Pillar
On screen
Before the rap, there was the stage. Tupac trained at the Baltimore School for the Arts, and it shows in every role he took. Films from his lifetime, documentaries made after it: this pillar sorts out what deserves your evening.
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Above the Rim (1994): Birdie, Basketball and the Death Row Soundtrack
18 July 2026
Released in March 1994, Jeff Pollack's film gave Tupac the role of Birdie and Death Row a soundtrack driven by Warren G and Nate Dogg's Regulate.
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Above the Rim, Gridlock'd, Gang Related: The Final Roles
9 July 2026
From Above the Rim to Gang Related, Tupac's final film roles, and what Gridlock'd hinted at in a career cut down in full flight.
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Resurrection, Dear Mama: The Documentaries That Matter
9 July 2026
Resurrection, Dear Mama, Biggie & Tupac: my guide to the documentaries about Tupac Shakur, with clear advice on which one to watch first.
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Poetic Justice (1993): Lucky, Opposite Janet Jackson
9 July 2026
In John Singleton's Poetic Justice, Tupac plays Lucky opposite Janet Jackson. A role of unexpected gentleness, carried by the poems of Maya Angelou.
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Juice (1992): Bishop, or Tupac the Actor
8 July 2026
The role of Bishop in Juice revealed Tupac the actor. A look back at a short but dense filmography, from Poetic Justice to Gridlock'd, and where to watch it today.