Born in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City, Tupac frequently found his family changing place of residence. In 1988, his family moved to the state of California where he would continue to reside for the rest of his life. In 1990 he was hired as a back-up dancer for the alternative rap group Digital Underground. Tupac's debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, gained critical recognition and a ranged amount of backlash for its controversial criticism of the police force. Shakur soon began to experience various law suits and legal troubles--most notably, he was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in 1993. The day before the guilty verdict was issued, Shakur was shot five times in a recording studio lobby in Manhattan. Following the incident, Shakur grew suspicious that other rappers were involved in his shooting; the controversy would help spark the later East Coast-West Coast feud. After serving 8 months of his sentence for the assault, Shakur was bailed from prison by Marion "Suge" Knight, the CEO of Death Row Records. In exchange, Shakur would release three records under the label, with his fifth, being the double disc album All Eyez on Me counting as two albums. On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. On September 13, 1996, six days after the shooting, Tupac died of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest in a Las Vegas local hospital. Many posthumous albums have been released under Shakur's name.
Tupac's music addresses such topics as the hardships of growing up around violence in United States ghettos, poverty, racism, and his feuds with fellow rappers. He is known for the messages of political, economic, and racial equality that pervade his work as well as the "thug life" that he raps about living in. His music has attracted a large amount of controversy and was showcased in the media a number of times. He has gained a large amount of publicity for being one of the main figures in the East Coast vs. West Coast feud between his Death Row Records label and Bad Boy Records. During his lifetime, Tupac released five albums and played roles in several films.
Early life
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born in the Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City. He was named after Túpac Amaru II, an Incan revolutionary who led a Peruvian uprising against Spain and was subsequently sentenced to death. His last name Shakur comes from the Arabic word thankful (to God). Fearing someone might hurt her son, Afeni put the name Parish Lesane Crooks on his birth certificate but changed it a year later. Shakur's mother Afeni was an active member of the Black Panther Party in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s; Shakur was born just one month after his mother's acquittal on more than 100 charges of "conspiracy against the United States government and New York landmarks" in the "New York Panther 21" court case.
Shakur's godfather, Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, was convicted of murdering a schoolteacher during a 1968 robbery. His stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, spent four years at large on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list beginning in 1982, when Tupac was a pre-teen. Mutulu was wanted in part for having aided his sister Assata Shakur, Tupac's godmother, to escape from prison in New Jersey, where she had been incarcerated for the murder and wounding of two state troopers in 1973. Mutulu was caught in 1986 and imprisoned after being found guilty of the attempted robbery of a Brinks armored car in which two police officers and a guard were killed. Tupac has a half-sister, Sekyiwa, two years his junior, and an older step-brother, Mopreme "Komani" Shakur, who appeared on many of his recordings.
At age 12, Shakur was enrolled in Harlem's famous "127th Street Ensemble". His first major role with this acting troupe was as Travis in the play A Raisin in the Sun. In 1984, his family relocated to the Roland Park section of Baltimore. In that neighborhood he was not liked and was a social outcast because of his lack of trendy fashion, his name and looks. However, he had one friend there Dana "Mouse" Smith. In his sophomore year he transferred from Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School to the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he befriended a young Jada Pinkett. The two developed a close friendship. In the documentary Tupac: Resurrection, Shakur says, "Jada is my heart. She will be my friend for my whole life." Also in this documentary, Smith calls Shakur "one of my best friends. He was like a brother. It was beyond friendship for us. The type of relationship we had, you only get that once in a lifetime." In Tupac's book, The Rose That Grew From Concrete, there is a poem written by Shakur titled "Jada" including another one titled "The Tears in Cupid's Eyes" which is dedicated to her. The two remained close friends until Shakur's death in 1996. At the School for the Arts, he studied ballet, poetry, jazz, and acting, performing in Shakespearean plays and landing the role of the Mouse King in The Nutcracker.
In June 1988, he and his family moved once again, this time to Marin City, California, where Shakur continued to pursue his career in entertainment. At the age of 17, he moved out of his mother's house to seek his music career. In 1990 he was hired as a back-up dancer and roadie for up-and-coming rap group Digital Underground. His professional entertainment career began in early 1991, when he debuted his rap skills on the single "Same Song" from the group's album This is an EP Release. Also in 1991, he appeared in the music video for "Same Song" and made a brief appearance as himself in the movie Nothing But Trouble.
Rise to fame
In late 1991, after his rap debut, Tupac Shakur performed with Digital Underground again on the album Sons Of The P. Later that year, he released his first solo album, 2Pacalypse Now. Initially he had trouble marketing his solo debut, but Interscope Records executives Ted Field and Tom Whalley eventually agreed to distribute the record.
Shakur claimed his first album was aimed at the problems facing young black males, but it was publicly criticized for its graphic language and images of violence by and against police. In one incident, a young man claimed his killing of a Texas trooper was inspired by the album. Former Vice President Dan Quayle publicly denounced the album as having "no place in our society". 2Pacalypse Now did not do as well on the charts as future albums, spawning no top ten hits, and only being certified gold nearly 4 years later. His second album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., was released in 1993. Heavily produced by Stretch and the Live Squad, the album generated two hits, Keep Ya Head Up and I Get Around, the latter featuring guest appearances by other members of the Digital Underground crew.
In addition to rapping, Shakur began acting in films. His first starring role was in the 1991 movie Juice, in which he was hailed by Rolling Stone's Peter Travers as "the film's most magnetic figure." He went on to star in Poetic Justice (with Janet Jackson), Above the Rim, Gridlock'd (with Tim Roth), Bullet, and Gang Related. He had also been slated to star in the Hughes brothers' Menace II Society but was replaced by Larenz Tate after assaulting the directors. Director John Singleton claimed that he wrote the film Baby Boy with Shakur in mind for the leading role. It was eventually filmed with Tyrese Gibson in his place and released in 2001, five years after Shakur's death. The movie features a mural of Shakur in the protagonist's bedroom as well as featuring one of his songs.
In late 1993, Shakur formed the group Thug Life with a few of his friends, including Big Syke, Macadoshis, his step-brother Mopreme, and Rated R. The group released their first and only album Thug Life: Thug Life Vol. 1 on Interscope in 1994 which went on to be certified as a gold record.
Legal issues
Even as he garnered fame as a rapper and actor, Shakur gained notoriety for his conflicts with the law. On October of 1991 he filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department, alleging they brutally beat him over a jaywalking incident. The suit was later settled for $42,000.
In October 1993, in Atlanta, Shakur shot two off-duty police officers (one in the leg, one in the buttocks) that were harassing a black motorist. Charges against Shakur were dismissed when it was discovered that both officers were intoxicated and were in possession of stolen weapons from an evidence locker during the incident.
In December 1993, however, Shakur was charged with sexually abusing a woman in his hotel room. According to the complaint, Shakur sodomized the woman and then encouraged his friends to sexually abuse her. Shakur vehemently denied the charges. Tupac had prior relations days earlier with the woman who was pressing the charges against him. She had performed oral sex on him on a club dance floor and the two had later had sex in his hotel room. The allegations were made after she revisited his hotel room for the second time where she engaged in sexual activity with his friends and claimed Tupac's entourage had gang-raped her, saying to him while leaving, "How could you do this to me?" Tupac states he had fallen asleep shortly after she arrived and later awoke to her accusations and legal threats. He later said he felt guilty for letting anything occur in the first place, and did not want anyone else to go to jail, but at the same time did not want to go to jail for a crime he didn't commit. On February 7, 1995, he was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for sexual assault; specifically, the conviction offense was for "sexual abuse (forcibly touching the buttocks)."
In 1994, he was convicted of attacking a former employer while on a music video set. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail with additional days on a highway work crew, community service, and a $2000 fine. In 1995, a wrongful death lawsuit was brought against Shakur in the 1992 shooting of 6-year old Qa'id Walker-Teal of Marin City, CA. The child had been the victim of a stray bullet in a shootout between Tupac's entourage and a rival group, though the bullet was not from Tupac's gun. Criminal charges were not sought, and Shakur settled with the family for an amount estimated between $300,000 and $500,000. After serving part of his sentence on the sexual abuse conviction, he was released on bail pending his appeal. On April 5, 1996, a judge sentenced him to serve 120 days in jail for violating terms of probation.
The November 30, 1994 Shooting
On the night of November 30, 1994, the day before the verdict in his sexual abuse trial was to be announced, Shakur was shot five times in the lobby of the Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan by two black men in an apparent robbery attempt. He would later accuse Puff Daddy (now Diddy) and Notorious B.I.G. whom he saw after the shooting of setting him up. Shakur believed that Biggie and Puffy knew about the plans of the shooting beforehand but had not warned Shakur ahead of time. According to the doctors at Bellevue Hospital, where he was admitted immediately following the incident, Shakur was shot 5 times. He checked out of the hospital, against doctor's orders, three hours after surgery. The day following the incident, December 1, 1994, Shakur entered the courthouse in a wheelchair and was found guilty of forcibly touching her buttocks.
Prison sentence
Shakur began serving his prison sentence at Clinton Correctional Facility in February 1995. Shortly afterwards, he released his multi-platinum album Me Against the World. Shakur is the only artist ever to have an album at number one on the charts while serving a prison sentence. He married his long-time girlfriend, Keisha Morris, while serving his sentence. This marriage was later annulled. He also spent time reading the works of Niccolò Machiavelli (which inspired his later use of the name "Makaveli"), Sun Tzu's The Art of War and other works of political philosophy and strategy. He also wrote a screenplay titled Live 2 Tell while incarcerated.
In September 1995, Shakur was released on bail after serving 11 months of his 4 year sentence, due in large part to the help and influence of Marion "Suge" Knight, CEO of Death Row Records. Knight posted $1.4 million bail pending appeal of the conviction, in exchange for which Shakur was obligated to release three albums for the Death Row label.
Post-prison/Death Row Records
After his release from prison, Shakur immediately went back to work recording. He began a new group, Tha Outlawz, and with them released the notorious diss track "Hit 'Em Up", a scathing lyrical attack on the Notorious B.I.G (Christopher Wallace) and others associated with him. In the track, Shakur claims to have had sex with Faith Evans, Wallace's wife at the time, and attacks his street cred. Though there is no hard evidence suggesting that they did, Tupac was convinced that Wallace and Sean "Puffy" Combs had known about the shooting beforehand based on their behavior that night and what his sources told him. He also believed that the lyrics in Biggie's track "Who Shot Ya" were disrespectful and shouldn't have been released at such a time.
Shakur aligned himself with Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight, who was already bitter toward Combs and his successful Bad Boy label; this added fuel to the building East-West feud. Wallace and Shakur would remain bitter enemies until Shakur's death.
In February 1996, Shakur released his fourth solo album, All Eyez on Me. This double album was the first and second of his three-album commitment to Death Row Records. It sold over 9 million copies. The album was a general departure from the introspective subject matter of Me Against the World, being more oriented toward a thug and gangsta mentality. Shakur continued his recordings despite increasing problems at the Death Row label. Dr. Dre left his post as house producer to form his own label, Aftermath. CEO Suge Knight was under investigation for illegal and unethical activities and business practices. Despite these problems, Shakur produced hundreds of tracks during his time at Death Row, most of which would be released on posthumous albums such as Better Dayz and Until the End of Time. He also began the process of recording an album with the Boot Camp Clik and their label Duck Down Records, both New York-based, entitled One Nation. The goal of this project was to bring closure to the East Coast-West Coast feud by bringing together what Shakur thought were the best rappers from both coasts. This project remains unreleased, though some of Tupac's contributions to the album have been used in various other posthumous releases.
By the end of his life, Tupac was in the middle of starting his film production company Euphanasia, and was going to start writing and directing films. Tupac wanted to host concerts that would be free for students who get a C or above, and wanted to build community centers and start baseball and football leagues for inner-city children. Tupac and Johnny "J" were starting up 24/7 Productions and Tupac was starting up Non-Stop Productions. Thug Passion was a drink that Tupac was planning on bottling and selling; the song "Thug Passion" was made to be a theme song for the drink. Tupac was going to step back from rapping by releasing albums every five years or so on his new record label, Makaveli Records, which would have been distributed by Death Row Records. Tupac and Suge Knight were in the process of expanding Death Row to the East, establishing a Death Row East. Tupac died before this could be fulfilled.
The Fatal September 7, 1994 shooting
On September 7, 1996, Shakur attended the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. After the boxing match, Shakur spotted 21 year-old Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, a member of the Southside Crips in the MGM Grand lobby. Shakur rushed him and knocked Anderson down, and Shakur's entourage beat him. The incident was captured on the hotel's video surveillance. Anderson had allegedly beaten up one of Shakur's bodyguards in a shopping mall a few weeks earlier, precipitating Shakur's attack. After the fight with Anderson, Shakur met up with Suge Knight to go to Death Row-owned Club 662 (now known as restaurant/club Seven). Shakur rode with Knight in Knight's 1996 black BMW 750i sedan, as part of a larger convoy of cars including some of Shakur's friends, tha Outlawz, and bodyguards.
At 11:14 P.M., while stopped at the intersection of East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, Shakur was shot in a drive-by shooting. Shakur was hit four times, twice in the chest, and once each in his arm and thigh, while Knight was scratched in the head by a piece of flying glass.
At the time of the shooting, Shakur was riding alongside with Suge Knight, with his bodyguard following behind in a vehicle belonging to Kidada Jones, Shakur's then-girlfriend. The bodyguard, Frank Alexander, stated that while he was about to ride along with the rapper in Suge Knight's car, Shakur asked him to drive Kidada Jones' car in case they were too drunk and needed additional vehicles from Club 662 back to the hotel. Shortly after the shootings, the bodyguard reported in his documentary, Before I Wake, that one of the convoy's car drove off after the assailant but he never heard back from the occupants.
After arriving on the scene, police and paramedics took Shakur and Knight to the University Medical Center. Shakur was placed on life support until his death six days later, on September 13, 1996, at 4:03 PM. He was 25 years old. The official cause of death was respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. After his death, Shakur's body was cremated. Family and friends reportedly spread his ashes over the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles, CA.
Theories of the crime
Although no one has ever been formally charged, nor publicly identified by the police as a suspect, police sources have indicated they believe that Anderson (who has since been murdered himself) and his fellow Southside Crips were behind the shooting. Officers in the Compton, CA Police Department Gang Unit claimed the Crips were bragging about the killing soon after Anderson returned from Las Vegas. Officers further indicated they were disappointed with the lack of initiative shown by the Las Vegas Police Department in pursuing Shakur's killer(s).
Due largely to the perceived lack of progress on the case by law enforcement, many independent investigations and theories of the crime have emerged. Because of the acrimony between Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G.) and Shakur, there was speculation about the possibility of Wallace's involvement in the murder from the outset. Wallace vehemently denied involvement. However, in a notable 2002 investigation by the Los Angeles Times, writer Chuck Phillips claimed to have uncovered evidence implicating Wallace in the murder. In the article, Phillips quoted unnamed gang-member sources who claimed Wallace had ties to the Crips, often hiring them for security during West Coast appearances. Phillips' informants also state that Wallace gave the gang members one of his own guns for use in the attack on Shakur, and that he put out a $1 million contract on Tupac's life. By the time Phillips' specific allegations were published, however, Wallace himself had been murdered.
Wallace's family and associates have vehemently denied Wallace's involvement in Shakur's death. In support of their claims, Wallace's family submitted documentation to MTV indicating that Wallace was working in a New York recording studio the night of Shakur's murder. Wallace's manager Wayne Barrow and rapper James "Lil' Cease" Lloyd made public announcements denying Wallace's involvement in the murder and claiming further that they were both with Wallace in the recording studio the night of the shooting.
The high profile nature of the killing and ensuing gang violence caught the attention of British filmmaker Nick Broomfield who made the documentary Biggie & Tupac, which examines the lack of progress in the case by speaking to those close to Wallace, Shakur, and the investigation. Shakur's close childhood friend and member of the Outlawz, Yafeu "Yaki Kadafi" Fula, was in the convoy when the shooting happened and indicated to police that he might be able to identify the assailants. He was killed shortly thereafter in a housing project in Irvington, New Jersey.
It was believed by many listeners that in the first few seconds of the album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, one could hear a voice saying "Suge shot me," or "Suge shot 'em", closer listening indicates that the words are "Should'a shot me" (You should have shot me), directed towards his enemies at the time. This, along with reports of Knight's strong-arm tactics with artists and other illegal/unethical business tactics gave rise to a theory that Knight was implicit in Shakur's murder, as it was reported that Suge Knight owed Tupac up to seventeen million dollars in back royalties, but no evidence has been provided to support this theory.
Other theories have been put forth, including a theory that Shakur is alive and well, but in hiding. Many supporters of these theories point to the symbolism in Shakur's The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory album and in the video for the single "I Ain't Mad at Cha".
Style and influences
Shakur's first album, 2Pacalypse Now, revealed the socially conscious side of Tupac. On this album Shakur attacked social injustice, poverty and police brutality on songs like "Brenda's Got a Baby", "Trapped" and "Part Time Mutha". His style on this album was heavily influenced by the social consciousness and Afrocentrism pervading hip-hop in the late 1980s and early 1990s. On this initial release, Shakur helped extend the legacy of rap groups like Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy, X-Clan, and even Grandmaster Flash, as he became one of the first major socially conscious rappers from the West Coast.
On his second album, Shakur continued to rap about the social ills facing African-Americans, with songs like "The Streetz R Death Row" and "Last Wordz". He also showed his compassionate side with the inspirational anthem "Keep Ya Head Up", while simultaneously putting his legendary aggressiveness on display with the title track from the album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. He even added a salute to his former group Digital Underground by including them on the playful track "I Get Around." Throughout his career, an increasingly aggressive attitude can be seen pervading Shakur's subsequent albums.
The contradictory themes of social inequality and injustice, unbridled aggression, compassion, playfulness, and hope all continued to shape Shakur's work, as witnessed with the release of his incendiary 1995 album Me Against the World. Few albums represent the perfect storm of street wisdom, intelligence and the sea of conflicting emotions that is Tupac Shakur better than his 1996 release, the critically acclaimed All Eyez on Me. With several tracks considered classics, including "I Ain't Mad At Cha", "California Love (Remix)" and "Picture Me Rollin'", many critics consider this album to be not only Shakur's best, but one of the crown jewels of 1990's rap.
The album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, released under Tupac's pseudonym "Makaveli", presents a stark contrast to previous works. In 7 Day Theory, Tupac continued focusing on the themes of pain and aggression, making this album one of the emotionally darker works of his career. Tupac wrote and recorded all the lyrics in only 3 days and the production took another 4 days a total of 7 days to complete the album. Tupac had complete creative input on the album from the name of the album to the cover which Tupac chose to symbolize how the media has crucified him.
Shakur's work has influenced many modern rap artists. Artists like Eminem and 50 Cent freely admit his influence on their work. Still others, like DMX, have been compared to Shakur based on their style and public persona.
Legacy
To preserve Shakur's legacy, his mother founded the Shakur Family Foundation (later re-named the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation or TASF) in 1997. The TASF's stated mission is to "provide training and support for students who aspire to enhance their creative talents." The TASF sponsors essay contests, charity events, a performing arts day camp for teenagers and undergraduate scholarships. The Foundation officially opened the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts (TASCA) in Stone Mountain, Georgia on June 11, 2005.
On November 14, 2003, a documentary about Shakur entitled Tupac: Resurrection, was released under the supervision of his mother and narrated entirely in his voice. The movie was nominated for "Best Documentary" in the 2005 Academy Awards. Proceeds will go to a charity set up by Afeni Shakur.
On April 17, 2003, Harvard University co-sponsored an academic symposium entitled "All Eyez on Me: Tupac Shakur and the Search for the Modern Folk Hero." The speakers discussed a wide range of topics dealing with Shakur's impact on everything from entertainment to sociology.
Many of the speakers discussed Shakur's status and public persona, including State University of New York English professor Mark Anthony Neal, who gave the talk "Thug Nigga Intellectual: Tupac as Celebrity Gramscian" in which he argued that Shakur was an example of the "organic intellectual" expressing the concerns of a larger group. Professor Neal has also indicated in his writings that the death of Shakur has left a "leadership void amongst hip-hop artists." Neal further describes Tupac as a "walking contradiction", a status that allowed him to "make being an intellectual accessible to ordinary people."
Professor of Communications Murray Forman, of Northeastern University, spoke of the mythical status surrounding Shakur's life and death. He addressed the symbolism and mythology surrounding Shakur's death in his talk entitled "Tupac Shakur: O.G. (Ostensibly Gone)". Among his findings were that Shakur's fans have "succeeded in resurrecting Tupac as an ethereal life force."
In "From Thug Life to Legend: Realization of a Black Folk Hero", Professor of Music at Northeastern University, Emmett Price, compared Shakur's public image to that of the trickster-figures of African-American folklore which gave rise to the urban "bad-man" persona of the post-slavery period. He ultimately described Shakur as a "prolific artist" who was "driven by a terrible sense of urgency" in a quest to "unify mind, body, and spirit."
Michael Dyson, University of Pennsylvania Avalon Professor of Humanities and African American Studies and author of the book Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur, indicated that Shakur "spoke with brilliance and insight as someone who bears witness to the pain of those who would never have his platform. He told the truth, even as he struggled with the fragments of his identity."
Other academics at the Harvard Conference spoke of Shakur's impact on entertainment, race relations, politics and the "hero/martyr" status to which he was elevated by fans after his death.
The University of California, Berkeley introduced a new course in 1998 called "History '98: Poetry and History of Tupac Shakur...."
Hit Em Up
Tupac Amaru Shakur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't got no motherfuckin friends
That's why I fucked yo' bitch, you fat motherfucker
(take money) West side!!
Bad Boy killers
(take money) You know the realest is niggaz
(take money) We bring it to you
(take money)
Verse One: Tupac
First off, fuck your bitch and the clique you claim
West side when we ride come equipped with game
You claim to be a player but I fucked your wife
We bust on Bad Boy niggaz fuck for life
Plus Puffy tryin ta see me weak, hearts I rip
Biggie Smallz and Junior M.A.F.I.A. some mark ass bitches
We keep on comin' while we runnin for ya jewels
steady gunnin, keep on bustin at the fools, you know the rules
Little Ceaser, go ask ya homie how I leave ya
cut your young ass up, leave you in pieces, now be deceased
Lil Kim, don't fuck around with real G's
Quick to snatch yo' ugly ass off tha street, so fuck peace
I let them niggas know it's on for life
So let the West side ride tonight hahahah
Bad Boy murdered on wax, and killed
Fuck wit' me and get yo caps peeled, you know ... see ...
Chorus:
Grab ya glocks, when you see Tupac
Call the cops, when you see Tupac, uhh
Who shot me, but ya punks didn't finish
Now ya bout to feel the wrath of a menace
NIGGA, I hit em' up...
Interlude: Tupac
Check this out, you muthafuckas know what time it is
I don't even know why I'm on this track
ya'll niggaz ain't even on my level
I'ma let my little homies ride on you
bitch made-ass bad boy bitches, feel it!
Verse Two: Fatal
Get out the way yo, get out the way yo
Biggie Smallz just got dropped
Little Moo, pass the Mac, and let me hit him in his back
Frank White need to get spanked right, for settin traps
little accident murderer, and I ain't never heard-a ya
Poisonous gats attack when I'm servin ya
Spank ya shank ya whole style when I gank
Guard your rank, cause I'ma slam you ass in the paint
Puffy weaker than the fuckin block I run on you nigga,
and I'll smoke ya junior mafia in front of you nigga
With the ready power tuckin my Guess under my Eddie Bauer
ya clout, pretty sour I get packages every hour
and hit em up
Chorus
Grab ya glocks, when you see Tupac
Call the cops, when you see Tupac, uhh
Who shot me, but ya punks didn't finish
Now ya bout to feel the wrath of a menace
NIGGA, we hit em' up...
Verse Three: Tupac
Peep how we do it, keep it real, it's penitentiary steel
this aint no freestyle battle, all you niggaz gettin
killed with ya mouths open
tryin to come up offa me, you in the clouds hoping
smokin dope it's like a sherm high
Niggaz think they learned to fly
But they burn muthafucka, you deserve to die
Talkin bout you gettin money, but its funny to me
All you niggaz living bummy, why you're fuckin' with me
I'm a self made milionare
Thug Livin out a prison, pistols in the air, hahaha
Biggie, remember when I used to let you sleep on tha couch
and beg the bitch to let you sleep in the house, ahh
Now its all about Versace, you copied my style
Five shots couldn't drop me, I took it, and smiled
Now I'm bout to set the record straight, with my AK
I'm still the thug that you love to hate
Motherfucker, I hit em up
Verse Four: Kadafi
I'm from N-E-W Jerz, where plenty murders occur
No point to comment , we bringin drama to all you herbs
Knuckle check the scenario, Little Cease
I bring you fake G's to your knees
Coppin pleas in de janeiro
Lil Kim, is you coked up, or doped up?
Get ya lil Junior whopper clique smoked up, what the fuck
is you STUPID?!?! I take money, crash and mash through Brooklyn
with my clique lootin, shootin and pollutin ya block
with 15 shots cocked glock to your knot
Outlaw mafia clique movin up another notch
And you bast stops squaws get mopped and dropped
All your fake-ass east coast props brainstormed and locked
Verse Five: Idi Amin
You is a, b writer, a Pac style taker
I'll tell you to ya face you aint shit but a faker
Softer than Alizee with a chaser
Bout to get murdered for the paper
Idi Amin approach the scene of the caper,
like a loc, with little ceaser in a choke hold
Totin smoke, we aint no muthafuckin joke
Thug Life, niggaz betta be known, we approachin
in the wide open, guns smokin
no need for hopin its a battle lost, I got em crossed
Soon as the funk is poppin off
Nigga I hit em up
Outro: Tupac
Now you tell me who won
I see them, they run
They don't wanna see us
Whole Junior M.A.F.I.A. click dressin up tryin ta be us
How the fuck they gonna be the mob when we always on our job
We millionaires, killin ain't fair but somebody gotta do it
Oh yeah, Mobb Deep, you wanna fuck with us?
You little young ass motherfuckers
Don't one of you niggaz got sickle cell or somethin?
You fuckin with me nigga you fuck around
and have a seizure or a heart-attack
You better back the fuck up, before you get smacked the fuck up
That's how we do it on our side
Any of you niggaz from New York that wanna bring it, bring it
But we ain't singin, we bringin drama
Fuck you and your motherfuckin mama
We gonna kill all you motherfuckers
Now when I came out I told you it was just about Biggie
Then everybody had to open their mouth with a motherfuckin opinion
Well this how we gonna do this
Fuck Mobb Deep
Fuck Biggie
Fuck Bad Boy as a staff record label
and as a motherfuckin crew
And if you wanna be down with Bad Boy
Then fuck you too
Chino XL, fuck you too
All you motherfuckers, fuck you too
(take money)
(take money)
Alla y'all motherfuckers, fuck you die slow motherfucker
My fo'-fo' make sure all y'all kids don't grow
You motherfuckers can't be us or see us
We the motherfuckin Thug Life riders West side till we die!
Out here in California nigga we warn ya we'll bomb on you motherfuckers
We do our job
You think you mob, nigga we the motherfuckin mob
Ain't nuttin but killers and fa'real niggaz
All you motherfuckers feel us
Our shit's going triple and four-quadruple
(take money)
You niggaz laugh coz our staff got guns in they
motherfuckers belt, you know how it is
When we drop records they felt
You niggaz can't feel it
We the realest, FUCK EM, we Bad Boy killaz *echoes*
"Hit Em Up" is a diss track by Tupac Shakur and the Outlawz directed towards the rapper Notorious B.I.G., his group Junior M.A.F.I.A., and Bad Boy Records. The song was released in 1996 and is regarded as one of the most aggressive diss tracks in rap history. The lyrics are filled with profanity, threats, and insults towards the targets, with Tupac bragging about sleeping with Biggie's wife and mocking his musical abilities. The chorus urges listeners to "grab your glocks" when they see Tupac and call the cops when they see him, depicting the violent feud between East and West Coast rappers of the time.
The song is said to have been triggered by a shooting that occurred in New York City in 1994, where Tupac was shot multiple times by unknown assailants. Although he survived, Tupac believed that Biggie and the East Coast rap scene had orchestrated the attack, and his anger culminated in "Hit Em Up". The diss track came out shortly after Biggie's own diss track, "Who Shot Ya?", was released, leading to accusations that the two rappers were escalating the feud.
Line by Line Meaning
First off, fuck your bitch and the clique you claim
First and foremost, I have no respect for you or your associates
West side when we ride come equipped with game
When we represent the West side, we bring our skills and knowledge
You claim to be a player but I fucked your wife
You portray yourself as a ladies' man, but I had sexual relations with your wife
We bust on Bad Boy niggaz fuck for life
We continually attack and disrespect those associated with Bad Boy indefinitely
Plus Puffy tryin ta see me weak, hearts I rip
Puffy is attempting to expose my vulnerabilities, but I effortlessly tear apart his emotions
Biggie Smallz and Junior M.A.F.I.A. some mark ass bitches
Biggie Smallz and Junior M.A.F.I.A. are weak individuals that can easily be taken advantage of
We keep on comin' while we runnin for ya jewels
We relentlessly attack and pursue your valuables
steady gunnin, keep on bustin at the fools, you know the rules
Continuously shooting and attacking the foolish individuals, this is how it works
Little Ceaser, go ask ya homie how I leave ya
Little Ceaser, inquire with your friend about the brutal way I left him
cut your young ass up, leave you in pieces, now be deceased
I will dismember your youthful body, leaving you lifeless and in fragments
Lil Kim, don't fuck around with real G's
Lil Kim, don't engage with genuine gangsters like myself
Quick to snatch yo' ugly ass off tha street, so fuck peace
I am swift in abducting and removing your repulsive presence from the streets, so peace is meaningless
I let them niggas know it's on for life
I inform those individuals that this conflict will last forever
So let the West side ride tonight hahahah
Allow the West side to dominate and prevail this evening, hahaha
Bad Boy murdered on wax, and killed
Bad Boy was brutally attacked and defeated in the musical realm
Fuck wit' me and get yo caps peeled, you know ... see ...
Engage in conflict with me and risk having your skull violently removed, comprehend ... observe ...
Grab ya glocks, when you see Tupac
Retrieve your firearms when sighting Tupac
Call the cops, when you see Tupac, uhh
Contact law enforcement immediately when Tupac is present, uhh
Who shot me, but ya punks didn't finish
Which cowardly individuals shot me but failed to complete the job
Now ya bout to feel the wrath of a menace
Prepare to experience the intense anger and hostility of a dangerous individual
NIGGA, I hit em' up...
I aggressively attacked and confronted them...
Check this out, you muthafuckas know what time it is
Listen carefully, you individuals are fully aware of the current situation
I don't even know why I'm on this track
I am uncertain about my presence on this particular song
ya'll niggaz ain't even on my level
None of you individuals are even close to my caliber
I'ma let my little homies ride on you
I will allow my younger companions to attack and confront you
bitch made-ass bad boy bitches, feel it!
Pathetic and weak individuals associated with Bad Boy, feel the impact!
Get out the way yo, get out the way yo
Move aside, move aside
Biggie Smallz just got dropped
Biggie Smallz has just been killed
Little Moo, pass the Mac, and let me hit him in his back
Little Moo, provide me with the firearm, and allow me to shoot him in the back
Frank White need to get spanked right, for settin traps
Frank White deserves to be severely punished for setting traps
little accident murderer, and I ain't never heard-a ya
You are an inconsequential and unknown individual that I have never encountered
Poisonous gats attack when I'm servin ya
My deadly weapons strike with venom when I am attacking you
Spank ya shank ya whole style when I gank
I will humiliate and overpower your entire demeanor when I snatch you
Guard your rank, cause I'ma slam you ass in the paint
Protect your reputation, because I am going to forcefully expose your weaknesses
Puffy weaker than the fuckin block I run on you nigga
Puffy is incredibly feeble compared to the neighborhood I control, you fool
and I'll smoke ya junior mafia in front of you nigga
I will easily eliminate your Junior Mafia crew right in front of you
With the ready power tuckin my Guess under my Eddie Bauer
I have a concealed weapon, securely placed beneath my clothing
ya clout, pretty sour I get packages every hour
Your reputation is quite unpleasant, while I am continuously receiving illegal shipments
Peep how we do it, keep it real, it's penitentiary steel
Observe our authentic actions, maintaining a genuine and prison-like toughness
this aint no freestyle battle, all you niggaz gettin killed with ya mouths open
This is not a competition of improvised rap, all of you are being put to death while expressing foolishness
tryin to come up offa me, you in the clouds hoping
Attempting to benefit from me, but you are merely fantasizing
smokin dope it's like a sherm high
When smoking drugs, the experience is similar to being under the influence of PCP
Niggaz think they learned to fly
Individuals believe they have acquired the ability to fly
But they burn muthafucka, you deserve to die
However, they crash and perish, you truly deserve death
Talkin bout you gettin money, but its funny to me
Boasting about your wealth, but it is comical to me
All you niggaz living bummy, why you're fuckin' with me
All of you individuals live in a destitute manner, so why are you engaging with me
I'm a self made millionare
I have become extremely wealthy through my own efforts
Thug Livin out a prison, pistols in the air, hahaha
Living the life of a gangster within prison, proudly brandishing firearms, hahaha
Biggie, remember when I used to let you sleep on tha couch
Biggie, recall the times when I allowed you to sleep on my couch
and beg the bitch to let you sleep in the house, ahh
Even begging the woman to permit you to sleep inside the residence, ahh
Now its all about Versace, you copied my style
Now you are completely focused on luxury clothing brand Versace, imitating my fashion sense
Five shots couldn't drop me, I took it, and smiled
Even after being shot five times, I remained standing, and greeted it with a smile
Now I'm bout to set the record straight, with my AK
Now I am going to clarify the facts using my AK-47 firearm
I'm still the thug that you love to hate
I am still the gangster that you despise, yet secretly admire
Motherfucker, I hit em up
Damn, I attacked and confronted them
I'm from N-E-W Jerz, where plenty murders occur
I originate from New Jersey, where a significant number of homicides take place
No point to comment , we bringin drama to all you herbs
No need for explanations, we are initiating conflict among all you weak individuals
Knuckle check the scenario, Little Cease
Engage in a physical confrontation, Little Cease
I bring you fake G's to your knees
I force you fraudulent gangsters to submit to defeat
Coppin pleas in de janeiro
Begging for mercy in Rio de Janeiro
Lil Kim, is you coked up, or doped up?
Lil Kim, are you under the influence of cocaine or narcotics?
Get ya lil Junior whopper clique smoked up, what the fuck
Have your insignificant Junior Mafia crew eliminated, what is your problem
is you STUPID?!?! I take money, crash and mash through Brooklyn
Are you foolish?!?! I steal money, causing chaos and destruction throughout Brooklyn
with my clique lootin, shootin and pollutin ya block
Together with my gang, we steal, shoot, and contaminate your neighborhood
with 15 shots cocked glock to your knot
Fifteen rounds loaded in my Glock handgun, aimed towards your head
Outlaw mafia clique movin up another notch
My gang of Outlaws is progressing and advancing even further
And you bast stops squaws get mopped and dropped
As for you weak individuals, you will be swiftly eliminated
All your fake-ass east coast props brainstormed and locked
Your false eastern coast reputations have been carefully planned and halted
You is a, b writer, a Pac style taker
You are a mediocre rapper, stealing aspects of Tupac's style
I'll tell you to ya face you aint shit but a faker
I will confidently inform you, directly to your face, that you are nothing more than a phony
Softer than Alizee with a chaser
Less intense than Alize liquor followed by a chaser
Bout to get murdered for the paper
About to be killed for the sake of money
Idi Amin approach the scene of the caper, like a loc, with little ceaser in a choke hold
Idi Amin approaches the location of the crime, confidently and menacingly, while holding Little Ceaser in a chokehold
Totin smoke, we aint no muthafuckin joke
Carrying firearms, we are not to be taken lightly
Thug Life, niggaz betta be known, we approachin
Thug Life, we demand recognition, as we are coming closer
in the wide open, guns smokin
in plain sight, guns emitting smoke
no need for hopin its a battle lost, I got em crossed
No need for hope, victory in this battle is impossible for you, as I have outsmarted you
Soon as the funk is poppin off
As soon as the conflict begins
Nigga I hit em up
I powerfully attacked and confronted them
Now you tell me who won
Now you inform me who emerged victorious
I see them, they run
I observe them running away
They don't wanna see us
They do not wish to face us
Whole Junior M.A.F.I.A. click dressin up tryin ta be us
The entire Junior M.A.F.I.A. group attempting to imitate and resemble us
How the fuck they gonna be the mob when we always on our job
How can they claim to be a powerful group when we consistently fulfill our responsibilities
We millionaires, killin ain't fair but somebody gotta do it
We are wealthy individuals, and although killing is unjust, it is a task that needs to be executed by someone
Oh yeah, Mobb Deep, you wanna fuck with us?
Oh, by the way, Mobb Deep, do you desire to engage in conflict with us?
You little young ass motherfuckers
You inexperienced and immature individuals
Don't one of you niggaz got sickle cell or somethin?
Doesn't any one of you have sickle cell disease or a similar condition?
You fuckin with me nigga you fuck around
If you mess with me, there is a chance you will
and have a seizure or a heart-attack
experience a sudden convulsion or cardiac arrest
You better back the fuck up, before you get smacked the fuck up
You should retreat and withdraw, if not, you will be violently struck
That's how we do it on our side
That is our way of handling situations on our turf
Any of you niggaz from New York that wanna bring it, bring it
If any of you guys from New York want to initiate conflict, feel free to do so
But we ain't singin, we bringin drama
However, we are not engaging in singing, we are initiating chaos
Fuck you and your motherfuckin mama
I have no respect for you or your mother
We gonna kill all you motherfuckers
We are going to eliminate each and every one of you individuals
Now when I came out I told you it was just about Biggie
When I first emerged, I explicitly stated that this conflict was solely focused on Biggie
Then everybody had to open their mouth with a motherfuckin opinion
However, everyone felt the need to express their unwanted viewpoints
Well this how we gonna do this
So, this is how we are going to handle this situation
Fuck Mobb Deep
I have no regard for Mobb Deep
Fuck Biggie
I have no respect for Biggie
Fuck Bad Boy as a staff record label
I have no regard for Bad Boy as an organization or record label
and as a motherfuckin crew
Nor do I have any respect for the entire group associated with them
And if you wanna be down with Bad Boy
Furthermore, if you wish to associate yourself with Bad Boy
Then fuck you too
Then I also have no respect for you
Chino XL, fuck you too
Chino XL, I also have no regard for you
All you motherfuckers, fuck you too
All of you individuals, I have no respect for any of you either
Alla y'all motherfuckers, fuck you die slow motherfucker
All of you individuals, I have no regard for any of you, and I hope you suffer a slow and agonizing death
My fo'-fo' make sure all y'all kids don't grow
My .44 caliber firearm will ensure that all of your children perish
You motherfuckers can't be us or see us
None of you individuals can compare to us or comprehend our abilities
We the motherfuckin Thug Life riders West side till we die!
We are the dedicated members of the Thug Life movement and represent the West side until our death!
Out here in California nigga we warn ya we'll bomb on you motherfuckers
Here in California, we caution you that we are prepared to relentlessly attack and assault you
We do our job
We fulfill our duties
You think you mob, nigga we the motherfuckin mob
You believe you are a powerful group, but we are the true force
Ain't nuttin but killers and fa'real niggaz
We are nothing but ruthless individuals and genuine gangsters
All you motherfuckers feel us
All of you individuals recognize and understand our presence
Our shit's going triple and four-quadruple
Our records are achieving incredible success, surpassing triple and even quadruple platinum
You niggaz laugh coz our staff got guns in they motherfuckers belt, you know how it is
You individuals ridicule us because our crew carries firearms on their person, you are aware of the situation
When we drop records they felt
When we release music, people can truly feel its impact
You niggaz can't feel it
You individuals are incapable of understanding or experiencing it
We the realest, FUCK EM, we Bad Boy killaz
We are the most authentic, disregard them, we are ruthless individuals associated with Bad Boy
Contributed by Elijah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@LivingwithBella
The CIA, Diddy, Suge Knight and some members of outlaws was involved in the death of Tupac and Biggie Smalls, they made them disappear because they were becoming much bigger than just ordinary rappers, Tupac was revolutionary and if Biggie became revolutionary it would have changed the course of black lives in America, Yaki Kadafi saw the shooter and was going to expose them on television in front of the world, he was depressed and knew all the bigger parties involved so on that day he went to see his girlfriend at her apartment, members of the outlaws send the teenager ( The Cousin )
to pull the trigger and kill Yaki Kadafi, after that Outlaws disappeared and one went to Saudi Arabia became muslim, Anderson must have been too hurt to open fire, i don’t think it was Keffee D, he’s just milking it, sometimes your killers are those close to you, everyone was jealous of Tupac
1) They held a secret meeting
2) Only helicopters can move that fast in a busy Vegas streets ( The CIA )
3) Removing Office Poole from the Investigation
4) Yaki Kadafi went into a hideout
5) How come Outlaws didn’t kill Orlando Anderson, if you come at my mentor, my brother or friend, rest be assured im coming back right at you, all they did was do interview’s talk their shit thats it
I can list a thousand other reasons why i think my investigation is right and makes sense
@LivingwithBella
The CIA, Diddy, Suge Knight and some members of outlaws was involved in the death of Tupac and Biggie Smalls, they made them disappear because they were becoming much bigger than just ordinary rappers, Tupac was revolutionary and if Biggie became revolutionary it would have changed the course of black lives in America, Yaki Kadafi saw the shooter and was going to expose them on television in front of the world, he was depressed and knew all the bigger parties involved so on that day he went to see his girlfriend at her apartment, members of the outlaws send the teenager ( The Cousin )
to pull the trigger and kill Yaki Kadafi, after that Outlaws disappeared and one went to Saudi Arabia became muslim, Anderson must have been too hurt to open fire, i don’t think it was Keffee D, he’s just milking it, sometimes your killers are those close to you, everyone was jealous of Tupac
1) They held a secret meeting
2) Only helicopters can move that fast in a busy Vegas streets ( The CIA )
3) Removing Office Poole from the Investigation
4) Yaki Kadafi went into a hideout
5) How come Outlaws didn’t kill Orlando Anderson, if you come at my mentor, my brother or friend, rest be assured im coming back right at you, all they did was do interview’s talk their shit thats it
I can list a thousand other reasons why i think my investigation is right and makes sense
@mantisw3182
Čuj, kako to izgledaš?
Sa čime si se to namazao?
Što se tiče ovoga (pjesme),
ne bi puno. Nije to ni pjesma
ni revanje, ni kreveljenje, to je
jednostavno ništa ~ (nula - 0),
iz jednostavno razloga ~ pjesma u kojoj
se nekoliko puta čuje "mother fucker",
nije za javnost, već za zatvor dugogodišnji.
Da je imamo malo mozga, ne bi ga upucali
i danas bi bio živ, dakle ~ sam si je kriv!!
A ti, ostavi se ovakvih pjesama i sličnih
gluposti, primi se poštenog posla i od
svog života napravi nešto na ponos svojoj djeci.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Google translation, probably bad :-(
Listen, what do you look like?
What did you smear it with?
As for this (song), not much.
It's not even a song no roaring,
no whining, that is simply nothing ~ (zero - 0),
for simple reasons ~ a song in which
"mother fucker" is heard several times,
not for the public, but for years of imprisonment.
If we had a little brain, we wouldn't shoot him
he would still be alive today, so ~ it's his fault !!
And you, leave songs like this and the like
nonsense, get an honest job and from
make something of your life proud of your children.
@user-mr2cg9yb4g
genie: you have 3 wishes
me: bring back tupac
genie: you still got 3 more wishes, that one is on me
@duckonquack5723
Dela Fozzer underrated comment
@user-kv6dz2ez1u
Damn, this comment needs more likes
@chunkymilk1565
@@user-kv6dz2ez1u it's only been 2 days.
@NNN-vc2ru
Thought you were going somewhere different with this-- the conspiracy that he is still alive.
@zomo7121
@@NNN-vc2ru same
@DaemonTargaryen13
Diddy finally going down 😂😂😂😂 long live 2pac 💪💪
@TupacFan
About time!!
@torkemon
@Tyler.M819 cringe
@LivingwithBella
The CIA, Diddy, Suge Knight and some members of outlaws was involved in the death of Tupac and Biggie Smalls, they made them disappear because they were becoming much bigger than just ordinary rappers, Tupac was revolutionary and if Biggie became revolutionary it would have changed the course of black lives in America, Yaki Kadafi saw the shooter and was going to expose them on television in front of the world, he was depressed and knew all the bigger parties involved so on that day he went to see his girlfriend at her apartment, members of the outlaws send the teenager ( The Cousin )
to pull the trigger and kill Yaki Kadafi, after that Outlaws disappeared and one went to Saudi Arabia became muslim, Anderson must have been too hurt to open fire, i don’t think it was Keffee D, he’s just milking it, sometimes your killers are those close to you, everyone was jealous of Tupac
1) They held a secret meeting
2) Only helicopters can move that fast in a busy Vegas streets ( The CIA )
3) Removing Office Poole from the Investigation
4) Yaki Kadafi went into a hideout
5) How come Outlaws didn’t kill Orlando Anderson, if you come at my mentor, my brother or friend, rest be assured im coming back right at you, all they did was do interview’s talk their shit thats it
I can list a thousand other reasons why i think my investigation is right and makes sense