2Pac

Tupac Amaru Shakur, known professionally as 2Pac and later as Makaveli, remains one of the most influential and best-selling figures in the history of hip-hop. With more than 75 million records sold worldwide, his work transcended the genre, addressing complex themes of social injustice, systemic inequality, and the lived experiences of African Americans, while simultaneously defining the sound and imagery of 1990s gangsta rap.

Born Lesane Parish Crooks in New York City, Shakur was the son of Black Panther Party members, a background that heavily informed his political consciousness. Raised primarily by his mother, Afeni Shakur, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. It was here that he began his music career, initially as a roadie and backup dancer for the group Digital Underground before launching his solo career.