Tupac's Birthday - June 16, 2024 | Spirit Of The Holidays

Tupac “2Pac” Shakur, who played a key role in the development of hip hop music, sold 75 million records, acted in several movies, and positioned himself as a voice of social and racial justice. He died in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting at age 25. On his June 16 birthday, we remember what this iconic artist meant, and still means, to his millions of fans worldwide.

Tupac's Birthday timeline

April 7, 2017

Tupac entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Tupac had received a nomination in his first year of eligibility. His friend Snoop Dogg represented him at the induction ceremony.

April 2012

Tupac hologram at Coachella

A laser-constructed image of Tupac performed two songs onstage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, making headlines worldwide.

September 1996

Tupac murdered

A gunman opened fire on a car carrying Tupac while it waited at a red light in a Las Vegas intersection. He died six days later. No one was ever charged with the murder. A"Los Angeles Times" investigation concluded that Orlando Anderson, a Crips gang member who had personal history with Tupac, fired the fatal shots. Anderson died in a shooting two years later.

February 1996

"All Eyez On Me"

Tupac's fourth and biggest-selling record, "All Eyez On Me" reached quintuple-platinum status within two months of release. It featured a pair of No. 1 singles: "How Do U Want It" and "California Love."

June 1971

Tupac Born

Tupac was born in Harlem and named after an indigenous Peruvian revolutionary who rebelled against colonial Spain in the 18th century. His parents, both Black Panthers, had long histories of radical activism and extensive criminal records.

4 Of Tupac Shakur's Most Surprising Friends

Jada Pinkett Smith

The actress and wife of Will Smith first met Shakur when they were both students at the Baltimore School of the Arts in Maryland. "He was one of my best friends," Smith said. "He was like a brother."

Rosie Perez

Over a decade after Madonna revealed that she dated Tupac, Perez had some intriguing news about her role in their affair. The actress revealed that Tupac had taken her to the 1993 Soul Train Awards after her date stood her up, and a chance encounter with Madonna led to the hookup.

Jim Carrey

Tupac, who started out wanting to be an actor, was a big fan of Carrey's. The two became friends, and during Tupac's incarceration, Carrey wrote him humorous letters to lift his spirits.

Biggie Smalls

Despite their well-known reputation as deadly rivals, Tupac and Biggie were friends for a while; in fact Biggie even wanted Tupac to be his manager at one point. Their falling-out came after the famous heist at Quad Recording Studios, in which Tupac was shot, beaten, and robbed. He believed Biggie had known about the hit in advance, which Biggie denied.

How to Celebrate Tupac's Birthday

Listen to a Tupac record

Tupac made four studio albums in his lifetime, and many more were compiled after his death — including unreleased and demo material. His third album, "Me Against The World,"contains the single "Dear Mama," which was preserved in the National Recording Registry in 2010.

Have a Tupac movie night

Tupac was also an actor who starred in films such as "Juice" and "Gang Related." The Tupac biopic "All Eyez On Me" was released in 2017, and at least a dozen Tupac documentaries exist, including the Oscar-winning "Tupac: Resurrection," which he narrated himself.