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Music Videos, Tupac on Screen
Tupac's music videos from Trapped (1991) to Pac's Life (2006): year, song, album and director, with notes where sources disagree.
Between 1991 and 1996, few rappers spent as much time in front of a camera as Tupac, in movie theaters and in his own clips. Many videos were shot in a hurry, some without him at all, and several he co-directed himself. After his death in September 1996, more videos were assembled from archive footage, stand-ins and animation.
The list below covers the music videos on which Tupac is the lead artist, in order of the video’s release. Director credits come from music video databases (IMVDb, IMDb), interviews with the directors and discography overviews. Where sources contradict each other, or only a single overview names a director, the “Note” column says so.
The early years: Interscope, 1991-1994
| Year | Song | Album | Director | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Trapped | 2Pacalypse Now | The Hughes Brothers | shot August 11, 1991; Shock G sings part of the hook; director named only in a discography overview |
| 1992 | Brenda’s Got a Baby | 2Pacalypse Now | The Hughes Brothers (Allen and Albert Hughes) | black and white, shot January 7, 1992 |
| 1992 | If My Homie Calls | 2Pacalypse Now | 2Pac | IMVDb and IMDb credit Tupac; other overviews name Allen Hughes |
| 1993 | Holler If Ya Hear Me | Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. | Stephen Ashley Blake | |
| 1993 | I Get Around (feat. Digital Underground) | Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. | David Dobkin | pool party with Shock G and Money-B |
| 1993 | Keep Ya Head Up | Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. | David Dobkin | |
| 1994 | Papa’z Song | Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. | James Michael Marshall | director per discography overview only |
| 1994 | Pour Out a Little Liquor (Thug Life) | Above the Rim soundtrack | 2Pac | director per discography overview only |
Brenda’s Got a Baby was Tupac’s first project with twins Allen and Albert Hughes, who broke through soon after with Menace II Society. The partnership ended badly: Tupac was later convicted of assaulting Allen Hughes (see Trials).
Prison and after: 1995
| Year | Song | Album | Director | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Dear Mama | Me Against the World | Lionel C. Martin | Tupac was incarcerated; a look-alike plus footage from Brenda’s Got a Baby, featuring Afeni Shakur |
| 1995 | So Many Tears | Me Against the World | Lionel C. Martin | stand-in again |
| 1995 | Temptations | Me Against the World | David Nelson | Tupac does not appear; cameos by Coolio, Ice-T, Jada Pinkett, Warren G, Shock G, B-Real, Treach, Salt-N-Pepa and others |
While Me Against the World sat at number one on the Billboard 200, Tupac was behind bars, so all three videos from the album had to work without him. Director Lionel C. Martin told Okayplayer in 2023 that Interscope brought him in for Dear Mama while Tupac was locked up, and that Afeni Shakur was closely involved in the shoot.
Death Row: 1996
| Year | Song | Album | Director | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | California Love (with Dr. Dre, Roger Troutman) | All Eyez on Me | Hype Williams | Mad Max-style desert apocalypse, shot November 10-13, 1995 in El Mirage, California; a second video for the remix shows a house party at Dr. Dre’s place (director per German Wikipedia: J. Kevin Swain) |
| 1996 | 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted (with Snoop Doggy Dogg) | All Eyez on Me | Gobi Rahimi (with Tupac) | opens with a skit parodying Biggie and Puff Daddy |
| 1996 | How Do U Want It (with K-Ci & JoJo) | All Eyez on Me | Ron Hightower | several versions, including a live cut with Shock G |
| 1996 | Hit ‘Em Up (with Outlawz) | B-side of How Do U Want It | J. Kevin Swain (per IMVDb; not confirmed elsewhere) | shot June 3, 1996 in a Los Angeles warehouse; produced by Look Hear Productions |
| 1996 | I Ain’t Mad at Cha (with Danny Boy) | All Eyez on Me | Tupac Shakur and J. Kevin Swain | shot May 15, 1996, aired shortly after his death |
| 1996 | Toss It Up (with Danny Boy, K-Ci & JoJo, Aaron Hall) | The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory | Lionel C. Martin | Martin’s only shoot with Tupac in person |
By 1996 Tupac was more than the star of his videos. He co-directed 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted and I Ain’t Mad at Cha. The latter shows him being shot and arriving in heaven, filmed in May 1996 and broadcast just days after he died.
After his death: 1997-2006
| Year | Song | Album | Director | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | To Live & Die in L.A. (with Val Young) | The Don Killuminati | J. Kevin Swain (with Tupac) | shot July 1996 in Los Angeles |
| 1997 | Hail Mary (with Outlawz, Prince Ital Joe) | The Don Killuminati | Frank Sacramento | |
| 1997 | Wanted Dead or Alive (with Snoop Doggy Dogg) | Gridlock’d soundtrack | Scott Kalvert | director per discography overview only |
| 1997 | I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto | R U Still Down? (Remember Me) | Lionel C. Martin | Tupac’s spirit on its way to the afterlife |
| 1998 | Do for Love | R U Still Down? (Remember Me) | Bill Parker | director per discography overview only |
| 1998 | Changes | Greatest Hits | Chris Hafner | |
| 1999 | Unconditional Love | Greatest Hits | Rob Johnson | director per discography overview only |
| 1999/2000 | Baby Don’t Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II) | Still I Rise | J. Jesses Smith | |
| 2001 | Until the End of Time | Until the End of Time | Chris Hafner | |
| 2001 | Letter 2 My Unborn | Until the End of Time | Chris Hafner | |
| 2002 | Thugz Mansion (with Nas, J. Phoenix) | Better Dayz | David Nelson | |
| 2003 | Runnin’ (Dying to Live) (with The Notorious B.I.G.) | Tupac: Resurrection | Philip G. Atwell | director per discography overview only |
| 2005 | Ghetto Gospel (with Elton John) | Loyal to the Game | Nzingha Stewart | |
| 2006 | Pac’s Life (with T.I., Ashanti) | Pac’s Life | Gobi Rahimi | IMVDb lists the director as “Gobi Nejad” |
Guest appearances
Tupac’s first music video appearance came in 1991 as a member of Digital Underground in Same Song, from the Nothing but Trouble soundtrack (see Filmography). Other guest spots listed in discographies include Scarface feat. 2Pac and Johnny P, Smile (1997, directed by Paul Hunter), and Jon B., Are U Still Down (1998, directed by Tim Story), both released after his death.
The estate makes the official videos available on 2pac.com and the official YouTube channel. For the albums themselves, see the Discography.