3PAC

About

3Pac was the pseudonym of Ryan James, an American YouTube rapper known for his self-produced music videos and diss tracks targeted at celebrity hip hop artists like Eminem and 2 Chainz. Upon rising to online fame in July 2013 with the viral reception of his music video for "Rap God", the rapper gained a cult following on various communities, most notably on the hip hop music news site WorldStarHipHop. In October 2015, James died at age of 24 after suffering a bout of severe brain damage during a water polo match.

Online History

On May 19th, 2012, 3Pac launched his first YouTube channel 3PACTV^[3] with a song titled "Before I Die (Hardest in the Game)." On May 21st, the rapper uploaded a video titled "3Pac Freestyles After Being a Boss At Gym," in which the rapper shows off a selection of protein-based supplements that he regularly takes for his workout regime before launching into a cringeworthy freestyle rap that borders on satire due to its total disregard for rhythm and rhyme schemes (shown below).

On September 26th, 2012, 3Pac launched another YouTube channel under the handle 3PACTVHD^[4], where he began uploading short clips of his freestyle performances, similar to the ones previously shared on his first YouTube channel 3PACTV. Despite launching a new channel, the rapper continued to update his old channel with various freestyle videos until October 2013, at which point he issued a video to announce the closure of 3PACTV and encourage his audience to subscribe to his new YouTube channel.

Feud with Eminem

On July 2nd, 2013, 3Pac uploaded a new song titled "PUSSY ASS HOES", later rebranded as "EMINEM RAP GOD BERZERK DISS", "THE REAL RAP GOD" and eventually settling for "RAP GOD,"^[10], not to be confused with Eminem's rap single with the same title released later that same year. As of March 2015, the video has garnered more than 500,000 views, which makes "Rap God" the most popular song by the rapper.
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In October 2013, following Eminem's release of "Rap God," the first single from his eighth studio album Marshall Mathers II, 3Pac uploaded a new video titled "EMINEM CHALLENGED BY THE REAL RAP GOD 3PAC" in which he publicly disses Eminem as a "hoot ass bitch" and then challenges him to a rap battle to determine the real "rap god" (shown below).

On October 27th, 2014, Washington Post^[8] published an article "Rap’s newest obsession: Lyrics about Ebola," in which 3Pac is briefly cited as one of many indie rappers who have written songs about Ebola in the wake of the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak.

Death

On October 16th, 2015, James' fan group Zero Hoots Gang announced via its Facebook page that the 24-year-old San Jose State University student was admitted to intensive care unit on life support after having a heart attack during a waterpolo match.^[10] The announcement was followed by a post linking to the fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to keep James on life support.^[12] On October 17th, the group announced Ryan was pronounced brain dead and the life support would be taken off the following day.^[11] After the announcement, 3PAC's official page was updated with the message "RIP RYAN JAMES. A LEGEND, A FRIEND, A TRUE INSPIRATION".^[13]

Notable Songs

Aside from "Rap God," numerous other music videos starring 3Pac have garnered several hundred thousands of views, including "Rich White Man Mark Cuban," "I Don't Give a Hoot," " "I Love McChickens," "White Nigga," "Beat Da Cheeks" and "Ebola Is Hoot."
In addition, some of 3Pac's music videos have been taken down for violation of YouTube's terms and conditions, most notably his diss track aimed at celebrity vlogger PewDewPie, which was subsequently re-uploaded onto WorldStarHipHop^[1] and currently has more than 350,000 views.

Fandom

Zero Hoots Gang

3PAC often uses the term 'hoot giver'^[2] as a derogatory insult in his 'disses' and in public discourse with people who criticise his work. 3PAC prides himself on 'not giving a hoot', and his fanbase describe themselves as 'the Zero Hoots Gang'.

Search Interest

External References