Tupac Shakur: The Life and Times of an American Icon

Tayannah Lee McQuillar · Fred L. Johnson

Jan 2010 · Sold by Da Capo Press

About this ebook

A passionate, critically incisive cultural biography of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur and an examination of the forces that shaped him.

In 1996 Tupac Shakur, one of the most talented artists of his time, was murdered by an unknown gunman. Fred L. Johnson and Tayannah Lee McQuillar examine the theories surrounding his death and the story of Tupac's lost legacy in this definitive biography.

For millions, Shakur gave voice to their stories, but there was also another side to him, revealed as his life spun out of control, as the whispered warnings from friends went unheeded and the denunciations of critics grew louder. Disturbingly, he sang and wrote about his impending death. When it came, it brought the music industry to its knees and ended an era when American rappers were leaders in using their art to speak the truth to corporate, government, and judicial power.

Ratings and reviews

I am a huge Tupac fan & what yall are saying has reasons like doing drugs is because how he grew up & was raised he had it bad & just got on a bad road but he had a good relationship with god thats why he said only God can judge me, he shot people because they shot at him too, he didnt shoot at em for no reason.

I have a theory. Suge Knight pretended to hate Tupac but really Suge knight helped Tupac. He helped Tupac to fake his death. If Tupac didn't fake his death, he would sometime be killed. So Suge Knight is pretty much being hated by everyone that thinks he killed Pac.

Great book read it. a small few things I didn't know about Tupac but I know a great amount of Tupacs life 25 when he died that is the saddest part. One love Pac 1971\ 1996.

About the author

Fred L. Johnson is Associate Professor of History at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

Tayannah Lee McQuillar is a Mellon Fellow who holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the City University of New York. Her articles have appeared in Today's Black Woman and in Black Issues Book Review. She is the author of Rootwork: The Folk Magick of Black America. Ms. McQuillar lives in New York City.