I think 2pac was a fraud in some respects. After seeing footage of him in high school, his whole persona had to be an act. From all appearances he was a drama kid, not a g'd up thug from the streets. I believe he was an excellent performer and actor.
I don't think it was about being influenced by anyone. He was already in the music industry as a back up dancer before he was a rapper. The guy was extremely bright and recognized an opportunity. He was a performer & actor who played a role very well.
No offense to you buddy but apparently you missed the whole point what Tupac was all about! Maybe also what Rap is all about! Sorry.
He never played a role, it's exactly what
@PunkNinja said. Influences. He grew up surrounded by Black Panther activist with a big criminal background.
His dad was sentenced to 60 years in prison. His mother was pregnant with him in prison. He was into arts and poetry from the very beginning like he was into rap.
He moved the city 3 times till he was 17. NY, Baltimore than LA. And yeah he danced, he did also Ballet in Baltimore at School of Arts. And he said later it was the best time of his life in Baltimore.
Theres so much more what influenced him and his character. And being 18 in the hood of LA at that time without a father figure, with racism, with police brutality, with a big gang culture surrounded him and no money he surely did some things too.
It was the attitude and his persona that was a thug. It was more a Black Power thing and politically. He was a voice for the young black males in the 80s-90s at that time struggling with problems
like racism and thats what he told in his raps. He was telling stories about stuff that affected everything around him he wanted to point out.
You don't need to have killed people to be a Thug. People who are thinking like that are not meant to be listen to Rap music anyway.
It's not what the 50 cents and rick ross and the newspapers show you. Thats not Rap. Thats radio music. Rap is an art, its political, its a voice for people who are not possible to speak up for themselves.
Its about not having much money to go to music schools so you improvised music with a turntable and your voice.
Sorry my english is not the best, I would love to explain it to you in german. But you missed the whole point buddy. You can dance and be also a Thug. You can write poetry and also be a Thug.
And you can do Gangster Rap when you influenced your whole life with things like that. It's what the white folks saw in black young males at that time. Thugs. So he said OK we all be Thugs. Thug Life.