2Pacalypse Now is the debut album of Tupac Shakur, released in November 1991. Though less polished and lacking the hard-hitting produced beats of his later albums, it was his most overtly political work. He addresses social problems such as police brutality, poverty, teenage pregnancy, and drug use, some issues giving a lyrical glimpse into the world of a young black person on the urban streets of the United States. It is hailed by many critics and fans for its underground feel, with many rappers such as Nas and Talib Kweli having pointed to it as a source for inspiration from the album.. Although the album was originally released on Interscope, Amaru Entertainment, the label owned by the mother of Tupac Shakur, has since gained the rights to it. The album's name is a played-on title of the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, which is about the Vietnam War.

The album generated significant controversy stemming from Dan Quayle's public criticism after a youth in Texas shot a state trooper and his defense attorney claimed he was influenced by 2Pacalypse Now and its strong theme of police brutality. Quayle made the statement, "There's no reason for a record like this to be released. It has no place in our society."

The record never achieved the same success as many of Shakur's later albums owing in part to rough construction and sometimes repetitive beats, but it was important in showcasing Shakur's political conviction and lyrical talent. It featured three singles, "Brenda's Got a Baby", "Trapped", and "If My Homie Calls".

2Pacalypse Now can be found in the Vinyl Countdown ad in the instruction manual for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas along with the track "I Don't Give a Fuck" which appeared on the in-game radio station, Radio Los Santos.

Still I Rise is an album by Tupac Shakur and his group The Outlawz excluding member Hussein Fatal for undisclosed reasons. The album contains all previously unreleased material and contains popular 2Pac tracks. It was released on December 21, 1999 by Interscope Records, under the Death Row label. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA, selling 1.5 million copies.

The album includes the single "Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)", which is similar in lyrical tone to 2Pac's popular singles "Brenda's Got a Baby" and "Keep Ya Head Up".

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. is a 1993 album released by rapper Tupac Shakur. Similar to his debut, the album contains many tracks emphasizing 2Pac's political and social views. Debuting at #24 on the Billboard 200, this album saw more commercial success than 2Pacalypse Now, and there are many noticeable differences in production. It spawned the hits "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Get Around" and reached platinum status. Although the album was originally released on Interscope, Amaru Entertainment, the label owned by the mother of Tupac Shakur, has since gained the rights to it.

The original vinyl names:

Side A (tracks 1-8) the "Black Side" and Side B (tracks 9-16) the "Dark Side".

Me Against the World is a hip hop album by Tupac Shakur, released on March 14, 1995 (see 1995 in music). The album was recorded before and while Shakur was recovering from his November 1994 shooting, and released while he was incarcerated. Perhaps as a result of these circumstances, Me Against the World has become known to many as the most incendiary of Shakur's releases, expressing an intensely personal mix of emotions and reactions to the events of his life. The album consists of frequent digressions into the dangers of paranoia, organized crime, and the moral repercussions of violence. Although the album was originally released on Shakur's label Out Da Gutta Records, Amaru Entertainment, the label owned by Shakur's mother, has since gained the rights to it.

This album has been credited as setting the "nothing to lose" persona adopted by many rappers since Shakur's death. Me Against the World is generally regarded as a classic album by the hip hop community due to its soulful and emotional content, claiming that Pac could make you feel as if you were in his shoes throughout the album, thus making the album distinct from others. In one particular review it was said that Tupac's uncovered and raw humanity created a flow of inspiration and vibes through all who heard the album, and that it is a remarkable and somewhat insightful musical achievement.

Me Against the World topped the Billboard 200. Shakur thus became the first artist to have an album debut at #1 while incarcerated. In a late-1995 interview with MTV, Shakur expressed amazement over the fact that Me Against the World held the top spot on the Billboard charts, over artists as mainstream as Bruce Springsteen. In a different interview with MTV's Tabitha Soren, taped after Shakur was bailed out of the Clinton Correctional Facility, the rapper described Me Against the World as his favorite album, up to that point. The album debuted at number-one and stayed there for four weeks with first week sales of over 240,000 copies which, at the time, was the record for longest time at the top of the charts for a solo male rap artist. Many fans consider Me Against the World to be Shakur's best album, the album has also garnered significant critical acclaim, earning a perfect 5 Star rating from The Source and All Music Guide.

All Eyez on Me is a double album by rapper Tupac Shakur. It was released on February 13, 1996 (see 1996 in music). The album is one of the most influential albums in hip hop history and is widely considered one of the crowning achievements of 1990s rap. All Eyez on Me reached #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the album has sold over nine million copies in the usa. All Eyez on Me was released after Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records, bailed Shakur out of jail, fulfilling part of Shakur's brand new contract with Death Row Records. This double-album served as the first two records of his three album contract. He arrived in the studios just hours after being released from prison to begin work on this 27 track hip-hop "tour de force". The prolific rapper finished this album in only two weeks.

The songs on All Eyez on Me are, in general, unapologetic celebrations of what is called in the idiom the thug lifestyle. Though there is the occasional reminiscence about past and present friends, it is a definite move away from the social and political consciousness of 2Pacalypse Now.

The album features occasional guest spots from Shakur's regulars, such as former-Thug Life members and The Outlawz, as well as Snoop Dogg, and other guests. Most of the album was produced by Johnny "J" and Daz Dillinger, with help from Dr. Dre on the songs "California Love" and "Can't C Me".

Contents

The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is the final album finished before Tupac Shakur's death and the first to be released after his death. Shakur had complete creative input on the album from the name of the album to the cover which Tupac chose to symbolize how the media has crucified him. The album was completely finished in a total of seven days during the month of August of 1996. The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four days. These are among the very last songs he recorded before his fatal shooting on September 7th, 1996. Although The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory was released almost two months after his death, on November 5th, 1996, it is not a true posthumous album in the way that the later 2Pac albums are since he completed the album before his death. It has been recognized as a classic by many critics and fans. The emotion and anger showcased on the album has been admired by a large part of the hip-hop community, including other rappers. The album made its debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 663,000 copies in the first week, making Shakur the first rapper to have two #1 albums in one year.