Tupac Shakur was at the peak of his craftsmanship and popularity when he was killed at the age of 25 in 1996. Earlier that year, Mr. Shakur had released "All Eyez on Me," the first full-length double studio album released by a solo hip-hop artist, a landmark offering that vaulted him from a rap artist into a cultural icon. The album showcased Mr. Shakur at his rawest, poetic best as he peppered commercial smashes like "California Love" and "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" with socially conscious anthems like "I Ain't Mad at Cha" and "Life Goes on." "All Eyez on Me" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and by 2014 it had sold more than 10 million copies globally.

By the time of his death, Mr. Shakur had also established himself as a bankable actor. In 1992, he broke out as Bishop in Ernest Dickerson's "Juice," portraying a volatile teenager as he descended into paranoia and violence. The next year, Mr. Shakur flexed his versatility, starring as the grounded Lucky alongside Janet Jackson in John Singleton's "Poetic Justice." Mr. Shakur acted in seven films, three of which — "Bullet," "Gridlock'd" and "Gang Related" — were released posthumously.

The rising recognition and fame arrived while Mr. Shakur was at a crossroads in his personal life. He joined Marion Knight's Death Row Records, which released "All Eyez on Me," after spending most of 1995 imprisoned at Clinton Correctional Facility in New York. Mr. Shakur had been convicted in 1994 of first-degree sexual abuse. In November 1994, an episode at Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan became a major catalyst in fueling the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop feud.

Three armed men confronted Mr. Shakur in the studio's lobby, and he sustained five gunshot wounds while being robbed. The event established Mr. Knight, known as Suge, and Mr. Shakur as rivals to Bad Boy Records's Sean Combs and the Notorious B. I.

G. In early 1996, Mr. Shakur released "Hit 'Em Up," which featured deeply personal lyrics toward a slew of rappers including Mr. Combs and the Notorious B. I.

G. It is widely considered one of the most vitriol-laced songs in hip-hop history. In past interviews, Duane Keith Davis has said that one of Mr. Combs's associates supplied the weapon that was used in Mr. Shakur's murder.