In fact, his closest analog may not be late rival The Notorious B.I.G., but rather dorm-room icons of the mythologized past: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, and James Dean. Over thumping production, the rapper tells stories of pain, passion and death.2Pac is arguably the most influential rapper of all-time. The second single from Pac's third studio album 'Me Against The World' is Tupac at his finest. Taken from the final Pac album released when he was alive, 'All Eyez On Me' features the rapper bragging about his gangsta lifestyle over some signature West Coast G-Funk production. Having survived a near-fatal shooting, the rapper showed his new-found emotional depth. The title track of Tupac's triple platinum-selling 1995 album, hears the rapper get typically introspective over some classic 90's boom-bap production. The West Coast rapper trades verses with his crew The Outlawz. Released shortly after his untimely death in 1996, Tupac's 'Starin Through My Rearview' actually contains a sample of Phil Collins' 1981 track 'In The Air Tonight'. Thugger features the West Coast rapper at his introspective best - delivering heartfelt street poetry. Taken from his posthumous 2001 album of the same, Tupac's hard-hitting anthem alongside R.L. Over the sound of G-Funk, the two then-biggest rappers in the world displayed all of their thug bravado. Tupac traded verses with fellow Deathrow label-mate Snoop Dogg on one of the standout songs from his 1996 album 'All Eyez On Me'. The song which introduced Tupac to the world, was about a 12-year-old girl who became pregnant by her cousin and threw the baby in the trash. Taken from his 1991 debut album '2Pacalypse Now', the thought-provoking 'Brenda's Got A Baby' was actually inspired by a real story he read in the New York Times. The track, which was released as a posthumous single from his 2001 album 'Until The End Of Time, features powerful interview excerpts from the rapper. Tupac displayed his amazing storytelling over a fast-paced song dedicated to his unborn child. The piano-based instrumental later became iconic in Hip-Hop and soundtracked countless freestyles. When Tupac was released from prison in 1995, he reportedly went directly to the studio and recorded his hard-hitting single 'Ambitionz Az A Ridah'.

As a result of his impending incarceration for rape, he released his most thoughtful and personal album yet - 'Me Against The World' - which included a song dedicated to his mother. In 1995, Tupac made history as the first ever artist to top the Billboard Charts while in prison. Chillingly, the official music video showing himself getting shot and going to heaven, was recorded one week before he was actually shot and killed in Las Vegas. Sampling 1983 song 'A Dream' by DeBarge, the track was actually recorded on the same day Tupac was released from prison in 1995. The track, which samples Elton's 1981 song 'Indian summer', features the rapper discussing social politics over powerful production. Pac's only UK No.1 single came courtesy of a posthumous collaboration with Elton John in 2005. The rappers dream about a hypothetical heaven dedicated to thugs and gangsters, on the track taken from his posthumous 2002 album 'Better Dayz'. Tupac showed his soulful, introspective side on acoustic classic 'Thugz Mansion' featuring Nas. His crew The Outlawz also provide hard-fitting feature verses. The final track from TupacвЂ™s fifth album вЂThe Don KilluminatiвЂ™, hears the rapper torn between the street life and salvation, over chilling graveyard bells and a heavy bass line. Intended as a response to Biggie's 'Who Shot Ya', Pac displayed his signature aggression on the track. The pair rap about Tupac's adopted city of California over some classic bass-lead production.ДЄfter being shot in 1994, Tupac retaliated by releasing one of the biggest diss tracks in Hip-Hop history, directed at Biggie Smalls and The Junior Mafia. Dre for one of the most iconic Hip-Hop songs of the 1990s. Tupac linked up with fellow Deathrow label-mate Dr.

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