Why content marketers should be inspired by Tupac Shakur

If you’re in the business of creating and marketing content — and most people businesses are to some extent — then sometimes you need some inspiration. I am going to show you how one of my favorite rappers of all time, Tupac Shakur, can inspire you to create and share fearlessly.

Tupac Shakur, also known as 2Pac, was a content creating machine. Ten posthumous original 2Pac albums were released after Tupac’s death in 1996. All of them featured original songs. All of them went platinum.

This was possible because of Tupac’s legendary work ethic. I created a short video to highlight Tupac’s hard working ways.

My introduction to Tupac’s work ethic

I had an english teacher in the sixth grade who allocated time each week for free reading. While my fellow classmates read books like Harry Potter, 12 year-old Christopher was flying through the pages of Frank Alexander’s tell-all, Got Your Back: Protecting Tupac in the World of Gangsta Rap.

Frank Alexander was Tupac’s bodyguard and friend who was with Tupac the night he was gunned down in Las Vegas and needed to tell his side of the story.

One thing I still remember from the book is Alexander’s description of Tupac’s work ethic. I remember one story in particular where he describes Tupac picking up a yellow legal pad and pens from the store on a whim. Pac wrote at a furious pace for the remainder of the car ride.

Here’s the actual quote — which I dug up because I care about giving you the best possible reading experience:

“One time, we were driving in the limo, we’d just from a court appearance…the drive to and from court must have inspired [Tupac] because I remember Tupac saying, “Tell the limo driver to pull over, Frank.” So the driver did, and Pac jumped out of the car and into a store. He came out with a handful of ballpoint pens and a spiral notepad. By the time we got back to his house, he’d written a song. He did that all the time. He wrote music real fast, he knew what was in his head.”

Not only was Tupac’s work ethic so impressive, but so is his fearless attitude about sharing his work. I have spent time with super talented creatives who stockpile material, never letting it see the light of day. They have material that would touch people’s hearts and souls, but they never give it the chance because they personally are over it. Tupac’s selfless-ness is what made him different.

Tupac’s approach was radical, or at least radically different. Pac is an inspiration to anyone who creates and markets content. Tupac lost his life at 25. Think about that in terms of the impact Pac had on the world in such a short period of time. Imagine what we could all do if we created and shared like Pac.