The point of a music review, after all, is the music. That’s more than I can say about the posterity of most rappers.īut all that is aside the point. Needless to say, Tupac’s legacy is one of aiding young artists and poets, as well as one of helping the underprivileged. In 1997, the Shakur Family Foundation (now known as the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation or TASF) was founded, in the interests of “providing training and support for students who aspire to enhance their creative talents." The TASF sponsors essay contests, charity events, a performing arts day camp, and undergraduate scholarships. On top of this, Tupac released several live accapella albums and collections of poetry. A 2006 poll conducted on MTV.com, ranked him the second greatest MC (mic controller) of all time (after Jay-Z). Consistently, he is mentioned by both those in and outside of the hip-hop industry as being one of the greatest rappers of all time. He has had seventeen top singles in the U.S. His fourteen albums (released both during his lifetime and posthumously ) have sold a combined 73 million copies worldwide, 44.5 million of those being in the United States alone. Shakur and his music, there’s no doubting that the main was a commercial success. I just want to write some words in tribute to a man who is quite possibly the greatest hip-hop artist of all time.Įven if you look past all of the controversy surrounding Mr. Now, this humble reviewer isn’t hinting at anything. It’s unfortunate that people have to let ridiculous stereotypes and racial tensions influence their taste in music. Now, there are also people who will scoff that “rap isn’t music.” Well, I hope those people aren’t reading this review. Does this detract from his achievements as a poet and songwriter? No, not in the slightest. Many people may scoff that he was “just another rapper who got shot.” This, however, could not be further from the truth.