His second album "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., crossed over to the pop charts with hits "I Get Around" and "Keep Ya Head Up". The album went platinum, selling more than a million albums and sky rocketing Shakur's popularity. While Tupac was getting known through his music, he also made his film debut in the 1992 urban crime drama" Juice" with Omar Epps, Samuel L. Jackson, and Queen Latifah. His softer side was introduced a year later in the street romance "Poetic Justice" Where he starred with opposite Janet Jackson. The following year he played a ruthless drug dealer in the basketball drama "Above The Rim." Tupac was also fascinated with poetry which was the base of his rap lyrics. Some of his more famous poems include "The Rose that Grew from Concrete" and "In the Event of My Demise." Many people did not see this deeper side of Tupac because of his violent rap lyrics where he talks about hardships and struggles he went through as a child, and the violence going on still to this day in the ghettos. Tupac often promoted the saying "Thug Life" which he went by and later got tattooed across his stomach.
Tupac became a big sensation, Being highly praised for his musical and acting talents including his explicitly violent lyrics. Many of his songs tell stories about gangs, violence, and racism. He seemed to be living up to his "Thug Life" Persona after getting arrested for violent offenses in the 1990s. Tupac also fell victim to the violence he always talks about in his music as he was shot 5 times outside of a recording studio during a mugging. Tupac showed up to court the next day even with his wounds really making him popular as he showed the bullets did not phase him. The next year Tupac was sentenced with four and a half years in prison for his sexual assault case. His third album "Me Against the World" was released in 1995, and was Number one on the Charts as many critics praised it.