Discovering 2Pac: How to listen to his discography

It’s been 30 years since the world lost Tupac Shakur. It took that long for his killer to be brought to justice. Three decades after Shakur was fatally shot in Las Vegas, Duane “Keffe D” Davis was convicted of first-degree murder. This is much-needed and long-overdue closure for Shakur’s family, loved ones, and fans. 

The year 2026 carries much significance to Shakur’s memory. Not only is it the 30th anniversary of his death and the year his murderer was brought to justice, but it is also the 30th anniversary of “All Eyez on Me” and “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,” his final two albums recorded and finished during his lifetime. Now is therefore an excellent time to rediscover why Shakur was, and remains, such a crucial figure in hip-hop music specifically, and Black American music in general. With the fodder surrounding his murder, the lore of his caricaturized image from the fateful East Coast/West Coast rap beef, his charismatic energy, and arguably the greatest vocal timbre in rap history, Shakur left much to discover behind. 

During his 25 years on earth, Shakur left an indelible mark on Hip-Hop and pop culture. He was a hit-making rapper, a critically acclaimed actor, and a thoughtful poet, but it was the manner in which he navigated his life and career that captivated his audience. Regarded as a man of contradiction in his music and life — one minute he’s shooting at police officers to protect someone, the next he’s promoting a vicious war of words with fellow MCs like Notorious B.I.G. — it was nearly impossible not to be heavily affected by his music. 

Shakur’s mind was a constant, multi-rope tug-of-war between his past and present. Sometimes he was a militant activist, other times he was a thoughtful caretaker, and sometimes he just wanted to make his money and ride on his enemies. His albums were skewed and schizophrenic to some, but in actuality, he came from the generation of Black geniuses who excelled at making many opposing moods and narratives sound cohesive, from Stevie Wonder and Bob Marley to Lauryn Hill and Janet Jackson.

When examining anyone’s discography, the easiest thing to do would be to start from the beginning and listen chronologically to mark the artist’s progression. However, that’s not always the best way to engage someone’s body of work, and Shakur is a good example. Instead of slowly uncovering what Shakur became as a musician, with so much distance between his death and today, it’s better to begin with the best representation of what Shakur was as an MC, and thus, a human being.

So, if you are planning to start a journey of discovering Shakur’s discography, here’s the order to aurally ingest his albums (excluding his posthumous albums): 

“Me Against the World” (1995)

Although only Shakur’s third album, “Me Against the World” is the fullest representation of who he was as a man and an MC. A young man who knew as much about William Shakespeare as he did Toni Morrison, a man who was birthed and raised by Black Panthers but lived and empathised with drug addicts, drug dealers, and thug n*ggas, “Me Against the World” finds Shakur offering his most fully realized and untainted work. Shakur was enduring some tumultuous episodes during his life. Since his previous album, he was in and out of court over accusations of police shootings and sexual assault, and he suffered a near-fatal ambush at a New York recording studio months before the album was released. The songs on the album have a vast range of emotions, like the vitriol of “F*** the World,” the celebration of “Dear Mama,” the empathy of “Can You Get Away,”  and the paranoia of “Temptation.” “Me Against the World” is the most fully realized album Shakur will ever make regarding the full gambit of his humanity and his unique perspective on life. 

“Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z…” (1993)

Prior to “Me Against the World,” Shakur’s layers began to present themselves on his second album, “Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z…” Here is where we see a 21-year-old step out into his fame and allow all his emotions to run wild. Coming off a brilliantly unhinged film debut in 1992’s “Juice” and being violently victimized during a police brutality incident, Shakur was primed to unload everything off his chest. After one listen, one may feel confused about how an MC can kick off an album with explosive political indignation in “Holler If You Hear Me,” yet contain an anthem of detached promiscuity like “I Get Around” and an affirming plea for women to “Keep Your Head Up.” While not as socially mature as “Me Against the World” would be later, “Strictly” finds Shakur at an interesting crossroads, leaning into his public notoriety without compromising his beliefs or his artistry. 

“All Eyez on Me” (1996)

Shakur’s biggest public breakthrough came with an album that showed him in the midst of his villain origin story. Fueled by the fury of his 1995 shooting and his suspicions of Bad Boy Records’ alleged involvement, and serving a prison sentence for sexual assault, Shakur embraced the braggadicio that dominated that era of hip-hop with a double album, “All Eyez On Me.” Reinvigorated after signing with Death Row Records, Shakur leaned heavily into the West Coast hip-hop sound while waxing poetic about the lavish living and sexual conquest on “How Do You Want It,” “All About U” and “California Love,” exacting vengeance with “Ambitionz az a Ridah” and fusing both with “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted.” Meanwhile, the paranoia of his previous two albums reached a fever pitch with the title track. “All Eyez on Me” with Shakur at his most sprawling and exaggerated, walking the fine line between carefree and careless, giving him a diamond-certified album.

“The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory” (1996)

Although released two months after Shakur’s murder, “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory” was the final album he saw to completion during his lifetime. All but one of the album’s 12 songs were recorded in a week-long studio binge, as Shakur was inspired by his rage for his enemies, be it rap rivals or corrupt police. Adopting the alter-ego Makaveli, “The Don Killuminati” found Shakur hellbent on disruption and destruction. “Songs like “Hail Mary,” “Toss It Up,” “Against All Odds,” and “Bomb First” he is unrelenting on revenge and retribution against rappers like Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Mobb Deep. Never would Shakur sound more menacing and pensive. Even with such unchecked wrath, “The Don Killuminati” is his most focused and cohesive statement. 

“2Pacalypse Now” (1991)

After getting to know Shakur and getting well acquainted with his extremes and duality, end the journey by going back to the beginning. In 1991, when Shakur was 19, he was mentored by Bay Area hip-hop outfit Digital Underground, pushing to express all the ideology and observations he accumulated to that point. While Digital Underground handled most of the production, Shakur’s subject matter reflected less of the group’s whimsy and was instead a thesis on the disproportionate ills that young Blacks faced in America. While most of the album spoke of police brutality on songs like “Trapped,” and “I Don’t Give a F***,” and the perils of drugs and their impact on his community on “If My Homies Call,” the centerpiece is “Brenda’s Got a Baby.” The single tells a narrative of a young Black child who has a baby at 12 from an abusive relative, turns to sex work for money and is eventually murdered. On Shakur’s first album, we see the fire that fueled his rage as a spark, ignited by the prejudice surrounding him. Before he was consumed with getting even with his rivals, he was more concerned that everyone who looked like him should be heard.

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