Afeni Shakur, Rapper Tupac’s Mother, Dies At 69

Afeni Shakur, the mother of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur, died Monday night at her home in Sausalito, Calif. She was 69.

Afeni Shakur Dies

Shakur was taken to a local hospital Monday night after Marin County deputies responded to her house and learned that she had suffered a possible cardiac arrest, according to the New York Daily News. She was pronounced dead just before 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. The exact cause of death is under investigation.

Tupak had often praised his mother’s influence on his life, and rapped about her in his 1995 song “Dear Mama.” Upon the rapper’s death in 1996, Shakur took over his estate and oversaw the posthumous release of 11 of his albums. She also founded the Tupac Amaru Sahkur Foundation, which supports youth arts programs.

Before she was best known for being Tupak’s mother, Shakur was a prominent figure in the Black Panther movement. In 1969, she was arrested with other party members and charged with conspiracy to bomb New York City landmarks. Shakur ended up representing herself in court, and earning an acquittal.

More recently, Shakur served as an executive producer for the forthcoming Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me. The movie, which will be released in November, stars The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira as Shakur.