Tupac Amaru Shakur 1971 - 1996 DOB: June 16, 1971 - Brooklyn, NY DOD: September 13, 1996 - Las Vegas, NV Height: 5'10 Weight: 168
Mother: Afeni Shakur Father: William Garland Step Father: Jeral Wayne Williams AKA Mutula Shakur Half Sister: Sekyiwa Shakur Half Brother: Maurice Harding (Mopreme of Thug Life) Godfather: Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt
Music Groups: One Nation Emcees, Two From The Crew, Strictly Dope, Digital Underground, Thug Life, Outlaw Immortalz/Outlawz
Tupac Shakur was born Lesane Parish Crooks in Brooklyn, NY in 1971. While still a small child, his mother changed his name to Tupac Amaru after an Inca Indian revolutionary, "Tupac Amaru", meaning "Shining Serpent". "Shakur" means "Thankful To God" in Arabic.
From childhood, everyone called him the "Black Prince." Formisbehaving, he had to read an entire edition of The New York Times. When he was two, his sister, Sekyiwa, was born. This child's father, Mutulu, was a BlackPanther who, a few months before her birth, had been sentenced to sixty years for a fatal armored car robbery.
With Mutulu away, the family experienced hard times. No matter where they moved-the Bronx, Harlem, homeless shelters- Tupac was distressed. "I remember crying all the time. My major thing growing up was I couldn't fit in. Because I was from everywhere. I didn't have no buddies that I grew up with."
By the age of twelve, Tupac had discovered his loves for acting, writing love songs and poetry. As a young teen, his family moved to Baltimore , MD, where he attended The Baltimore School for the Performing Arts studying acting and ballet. At this school, Tupac left a lasting impression on his teachers and was showing tremendous potential. Unfortunately, Tupac was unable to continue his training. He moved to Oakland, California with the rest of his family. That's when Tupac began to, as he called it, "Hang with the wrong crowd."
At age fifteen, he fell into rap; he started writing lyrics, walking with a swagger, and milking his background in New York for all it was worth. People in small towns feared the Big Apple's reputation; he called himself MC New York and made people think he was a tough guy.
By the time he was twenty, Tupac had been arrested eight times, even serving eight months in prison after being convicted of sexual abuse. In addition, he was the subject of two wrongful-death lawsuits, one involving a six-year-old boy who was killed after getting caught in gang-war crossfire between Shakur's gang and a rival group.
Not held back by his lack of formal education, Tupac joined the Rap group Digital Underground as a dancer. Not long before the group achieved award winning success, Tupac released his own album "2Pacalypse Now", which was also a success. The hit single "Brenda's Got A Baby" launched Tupac's career like a rocket. His stunning talent also got him a role in the motion picture, "Juice". Tupac eventually released a second album "Strictly for my N.I.G.G.A.Z.," which was an even bigger success and introduced Tupac's music onto the pop charts.
In November of 1994, he was shot five times during a robbery in which thieves made off with $40,000 worth of his jewelry. Shakur miraculously recovered from his injuries to produce his most impressive artistic accomplishments, including 1995's Me Against the World
The highlight of Tupac's acting career came when he appeared in "Poetic Justice" besides Janet Jackson. The role made Tupac a household name and showed the world that music may not be Tupac's #1 attribute. In the midst of a role in the movie "Above the Rim" and a Platinum album "Me against the world," Tupac's rising career was snagged. He was brought up on sexual assault charges by a woman he met at a nightclub. Hours before Tupac would be found guilty, Tupac was robbed at gun point by men whose intent and purpose is still uncertain. Tupac was eventually released at over $1 Million in bail. After his release, Tupac answered his critics by releasing his best album, "All Eyes On Me." "All Eyes On Me" has currently sold over 6 million copies, which is revolutionary for a double CD, especially in Hip Hop music. Tupac also had costarring roles in three other films, "Gridlock'd", "Bullet", and "Gang Related."
On September 7th, Tupac Shakur was shot by unknown gunmen and died on September 13, 1996. Much of what happened on this night remains a mystery to this very day. This picture was taken minutes before the fatal shooting.
Following his passing, Shakur's label released an album, The Don Killuminati, under the pseudonym "Makaveli." The cover depicted Shakur nailed to a cross under a crown of thorns, with a map of the country's major gang areas superimposed on it. In January of 1997, Gramercy pictures released Gridlock'd, a film in which Shakur played the role of a drug addict to mostly good reviews. His final film, Gang Related, was released in 1997, and Death Row is said to have several unreleased recordings in the vaults for potential future release.
September 13, 2003 will mark the seventh anniversary of Tupac's passing.
The average rapper wouldn't be able to grace the pages of Rap Pages, VIBE, Rolling Stone, Spin, The Source, URB and Stress and go on a national tour months before their major-label debut album is released. Then again, Eminem isn't an average rapper. He's phenomenal.
The impending release of the The Slim Shady LP, his first set on Aftermath/Interscope Records, already has underground hip-hop heads fiending for Eminem. Chock full of dazzling lyrical escapades that delve into the mind of a violently warped and vulgar yet extremely talented wordsmith, the 14-cut collection contains some of the most memorable and demented lyrics ever recorded.
For Eminem, his potentially controversial and undoubtedly offensive songs will strike a chord with a multitude of hip-hop loyalists who believe they have little to lose and everything to gain.
"I'm not alone in feeling the way I feel," he says. "I believe that a lot of people can relate to my sh*t--whether white, black, it doesn't matter. Everybody has been through some sh*t, whether it's drastic or not so drastic. Everybody gets to the point of 'I don't give a f**k.'"
Those words are more than just a slogan for the Detroit resident. "I Just Don't Give A f**k" and "Brain Damage" are the two songs comprising Eminem's initial single from The Slim Shady LP. Each tune is sure to paralyze meek listeners with their relentless lyrical assault. Produced primarily by long-time collaborators FBT Productions, the Slim Shady LP also features beatwork from Aftermath CEO Dr. Dre. The N.W.A. alum handled beats for "My Name Is" (the second single), "Guilty Conscience" and "Role Model."
Dr. Dre was so impressed after hearing Eminem freestyling on a Los Angeles radio station that he put out a manhunt for the Michigan rhymer. Shortly thereafter, Dre signed Eminem to his Aftermath imprint and the two began working together. Thoroughly impressed with Eminem's previously released independent Slim Shady EP, Dre said they would include many of the EP's tracks on the album.
"It was an honor to hear the words out of Dre's mouth that he liked my sh*t," Eminem says. "Growing up, I was one of the biggest fans of N.W.A, from putting on the sunglasses and looking in the mirror and lipsinking to wanting to be Dr. Dre, to be Ice Cube. This is the biggest hip-hop producer ever."
But like many other rappers, Eminem's rise to stardom was far from easy. After being born in Kansas City and traveling back and forth between KC and the Detroit metropolitan area, Eminem and his mother moved into the Eastside of Detroit when he was 12. Switching schools every two to three months made it difficult to make friends, graduate and to stay out of trouble.
Rap, however, became Eminem's solace. Battling schoolmates in the lunchroom brought joy to what was otherwise a painful existence. Although he would later drop out of school and land several minimum-wage-paying, full-time jobs, his musical focus remained constant.
Eminem released his debut album, Infinite, in 1996. Desperate to be embraced by the Motor City's hip-hop scene, Eminem rapped in such a manner that he was accused of sounding like Nas and AZ.
"Infinite was me trying to figure out how I wanted my rap style to be, how I wanted to sound on the mic and present myself," he recalls. "It was a growing stage. I felt like Infinite was like a demo that just got pressed up."
After being thoroughly disappointed and hurt by the response Infinite received, Eminem began working on what would later become the Slim Shady EP -- a project he made for himself. Featuring several scathing lines about local music industry personalities as well as devious rants about life in general, the set quickly caught the ear of hip-hop's difficult-to-please underground.
"I had nothing to lose, but something to gain," Eminem says of that point in his life. "If I made an album for me and it was to my satisfaction, then I succeeded. If I didn't, then my producers were going to give up on the whole rap thing we were doing. I made some sh*t that I wanted to hear. The Slim Shady EP, I lashed out on everybody who talked sh*t about me."
By presenting himself as himself, Eminem and his career took off. Soon after giving the Rap Coalition's Wendy Day a copy of the Infinite album at a chance meeting, she helped the aspiring lyrical gymnast secure a spot at the Coalition’s 1997 Rap Olympics in Los Angeles, where he won second place in the freestyle competition. During the trip, Eminem and his manager, Paul Rosenberg, gave a few people from Interscope Records his demo and he made his major radio debut on the world famous Wake Up Show with Sway and Tech. Realizing that this was the opportunity of his lifetime, Eminem delivered a furious medley of lyrics that wowed his hosts and radio audience alike.
"I felt like it's my time to shine," Eminem says of that performance. "I have to rip this. At that time, I felt that it was a life or death situation."
Eminem would soon record the underground classic "5 Star Generals." This record helped establish him in Japan, New York and Los Angeles. It also helped him earn a spot on the inaugural Lyricist Lounge tour, which took him to stages from Philadelphia to Los Angeles.
Set to take the hip-hop world by storm with his unique lyrical approach and punishing production, Eminem and his The Slim Shady LP are sure to have listeners captivated.
"I do say things that I think will shock people," he says. "But I don't do things to shock people. I'm not trying to be the next Tupac, but I don't know how long I'm going to be on this planet. So while I'm here, I might as well make the most of it."
Lil' Eminem
Big Eminem
Nelly:
Gibts leider noch nix so bald es was gibt kommt es hier rein
50Cent:
THE STORY SO FAR
50 Cent wurde vor 26 Jahren, als Curtis Jackson in den Straßen von Queens /NY geboren und wuchs dort auf. Hineingeboren in eine notorische Drogen-Dynastie und noch bevor er ein Teenager war, verlor 50 erst seinen Vater und dann seine Mutter. Er fand bei seinen Großeltern zwar schnell ein Heim, aber der damals rastlose 50 hing lieber auf der Straße rum. In seinem Fall war das die allbekannte New York Avenue, heute bekannt als Guy R. Brewer Boulevard. Schnell machte er sich dort als hungriger Rapper einen Namen. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt war Rap allerdings nur ein Teil des Rumhängens und er hätte mit den damaligen Skills bestimmt keinen Plattenvertrag bekommen. Die Geburt seines Sohnes allerdings ließ 50 schnell erwachsen werden. Seine Einstellung zum Rap wurde ernster und bald schon warf das Label JMJ von Run DMC DJ Jam Master Jay ein Auge auf ihn. 50 Cent hatte somit seinen ersten Plattenvertrag in der Tasche. Bei dem Label und unter Jam Master Jays Aufsicht lernte 50 wie man Takte zählt und Songs strukturiert.
Die Trackmasters, bekannt durch diverse Platinalben (J Lo "Jennie From The Block, Space Jam Allstars "Hit `Em High", ), wurden auf ihn aufmerksam und stellten ihn 1999 bei Columbia Records vor. Daraufhin sperrte man ihn 2 ½ Wochen in ein Studio außerhalb von NY. Das Ergebnis waren ganze 36 produzierte Songs. Sein Debüt "Power Of A Dollar" wurde allerdings nie veröffentlicht. Promo bekam das Album dennoch. Das Blaze Magazine handelte 50s potentielles Debütalbum sogar als Klassiker. Auf der damals für viel Wirbel sorgende Hymne "How to Rob", stellte sich 50 als einen hungrigen irreredenden Aufsteiger dar, der davon träumt, berühmte Rapper zu bestehlen. Dieser Track hatte heftige Resonanzen zur Folge. Darüber lachen konnten nämlich schlussendlich nur 50 Cent und seine Fans. Betroffene, unter anderem Jay-Z, Big Pun und Sticky Fingaz, fanden die ganze Sache gar nicht witzig und äußerten sich in ihren Songs mit Dissattacken. Ein halbes Jahr nach Fertigstellung des Albums wurde 50 Cent sogar vor dem Haus seiner Großeltern angeschossen. 9 Schüsse streckten ihn nieder, einer davon traf ihn direkt im Gesicht. Ob dieser Zwischenfall in Verbindung mit "How to Rob" stand, wurde nie geklärt. Während sich 50 in den darauffolgenden Monaten erholte, verlor er seinen Plattenvertrag bei Columbia Records. Doch statt den Kopf in den Sand zu stecken, folgte er hartnäckig seiner Berufung. Ohne Einkommen und ohne der Hilfe eines Labels produzierte er einen Track nach dem anderen. Mit seinem Freund Sha Money XL nahm er über 30 Songs auf, die ausschließlich auf Mixtapes erschienen. 50´s Bekanntheitsgrad in den Straßen von New York wuchs. Mit der Unterstützung seiner Crew G-Unit ließ 50 sich nie beirren und zahlreiche neue Songs entstanden. Im Frühling 2001 veröffentlichte er sein neues Material auf der LP "Guess Who´s Back?". Aber nicht auf herkömmliche Art und Weise. Die Tracks entstanden durch die Wiederverwertung von Songmaterial namenhafter Künstler wie Jay-Z und Raphael Saadiq. Das "red", "white" und "blue" Bootleg wurde veröffentlicht. ... das Unglaubliche ließ nicht lange auf sich warten; Eminem hörte eine der energiegeladenen Scheiben. Er war so beeindruckt, dass er 50 eine Woche nach Veröffentlichung, in einer Radiosendung als seinen momentanen Lieblings-Rapper bezeichnete. Dr. Dre bestätigte Em in seiner Meinung und beide boten 50 Cent einen Vertrag bei Shady Records an. Hip hop Geschichte war geschrieben.
Bei soviel Wertschätzung der ganz Großen zögerte 50 Cent nicht lange und unterschrieb beim Dream Team. In dieser Zeit wurde 50 zu einem der gefragtesten Newcomer im Rapbusiness. Er ruhte sich nicht lange auf seinen Lorbeeren aus und veröffentlichte eine weitere Bootleg-CD "No Mercy, No Fear". Die CD enthielt neben den Ganzen Adaptionen auch einen komplett neuen Track, "Wanksta",. So wie dieser Track gebaut war, ist er bestimmt nicht für Radiorotationen produziert worden. Aber die Heads konnten die offizielle Veröffentlichung nicht erwarten und so wurde der Track innerhalb weniger Wochen, die meist gefragteste Single in New York. Daraufhin erschien "Wanksta" auf dem Platin-Soundtrack zu Eminem´s Film Debüt "8 Mile". Mit einer so fetten Reputation und einer Menge Street-Hits in der Tasche, ist 50 eindeutig der Künstler, den es 2003 zu schlagen gilt. Auf 50s ersten offiziellem Album "Get Rich or Die Trying" sind 16 in Beton gegossene Tracks vertreten, die alle unter der Anleitung des Dream Teams Dre und Eminem gebastelt wurden. Die erste Single aus dem Album wird "In Da Club" werden. Ein Track bei dem der Name Programm ist und mit Sicherheit die Peeps "In Da Club" zur Party animieren wird. Das Video zur Single verdeutlicht wer 50 Cent ist; ein Rapsoldat der in jeder Situation und Liga ganz weit vorne mithalten und sogar dominieren kann. Mit ansteckendem Flow und bösartig witziger I-don't-give-a-fuck personality, besteht kein Zweifel, dass 50 Cent ganz nach dem Titel seiner Platte, "Get Rich or Die Trying", handeln wird.
Wu-Tang Clan:
Wu-Tang Clan abstand /-->
biotext /-->Der Wu-Tang Clan ist wohl die bedeutendste Hip Hop-Kombo der 90er; sie schaffte es, aus dem East- vs. Westcoast-Zwist auszubrechen und wieder dicke Scheiben zu produzieren.
Entstanden ist Wu-Tang aus der von RZA (Prince Rakeem), GZA (Genius) und Ol' Dirty Bastard gegründeten Gruppe "All In Together Now", es gibt aber keinerlei Produktionen aus dieser Zeit. Nach einigen Gigs auf kleineren Partys und Konzerten konnten sie noch Etliche von ihren Freunden und Verwandten für ihre Sache gewinnen. Daraus wurde dann der Wu-Tang Clan (wobei "Clan" dafür steht, dass fast alle Mitglieder irgendwie miteinander verwandt sind). Der gesamte Clan besteht aus U-God, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, RZA, GZA und Ol' Dirty Bastard.
Obwohl erst zwei Alben des gesamten Wu-Tang Clans erschienen sind, gibt es schon weit mehr als 160 Songs von ihnen. Es wurde schnell klar, dass sie ihre teilweise sehr unterschiedlichen Styles nur durch Soloprojekte fördern konnten. Method Man und Ol' Dirty Bastard sind dabei die Erfolgreichsten gewesen. Hinter allen Projekten steht aber immer RZA, der fast alles des Clans produziert.
1995 war das Jahr für den Clan. Die Singles von Ol' Dirty Bastard eroberten die Charts. Method Man brachte einen Remix von "All You Need" heraus. In dem Stück "I'll Be There For You" ist sogar Mary J. Blige zu hören. Der Song stieg in den Billboard Charts sprunghaft nach oben. Danach veröffentlichte Raekwon sein lang erwartetes Album "Only Built For Cuban Linx".
Aufgefallen sind die Jungs aus New York oft durch ihr Vorhaben, die Welt zu beherrschen. Angefangen haben sie schlauerweise damit, ihre eigene Klamottenmarke Wu-Wear zu gründen und diese weltweit zu verkaufen. Doch auch an dem Y2K-Wahn haben sie sich tatkräftig beteiligt. So gehörten sie auch der Fraktion der Menschen an, die meinten, am 1. Januar 2000 ist es vorbei mit uns. Sie lagen da wohl nicht ganz richtig. Ende 2001 erscheint ein Lebenszeichen des Wu-Masterminds RZA: das Album Digital Bullet.
weitere Bioghraphien kommen noch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tupac Amaru Shakur
On September 7th, Tupac Shakur was shot by unknown gunmen and died on September 13, 1996. Much of what happened on this night remains a mystery to this very day. This picture was taken minutes before the fatal shooting.
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