“Murda, Murda, Murda, and Kill, Kill, Kill…”, these are the lyrics to one of the songs written by Tupac Shakur. Amidst all the controversy surrounding his personal life, this artist has managed to overcome all obstacles and spread his hope/hate message to a surprisingly receptive audience. Tupac’s music borrowed from the styles of early rap and hip-hop yet its appeal rested in Tupac himself. His persona of “Thug Poet” opened up a portal …showed first 75 words of 653 total…

…showed last 75 words of 653 total…to hug me and I ain’t worried bout a damn thing---with unconditional love…”. The words of this Thug Poet gave strength and support to this new genre of Gangsta Rap. It was always the man behind the music that gave it life. The same album that Vice President Quayle quoted “…2PACOPYLPSE NOW has no place in American society.” went double platinum. The popularity of Gangsta Rap is due solely to its creator, Tupac Shakur.