We can all learn from the past. One of humanity's greatest features is our ability to learn from those that came before us. We can take the lessons learned from those that came before us and apply it to our lives, in order, to help the world become a little bit better.

The brief life andd times of Tupac Shakur is rife with life lessons that we can all learn from. As one of the most successful and culturally relevant musicians to ever walk the Earth, Tupac bestowed upon the world a legacy that today's rappers can learn upon to improve their careers. Both aspiring and successful rappers alike along with people in general would do well to heed by these 12 lessons you can garner from the life of Tupac Shakur.

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1. Be Healthy & Stay In The Gym

As one of hip-hop's most perpetually shirtless torsos, Tupac Shakur was one of hip-hop's most iconic sex symbols. It certainly did not hurt that he was incredibly in shape. While being devilishly handsome and sporting washboard abs is not a requirement to become a rap star, it certainly did not hurt that he had the body of an MMA fighter.

Thus, one of the best things, you could possibly do for your career is to stay in shape. Not only is it good for the soul to be healthy but your celebrity queue rating goes up if you can make the ladies swoon.

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2. Set Up Your Estate

In the case of your untimely death, it is always wise to make sure your affairs are, in order, to protect the one's you love after your death. Tupac was lucky that his mother, Afeni, was such an incredibly strong and smart woman that she was capable of building upon his legacy after his death.

Setting up an estate is key in life. It allows you to make sure that your financial obligations are taken care of in the event of your passing, as well, as gives you peace of mind that things will be all right if something tragic were to ever befall you.

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4. Develop A Back Catalogue

Although he released only four studio albums during his life, one of Tupac's most amazing achievements is the vast scope of his posthumous work. Pac's tireless work ethic during his life, sometimes spending days in the studio working on multiple songs at the same time, giving him a back catalogue of unreleased material beyond perhaps any artist, ever.

This undoubtedly helped Tupac maintain and grow his artistic legacy long after he passed away. Rappers would be wise to emulate this.

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5. Work Hard And Continually Improve Upon Your Craft

While 'Pac's debut, 2Pacalpyse Now, certainly had it's moments of raw brilliance, it is not a secret that his debut remains one of the weaker albums in Tupac's vast catalogue.  The lesson to be learned is obvious. If you want to become a great rapper, you have to work hard and improve on your craft.

Tupac seemingly improved with every syllable on every song on every album that he ever made. His work ethic was notoriously insane as he would spend long hours in the studio perfecting his craft. As the years went by, Tupac's writing steadly improved and each album seemed to get better.

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6. Watch Who You Associate With

If you are a rapper that is lucky enough to get famous, you are going to be approached by figures that might not always be looking out for your best interest. Thus, it becomes important that you surround yourself with people who you can trust.

'Pac's fierce loyalty to his friends and family was a credit to him as a human being but also got him in trouble. His association with the wrong people lead him to be incarcerated for rape charges, got him involved in gang activity and possibly lead to his murder.  Loyalty can be a powerful thing but there are limits. Make sure to always watch who you associate with.

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8. Stand For Something More Than Yourself

Due to his lineage as the son of a Black Panther, Tupac Shakur was born with a revolutionary streak in him that became one of his defining features as an artist. 'Pac's music challenged the status quo and left an indelible mark on the history of hip-hop.  His music reflected this as he would write about a diverse subject matter that included poverty, institutionalized criminality, teen pregnancy and racism. 'Pac's music stood for something.

To become a complete artist, it is wise that you stand for something beyond partying, rote materialism or a gangster ethos. 'Pac did and could write about those subjects to but he was a man also a man willing to die for cause. If you a rapper seeking  to become a legend in the game, principles are well worth fighting for.

9. Show Love Towards The Women In Your Life

While Tupac certainly was not a perfect human being when it comes to being a feminist, 'Pac's connection and appreciation of women was vital to him growing a devoted female fan base. Songs like "Keep Your Head Up," "Dear Mama" and "Brenda's Gotta Baby" resonated with women and won his fans across all genders. This should be stunningly obvious but it's probably an awful idea to be a misogynist. Not only is it the right thing to be but showing a little love towards women is probably  a solid idea if you want to sell 75 million records like Tupac did. You are leaving half the human population by strictly catering to the fantasies of teenage boys.

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10. Be A Great Interview

As one of the most thoughtful people of his generation, Tupac was known for being one of the most consistently engaging interviews in all of hip-hop. Tupac was capable of articulating his thoughts with great nuance and a deft precision that few artists could rival. Even when he was threatening to stomp out the Hughes Brothers on Yo! MTV Raps, Tupac was always an engaging presence on camera.

Being a consistently great interview can be key to becoming an artist with great longevity. It can allow your fans to connect with you as human being perhaps more than they can listening to your music or watching you perform can. Tupac was always candid.

11. Appreciate Your Mother

Tupac's appreciation of his mother is well-documented. This is advice that is always relevant no matter who you are.

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12. Be A Renaissance Man

The artistic avenues that Tupac Shakur explored during his career were diverse and plentiful. Tupac wrote poetry, acted in films and wrote screenplays during his life. Diversity in your art can not only make you a more complete person but allow you to expand into different avenues of your career.

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11. Read

Tupac's love of literature is well-documented. While 'Pac was locked  up in prison, Tupac would voraciously read everyday, in order, to expand his mind and expand his craft.  Tupac's work was influenced by writers such as Niccolò Machiavelli, William Shakespeare, Donald Goines, Sun Tzu, Kurt Vonnegut, Maya Angelou and Alice Walker.

Like anything in life, knowledge is key and if you want to become a better writer, it pays to read from the best. Tupac showed that.

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12. Beef Responsibly

Although nobody can foresee the bloody consequences of his feud with Biggie at the time, it bares mention that his death was perhaps manifested by 'Pac's unchecked rage. Not all the life lessons that you can learn from Tupac are positive and 'Pac's willingness to go full throttle in his feuds with his enemies might have cost him his life.

While "the battle" is one of the quintessential essences of hip-hop, it is reasonable to suggest that if you are going to beef with another artist that you keep it strictly on wax and refuse to let it spill on the streets.

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