Early Life and Education of Tupac Shakur: A Complete Timeline
Discover the defining moments in the early life of Tupac Shakur. From birth to education, explore key events.
Tupac Shakur, also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was a highly influential American rapper, actor, and poet. Considered one of the greatest rappers ever, he addressed social injustice, political issues, and marginalization of African-Americans in his lyrics, although he was also associated with gangsta rap. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 75 million records sold worldwide. Academics also recognize him as a significant political activist and music artist of the 20th century.
1971: Tupac Shakur's Birth Year
1971 marks the birth year of Tupac Amaru Shakur.
October 17, 1991: Shakur Stopped by Police and Files Lawsuit
On October 17, 1991, Shakur was stopped by Oakland Police Department officers for jaywalking, leading to a $10 million lawsuit for police brutality, which was later settled for about $43,000. The incident also marked the onset of his alopecia.
November 1993: Charged with Sodomy and Firearm Possession
In November 1993, Tupac Shakur and two other men were charged in New York with sodomizing a woman in Shakur's hotel room. Shakur was also charged with illegal possession of a firearm as two guns were found in the hotel room.
1993: Police Raid and Confiscation of Videotape
In 1993, during a police raid of Tupac Shakur's room at New York City's Parker Meridian Hotel, a videotape was confiscated which showed Shakur having sex with his then-girlfriend Desiree Smith. This incident was part of the legal challenges he faced.
December 1, 1994: Conviction of Sexual Abuse
On December 1, 1994, Tupac Shakur was acquitted of three counts of sodomy and the associated gun charges, but convicted of two counts of first-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced and his bail was set at $3 million.
December 1994: Conviction Pending
In December 1994, Tupac Shakur had a conviction pending. This legal issue affected his career and personal life.
1994: Recuperation at Jasmine Guy's Home
In 1994, After being shot, Tupac Shakur recuperated at Jasmine Guy's home. Their friendship grew stronger during this time.
1994: Role in "Above the Rim"
In 1994, Tupac Shakur played a gangster called Birdie in the film "Above the Rim." The character was reportedly modeled after former New York drug dealer Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant.
March 1995: Shakur Transferred to Clinton Correctional Facility
In March 1995, Shakur was transferred to Clinton Correctional Facility, where he began reading philosophy and military strategy. Also he got married.
April 29, 1995: Marriage to Keisha Morris
On April 29, 1995, Tupac Shakur married his girlfriend Keisha Morris, a pre-law student. The marriage was annulled ten months later.
October 1995: Shakur Bonds Out of Prison Pending Appeal
In October 1995, Shakur was incarcerated but bonded out of Dannemora Clinton Correctional Facility while appealing his conviction, after Suge Knight arranged for his $1.4 million bond.
October 1995: Suge Knight Visits Tupac in Prison and Posts Bail
In October 1995, while Tupac Shakur was imprisoned, Suge Knight visited him in prison and posted $1.4 million bond. Shakur then returned to Los Angeles and joined Death Row Records.
1995: Pinkett Contributes to Bail and Rejects Marriage Proposal
In 1995, Jada Pinkett contributed $100,000 towards Tupac's bail. She also turned down his marriage proposal while he was incarcerated at Rikers Island in 1995.
1995: Mention of Supporters in Prison Interview
In his 1995 interview with Vibe magazine, Shakur listed Jada Pinkett, Jasmine Guy, Treach and Mickey Rourke among the people who were looking out for him while he was in prison.
February 13, 1996: Release of "All Eyez on Me"
On February 13, 1996, Tupac Shakur's fourth album, "All Eyez on Me", was released. It was rap's first double album, fulfilling two of the three albums due in his contract with Death Row Records and bearing five singles.
July 4, 1996: Tupac's Final Live Performance
On July 4, 1996, Tupac Shakur had his final recorded live performance at the House of Blues, later released on DVD in 2005.
1996: Release of "Bullet"
In 1996, Soon after Tupac Shakur's death, the film Bullet starring him was released.
1996: Dating Kidada Jones
In 1996, Tupac Shakur began dating Kidada Jones after apologizing for criticizing her father's marriage. They attended Men's Fashion Week in Milan and walked the runway together for a Versace fashion show. Jones was at their hotel in Las Vegas when Shakur was shot.
1996: Recording and Release of "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory"
In 1996, Tupac Shakur recorded and released his fifth solo album, "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory", under the stage name Makaveli. The lyrics were written and recorded in three days, and mixing took another four days.
1997: Releases of "Gridlock'd" and "Gang Related"
In 1997, Soon after Tupac Shakur's death, the films Gridlock'd and Gang Related starring him were released.
1997: UC Berkeley Course on Tupac Shakur
In 1997, the University of California, Berkeley, offered a student-led course titled "History 98: Poetry and History of Tupac Shakur", marking academic interest in his work.
April 2003: Harvard Symposium on Tupac Shakur
In April 2003, Harvard University cosponsored the symposium "All Eyez on Me: Tupac Shakur and the Search for the Modern Folk Hero", analyzing Shakur's influence as an artist and activist.
2006: Jada Pinkett Smith's Donation to Baltimore School for the Arts
In 2006, Jada Pinkett Smith donated $1 million to the Baltimore School for the Arts and named the new theater in Tupac's honor.
2011: Sex Tape Sold to Private Collector
In 2011, a sex tape featuring Tupac Shakur receiving oral sex from a groupie while rapping and dancing along to one of his own unreleased songs was sold to a private collector. The video, filmed in 1993, also featured rapper Money B from Digital Underground.
2012: University of Oslo Course on Tupac
In 2012, the Norwegian University of Oslo organized the course "Tupac, hiphop og kulturhistorie (Tupac, hip-hop and cultural history)", highlighting his cultural impact.
April 2022: Handwritten Poems Up for Sale
In April 2022, handwritten poems written by Tupac when he was 11 years old were up for sale for US$300,000 but only sold for $90,000. The poems were for Jamal Joseph and three other Black Panther Party members while they were incarcerated at Leavenworth Prison.
2022: Smith Insists She Was Not Underage
In 2022, Desiree Smith insisted she was neither underage nor intoxicated at the time of her tryst with Shakur in 1993. This clarification came years after the initial incident.
2023: Release of Sexually Explicit Poems in "Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography"
In 2023, sexually explicit poems Tupac wrote to Jada Pinkett Smith while in prison went public in the book "Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography."
