Every day brings a new story. And each day contributes to story telling -- in prose and in poetry, in art and in music, on the stage, on the screen, and, of course, in books.
Today is the story of June 16th
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It is the 167th day of the year, leaving 198 days remaining in 2022.
He was an instrumental figure in the evolution of rap music during the 1990s. A fellow rapper, 50 Cent, said while he was growing up in the '90s, he idolized Tupac. Everybody did, 50 Cent said, because "he didn't sound like anyone who came before him."
Tupac's writing was extraordinary. His lyrics were revolutionary and very much in your face. He lifted rap from a cultural outliar to an art form.
But he was also a walking contradiction. He served time in prison after being convicted of sexual abuse, but was released as he appealed. He was shot twice during the 1990s, including in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas that resulted in his death. The shooting may or may not have been linked to the East Coast-West Coast rap feud.
Still, he was a rap superstar. His debut album, 2Paclypse Now, was released in 1991. The lyrics focused on social justice issues such as racism, police brutality, crime, and teenage pregnancy. He followed up in 1993 with Strictly for My N.I.G.G.A.Z... His lyrics again focused on social and racial justice issues from the perspective of a young Black man.
He released two other albums during his life, and more than a half-dozen after his death. One, the double-disc Greatest Hits, was nominated for a Grammy in 1999.
He also appeared in several films, including 1993's Poetic Justice, with Janet Jackson.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
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