In June 1986, Tupac’s mother Afeni brought him and his sister to live in Baltimore, Maryland. They lived on Greenmount Ave. in East Baltimore, where his looks, name, and lack of ‘trendy’ clothing made him unpopular. He attended Roland Park Middle School, then spent his freshman year at Paul Lawrence Dunbar High. For his sophomore year, Tupac was accepted to the Baltimore School for the Arts. He enjoyed his classes there, studying theater, ballet, and other arts. It was during this time that Tupac became close friends with another student named Jada Pinkett. Tupac was already outspoken on the subject of racial equality. His teachers remembered him as being a very gifted student. He was an avid reader, delving into books on eastern religions, and even entire encyclopedia sets. Hiding his love of literature from his peers, he gained their respect by acting like a tough guy. Tupac composed his first rap in Baltimore under the name ‘MC New York’. The song was about gun control and was inspired by the fatal shooting of one of his close friends.
