8th June, 2023
Tupac Shakur, the late rap legend, has received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, nearly three decades after he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting.
This comes after a brief but remarkable career that saw him rise from backup dancer to self-proclaimed gangsta and one of hip-hop’s most important artists.
At the unveiling ceremony in Los Angeles, his sister Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur said, “It fills my heart with honour to stand here today representing the Shakur family”.
“Tupac knew deep down that he was born to do great things.” And I had the honour of seeing his grandeur as his little sister.”
Shakur, 25, sold over 75 million records, with singles including “California Love” and “Changes.”
He also became a pivotal character in a much-publicized rivalry between East and West Coast hip-hop, fueled by promoters.
Although born in New York, Shakur migrated to California with his family as a youngster. He became one of the most recognisable names in the West Coast scene before being assassinated in Las Vegas in September 1996.
The circumstances of Shakur’s death remain unknown. Wednesday’s event took place nine days before his 52nd birthday.
His identification as a gangsta rapper occurred near the conclusion of his brief life, when he had numerous brushes with violence and was imprisoned on sexual assault charges.
AFP