surface
Nobody knew about her secret so it took a while
She kept her struggles hidden from others, which made it difficult for anyone to help her
I could see a tear fall slow down her black cheek
I noticed a tear rolling down her face
Sheddin' quiet tears in the back seat, so when she asked me
She was silently crying in the back of a car, and then asked me a difficult question
"What would you do if it was you?"
She asked me how I would handle a similar situation to what she was going through
Couldn't answer such a horrible pain to live through
I couldn't give her a straightforward answer because I couldn't imagine experiencing the pain she was going through
I tried to trade places in the tragedy
I attempted to put myself in her shoes and imagine how I would handle her situation
Even though it wasn't me, I could feel the grief
I didn't experience what she was going through but I could feel her sadness and sorrow
No, you got to find a way to survive
It's crucial to find a way to keep going, even when things seem unbearable
'Cause they win when your soul dies
Don't let your hardships take away your spirit because that's when the people causing you pain win
Forget him, girl (Forget him, girl), he ain't gon' never change
You need to move on from him because he won't ever change or treat you the way you deserve to be treated
I ain't no hater but that nigga lost in the game
I'm not trying to hate on him, but he's too caught up in his own struggles to see what he's doing to you
After the bright lights and big thangs
Even after he's achieved fame and success, he still isn't able to give you the love and attention you need
He probably could love you, but he in love with the struggle
He may have feelings for you, but his priority is his own struggles and not your relationship
Everyday, his mind on gettin mo' (Gettin mo')
His focus is always on getting more money and success
And never your feelings, he's chasin millions fo' sho'
He's not considering your feelings or well-being, all he cares about is making more money
Oh, oh (Oh, oh), now you 'bout to have his baby? (Damn!)
Oh no, now you're pregnant with his child?
Another wild-ass nigga that's gon' drive you crazy
He's just going to bring more chaos and madness into your life
You got too much, mo', livin to do I'm spittin this to you,
You have so much more life to live, and I'm telling you this because I care about you
'Cause you deserve more than what he givin to you (That's right)
You deserve someone who will treat you better and give you the love and respect you deserve
Beautiful, black, precious, and complicated
You are a beautiful, valuable, and complex person
A new millennium dime piece, so fine she
You are a stunning and desirable person in the modern era
Got em all stuck standin' still when she come through
You have a captivating presence that stops people in their tracks
Baby, take a little mo' time, love'll find you
Don't rush into anything, love will come to you if you're patient
And show us the sky's blue somebody other than me
Someone else will come into your life and show you the beauty and happiness that you deserve
Gon' give you everything you need, feel me? (Don't cry)
They will give you all of the love and care that you need, so don't cry
I'm tryin' to do all that I can, from jump
I'm doing everything I can from the start to help you
Now you losin', you was choosin' the wrong man
You are losing out on happiness because you chose the wrong partner
Dealt the wrong hand, you was young and beautiful
You were dealt a bad hand in life, even though you were young and had a lot of potential
Lost and turned out, what you let that nigga do to you? (Damn)
You're lost and struggling because of what he did to you
I knew her since elementary, she blew a kiss to me
I've known her since we were young and she once showed affection towards me
Wrote me a note in crayon, wantin' to get with me
She wrote me a cute note in crayon expressing her interest in me
We was kids, now she got three kids
We were children back then, and now she has three children of her own
They see their father e'ryday, and they don't know who he is
Her children don't even know who their father is, even though he sees them every day
Seen him last night, homey roll a E-class
I saw the father of her children in a fancy car just last night
Mad cheese in the stash, still a deadbeat dad
Even though he has a lot of money and wealth, he is still a neglectful father
I bring her, Pampers and food, just to stop through
I bring her baby supplies and food whenever I can, just to check in on her
But those, ain't my seeds, nuttin' really I could do (Nah)
Those children aren't mine, so there's not much I can do to help
I feel pity for you, you ain't even his wife
I feel sorry for you, because you're not even his spouse but you're still going through so much
Seventeen with three kids, locked down for life
You're only seventeen and already have three children, it seems like you'll be stuck in this situation forever
Shoulda chose me, she 'bout to O.D. from the pressure
She should have chosen me instead, because the stress and pain she's going through is too much and could lead to overdose
Hell, nah, I won't let her (Baby, don't cry)
No way, I won't let her go through this alone, I want to help her (don't cry)
For all the ladies (Soulshock, Karlin)
This song is for all the women out there
Got to keep your head up (
You have to stay positive and strong, even when things are tough
Makaveli the Don (Head up), aight?
This is a message from me, Tupac (keep your head up), okay?
Contributed by Nathaniel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@NikiReynolds_2swift
I think he's alive but can you imagine how much e could have taught us if he was around all these years? He made me be a for real, real person. I've always been down and real but he made me be even more real because like him, I have a BIG mouth and it gets me into trouble but I don't mean to.
He said he wanted to be remembered and not be 50 at a BET Awards, or something like that and he has NO idea how much people are all about 2 Pac, even the kids these days listen to him like it's new music. He would have loved that. Somebody wanted to argue with me about him and Biggie and I was like, you don't hear everyone listening to Biggie now do you, you never hear shit about him or anything like that.
2 Pac is the one you hear about and talk about and listen to. I don't listen to any new music except maybe a song or two because I can listen to 2 Pac all day every day and these young so called rappers ain't shit. They aren't HARDCORE rap. The only HARD CORE rapper alive is Eminem and he's white. He's good though. I would love to see 2 Pac, Eazy E and Eminem rapping together. All these other little so called rappers would not be where they are today if 2 Pac and Eazy E were still here, especially 2 Pac.
I don't even know any knew songs or musicians because I don't listen to the radio, CD"s, MP3 Player and Computer only. I do like Wiz Khalifa. Ice Cube is a hard core rapper but he doesn't do it anymore. They took out all well almost all of the HARDCORE rappers and the others just backed up cuz they didn't want to end up dead. I use to listen to Snoop but I don't really like him anymore because he's not a gangsta, he's a bitch.
Sorry for such a long comment, but I could talk about 2 Pac all day long. That's all I talk about around my family and they get sick of it. LOL! And I go around quoting stuff he says like when I'm in a certain situation. He was REAL, there was nothing fake about him, he was honest and true and could have changed the world. He will always be my number 1. And hopefully I'll meet him at the crossroads one day.
@cesarcarbajal21
"cause they win when your soul dies"
@warriorlegend7041
Cesar Carbajal ALL Woman are too Beautiful Queens to take their own life. & they ALL NEED TO HEAR IT & KNOW IT WITHIN THEMSELVES. 💞👑
@batwom4304
THIS lyric right here.
@rohanhenry9999
👍
@jessicateasenfitz7104
One of my favorite poetic lines
@eljoar_2232
0:58😌
@moroccon1
this is the real Tupac, this song is straight from his heart.
@sixsixer6125
Yes!
@Giselle_Glam594
I LOVE HIM
@user-ui8mq9dc3d
We never deserved him, he was wise beyond his years. I’m just happy he left us with his music, it got me through some of the toughest times in my life especially this song. When your emotions run high and feel as though you’re being spoken to, that’s more than just an artist, he was greatness.This man was a poet and he spit nothing but the truth. RIP PAC 👑