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.
Wake Me When I'm Free
2Pac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I cannot bear activity
Where my couch, I am told, "Hold no significance"
I waited and died in ignorance
But my inner eye can see, erase
Who reigned as king in another place
The green trees were reached from fall
And every man spoke of beautiful men and women together as people
War was gone because all was at peace
But now like a nightmare, I woke to see
That I live like a prisoner of poverty
Please, wake me when I am free
I cannot bear activity
Fall, I will have a ?, stricken blind
Than to live without expression of mind
In "Wake Me When I'm Free," 2Pac reflects on the struggles of poverty and oppression. He speaks of the hardship of living in poverty and the hope he has for a future where he can be free from the inequalities that limit his opportunities. The opening line of the song - "Please, wake me when I am free" - can be interpreted as a call to action for society to strive for change, for a time when equality is achieved and people are truly free. The second line, "I cannot bear activity," emphasizes the exhaustion and frustration that comes from struggling against societal oppression.
The third line, "Where my couch, I am told, 'Hold no significance,'" is a reference to the devaluation of the poor and their possessions. People who live in poverty often lack material possessions and are judged based on their lack of material wealth. This line is followed by "I waited and died in ignorance," as 2Pac laments the fact that many people in poverty are trapped in a cycle with little hope of escape. He describes his "inner eye" being able to "see, erase" the hierarchy imposed upon people in society, imagining a place where all are equal.
2Pac then paints a picture of a utopian society where men and women live together in peace and harmony, without war or conflict. This vision contrasts sharply with the current reality he experiences - "But now like a nightmare, I woke to see/That I live like a prisoner of poverty." The final line, "Fall, I will have a ?, stricken blind/Than to live without expression of mind," expresses the importance of the freedom of thought and expression. Even if it means falling or facing challenges, it is better to be true to oneself and express one's ideas, rather than live life without truly living it.
Line by Line Meaning
Please, wake me when I am free
I want to be awakened to a life of freedom
I cannot bear activity
I am unable to cope with this lifestyle
Where my couch, I am told, "Hold no significance"
I feel like my life is meaningless and insignificant
I waited and died in ignorance
I wasted my life being ignorant and unaware
But my inner eye can see, erase
I can envision another reality where things are different
Who reigned as king in another place
There is another world where things are better than here
The green trees were reached from fall
Nature and beauty coexisted peacefully
And every man spoke of beautiful men and women together as people
Gender, race, and sexuality weren't things people discriminated against
War was gone because all was at peace
There was no conflict or violence as everyone lived in harmony
But now like a nightmare, I woke to see
I suddenly realized that things are not as they seem
That I live like a prisoner of poverty
I am trapped in a cycle of poverty and have no way out
Fall, I will have a ?, stricken blind
I would rather die than live without the ability to express myself
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SIKIRU ADPOJU, FEMI OJETUNDE, AFENI SHAKUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dominic Brogsdale
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 - 2pac
bomb1st
LIMITED TIME ENGAGEMENT | Only in L.A.
CANVAS @ L.A. LIVE | 944 Georgia Street | Los Angeles CA 90015
Shanoe Michael
Did he have the versus to unreleased aongs?
ECKO147
How much to go in
bosslife
Do any body know is going bro be a tour in the United states
ECKO147
Thomasina Battle yes I want to go how much dose it cost to go in
j.e Leal
Where u get on the 110 n
George Ayoroh
I don't think any rapper dead or alive has been talked about more than 2PAC. Even after 25 years and still counting clearly shows he's a legend.
El Churro
JA Rule
Laura
@El Churro 👀👀👀😭😭😭💀💀💀
James
He's the GOAT