Tupac fans left baffled after discovering the real meaning behind his name
Topics: Music, History, Politics, True crime
Ellie Kemp
Featured Image Credit: Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Topics: Music, History, Politics, True crime
Tupac Shakur fans are still only just learning the real meaning behind the rapper's name.
Considered one of the most influential musical artists of our time, Tupac wasn't actually the star's given name at birth.
He was born to political activist parents in Manhattan, New York on June 16 1971, named Lesane Parish Crooks.
But at one year old, he was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur - a name that would one day be known in every corner of the globe.
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Tupac went on to become one of the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide.
His biggest hits include 'Hail Mary,' 'Life Goes On' and 'Changes' and he was known for his lyrics tackling social injustice and political issues.
Tupac also went on to star in a number of films, including Juice, Poetic Justice and Above the Rim.
But the iconic name we know today was decided by his mom when Tupac was just one year old.
He was named after Túpac Amaru II, a descendant of the last Incan ruler, who was executed in Peru in 1781 for revolting against Spanish rule.
The name means 'royal' and 'shining serpent', while his surname Shakur, translates to 'thankful to god'.
Shakur's mom Afeni Shakur had previously explained: "I wanted him to have the name of revolutionary, indigenous people in the world. I wanted him to know he was part of a world culture and not just from a neighborhood."
Tupac's surname came from Lumumba Shakur, who his mom married in November 1968.
Fans have since taken to X, formerly Twitter, to share the origin of Tupac's name.
One fan shared: "Tupac was named after a Peruvian revolutionary (Tupac Amaru ll) that led the largest indigenous uprising in Spanish American colonial history.
"For many, 'Tupac Amaru II came to represent an indigenous and mestizo revolution—in other words: a revolution for the people.'"
The post has been liked and shared hundreds of times. Some were amazed to be hearing about it for the first time.
In response, one person wrote: "If this is true, never knew and super badass."
A second agreed: "That’s amazing".
Tupac's life was cut short at the age of 25 when he was struck by four bullets in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He died six days later after being rushed to hospital on September 13 1996.
Some 27 years later, on September 29, 2023, Duane 'Keefe D' Davis was arrested after being indicted by a grand jury for the Tupac's first-degree murder.
Davis, 61, has been held without bail in the Clark County Detention Center, Las Vegas since his arrest. His trial is scheduled for November 4.