The concept of “50 NIGGAZ” quickly morphed into “Thug Life”, a more inclusive, better defined philosophy. “NIGGAZ” is also an acronym for Tupac, meaning “Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished”.
According to Michael Eric Dyson, author of Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur, this tattoo symbolizes black unity: bring together 1 black man from each of the 50 states in the United States and they would be stronger than any weapon even a Kalashnikov assault rifle. But the big difference in style and type of writing contradicts that somewhat.Īn AK-47 with “50 NIGGAZ” written on top of it. According to some, it goes together with the “Outlaw”-tattoo on his left forearm read “Notorious Outlaw”. The word “Notorious” written vertically over the whole right forearm. This skull with crossbones underneath the word “Heartless”, was at a later stage supplemented by the phrase “My only fear of death is coming back reincarnated”. Next to it is written “Be Ambitious with Love While Young”. It shows a skull with a bunch of cash and a scale balancing what seems to be a baby on one side and bars of gold on the other. Possibly one of his lesser known and lesser photographed big tattoos, but at the same time one of the most complex. His original stage name and his first tattoo, which he got in 1989. The “2.DIE.4” probably refers to his own song, ‘ Something 2 Die 4’ ( Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., 1993), in which he said: You know what my momma used to tell me / If ya can’t find something to live for / You best find something ta die for. This might also be a reference to Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, a Black Queen as he often referred to her. She is a symbol for strong (black) women. Written underneath the portret of Nefertiti, an Egyptian queen and the Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten, an Egyptian Pharaoh. Tupac’s last studio album was posthumously released under the alias Makaveli. He was so impressed by the figure and his ideas, that he wanted to change his stage name from “2Pac” to “Makaveli”. It was here Tupac grew an interest into Niccolò Machiavelli. It is widely known that Tupac read a lot, especially while serving time in prison in 1995. Front Front view of Tupac’s tattoos ( Danny Clinch)