Topics: Tupac death, Fugees, Set It Off, Moesha (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)

http://afropopremix.com

1996 Snapshots

1.    President: Bill Clinton

2.    Jan - Whitewater scandal: U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton testifies before a grand jury.

3.    Feb - Daniel Green is convicted of the murder of James Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan.

4.    Mar - Lyle and Erik Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents.

5.    Apr - Chicago Bulls set a new NBA record for the most wins in a season, 70.

6.    May -?

7.    Jun - The Colorado Avalanche wins their first Stanley Cup in their first season based out of Denver and The Chicago Bulls win their fourth NBA Championship by defeating the Seattle Supersonics.

8.    July - The Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics kills 2 and injures 111.

9.    Aug - Tiger Woods makes his professional PGA Tour debut.

10.    Sep - Tupac Shakur dies.

11.    Oct - The Fox News Channel is launched.

12.    Nov - Bill Clinton defeats Republican challenger Bob Dole to win his second term.

13.    Dec - Death of JonBenét Ramsey: A six-year-old beauty queen is beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado; her body is found the following day.

14.    Open Comments:

15.    Music Snapshots

16.    #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río

17.    #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men

18.    #3 Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion

19.    Record of the Year: Change the World – Eric Clapton

20.    Album of the Year: Falling Into You – Celine Dion

21.    Song of the Year: Change the World

22.    Best New Artist: LeAnn Rimes

23.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: You're Makin' Me High – Toni Braxton

24.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Your Secret Love – Luther Vandross

25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Killing Me Softly – Fugees

26.    Best R&B Song: Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Babyface, songwriter (Whitney Houston)

27.    Best R&B Album: Words – The Tony Rich Project

28.    Best Rap Solo Performance: Hey Lover – LL Cool J

29.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Tha Crossroads – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

30.    Best Rap Album: The Score – Fugees

31.    Movie Snapshots

32.    #1 Independence Day

33.    #2 Twister

34.    #3 Mission: Impossible

35.    Notables: Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, The Birdcage, Fargo, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, The Nutty Professor, Kazaam, Set It Off, Space Jam, Jerry Maguire.

36.    TV Snapshots

37.    #1 - ER

38.    #2 - Seinfeld

39.    #3 - Suddenly Susan

40.    Debuts: Moesha, The Daily Show, Kenan & Kel, The Steve Harvey Show, In The House, Malcolm & Eddie, Homeboys in Outer Space, The Jamie Foxx Show

41.    Economic Snapshots

42.    Income = 36.3k (Previously 36K)

43.    House = 118.2K (113)

44.    Car = 16.3k (15.5)

45.    Rent = 554(550)

46.    Harvard = 27.5k (26k)

47.    Movie = 4.42 (4.35)

48.    Gas = 1.22 (1.12)

49.    Stamp = .32 (-)

50.    Social Scene: Tupac Killed

51.    Childhood: Tupac Shakur, born Parish Crooks, was born on June 16, 1971, to Black Panther activist parents in New York City. Thirteen days later, his mother, Alice Faye Walker (Afeni Shakur), changed his name. The parents wanted to avoid him being targeted by Black Panther-affiliated enemies. His mother was imprisoned while she was pregnant with him. Tupac's father, Billy Garland, was also a Panther but lost contact with Afeni when Tupac was five years old. The rapper would not see his father again until he was 23 - I thought my father was dead all my life.

52.    Early Life: He had a difficult childhood, as he grew up in the company of criminals, militant activist, violence, and a drugged addicted mother with a transient lifestyle. Art became a constructive and safe escape. His first acting stint was in 1983 (@12 yrs. old) with the Harlem’s 127th StreetRepertory Ensemble when he performed in a play ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ at the Apollo Theater. In 1984, Tupac's family moved from New York City to Baltimore, Maryland.There he studied poetry, jazz, acting, and ballet at the Baltimore School for the Arts and befriended Jada Pinkett. The family later moved to Marin City, California, across the bay from Oakland, in 1988 (@17 yrs. old). They went to the home of a woman Afeni had been close to during her Black Panther days and lived in a poor housing complex, referred to as ‘the Jungle.’

53.    Early Career: While attending high school he participated in a poetry workshop known as The Microphone Sessions, organized by Leila Steinberg, who would eventually become his first manager. She introduced 19-year-old Tupac to Atron Gregory, a manager for the World Class Wrekin Cru’ and tour manager for NWA, who had just returned to the Bay Area, started TNT Records, and quickly gained attention by signing Digital Underground.  Gregory matched Tupac with Digital Underground as a roadie and backup dancer. Tupac’s talent was soon recognized by the group, and he began rapping in some of their songs. He debuted on ‘Same Song,’ which was featured in the 1991 film Nothing But Trouble. (@20 yrs. old)

54.    Solo Career: He released his debut solo album ‘2Pacalypse Now’ in 1991. (Big hit - 'Brenda's Got a Baby') Also in 1991, Shakur filed a $10-million lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department for allegedly brutalizing him over jaywalking. The case was settled for about $43,000. (1992 - Juice, first starring role) His second album, ‘Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z’ came out in 1993. It was more successful than its predecessor and contained the hits ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ and ‘I Get Around’. (1993 - Poetic Justice, co-starred with Janet Jackson) In 1994, he formed a group Thug Life and they released one album ‘Thug Life: Volume 1. (1994 - Above the Rim, Co-starred with Duane Martin) During this period he had several brushes with the law (he was associated with the shooting of a 6 yr. old Qa'id Walker-Teal in Marin City / shooting two policemen / various physical assaults) and was shot in an armed robbery case. After recovering from the shooting, he was sent to prison on a sexual assault charge. He released the album ‘Me Against the World’ in 1995 (@24) while serving his prison term. The album was an immediate hit and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

55.    Final Album: During 1995, while imprisoned, impoverished, and with his mother about to lose her house, Tupac had his wife get word to Marion Suge Knight, in Los Angeles, boss of the Death Row Records, at the time a verry successful company, and asked for a meeting. Tupac's mother received $15k, Suge paid Tupac's $1.4m bail, signed the rapper, and went to work on the album ‘All Eyez on Me’. The album was recorded in two weeks! In a matter of two weeks, Tupac recorded and completed the double-disc album, completing two out of three albums he owed Death Row. (The third release would end up being the posthumously released The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory) Released in February of 1996, the album featured five singles and went multi-Platinum in just a few months after its release.

56.    Death: Seven months later, in September 1996, Tupac was killed in a drive-by shooting. He was 25 years old.

57.    Open Comments:

58.    Question: Confused young man or someone to be taken seriously? (What did he represent?)

59.    Music Scene:

60.    Black Songs in the Top 40

61.    #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río

62.    #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men

63.    #4 Nobody Knows, The Tony Rich Project

64.    #5 Always Be My Baby, Mariah Carey

65.    #6 Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman

66.    #7 Tha Crossroads, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

67.    #9 You're Makin' Me High / Let It Flow, Toni Braxton

68.    #10 Twisted, Keith Sweat

69.    #11 C'mon N' Ride It (The Train), Quad City DJ's

70.    #14 Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Whitney Houston

71.    #16 Sittin' Up in My Room, Brandy

72.    #17 How Do U Want It / California Love, 2Pac featuring K-Ci and JoJo

73.    #20 Hey Lover, LL Cool J

74.    #21 Loungin, LL Cool J

75.    #23 Be My Lover, La Bouche

76.    #27 I Can't Sleep Baby (If I), R. Kelly

77.    #32 Not Gon' Cry, Mary J. Blige

78.    #33 Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio featuring L.V.

79.    #34 Only You, 112 featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase

80.    #35 Down Low (Nobody Has to Know), R. Kelly featuring The Isley Brothers

81.    #36 You're the One, SWV

82.    #37 Sweet Dreams, La Bouche

83.    #38 Before You Walk Out of My Life / Like This and Like That, Monica<b