Tupac Shakur

Why was 2Pac so important?

Tupac Amaru Shakur, popularly known as 2Pac, had a lasting impact as he brought to light the “street life” through the extremely popular genre of gangsta rap. He picked up sensitive topics such as the harsh life of African-Americans, substance abuse, and poverty.

Tupac became the youth icon of the street style, romanticizing violence. He was often involved in conflicts and shootings, so he became popular in the public eye. It was with his death that the East Coast–West Coast rivalry ended making him one of the central figures in the 1990s rap culture.

His collection of poetry, The Rose That Grew from Concrete was published posthumously in 1999.