21 entries
Legacy, Honors and Pop Culture
From a stage hologram to a statue in Herford: What remains of Tupac Shakur and what others made of his name and work.
Tupac Shakur died in 1996. Since then a hologram on the Coachella stage (2012), a concrete figure outside a museum in East Westphalia (since 2005) and, planned for 2027, a video game have kept his name in public view. This section covers honors, numbers, monuments, disputes over rights, fashion, collectibles, role models and successors.
Each page lists its sources, figures are dated, and disputed matters are marked as disputed.
Performances, Technology and Rights
- The Coachella 2012 Hologram: The projection, the technology behind it, the cost and the debate.
- Hologram, AI and the Drake Case: Who decides on the voice and likeness of the late Tupac.
Monuments and the Foundation
- The Statue in Herford: Paolo Chiasera’s concrete figure outside MARTa, since 2005.
- Monuments, Streets and a Star: From Stone Mountain to Baltimore: places of remembrance.
- Foundation and Stone Mountain Arts Center: Afeni Shakur’s foundation and the center from 2005 to 2015.
Honors and Numbers
- Awards and Best-of Lists: Grammys, Rock Hall, Walk of Fame, Library of Congress and rankings.
- Sales Figures and Certifications: What can be documented and what remains open about the “75 million” figure.
- Tupac in Academia: Courses, conferences and archives from Berkeley to Oslo.
Influence and Pop Culture
- Kendrick Lamar and Tupac: From “Mortal Man” to “reincarnated”.
- Influence on Other Artists: Quotes, samples and role models from Eminem to Megan Thee Stallion.
- Tupac in Pop Culture: Satire, the internet and politics: Tupac as a figure.
- Tupac in Video Games: Stranger Than Heaven and other appearances, as of October 2026.
Fashion, Collecting and Images
- Merchandise and Fashion: Makaveli Branded, licensing and the dispute over images.
- Vinyl and Collecting: Reissues, box sets and the collector’s market.
- Photographers and Famous Photos: Who created Tupac’s most famous portraits and what is being disputed.
1996
Awards, Nominations and Rankings
Seven Grammy nominations, no win, but Rock Hall, Walk of Fame and Library of Congress: an overview of Tupac Shakur's honors and rankings.
1994
Kendrick Lamar and Tupac
From a kid on a Compton curb to a dialogue partner on record: how Kendrick Lamar uses Tupac as a touchstone from 2012 to 'reincarnated' (2024).
1995
Library of Congress and the Vatican: “Dear Mama” and “Changes”
One song in the US national sound archive, one on the Vatican's MySpace page: what lies behind the honors for “Dear Mama” and “Changes”.
2003
Merchandise and Fashion
From the bandana to a fashion brand: how the estate licenses Tupac's image, which collaborations emerged, and why photos ended up in court.
1991
Photographers and Famous Photos
Chi Modu, Dana Lixenberg, Danny Clinch and others: Who created Tupac's defining portraits, and why the images are keeping courts busy today.
2012
Rights to Tupac's Voice: Hologram, AI and the Drake Case
From the 2012 hologram to Drake's 2024 AI track: who gets to decide on the late Tupac's voice and image, and what US laws say about it.
2016
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2017: Tupac at the Barclays Center
First solo rapper in the Hall of Fame: How Snoop Dogg accepted the honor for Tupac at Barclays Center in 2017 and why the induction matters.
1995
Sales and Certifications
From RIAA certifications to billions of Spotify streams: what can be verified about Tupac's sales and what lies behind the 75 million.
2013
The Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2023)
Ten years after his selection, Tupac Shakur received his star on the Walk of Fame on June 7, 2023. The ceremony, the speeches, and the location today.
1997
The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation and the Arts Center in Stone Mountain
Afeni Shakur's foundation, the arts center in Stone Mountain, and a new beginning: The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation from 1997 to the present.
2012
The Tupac Hologram: Coachella 2012
Sixteen years after his death, Tupac rapped at Coachella as a digital illusion: how the performance came about, what it cost, and the debate it sparked.
1996
Tupac and the Grammys: Seven Nominations, One Hall of Fame Place
Seven nominations, no award, but on stage alongside KISS in 1996 and in the Hall of Fame in 2026: Tupac's history with the Grammys.
1997
Tupac in Academia: Courses, Conferences, Archives
From Berkeley to Harvard: How Tupac's texts entered lecture halls and archives from 1997 on, and what scholars see in him beyond the headlines.
2002
Tupac in Herford: Paolo Chiasera's 'tupacproject' at MARTa
A bare-chested rapper on a column outside Frank Gehry's museum: Paolo Chiasera's concrete monument in Herford, its idea and its history since 2005.
2006
Tupac in Pop Culture
From the Chappelle sketch to the Coachella meme and campaign trail: how satire, the web, and politics use Tupac as a figure and what can be documented.
2015
Tupac in the Museum: Grammy Museum 2015 and 'Wake Me When I'm Free' 2022
Original manuscripts and a 1,900-square-meter experience: How two shows in Los Angeles in 2015 and 2022 brought Tupac's work into the museum.
2012
Tupac in Video Games
Kimono, bandana, and estate approval: Tupac's digital appearance in Sega's "Stranger Than Heaven" and what remains open as of October 2026.
2005
Tupac Monuments: Statues, Streets and a Star
A bronze figure that vanished, street signs in Oakland and Baltimore, a star in Hollywood: how cities and family remember Tupac.
1996
Tupac's Estate: Wealth, Royalties, and Lawsuits
Little cash at death, millions in value later: Who inherited Tupac, who earns from the rights, and which cases are pending as of October 2026.
2004
Tupac's Influence on Other Artists
From a producer's letter to Afeni Shakur to an AI cease-and-desist: how Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and other rappers quote, sample and honor Tupac as a role model.
2008
Vinyl and Collecting
Between record store and auction house: How Tupac's music is reissued and personal items go under the hammer for millions.