Remembering Fallen MC Tupac Shakur

Today marks what would have been Tupac Shakur's 39th birthday had he not been gunned down by an unknown assailant in 1996. Nearly 14 years after his death at the age of 25, Shakur still remains one of the most influential rappers ever, and one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. An icon of '90s hip-hop, Shakur released only four albums during his brief career that mixed tales of street life with politically charged lyricism, including the classics Me Against the World and All Eyez on Me, both of which rank among the top sellers of the decade. Tupac was also an acclaimed actor who stood out in Juice and Poetic Justice.

Look back at more artists lost before their time.

Recently, T.I. revealed to RS that his new album King Uncaged was influenced by Shakur's own post-incarceration disc All Eyez on Me, and there likely isn't a rapper in the game today that wasn't inspired by Shakur. As Rolling Stone celebrates Tupac's life, look back at the rapper's career in photos, plus check out a guide to his albums and our feature that ran shortly after his death:

• All Eyez on Tupac: The Life and Times of the Hip-Hop Great

• Album Guide: Tupac Shakur

• Tupac Shakur: 1971-1996: The Short Life & Violent Death of Tupac Shakur

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  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
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  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

More Song Stories entries »

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