Born Tupac Amaru Shakur in New York City he grew up primarily on the streets of Oakland California. His first breakthrough in music came in 1991 as a member of the group Digital Underground. In the same year he received individual recognition for his album "2Pacalypse Now" - but this album was also the beginning of his notoriety as a leading figure of 'gangsta rap' with references to cop killing and sexual violence. His solo movie career also began in this year with Juice (1992) and in 1992 he co-starred with Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice (1993).