2Pac, born Tupac Amaru Shakur, was an American rapper, actor and writer who became one of the defining figures of 1990s hip-hop. Through an intense style of writing that blended anger, vulnerability, social criticism and street narratives, he explored themes such as inequality, violence, poverty and the contradictions of American society. Driven by landmark albums including Me Against the World and All Eyez on Me, 2Pac remains one of the most enduring icons in hip-hop culture.