Tupac Amaru Shakur

In June 16, 1971 Tupac Amaru Shackur was born. He was born in Manhattan in a section called East Harlem, in New York City. Tupac was named after a Peruvian revolutionary who fought the Spanish, Tupac Amaru II. He was named by his mother Afeni Shakur, a Black Panther member.

Growing up in the ghetto Tupac endured lots of violence and poverty. As a kid he wrote of everything that happenned and turned it into poems. At twelve years old he was in the play "A Raisin The Sun" which he performed in the famous Apollo Theater. There is where he started. He went to Baltimore School Of The Arts where he studied jazz, poetry, acting, and ballet. He loved being in Shakespeare plays and was even the Mouse King in The Nutcracker. Tupac was one of the most popular kids in school. His ability to mix in any crowd, superior rapping skills, and sense of humor are somethings that made him popular.

Tupac started as a backup dancer and a roadie for a group called Digital Underground until they gave him a chance to show off his rapping skill. It got him a role in the movie Nothing But Trouble. His lyrics revealed the social in justice in the ghetto like in his songs "Ghetto Gospel", "Brenda's got a baby", "Trapped", "Last Words", "The Streetz R Deathrow", and "Keep Ya Head Up." He is still known as the best lyricists and his albums continue to sell long after his death.

Even though Tupac's career was cut short he managed to do some good in this world. He managed to start a scholarship fund for all minorities that live in the ghetto call the Makaveli scholarship. It's for anyone who wants to enhance their creative talents and go forth in their studies. He also helped some people get their fame like Jada Smith, Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre, and etc. He is still an inspiration for most of the rappers in the industry and continues to be an icon.

Tupac is a hero to me and other people because he showed us that if you believe in something and it's worth fighting for, you should fight for it. He showed me that even if you grow up in the ghetto you can still be successful. He is a hero because he never forgot his roots and started a scholarship fund for whoever wants to further their study. That's why I chose Tupac Amaru Shakur as my hero.