40 Laws of Tupac

A blueprint to living life like the rap icon.

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40 Laws of Tupac - Tupac died 16 years ago today, September 13. But his legacy lives on, and not just through his music — he also left us with countless deep writings, timeless quotes and mini-philosophies that give a deeper look into the man behind the legend. Here, inspired by the 48 Laws of Power, BET.com combed through Shakur's music, interviews and videos to assemble the 40 laws that Pac lived by. Read on and stay strong. (Photo: Interscope Records)

"Until the End of Time" - This track was unveiled as the title and lead single in 2001 for Makaveli's third release after his death. With R.L. from Next supplying the hook and re-singing the pulsating vocals from the '80s classic "Broken Wings," Pac compared his life to an injured bird still fighting to survive and in his case the ghetto was Pac's roadblock as he tries to soar. "This all night money making got me outta touch, s--t/Ain't flashed a smile in a long while/An unexpected birth, worst of the ghetto childs."(Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Law 1 - “Being humble is sexy.”— Interview with Tabitha Soren(Photo: By Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Image)

"Changes" - The rebel of the underground took on police brutality, Black-on Black crime and the drug epidemic in this 1998 release. Recorded in 1992, Pac sent chills up people's spines as he called for society to make some much needed adjustments to it's thinking. "Cops give a damn about a Negro, pull the trigger, kill a n---a, he's a hero/Give the crack to the kids, who the hell cares? One less hungry mouth on the welfare!" (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Law 2 - “I’m not a threat, unless you’re a threat to me.”—1994 Interview with Ed Gordon

"Keep Ya Head Up" - "Keep Ya Head Up" was one of Tupac's first major hits as he called for better treatment of women and for single mothers to keep striving forward despite the odds. The chorus also featured a young Dave Hollister before his success with Blackstreet, when he was known as The Black Angel. Verses like, "I give a holla to my sisters on welfare/2Pac cares, if don't nobody else care" flow throughout the track.(Photo: Kevin Mazur Archive/WireImage)

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Law 3 - “Cheer for me for what I’m doing, for what I stand for.”—1994 Interview with Ed Gordon

"Nothin' But Love" - Tupac rapped about a Black utopia here and how the Black community could be if we stood strong and put our best foot forward. Going back to the days of it taking a village to raise a child, Pac spits, "When I was young I used to want to be a dealer see/'Cause the gold and cars they appealed to me/I saw our brothers getting rich slangin' crack to folks ... Started thinking 'bout a plan to get paid myself/So I made myself, raised myself/'Til the dealer on the block told me, 'That ain't cool, you ain't meant to slang crack, you a rapper fool."(Photo: Ke.Mazur/WireImage)

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Law 4\r - “Everybody need a little help on their way to being self-reliant.”—1992 MTV Interview\r \r \r(Photo: By Ke.Mazur/WireImage)

Ke.Mazur/WireImage

Law 5\r\r  - “You have to come up. Everything is a come up, everything is a struggle. You start from the bottom and work it to the top.”—1994 Interview with Ed Gordon\r \r \r(Photo: By Chi Modu)

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Law 5\r\r  - “You have to come up. Everything is a come up, everything is a struggle. You start from the bottom and work it to the top.”—1994 Interview with Ed Gordon\r \r \r(Photo: By Chi Modu)

"Me Against the World" - Makaveli provided a lot of hope for those feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders as he painted vivid pictures to show people that they were not going through the storm of life alone. His own lines are haunting as he stresses his will to survive despite adversity. "I'm losing my homies in a hurry, they're relocating to the cemetery/Got me worried, stressing, my vision's blurried/The question is will I live? No one in the world loves me/I'm headed for danger, don't trust strangers."(Photo: Ron Galella/WireImage)

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Law 6\r - “I think when there’s hopelessness, people revolt.”-- 1992 MTV Interview\r \r(Photo: By Ron Galella/WireImage)

Ron Galella/WireImage

Tupac - Tupac was known for his candid tongue and provocative lyrics. At a MECCA arena concert in Milwaukee back in 1994 Pac got a little too carefree with his words inciting a riot which caused promoters to drop him. Pac allegedly sparked conflict with "fight words," and fans began to throw cups on stage, shove, and more; forcing the concert to end early. Afterwards, the aggravated concertgoers stormed the hotel Tupac was staying at, leaving three injured and two arrested. Promoters blamed the rapper for the mayhem and promptly discontinued their relationship him before his next show.(Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Law 7\r - “Everything I do, I do to represent my people.”—1994 Interview with Ed Gordon\r \r \r(Photo: By Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"It Ain't Easy" - Pac got his B.B. King on with this classic from Me Against the World. The blues melody and guitar licks fit perfect as Pac detailed his struggles at the time which included his run-ins with the law and jail stints. Making you realize everyone has problems, he kicks the real with lyrics like, "Gettin calls from my n---a Mike Tyson, ‘ain't nothing nice/Yo 'Pac, do something righteous witcha life/And even though you're innocent you still a n----a, so they figure/Rather have you behind bars than triggers."(Photo: Reuters)

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Law 8\r\r  - “Everybody’s getting pimped; whether you work a nine to five or whether you work for yourself, you gettin’ pimped by somebody. That’s not the crime. The crime is how long you allow yourself to get pimped.”—1994 Interview with Ed Gordon\r \r(Photo: By POOL New / Reuters)

VIBE - Quincy branched out yet again in 1990 when he founded VIBE magazine, arguably the best and most influential Black-music magazine ever. (Photo: Vibe Magazine)

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Law 9 - “There’s nothing criminal about bearing arms. Nothing.”— 1994 Interview with Ed Gordon

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Law 10 - “If I can’t live free, if I can’t live with the same respect as the next man, I don’t wanna be here.”—1994 Interview with Ed Gordon

Law 11 - “You can do something, and if it’s good enough, people will remember you.”— “Reflections”

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Law 11 - “You can do something, and if it’s good enough, people will remember you.”— “Reflections”

Law 12 - “I have to make the life that I do live as happy as I can, and try to do best with what I have.”— Oppressive Life Internet video

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Law 12 - “I have to make the life that I do live as happy as I can, and try to do best with what I have.”— Oppressive Life Internet video

Law 13 - "Down to die for everything I represent.”—“Letter to the President”

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Law 13 - "Down to die for everything I represent.”—“Letter to the President”

Law 14\r - “The reason I am who I am today is because I can look directly into my face and find my soul.”—Soul Interview (YouTube)

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Law 14\r - “The reason I am who I am today is because I can look directly into my face and find my soul.”—Soul Interview (YouTube)

Juice (1992) - In this vehicle that launched Tupac as a film star (and cinematic thug soldier), Jackson was the perfect street info man in the role of Trip. His keen ear to the street would put Starsky & Hutch's Huggy Bear to shame.(Photo: Courtesy Island World)

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Law 15\r - “All of our gifts and blessings, and our strengths and our weaknesses come from God.”—Soul Interview (Youtube)

Poetic Justice (1993)   - For his sophomore project, Singleton paired Janet Jackson and hip hop music icon Tupac in this film about two South Central denizens—battling personal tragedies—who take a road trip in a mail truck to Oakland. Legendary writer Maya Angelou was hired to write poetry for Janet, who played a hairdresser moonlighting as a poetess. Opening number one at the box office its first weekend, the film also starred Guy Torry and Regina King.(Photo: Columbia Pictures)

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Law 16\r - "Either we stay like this, or somebody sacrifices.”— (YouTube video)

Law 17\r - “I don’t wanna burn out, I wanna be forever, eternal.”— Rare Interview (YouTube)

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Law 17\r - “I don’t wanna burn out, I wanna be forever, eternal.”— Rare Interview (YouTube)

Gridlock’d (1997) - Tupac as “Spoon” and Tim Roth as “Stretch” are heroine addicts determined to kick their habit in a detox program after a friend overdoses. But they have to get past the police and drug dealers first. Thandie Newton, in one of her first starring roles, is “Cookie,” Tupac’s lounge singing dope fiend girlfriend.

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Law 18\r - "When I’m gone, I want my name to be here.”—Rare Interview (YouTube)

Tupac: Resurrection (2003) - This posthumous documentary tells the story of Tupac’s life and music through rare archival footage, interviews with his family and friends like Jada Pinkett Smith, Treach and his mother, Afeni Shakur. And although his music frequently spoke of his demise, Tupac’s narration of his life as the voiceover in the film is completely surreal.

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Law 19\r - “There’s no need for you to fear me/If you take your time to hear me, maybe you can learn to cheer me.”—“Ghetto Gospel”

Law 20\r - “Don’t ever change, keep your essence/The power is in the people.…”—“Look Into My Eyes”

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Law 20\r - “Don’t ever change, keep your essence/The power is in the people.…”—“Look Into My Eyes”

Law 21\r - “Before we find world peace/We gotta find peace and end the war in the streets.”—“Ghetto Gospel”

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Law 21\r - “Before we find world peace/We gotta find peace and end the war in the streets.”—“Ghetto Gospel”

Law 22\r - “Always do your best, don’t let the pressure make you panic.”—“Look Into My Eyes”

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Law 22\r - “Always do your best, don’t let the pressure make you panic.”—“Look Into My Eyes”

Law 23 - “We’re all human beings, we’re all susceptible to our own weaknesses.”—“Look Into My Eyes”

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Law 23 - “We’re all human beings, we’re all susceptible to our own weaknesses.”—“Look Into My Eyes”

Law 24 - “Use your brain! Use your brain!”—“White Man’s World”

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Law 24 - “Use your brain! Use your brain!”—“White Man’s World”

Law 25\r - “It’s so easy to regret things after they’re done.”—“The Good Die Young”

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Law 25\r - “It’s so easy to regret things after they’re done.”—“The Good Die Young”

Law 26\r - “If he give you the voltage and you waste it, that’s the curse.”—Soul Interview (YouTube)

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Law 26\r - “If he give you the voltage and you waste it, that’s the curse.”—Soul Interview (YouTube)

Law 27\r - “I just wanna be somebody that my moms can be proud of, somebody that another Black person my age can be proud of, somebody that…my kids can be proud of.”—Rare Interview (YouTube)

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Law 27\r - “I just wanna be somebody that my moms can be proud of, somebody that another Black person my age can be proud of, somebody that…my kids can be proud of.”—Rare Interview (YouTube)

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Law 28\r - "Never forget that God isn’t finished with me yet.”—“Ghetto Gospel”\r \r(Photo: REUTERS/Mike Segar /Landov)

Tupac - His role as the gun-blazing, power-crazed Bishop in 1992’s Juice made America take notice of this rapper with immense acting chops (he’d studied the craft in high school). Not just the loose cannon (1996’s Above the Rim), Tupac also showed emotional depth/introspection (1993’s Poetic Justice) and a mature intensity (1997’s Gang Related and Gridlock’d). (Photo: Davila / Retna Ltd)

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Law 29\r - “Black Power”—“Only God Can Judge Me”\r \r \r(Photo: Bill Davila / Retna Ltd.)

Photo: Bill Davila / Retna Ltd.

Law 30 - “Never fall for riches.”—“White Man’s World”\r \r(Photo: REUTERS/Mark Cardwell /Landov)

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Law 30 - “Never fall for riches.”—“White Man’s World”\r \r(Photo: REUTERS/Mark Cardwell /Landov)

Photo: REUTERS/Mark Cardwell /Landov

Law 31\r - “It’s hard to carry on when no one loves you.”—“Thugz Mansion”\r \r(Photo: By Ernie Paniccioli/Retna Ltd.)

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Law 31\r - “It’s hard to carry on when no one loves you.”—“Thugz Mansion”\r \r(Photo: By Ernie Paniccioli/Retna Ltd.)

Photo: By Ernie Paniccioli/Retna Ltd.

Happy Birthday Tupac! - Wednesday would have been Tupac Shakur’s 39th birthday. In 1996, the Death Row rapper was gunned down at 25 while in Las Vegas. In celebration of his life, Madame Tussauds placed his wax figure next to a figure of Biggie Smalls at its museum in D.C. A Tupac biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day” and “Brooklyn’s Finest”) has been recently announced.

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Law 32\r - “When I die, I wanna be a living legend.”—“No More Pain”\r \r(Photo: Interscope)

2Pac - "I remember Marvin Gaye used to sing to me/ He had me feeling like Black was the thing to be," 2Pac rapped on "Keep Ya Head Up." Marvin Gaye's early music addressed struggles in the community.

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Law 33\r - “I wanna distinguish myself.”—“Letter to My Unborn Child”\r \r(Photo: Interscope)

Photo: Interscope

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Law 34\r - “It takes skill to be real.”—“Changes”\r \r(Photo: Interscope)

A Different World (1993) - Pac shows up on the Hillman campus as Lena’s (Jada Pinkett Smith) Baltimore homeboy, who says she’s changed since heading to college. The two are actually childhood friends who attended Baltimore School of the Arts together. Look for a hilarious music video that he and Jada recorded to none other than now hubby Will Smith's  “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”A Different World (Photo: NBC)

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Law 35\r - “In times of danger don’t freeze, time to be a G.”—“Until the End of Time”\r \r \r(Photo: NBC)

Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur - These legendary rappers both made a smooth transition from hip hop to Hollywood. With memorable roles in Juice, Poetic Justice and Above The Rim, Pac would have had an amazing film career had he lived longer. Combining TV, film, and cartoons, Snoop's racked up over 50 roles, including in BET Star Cinema favorites The Wash and Baby Boy. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

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Law 36\r - “It’s gone be some stuff you gone see that’s gone make it hard to smile in the future. But whatever you see, through all the rain and the pain, you gotta keep a sense of humor. You gotta be able to smile through all this bulls—t, remember that.”—“Smile”\r \r(Photo: By Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

"All About You"\r - "I make a promise if you go with me, just let me know/\rI'll have you hollerin my name out before I leave."\r \r(Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Law 37\r - "If you can make it through the night then there’s a brighter day.”—“Dear Mama”\r \r(Photo: By Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Law 38\r - “If you fall stand tall and come back for more”—“Keep Your Head Up”\r \r(Photo: New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett Collection)

Photo: New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett Collection

Law 39\r - “I would have to change the world or I would have to be changed by the world.”—Interview with Vibe Magazine 1996.\r \r \r(Photo: By REUTERS/Gary Hershorn /Landov)

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Law 39\r - “I would have to change the world or I would have to be changed by the world.”—Interview with Vibe Magazine 1996.\r \r \r(Photo: By REUTERS/Gary Hershorn /Landov)

Photo: By REUTERS/Gary Hershorn /Landov

From a 1993 Freestyle Battle With Then Ally Tupac - I got seven Mack 11s, about eight 38s / Nine 9s, 10 Mack 10s, the shits never ends / You can't touch my riches / Even if you had MC Hammer and them 357 bi****s / Biggie Smalls; the millionaire, the mansion, the yacht / The two weed spots, the two hot glocks / That's how I got the weed spot / I shot dread in the head, took the bread and the lamb’s bread(Photo: Mary Evans/FILMFOUR/LAFAYETTE FILMS/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection)

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Law 40\r - Don’t support the phonies, support the real.”—A Video Dedicated to Tupac (YouTube)\r \r(Photo: By Mary Evans/FILMFOUR / LAFAYETTE FILMS/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection, 10391757)