[35][36] Although Wallace reportedly had little ambition for the tape, local disc jockey Mister Cee, known for his work with Big Daddy Kane and the Juice Crew, discovered and promoted it.

[37] Mister Cee sent the tape to Matteo Capoluongo, an editor at The Source magazine, who featured the track in the "Unsigned Hype" section in March 1992, a chart dedicated to showcasing promising rappers.

[46] The song was heavily inspired by "When the Revolution Comes" by the Last Poets, which uses sarcasm, frustration, and humor to critique young Black people's lack of seriousness in the struggle for equality.

[56] Wallace's success continued, though to a lesser extent, with remixes of Neneh Cherry's "Buddy X" and reggae artist Super Cat's "Dolly My Baby" in 1993.

[57] In July 1994, Wallace appeared alongside LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes on a remix of Craig Mack's track "Flava in Ya Ear", which reached No.

[62] The upcoming album's first song to be released was the title track, "Ready to Die", followed by "Gimme the Loot", "Things Done Changed", "Machine Gun Funk", and "Warning".

[68] Inspired by Snoop Dogg's bold, violent, and darkly humorous hit records, Wallace sought to create a similar style with Ready to Die, infused with an East Coast influence.

[69] Wallace originally wanted to name the album The Teflon Don, drawing inspiration from John Gotti, who was then making headlines for his ability to avoid legal troubles.

[76][77][78] In addition to "Juicy", the album produced two other hit singles: the platinum-selling "Big Poppa", which topped the U.S. rap chart[79] and "One More Chance", which sold one million copies in 1995 (the year of its release).

[110] In 2012, Dexter Isaac, who was serving a life sentence for unrelated crimes, claimed responsibility for the attack on Shakur that night, stating that the robbery was orchestrated by entertainment executive and former drug trafficker James Rosemond.

[118] In June 1995, Wallace guest appeared with pop singer Michael Jackson on the album HIStory Continues, providing vocals for the song "This Time Around".

"[131] According to Wallace, humor had always been his way of coping with hardship since elementary school, explaining, "I gotta make jokes about it [...] I can't be the [guy] running around all serious".

[139][140] The Los Angeles Times editor Mark Duvoisin stated that "Philips' story has withstood all challenges to its accuracy, [...] [and] remains the definitive account of the Shakur slaying".

[87] Despite his hospitalization, he continued working on the album, referencing the accident in "Long Kiss Goodnight" with the line, "Ya still tickle me, I used to be as strong as Ripple be / Til Lil' Cease crippled me".

[169] On March 8, 1997, Wallace attended a Soul Train Awards after-party hosted by Vibe and Qwest Records at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

[174] He traveled in the front passenger seat alongside associates Damion "D-Roc" Butler, Lil' Cease, and driver Gregory "G-Money" Young.

[178] The Impala's driver, described as an unidentified African-American man in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9-millimetre (0.35 in) blue-steel pistol, and fired at Wallace's vehicle.

[206] In December 1999, Bad Boy Records released Born Again,[209] an album featuring previously unreleased material from Wallace, mixed with new guest appearances from artists he had not collaborated with during his lifetime, including Eminem and Missy Elliott.

[218] "Nasty Girl" features Combs, Nelly, Jagged Edge and Avery Storm,[219] and "Spit Your Game" includes guest appearances from Krayzie Bone, Twista, and 8Ball & MJG.

[246] Wallace's lyrics explored a range of themes, including mafioso narratives ("Niggas Bleed"),[247] reflections on his drug-dealing past ("Ten Crack Commandments"),[248] materialistic boasting ("Hypnotize"),[45] humor ("Just Playing (Dreams)"),[249] and romantic experiences ("Me & My Bitch").

[231] In the book How to Rap, rapper Guerilla Black highlighted Wallace's ability to "glorify the upper echelon"[250] while also making listeners "feel his struggle".

[29] Wallace described his debut album, Ready to Die, as "a big pie, with each slice indicating a different point in [his] life involving bitches and niggaz [...] from the beginning to the end".

[252] Rolling Stone described Ready to Die as a contrast of "bleak" street visions and being "full of high-spirited fun, bringing the pleasure principle back to hip-hop".

[231] Krims observed that the record alternates between upbeat, dance-oriented tracks and gritty "reality rap," reflecting a thematic shift toward a more "pimp" persona.

[236] XXL Mag noted that Wallace "revamped his image" between the two albums, evolving from a "mid-level hustler" on his debut to a "drug lord" on his sophomore effort.

[259] Wallace's lyrics have been extensively sampled and quoted by artists across genres, including Jay-Z,[260] 50 Cent,[261] Eminem,[262] Lil Wayne,[263] Drake,[263] Kendrick Lamar,[263] Ludacris,[263] and Kanye West.

[263] Tributes to him have featured prominently in hip-hop culture, such as at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, where Combs and Snoop Dogg honored him with an orchestral performance of his songs "Juicy" and "Warning".

[274] Wallace's image and persona inspired elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's portrayal of Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes in the Netflix series Luke Cage.

[279] Directed by George Tillman Jr. and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures,[280][100] the film was produced by his managers, Combs, Barrow, and Pitts, and his mother, Voletta.

[288] To accompany the film, Bad Boy Records released a soundtrack album on January 13, 2009, featuring many of Wallace's prominent tracks such as "Hypnotize" and "Juicy".