Shakur was born in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City but relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988 . He later moved to Los Angeles in 1993 to further pursue his music career . By the time he released his debut album '' 2Pacalypse Now '' in 1991 , he had become a central figure in West Coast hip hop , introducing social issues in the genre at a time when gangsta rap was dominant in the mainstream . Shakur achieved further critical and commercial success with his follow-up albums '' Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. . . '' ( 1993 ) and '' Me Against the World '' ( 1995 ) . Later that year , after suffering legal troubles and a robbery and shooting , Shakur became heavily involved in the growing East Coast – West Coast hip hop rivalry . His double-disc album '' All Eyez on Me '' ( 1996 ) later became one of the best-selling albums in the United States . On September 7 , 1996 , Shakur was shot four times by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas ; he died six days later and the gunman was never captured . The Notorious B.I.G. , Shakur 's friend turned rival , was at first considered a suspect , but was also murdered in another drive-by shooting several months later . Five more albums have been released since his death , all of which have been certified Platinum
shot four times
Murder of Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur