"2Pacalypse Now" Handwritten Album Liner Notes by Tupac Shakur
These handwritten, liner notes were penned by Tupac Amaru Shakur aka 2Pac (1971-1996), for his debut album 2Pacalypse Now (1991) in blue ink on lined notebook paper. The liner notes outline the production credits and song list for the album.
2Pacalypse Now is known as Tupac’s his most political—and controversial—musical album. The album strengthened Tupac’s legacy as a legend and a brilliant political poetic lyricist who was far ahead of his time. On this album Tupac discusses the trials and tribulations of the Black experience in America with songs like "Brenda's Got a Baby," "Trapped," and "If My Homie Calls." Over the course of 13 tracks, which include the three singles 2Pac captures the plight of the of the Black Americans in an era of crime, poverty, pregnancy, and prison life. His style on 2Pacalypse Now was highly influenced by the social consciousness and Afrocentrism pervading hip hop in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Shakur’s records are some of the best-selling of all time. His album, 2Pacalypse Now, went gold and his second full-length release, “Strictly 4 My N.*.G.G.A.Z.” (1993), achieved platinum status and reached No. 4 on the R&B charts. In 1995, his third LP also went platinum, setting the stage for the rapper’s debut release on Death Row Records with “All Eyez on Me.” Featuring duets with Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and George Clinton, this double record of original material—the first in hip-hop history—debuted at No. 1 in February 1996 and eventually sold over 5 million copies worldwide.
Eloquent and often arresting, Shakur’s explicit lyrics depicting the realities of gangster life, child molestation, addiction, poverty, sexual assault, and street violence became some of the most controversial of the decade. His work often drew outrage from morality groups and right-wing politicians, which, in turn, increased record sales. Shakur’s acting career, which included roles in urban dramas as Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993) and Gridlock'd (1997) released after his death, also challenged societal conventions.
Tupac/2Pac (Tupac Amaru Shakur, b.1971 - 1996), Born in Harlem, New York, and son to parents and relatives who were members of the Black Panther Party, Tupac’s political ideals on racial injustice highly influenced Tupac’s 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. Tupac 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 Tupac has sold over 75,000,000 records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His talent as a rapper, actor and social consciousness has influenced many and garnered him the respect as one of the best rappers in history.
