Oakland’s City Council will name a portion of MacArthur Boulevard, between Grand Avenue and Van Buren Avenue, “Tupac Shakur Way.” The idea comes from Council member Carroll Fife. Fife explained, “Tupac Shakur’s legacy will continue through his contributions in art and social outreach, through his family and fans.” She went on to describe the artist “touching countless lives of children and elders over the years while alive and after his death.” Fife also says that Shakur was “taken too young by gun violence.”
Tupac was born in East Harlem, but his career as an artist began on the West Coast. He moved to Oakland in the late ’80s, starting then as a background dancer and roadie for the group Digital Underground. The rap legend was tragically murdered in a drive-by shooting in 1996, at the age of 25. Several of the artist’s major albums were created in California, including Me Against The World, All Eyez On Me, and more. In 2016, Oakland additionally declared June 16 to be “Tupac Shakur Day.”
Tupac’s Legacy
In March, FX released the trailer for their Tupac docuseries, Dear Mama. The show debuted in April of this year. Emotional conversations with the late rapper’s mother, Afeni Shakur, were revealed in the trailer. She said, “It was very difficult for me to be a mom. But I knew very well how to protect my children.” A young Tupac also appears in the trailer, explaining, “My mother taught me to analyze society and not be quiet.”
He also went on to say, “If there’s something on my mind, speak it. Because – I gotta reiterate it.” Tupac also shares, “my mother was a Black Panther and she was very involved in the movement.” Director of the series Allen Hughes explained, “Wherever possible, we tried to find archival footage that hadn’t been seen. So there’s a lot that we have in the five parts.” He went on to additionally reveal, “There’s also audio that’s never been heard. And not just some of his acapellas and vocals.” Hughes told viewers, “there is a lot of stuff of Tupac from his baby years that had never been seen.” He also said, “most importantly, you get to understand why he made certain decisions.”