Follow the Leader
See the trends Pac started and 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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