Forty facts you didn't know about Tupac

Tupac Shakur — AP Photo/Columbia Pictures

Lesane Parish Crooks was born on June 16, 1971 in the Bronx to Afeni Shakur and William Garland. The name Tupac Amaru Shakur means "shining serpent" (Tupac Amaru) and "thankful to god" (Shakur). Want to know more? Here's 40 facts you might not have known.

On the stage

Tupac's mother enrolled him in Harlem's 127th Street Repertory Ensemble. His first acting role was portraying Travis from the play "A Raisin in The Sun."

Do you feel Olympic today?

Tupac was cast in the movies "Cool Runnings," "Higher Learning," and "How To Be A Player" before his untimely death.

Backup dancer

He was a roadie and dancer for Digital Underground before joining the group.

Childhood friends

He studied drama, ballet and dance at Baltimore School For The Arts. That's where he met Jada Pinkett Smith. She would become a close friend.

Baby names

Tupac allegedly wanted to name his first child Star if it was a daughter, and Michelangelo if it was a boy.

Tupac's roots

His mother Afeni Shakur (left) was an active member of the Black Panther party and one of the defendants at the "Panther 21" trial.

Favorite actor

Who's Tupac's favorite actor? It's comedian Jim Carrey.

From the beginning

Tupac's first music video appearance was on Digital Underground's "Same Song."

Where he got Shakur

Shakur wasn't Tupac's original last name. It came from his adopted stepfather's, Mtulu Shakur. The elder Shakur was a Black Panther party member who spent four years on the FBI's Most Wanted List for helping his sister Joanne Chesimard (aka Assata Shakur). She fled to Cuba to avoid jail time.

Strictly Dope years

Tupac also formed the group Strictly Dope with Santa Rosa rapper Ray Luv.

Love life

Tupac dated Madonna, who reportedly wanted to have his baby.

Breaking records behind bars

Tupac is the only artist to have an album at number one on the Billboard charts ("Me Against the World") while incarcerated.

Conspiracy theories

Shakur's alter-ego Makaveli was named after Niccolo Machiavelli, author of "The Prince." Machiavelli faked his own death, which is why many still believe Tupac is alive.

Cross on his back

Back of "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory" album

Tattooed on Tupac's back is a cross with the words "Exodus 18:31." It refers the biblical scripture: "Now i know that the Lord is greater than all gods because he delivered the people from the hands of the Egyptians when they dealt with them arrogantly."

Meaning behind the words

According to Tupac the individual letters of THUGLIFE stands for "The Hate U Give Little Infants F-cks Everybody." N.I.G.G.A.Z stands for "Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished."

Famous words

Tupac was quoted as saying, "All good n-ggas, all the n-ggas who change the world, die in violence. They don't die in regular ways," in a Details magazine interview during Spring 1996.

13 was a lucky number

Two of the biggest events in his career happened on the 13th. "All Eyez on Me," was released on February 13, 1996. His only number one pop single "How Do U Want It?", topped the Hot 100 on July 13, 1996.

Founding father

He was the founding member of the rap group named Outlawz, also known as Outlaw Immortalz and Thug Life.

Take one

Shakur recorded about 150 songs during the final year of his life, often completing three songs per day. He often recorded his verses in one take. He felt that rappers who could not perform their verses on the first try weren't ready to be rappers.

Unfinished buisness

Shakur was cast in the movie "Woo," but was shot a few days before principal photography began.

Real life replica

He is the first rap/hip-hop artist in history to have a wax model of himself in Madamme Tussaud's.

As American as "American Pie"

Shakur considered singers Don McLean and Kate Bush as two influences in his life. He was especially inspired by McClean's hit "Vincent," a song about painter Vincent Van Gogh life.

Bubba Gump

He read for the part of Bubba in "Forrest Gump," but lost to Mykelti Williamson.

A little Faith

His song "Hit 'Em Up", is an attack on one-time friend Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, and Puff Daddy. He claims that he slept with Faith Evans (Notorious B.I.G.'s wife) in the song's lyrics.

Covering the classics

His 1996 song "Me and My Girlfriend" chronicles Tupac's relationship with his pistol. The song was covered in 2003 by Beyonce and Jay-Z, with a slightly different chorus.

Lucky number seven

"The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory" album

"The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory" was recorded and mixed in seven days in August 1996. It was released a few months later and debuted at number one on both the pop album and R&B/Hip-Hop album charts.

After death

More of his music has been released since his death than when he was alive.

Platinum hit

"From the Cradle to the Grave" music video

Ten albums have been released after his death in 1996; all have gone platinum.

Early start

He was offered a record contract at 13. However, his mother refused to let him sign. She felt he had a lot to learn about the world.

Surviving the shooting

In November 1994, he was robbed and shot five times in the lobby of a New York recording studio. Dexter Isaac has recently confessed to the shooting and claimed he carried it out on the orders of record executive James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond.

Still raking in the cash

Shakur appeared on Forbes' "Top Earning Dead Celebrities" list in 2002, 2003 and 2004, earning $7 million, $12 million and $5 million respectively.

Joshua's Dream

Shakur renamed his publishing company "Joshua's Dream" in honor of a terminally ill boy whose dying wish was to meet him.

Work ethics

"All Eyez On Me" was completed in two weeks and was rap's first double album. The "All Eyez" sessions began just hours after Tupac was released from jail.

Menace to Allen Hughes

He was originally cast in "Menace II Society," but was fired after a physical altercation with director Allen Hughes.

Favorite artist (formerly known as Prince)

He said that the artist formerly known as Prince inspired him, and sampled some of his tracks on the "All Eyez On Me" album. Shakur mentioned in an MTV interview that "[Prince] loves women like I love women."

Closure?

Gang member Orlando Anderson, rumored to be Tupac's killer, was later murdered himself during a fight at a Los Angeles car wash. Anderson was never formerly charged for Shakur's murder.