Joshua+Robinson

=**Early Years 1971-1990**=
 * The Life and times Of Tupac Shakur** Mr.Koss **English**

===Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 on East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City. Tupac was named after the Peruvian revoloutionary who led an uprising against Spain and was executed. In Tupac's early child years both his parents Afeni Shakur and Billy Garland were active members of the Black Panthers in New York City around 1960's and early 1970's. Afeni Shakur was arrested for more than 150 charges of Conspiracy against the United States government and New York like a month before Tupac was born, and starting from his birth there were struggles and conflicts that had a huge impact on him. His grandfather, Elmer Pratt, who was a high ranking Black Panther had been convicted of murdering a high school teacher during a robbery during 1968 but later on was dismissed.Tupac's stepfather Mutulu spent four years on the FBI's ten most wanted list around 1982 but later on was sent to prison for armed robbery and shooting two police officers. When Tupac was twelve he was enrolled in Harlem's 127th street Repertory Ensamble as the cast of Travis Younger in the " A Raisin In the Sun" performed at the Apollo theater.=== **
 * In 1986, the family relocated to Baltimore , [|Maryland] . After completing his second year at  Paul Laurence Dunbar High School  , he transferred to the  Baltimore School for the Arts  , where he studied acting, poetry,  jazz  , and ballet. He performed in  Shakespeare plays  , and in the role of the Mouse King in //  The Nutcracker  //. Shakur, accompanied by one of his friends, Dana "Mouse" Smith, as his  beatbox  , won many rap competitions and was considered to be the best rapper in his school. He was remembered as one of the most popular kids in his school because of his sense of humor, superior rapping skills, and ability to mix with all crowds. He developed a close friendship with a young  Jada Pinkett  (later Jada Pinkett Smith) that lasted until his death**.
 * In the documentary // Tupac: Resurrection //, Shakur says, "Jada is my heart. She will be my friend for my whole life." Pinkett Smith calls him "one of my best friends. He was like a brother. It was beyond friendship for us. The type of relationship we had, you only get that once in a lifetime." A poem written by Shakur titled "Jada" appears in his book, //The Rose That Grew From Concrete//, which also includes a poem dedicated to Pinkett Smith called "The Tears in Cupid's Eyes". During his time in art school, Shakur became affiliated with the Baltimore Young Communist League USA, and began dating the daughter of the director of the local Communist Party USA.
 * In June 1988, Shakur and his family moved to Marin City, California, a residential community located 5 miles (8.0 km) north of San Francisco, where he attended Tamalpais High School in nearby Mill Valley. He began attending the poetry classes of Leila Steinberg in 1989. That same year, Steinberg organized a concert with a former group of Shakur's, "Strictly Dope"; the concert led to him being signed with Atron Gregory. He set him up as a roadie and backup dancer with the young rap group Digital Underground  in 1990.**