When it comes to the hip hop and rap scene, you cannot top the legendary Tupac Shakur. He no doubt was the best rapper of his time, and still lives on through his flawless discography. Tupac  has left a lasting mark on the world that cannot be ignored through both his music and his words, advice, and his larger philosophy behind everything he accomplished in his life.

   Tupac changed my whole perspective on music when I first started listening to him. His songs felt deeper to me, and were different than just singing about being a “thug” and engaging in illegal activities. He speaks about things he went through in his life and things that are easily relatable to me and a lot of others, too. All his songs are original classics and have his own special touch; maybe that’s what I like about him and everything he writes. “Dear Mama” is one song I enjoy  a lot because he talks about his real situation and what he really went through, and I know it takes a lot to open up to the whole world about things like that. When Tupac sang about how his mother is very important to his life in this song, I know a lot of people felt that, but I especially felt it because my mother is like a best friend to me and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. When he sang “Ain’t no woman alive that could take my mama place,” I feel like I related to that even more. That’s another thing I love about Tupac, he is so real about everything he writes and isn’t afraid to be judged. “Only God Can Judge Me” is a great example because that’s exactly what he wrote that song about. He sings about how nobody’s judgments are important to him,  other than himself and God.

   Tupac Shakur released 4 studio albums in his 25 years of living and released 7 more posthumously. According to biography.com, He sold a total of 75 million records and earned $60 million worth in albums. 2pac Greatest Hits has been streamed over 1 billion times and is still rising. 

   Tupac was born on June 16, 1971 in East Harlem, New York and died on September 13, 1996 at Universal Medical Center, Las Vegas, six days after being shot in a drive-by shooting. Pac has been dead for 24 years now but his legacy still lives on and he will continue to be remembered.