Follow the Leader

See the trends Pac started and are still relevant today.

Follow the Leader - Tupac Shakur was arguably the most influential MC who ever lived. On the 14-year anniversary of his death, BET.com remembers trends Pac started that are still relevant today.

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Follow the Leader - Tupac Shakur was arguably the most influential MC who ever lived. On the 14-year anniversary of his death, BET.com remembers trends Pac started that are still relevant today.

Lab Rat - Pac recorded tirelessly in an age where MCs didn’t produce much left over material off their albums. His work ethic famously led him to record “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,” his last studio album, in seven days. Pac’s surplus of songs allowed his estate to release five posthumous LPs. Taking cues from Pac, today’s rappers typically record loads of songs for every project. The leftover tracks often help appease their fans’ appetite via blogs and mixtapes.

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Lab Rat - Pac recorded tirelessly in an age where MCs didn’t produce much left over material off their albums. His work ethic famously led him to record “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,” his last studio album, in seven days. Pac’s surplus of songs allowed his estate to release five posthumous LPs. Taking cues from Pac, today’s rappers typically record loads of songs for every project. The leftover tracks often help appease their fans’ appetite via blogs and mixtapes.

Shirtless - Appearing in videos and performing shirtless was another one of Pac’s trademarks. 50 Cent and Lil Wayne later adopted the same model.

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Shirtless - Appearing in videos and performing shirtless was another one of Pac’s trademarks. 50 Cent and Lil Wayne later adopted the same model.

Double Up - Pac popularized the double album in hip-hop. Two years after the release of the multiplatinum “All Eyez on Me,” Biggie released “Life After Death.” Nas, Jay-Z and Outkast have also released double albums.

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Double Up - Pac popularized the double album in hip-hop. Two years after the release of the multiplatinum “All Eyez on Me,” Biggie released “Life After Death.” Nas, Jay-Z and Outkast have also released double albums.

Back Stories - Ask any Pac fan and they’ll preach about how real he was. He was no studio gangsta. His run-ins with the law were well documented and he’s often addressed. His compelling back story helped fuel his commercial success. Post Pac, labels began searching for more MCs with street credibility and interesting backgrounds.

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Back Stories - Ask any Pac fan and they’ll preach about how real he was. He was no studio gangsta. His run-ins with the law were well documented and he’s often addressed. His compelling back story helped fuel his commercial success. Post Pac, labels began searching for more MCs with street credibility and interesting backgrounds.

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Thug Life - MCs mostly referred to themselves as gangstas before Pac came along. Post Pac, legions of rappers began calling themselves thugs.

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Thug Life - MCs mostly referred to themselves as gangstas before Pac came along. Post Pac, legions of rappers began calling themselves thugs.

Tatted Up - Rappers didn’t really have tattoos before Pac. At least, if they did, they didn’t show them. Shakur sported many tattoos on his back, arms, chest and stomach. These days, it’s almost uncommon to see MCs who aren’t tatted up.

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Tatted Up - Rappers didn’t really have tattoos before Pac. At least, if they did, they didn’t show them. Shakur sported many tattoos on his back, arms, chest and stomach. These days, it’s almost uncommon to see MCs who aren’t tatted up.

Quote Monster - Tupac's interviews are the stuff of legend. In his wake, MCs have become calculated quote monsters in hope to generate interest.

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Quote Monster - Tupac's interviews are the stuff of legend. In his wake, MCs have become calculated quote monsters in hope to generate interest.

Posthumous - Pac’s posthumous CDs were so successful that others followed suit. Bad Boy released Biggie’s “Born Again” and “Biggie Duets,” Rawkus put together Big L’s “The Big Picture,” and Loud Records dropped Big Pun’s “Endangered Species, just to name a few.

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Posthumous - Pac’s posthumous CDs were so successful that others followed suit. Bad Boy released Biggie’s “Born Again” and “Biggie Duets,” Rawkus put together Big L’s “The Big Picture,” and Loud Records dropped Big Pun’s “Endangered Species, just to name a few.