Meet the Knight of Swords (IRL) - Tupac Shakur

While we don't have his birth time, a sunrise chart shows that Tupac has a Gemini stellium containing his Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. Tupac was more than a rap icon. He became a voice for his generation and generations to follow. He was empathetic and intelligent. Much of his work focused on articulating the effects of systemic racism within economically disadvantaged communities of color, and he had first-hand knowledge of the struggles.

Many of Tupac's lyrics feel very Gemini to me. He raps a lot about community, and Gemini is focused on the local community. His writing also exhibits a certain duality. While some of his songs focus on the struggle for equality (and tend to have a more uplifting feel), others display the pent-up aggression and nihilism (no doubt a direct side effect of existing under oppressive systems) that's a hallmark of traditional gangster rap. He's the perfect example of how two things can be true within a person at one time. Unfortunately, the latter eventually became his demise.

Tupac was born June 16th, 1971, in Harlem, NY, to his mother, Afeni (AKA Alice Faye Williams). She was already raising two children alone, and the family struggled for money. As a result, they moved around often and even found themselves staying in shelters from time to time.

Tupac's family was actively involved in the Black Panther Party, a group dedicated to fighting police brutality, organizing community programs ranging from free breakfast to healthcare aid, and generally uplifting communities of color.

Tupac attended a high school for the arts in Baltimore, MD, but the area where the family was living was rife with crime. So, they relocated to Marin City, California. Unfortunately, Tupac's mother became addicted to crack in California, and Tupac began selling drugs there. In the beginning, Tupac's love for music and focus on the arts kept him out of violent crime.

He met a woman named Leila Steinberg in a park in 1989, and the two had a happenstance conversation about Winnie Mandela. She described him as "a young man with fan-like eyelashes, overflowing with charisma, and the most infectious laugh." He shared some poetry he had written with her and convinced her to become his manager. The two were able to secure him some work with Digital Underground in the early 90s, and his debut recording, "Same Song," got featured in the Dan Aykroyd movie "Nothing but Trouble." This eventually led to an Interscope record deal.

Tupac repeatedly articulated the struggle for artistic freedom in writing, recording, and production. He wrote about traditional gangster rap themes and more significant systemic issues, which he handled with sensitivity and care. But unfortunately, the industry wanted a gangster rapper. They weren't as interested in his "softer” material.

In 1992, there was an incident in California where a group of jealous peers attached Tupac. He pulled out his gun but dropped it in the commotion. Unfortunately, someone picked it up, the gun fired, and an innocent 6-year-old bystander was killed. The incident ate at Tupac his entire life. The boy's family filed a civil suit against Tupac, which was settled out of court when a "mystery" record company (many speculate it was Death Row Records) offered nearly half a million in compensation to settle the case.

Then, in 1993, Tupac was involved an altercation with police in Atlanta. Tupac had wounded two white off-duty police officers after a confrontation, and he was charged. But, the court proceedings showed that the officers had been drinking and had initiated the incident by harassing and threatening Tupac, who had not done anything wrong. The charges were dropped.

The incident portrayed exactly what Tupac had been rapping about. This case illustrated the misrepresentation of Black men and police attitudes towards them. The courts wished to show Tupac as a dangerous gangster. In reality, this was an act of self-defense. He was simply a young man being harassed by police and fearing for his life.

By the mid-'90s, Tupac's fame was ever-growing. Then, in 1994, Tupac did a very short stint in jail for assaulting a film director. Later that year, the infamous rap rivalry with Biggies Smalls began. Tupac was shot multiple times in the lobby of an NYC studio. No one has ever been charged with the shooting, but Tupac believed Biggie Smalls to be behind it. This kicked off a 2-year long stint of "diss tracks" being produced back and forth between Tupac's label (he wasn't yet with Death Row Records) and Bad Boy Records (Biggie's label).

Then, in 1995, Tupac served an 8-month sentence on sexual assault charges. He maintained his innocence throughout his life but did express regret that he didn't step in to stop others from assaulting the victim. He was released on bail pending his appeal. Suge Knight of Death Row Records was the person who posted the $1.3 million bail, and Tupac joined the label upon his release. At this point, the East Coast/West Coast rap rivalries rapidly escalated.

Tupac was Gemini if there ever was one. He was rapping about the outlaw/gangster lifestyle and was heavily involved in these coastal rap rivalries. At the same time, he set up at-risk youth centers, hotlines, and sports teams for economically disadvantaged youth.

Tupac died from complications after a shooting in 1996. The murder has never been officially solved, although many look to Bad Boy Records as the culprit. There are even people who believe that Tupac is still alive and is living out his life in hiding.

Everything about Tupac's life showed the dual nature so characteristic of Gemini. Like the Knight of Swords, he lived fast. He was intelligent. He had revolutionary ideas, but he was also impulsive. He was complicated, complex, and often found himself at the center of controversy, as the Knight of Swords so often does. But, his impression is lasting.

He was nominated for 2 AMA's, winning 1. He won an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Award. He won a MOBO Award in 1996 and was nominated for 3 VMAs. He was nominated for the NAACP Image Award in 1994, was nominated for 3 Soul Train Awards, winning 2, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. He was posthumously nominated for an ECHO Award in 2002, and he was nominated for 6 Grammys throughout his career. His music is still widely regarded as some of the most influential rap in musical history.