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.
Ride Or Die
2Pac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We better .
Tell me what youre gonna do
If we ride or die?
(repeats)
. take one step out of time
. were gonna party all night
. by my side
Were gonna make steps one two three four
You will be on my mind all the time
Ride or die
Is what I adore
If I got you
And you got me
I promise were gonna be the ones
The ones
no fun
Were gonna run
Run run run
Were gonna run
Run run run
Chorus
The lyrics to 2Pac's song "Ride Or Die" emphasize loyalty and commitment between two people. The chorus asks the question, "If we ride or die, tell me what you're gonna do?" suggesting that the individuals involved are willing to stick together through thick and thin, and that their loyalty is unbreakable. The verses further reinforce this theme, with lines like "I love you how you're loving me" and "If I got you and you got me, I promise we're gonna be the ones". The reference to "ride or die" culture also ties in with the idea that these individuals are willing to go to great lengths to protect and support one another, even in dangerous situations.
The verses also touch on the idea of partying and having fun together, with lines like "we're gonna party all night" and "we're gonna run, run, run". This adds to the overall sense of adventure and excitement associated with the "ride or die" lifestyle.
Overall, the lyrics of "Ride Or Die" revolve around themes of loyalty, commitment, and companionship, as well as the idea of living life to the fullest and taking risks with the people you care about.
Line by Line Meaning
We better ride or die.
We better stick together through thick and thin, ride or die.
Tell me what you're gonna do.
Let me know if you will stand with me till the end.
If we ride or die?
If we stick together through everything?
We take one step out of time.
We move forward together, one step at a time.
And we're gonna party all night.
We will celebrate and enjoy life to the fullest.
You by my side.
You are my partner in everything.
I love you how you're loving me.
I appreciate and reciprocate the love you give me.
We're gonna make steps one two three four.
We will work together to achieve our goals step by step.
You will be on my mind all the time.
I will always have you in my thoughts and heart.
Ride or die is what I adore.
Being loyal and committed to each other is what I cherish.
If I got you and you got me.
If we have each other's backs and support each other.
I promise we're gonna be the ones, the ones, no fun.
We will be the ones who stick together when things get tough, even if it's not fun.
We're gonna run, run, run.
We will keep moving forward and never give up.
Chorus
Contributed by Chase T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TomZart
SNOOP DOGG POT FARMER DANCE SONG $$
I got out my pipe stuffed it with pot
You better believe it held a whole lot.
I whipped out a lighter thumbed up a flame
Sucked down that smoke which comforts my brain.
I tried alcohol smoked cigarettes
They did nothing but give me regrets.
My mom had arthritis could not walk around
I rolled her a joint she danced on the ground.
I thought I was losing my lovemaking knack
After I smoked some to me it came back.
Soon I decided prices were high
I searched for some ground I wouldn't have to buy.
I bargained for seeds from smokers all around
Got in my truck and drove out of town.
I walked through the woods where wild birds nest
Found me the meadow I thought was the best.
I dug up the ground sowed all my seeds
Said a small prayer for strong, healthy weeds.
I watered at night with a five-gallon pail
Mosquitoes went hungry for I wore a veil.
Seven months went by; I thought I would die
Till the Halloween moon was high in the sky.
At night I went out, in a camouflage suit
Used my corn knife to chop down the loot.
I hung it up to dry where it couldn’t be found.
Came back and got it, when it had turned brown.
I trimmed off the buds, stuffed them in bags
Called all my friends and passed out free drags.
In less than a week my crop was gone
I flew to St. Thomas with a love hungry blonde!!
By Tom Zart
Most Published Poet On The Web
George Bush Tom Zart
@upendranath541
We are still missing our #legend❤
@gwendolynbrown1355
Legends never die
@AbdelmajidLahjili
4df4n9😮
@user-ej9tf5ci7w
This remix is the bomb imagine if 2Pac was still with us
@thereckoning5488
For real right?
@AnubisDogman
I don't even understand how they can all flow like they collaborated on the song together. Shit flows so well.
@blackdogzofficial2416
🎉🎉🎉
@ThaRealTruth
That's because pacs rap was way ahead of his time his rap from 20+ years ago could still complete with the rap of today and lot of his raps could still out rappers in today's age
@drw_predator
Just like fine 🍷, Speechless beat brotha
Even their gone they are timeless and indefinitely produce better hits than today's brand new tracks
@sm4889
Pac & Nip RIP Legends live on🔥 ❤