Research
Title
The Life and Death of Tupac Shakur
Introduction
I chose to do my research on the life and death of Tupac Amaru Shakur.  Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996 and he died on September 13.  His death caused scores of fans to mourn and sent shockwaves through the entertainment community.  Shakur has been dead for almost seven years, but most would argue that he has a larger following in death than he had in life.  I have two questions that I wish to answer during the progression of my research.  First, I wish to determine the size of the Internet community that has devoted web space to the life and death of Shakur.  My second goal is to determine the probability that the devotion to his legacy will continue.  My intended audience is the demographic that either misunderstands or possesses a very limited knowledge of Shakur.  In life he was often stigmatized as a ‘trouble maker’ who was constantly on the wrong side of the law and always submitting overly explicit lyrics to the public.  I intend to show that Shakur was a man with a limitless range of talent.  He was not only a rapper but he was also an actor, activist, and poet who became the defining voice of his generation.
Five Web Sources

1)      Title of Web page: Makaveli Dot Com: The Official Fan Dedicated Makaveli.Community

Web Page: http://www.makaveli.com

Brief Description:  This is a website that is owned and operated by the fans.  It contains numerous forums where fans can discuss subjects related to the late Tupac Shakur.  The page posts the most recent news involving Shakur.  Finally, the web site provides detailed biographical information about Shakur.

Source:  Fans of Shakur generated the site.  It is not affiliated with the ‘Tha Row’ records or the estate of Shakur.

“The Fans”. (No Date) Makaveli Dot Com: The Official Fan Dedicated Makaveli Community [Online] Available: http://www.makaveli.com [2002, February 1].

2)      Title of Web page:  2Pac Legacy.com

Web Page: www.2paclegacy.com

Brief Description:  2Pac Legacy.com is a site dedicated to the continuation of the legacy of Shakur.  The site is unique because it not only features a biography of Shakur but it also features a biography of his mother, Afeni Shakur.  This page also has a chat section that is completely open to fans and an area where they can purchase merchandise as well.  The site also displays up to date information.  For instance, the site is conducting a poll where fans can vote on what they think is the best song from Shakur’s latest album, “Better Dayz”, which was released on November 26, 2002.

Source:  The site is owned and operated by Afeni Shakur and Amaru Records. 

Shakur, Afeni. (2002) 2Pac Legacy.com [Online] Available: http://www.2paclegacy.com [2002, February 1]

3)      Title of Web page:  Tupac-Online

Web Page: http://www.tupac-online.com

Brief Description:  Tupac-Online is a site that contains up to date information that involving Shakur.  For example, one of the recent updates reveals that “Better Dayz” has reached platinum status.  Perhaps a distinguishing mark of this site is the amount of music that is available for download.  The page also contains numerous links to other pages that feature items such as the poetry of Tupac.

Source:  The site is powered by Google.

Google. (2003) Tupac-Online [Online] Available: http://www.tupac-online.com [2002, February 1]

4)      Title of Web page:  Thug Immortal

Web Page: http://www.tu-pac.com/contact.shtml

Brief Description:  Thug Immortal is a site replete with multi-media.  The site provides links to all of Shakur’s lyrics.  The page features 291 pictures of the late rapper.  Thug Immortal also gives the fans a voice.  For example, the site has a sections where fans can vote on what they feel is Tupac’s best overall album.

Source:  webmaster@e-jlo.com

webmaster@e-jlo.com (No Date) Thug Immortal [Online] Available: http://www.tu-pac.com/contact.shtml [2002, February 1]

5)      Title of Web page:  2PACZONE

Web Page: http://www.2paczone.com/

Brief  Description:  This page is largely devoted to the news related to Shakur.  For instance, like Tupac-Online, it also informs its visitors that “Better Dayz” has reached platinum status.  An element that sets this site apart from others is the presence of news archives, which date back to August 2002.

Source: Mataveli

Mataveli (No Date) 2PACZONE [Online] Available: http:www.2paczone.com/ [2002, February 1]
Five non-Internet Sources

Sullivan, Randall. Labyrinth: a detective investigates the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, the implication of Death Row Records’ Suge Knight, and the origins of the Los Angeles Police scandal. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2002.  HV6534.L7 S848 2002

White, Armond. Rebel for the hell of it: the life of Tupac Shakur. New York:  Thunder’s Mouth Press, 1997.  ML420.S529 W55 1997

Strauss, Neil. (2001, April 13). Tupac Lives. Ventura County Star [Online], p TO13 (23 paragraphs). Available LexisNexis Academic [2002 February 1]

Iverem, Esther. (1996, September 17). Coming to terms with Tupac . San Antonio Express-News [Online], p. 5 (24 paragraphs). Available LexisNexis Academic [2002 February 1]

Fuentez, Tania. (2001, September 13). Tupac’s mother wants her son to be remembered as more than another dead rapper. The Associated Press State & Local News Wire [Online], Available LexisNexis Academic [2002 February 1]

Internet Mini-Essay

Title:  Tupac and the ‘Alive’ Theories

(TOPIC AREA: Net Trends and Trivia)

  Indeed Shakur’s music and artistic labor have endowed him with a powerful existence that seemingly defeats death.  Nonetheless, entire legions of fans readily declare that Shakur is still here in the physical form.  The Internet has numerous sites, which offer theories as to why Shakur is still alive.  The creators of these websites have compiled lists to prove that their theories are valid.  It may be surmised that an entire subculture as arisen since Shakur’s death and the Internet has only accelerated its growth.  Literally thousands of pages have been dedicated to the life and death of Shakur, and many of them contain links with headings such as: “Is Tupac Still Alive?”.  So it goes with the firebrand rapper whose celebrity has swelled into a mystique of near Elvis-like intensity since his death in a Las Vegas drive-by at the age of 25.(1)  Shakur has released more music in death than he did in life as it is estimated that he left around 200 unreleased tracks at the time of his passing.  The prolific life and tragic death of the artist made an indelible print on the minds of his fans and the definition of that print continues to manifest itself on the web.  It seems as if some of the lure that is attached to Shakur’s name is directly proportional to the advancement of the technology supporting the Internet.  It must be said that the legacy of Shakur extends far beyond the web.  After all, not so long ago the analysis of his poetry became a course at the University of California at Berkeley.(2)  The poet Nikki Giovanni, who has studied Shakur extensively, once remarked:  “There’s an old Nigerian proverb: ‘You’re not dead until you’re forgotten.’”  The Internet is a device that serves to perpetuate his life on two fronts.

NOTES:

(1) Thigpen, David E. (2001, April 16). Tupac is in the building: The late rapper’s mother keeps his memory alive. Time [Online], 157, 5 paragraphs. Available: Infotrac Academic ASAP [2002 February 1]

(2) (1997, September 29). Poems of the late Tupac Shakur to be studied at the Unversity of California at Berkely. Jet [Online], 92, 6 paragraphs. Available: Infotrac Academic ASAP [2002 February 1]

THREE WEB SITES:

1) Title of Web page:  Tupacs.Home-Page.org

Web address: http://makaveliamarushakur.tripod.com/

Brief Description:  This is a site that features several theories that attempt to explain why Shakur is still alive.

Source: MakaveliShakur.hypermart.net

2) Title of Web page: Bands A-Z: Tupac

Web address: http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/2pac/artist.jhtml

Brief Description:  This page provides information on Tupac’s latest releases.  Furthermore, the site has photo flipbooks available for visitors and a news archives of containing stories about or linked to Shakur.

Source: mtv.com

3) Title of Web page: Tupac Shakur 1971-1996

Web address: http://www.duke.edu/~de1/2pac2.html

Brief Description:  This page gives a thorough biography of Shakur.  The site also chronicles his music and his movies.

Source: de1@acpub.duke.edu

 

Last updated on April 14, 2003