This week, Tupac Shakur earned a place in music history when news was announced that he would be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame next year. During the ’90s, Shakur served as a pillar in hip-hop because of his talented music abilities. Whether he was trying to be a party starter on tracks like “I Get Around,” trounce his enemies on “Hit ‘Em Up,” or provide meaningful messages of empowerment on “Keep Ya Head Up,” his work resonated deeply with listeners.
In honor of his induction, Billboard complied the 10 best hip-hop songs to sampled ‘Pac’s music. Check out the list below.
“For the Road,” Tyga Feat. Chris Brown
Instead of delving deep into his love for his mother like Tupac did on “Dear Mama,” Tyga samples the beat to spit about his late night escapades on “For the Road.”
“Pain,” Fabolous
Here, Fab delivers his deepest thoughts and glides through the “Pain” sample once used by Tupac.
“All Eyes On You,” Meek Mill Feat. Nicki Minaj & Chris Brown
Mill and Minaj tag team for this bae-worthy anthem by paying homage to Tupac’s 1996 record “All Eyez on Me.”
“The Vent,” Big K.R.I.T.
On “The Vent,” K.R.I.T. masterfully samples Tupac’s 1998 “Changes.”
“Another Day,” Fat Joe Feat. Rick Ross, French Montana & Tiara Thomas
Joey Crack salutes the West Coast rapper by sampling “Keep Ya Head Up” for this star-studded track.
“I Wonder,” Kanye West
Known to dig deeply in the crates, West subtly samples ‘Pac’s hard-hitting smash “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” on this Graduation cut.
“The Pledge,” Ja Rule Feat. Nas & Ashanti
The R.U.L.E. has always voiced his love and admiration for the late Shakur but on “The Pledge,” he rallies Murder Inc.’s First Lady and Nas to rap over this “So Many Tears” beat.
“Wouldn’t Get Far,” The Game Feat. Kanye West
Once again, West is responsible for sampling another Tupac classic. For this Jayceon Taylor offering, he uses Shakur’s “All Bout U” off ‘Pac’s 1996 double album All Eyez on Me.
“Dipset Anthem,” The Diplomats
The Harlem squad flipped Tupac’s “Death Around the Corner” into an East Coast smash from 2003’s Diplomatic Immunity album.
“Way of Life,” Lil Wayne Feat. Big Tymers & TQ
Before Weezy became a mainstream darling, he was all about feeding the streets. On top of the beat for Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up,” Wayne brags about his rich lifestyle for this bouncy record.