2Pac Tha N.I.G.G.A.Z. are Comin Promotional T-shirt

With the “N” word always having a negative connotation, 2Pac changed the word into an acronym, meaning “Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished” with the “Z” making it plural. On February 16th in 1993, Tupac Shakur released his second full length studio album including this same acronym, titled Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z… on Jive Records and T.N.T. Recordings.

Tupac/2Pac (Tupac Amaru Shakur, 1971 - 1996) was born in Harlem, New York, son to parents and relatives who were members of the Black Panther Party. Tupac’s political ideals on racial injustice highly influenced his music and social consciousness. As a Harlem and Baltimore native, Tupac began his music career as a member of the Oakland Hip-Hop group Digital Underground before his solo career in 1991 with the release of his debut album, 2Pacalypse Now. He emerged in the 1990s as a central figure in West Coast Hip-Hop scene, introducing social issues on Black life in American where Gangsta Rap was dominant in West Coast Hip-Hop. Tupac’s consistent themes in his lyrics addressed contemporary social issues in inner cities, including violence, hardship, and racism. During his career he has sold over 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His talent as a rapper, actor and focus on social consciousness has influenced many and garnered him the respect as one of the best rappers in history.