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87-458: Codeblack Enterprises was founded by Jeff Clanagan in 2005, who became CEO of the company. Originally focused on direct-to-video releases, Codeblack entered into an agreement with 20th Century Fox for film distribution. The multi-picture deal with Fox Faith was to produce six original films targeting the African-American faith-based market. The first two productions were film adaptations of

174-480: A beatbox , he won competitions for the school's best rapper. Known for his humor, he was popular with all crowds of students. He listened to a diverse range of music that included Kate Bush , Culture Club , Sinéad O'Connor , and U2 . Upon connecting with the Baltimore Young Communist League USA , Shakur dated Mary Baldridge, who was the daughter of the director of the local chapter of

261-460: A Baby " and " I Get Around ." Alongside his solo career, Shakur was part of the group Thug Life and collaborated with artists like Snoop Dogg , Dr. Dre , and the Outlawz . During the later part of his career, Shakur was shot five times in the lobby of a New York recording studio and experienced legal troubles, including incarceration . He served eight months in prison on sexual abuse charges, but

348-424: A Baby " poetically depict individual struggles under socioeconomic disadvantage. U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle said, "There's no reason for a record like this to be released. It has no place in our society." Tupac, finding himself misunderstood, explained, in part: I just wanted to rap about things that affected young black males. When I said that, I didn't know that I was gonna tie myself down to just take all

435-465: A DJ, on their earliest studio recordings. Dright recalls that Shakur did not work well as part of a group, and added, "this guy was on a mission. From day one. Maybe he knew he wasn't going to be around seven years later." From 1988 to 1991, Dright and Digital Underground produced Shakur's earliest work with his crew at the time, Strictly Dope. The recordings were rediscovered in 2000 and released as The Lost Tapes: Circa 1989. Afeni Shakur sued to stop

522-629: A Sunni Muslim, whom his mother married in November 1968. Their marriage fell apart when it was discovered that Lumumba was not Tupac's biological father. Shakur had an older stepbrother, Mopreme "Komani" Shakur , and a half-sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, two years his junior. Shakur's parents, Afeni Shakur—born Alice Faye Williams in North Carolina—and his biological father, William "Billy" Garland, had been active Black Panther Party members in New York in

609-696: A central figure in West Coast hip hop for his conscious rap and political rap lyrics. Shakur achieved further critical and commercial multi-platinum success with his follow-up albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993) and Me Against the World (1995). His Diamond certified album All Eyez on Me (1996), the first double-length album in hip-hop history, abandoned his introspective lyrics for volatile gangsta rap. In addition to his music career, Shakur starred roles in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above

696-406: A classic album. Its singular poignance, through hurt and rage, contemplation and vendetta, resonate with many fans. According to George "Papa G" Pryce, Death Row Records' then director of public relations , the album was meant to be "underground", and was not intended for release before the artist was murdered. It peaked at No. 1 on Billboard 's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and on

783-434: A direct-to-video movie may get a limited theatrical screening in order to build excitement for the actual release of the video such as was done for 2010's Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths , and Planet Hulk , 2016's Batman: The Killing Joke or 2013's Sharknado . In some cases, other direct-to-video films can also be theatrically released in other countries. As DVDs gradually replaced VHS videocassettes ,

870-532: A falling out with B.I.G. after Shakur was shot at Quad Studios in 1994. Shakur's third album, Me Against the World, was released while he was incarcerated in March 1995. It is now hailed as his magnum opus , and commonly ranks among the greatest, most influential rap albums. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 240,000 copies in its first week, setting a then record for highest first-week sales for

957-434: A film about female comedians narrated and produced by Joan Rivers , in 2013. That same year, it acquired Frankie & Alice , a drama starring Halle Berry , after its delayed release. In April 2013, Codeblack acquired the theatrical rights of Free Angela and All Political Prisoners , a documentary about social activist Angela Davis . Also in 2013, Codeblack released the film The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete ,

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1044-481: A high-profile star) can generate well in excess of $ 50 million revenue worldwide. A production studio may decide not to generally release a TV show or film for several possible reasons: a low budget, a lack of support from a TV network, negative reviews, its controversial nature, that it may appeal to a small niche market , or a simple lack of general public interest. Studios, limited in the annual number of films to which they grant cinematic releases, may choose to pull

1131-482: A militant and haunting individual. Rolling Stone ' s Peter Travers calls him "the film's most magnetic figure". In 1993, Shakur starred alongside Janet Jackson in John Singleton 's romance film, Poetic Justice . Singleton later fired Shakur from the 1995 film Higher Learning because the studio would not finance the film following his arrest. For the lead role in the eventual 2001 film Baby Boy ,

1218-495: A new record label, Interscope Records , on the group's January 1991 single " Same Song ". The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 1991 film Nothing but Trouble , starring Dan Aykroyd , John Candy , Chevy Chase , and Demi Moore . The song opened the group's January 1991 EP titled This Is an EP Release , while Shakur appeared in the music video. At the request of Steinberg, Digital Underground co-founder Jimi "Chopmaster J" Dright worked with Shakur, Ray Luv and Dize,

1305-468: A role played by Tyrese Gibson , Singleton originally had Shakur in mind. Ultimately, the set design includes a Shakur mural in the protagonist's bedroom, and the film's score includes Shakur's song " Hail Mary ". Director Allen Hughes had cast Shakur as Sharif in the 1993 film Menace II Society but replaced him once Shakur assaulted him on set due to a discrepancy with the script. Nonetheless, in 2013, Hughes appraises that Shakur would have outshone

1392-567: A self-portrait of Shakur sleeping, pen in hand, dreaming of the Black Panthers being freed from prison, and signed with a heart and the phrase "Tupac Shakur, Future Freedom Fighter". In October, 2023, sexually explicit poems he wrote to Jada Pinkett Smith while in prison went public in the book "Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography." Pinkett Smith celebrated Shakur's 50th birthday by showing an unreleased poem on Instagram called "Lost Soulz." According to Rolling Stone writer Andy Green: “He

1479-672: A solo male rapper. The lead single, " Dear Mama ", was released in February 1995 with "Old School" as the B-side . It is the album's most successful single, topping the Hot Rap Singles chart, and peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. In July, it was certified Platinum. It ranked No. 51 on the year-end charts . The second single, " So Many Tears ", was released in June 1995, reaching No. 6 on

1566-467: A stigma of lower technical or artistic quality than theatrical releases. Some films released direct-to-video are films which have been completed but were never released in movie theaters. This delay often occurs when a studio doubts a film's commercial prospects to justify a full cinema release or because its release window has closed. In film industry slang, such films are referred to as having been "vaulted". Like B-movies shown in drive-in theaters in

1653-476: A story of two children on their which have been abandoned by their drug-addicted caretaker. The movie was directed by George Tillman Jr. and starred Jennifer Hudson , Anthony Mackie and Jeffrey Wright . It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival that year. Codeblack released Repentance , a psychological thriller about a life coach who is abducted by one of his clients, in February 2014. The film

1740-454: A successful live action film straight to DVD, due to a lack of budget in comparison to the original. During the Golden Age of Porn in the 1970s, many pornographic films were released in theatres, some of which became some of the highest-grossing films in their release years, and in the pornography industry altogether. Toward the 1980s, porn began to shift to video release, because video allowed

1827-469: A third of the average cost of a Hollywood release. According to Variety , American Pie Presents: Band Camp sold more than one million copies in a week. Some direct-to-DVD releases recently have tended to feature actors who were formerly bankable stars. In 2005, salaries for some of these direct-to-DVD actors in the multimillion-dollar range from $ 2 to $ 4 million ( Jean-Claude Van Damme ) and $ 4.5 to $ 10 million ( Steven Seagal ), in some cases exceeding

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1914-496: A track of the Digital Underground's 1991 album Sons of the P . Becoming fast friends, Shakur and Stretch recorded and performed together often. Shakur's debut album, 2Pacalypse Now —alluding to the 1979 film Apocalypse Now —arrived in November 1991. Some prominent rappers—like Nas , Eminem , Game , and Talib Kweli —cite it as an inspiration. Aside from "If My Homie Calls", the singles " Trapped " and " Brenda's Got

2001-546: A trend in China; these films are called "Online Big Movies" ("OBM"; 网络大电影 in Chinese, or simply 网大). The word "Big" in the name was meant to be sardonic , as most of these films are often made on a very low budget and featuring mostly unknown cast members and sometimes nonprofessional actors. However, increasingly, the budget for these films have been slowly climbing up, due to the success of these films on digital distribution platforms;

2088-516: Is certified Gold. It carries the single "Pour Out a Little Liquor", produced by Johnny "J" Jackson , who would also produce much of Shakur's album All Eyez on Me . The track also appears on the Above the Rim soundtrack. Due to gangsta rap being under heavy criticism at the time, the album's original version was scrapped, and the album redone with mostly new tracks. Still, along with Stretch, Tupac would perform

2175-484: Is labeled the "Black Side", while side B, tracks 9 to 16, is the "Dark Side". The album carries the single " I Get Around ", a party anthem featuring Digital Underground's Shock G and Money-B , which became Shakur's breakthrough, reaching No. 11 on the pop singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100 . And it carries the optimistic compassion of another hit, " Keep Ya Head Up ", an anthem for women's empowerment . The album

2262-525: The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time . In 2023, he was awarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . His influence in music, activism, songwriting, and other areas of culture has been the subject of academic studies. Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, in East Harlem , Manhattan, New York City. While born Lesane Parish Crooks, at age one he was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur. He

2349-842: The Baltimore School for the Arts in the tenth grade, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz , and ballet. He performed in Shakespeare plays —the themes of which he identified in patterns of gang warfare —and as the Mouse King in The Nutcracker ballet. At the Baltimore School for the Arts, Shakur befriended actress Jada Pinkett , who became the subject of some of his poems ("Jada" and "The Tears in Cupid's Eyes"). With his friend Dana "Mouse" Smith as

2436-518: The Billboard 200, with the second-highest debut-week sales total of any album that year. On June 15, 1999, it was certified 4× Multi-Platinum. Later posthumous albums are archival productions, these albums are: Before and during his hip-hop career, Shakur wrote dozens of poems. Some of the most notable are "Can U C The Pride in The Panther", "If I fail", "Family Tree", and "The Rose that grew from

2523-598: The Communist Party USA . In 1988, Shakur moved to Marin City, California , an impoverished community in the San Francisco Bay Area. In nearby Mill Valley , he attended Tamalpais High School , where he performed in several theater productions. Shakur did not graduate from high school, but later earned his GED . Shakur began recording under the stage name MC New York in 1989. That year, he began attending

2610-455: The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives . Mutulu Shakur was apprehended in 1986 and subsequently convicted for a 1981 robbery of a Brinks armored truck , during which police officers and a guard were killed. Shakur's godfather , Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt , a high-ranking Black Panther, was wrongly convicted of murdering a schoolteacher during a 1968 robbery. After he spent 27 years in prison, his conviction

2697-516: The Tribeca Film Festival in April, where it was reviewed positively, but only received modest distribution offers. At the time, it was not very common for consumers to make digital movie purchases. As part of a push by the service towards original content, the subscription video on demand service Netflix began to acquire feature films for distribution on its service in the 2010s, including

Codeblack Films - Misplaced Pages Continue

2784-450: The 1980s Off-Broadway gospel musical hit Mama, I Want to Sing! and the popular play, A Good Man is Hard to Find. Codeblack Enterprises entered a distribution deal with Lionsgate in 2012 forming Codeblack Films under Lionsgate. Codeblack's first film release under Lionsgate was Kevin Hart 's stand-up special Let Me Explain . That same year, Shaquille O'Neal 's All Star Comedy Jam

2871-468: The 2013 documentary The Square , and its first feature film in 2015 — Beasts of No Nation . Netflix pursued a simultaneous release strategy for its films, partnering with a distributor for a limited theatrical release (in order to maintain eligibility for awards requiring theatrical release, such as the Academy Awards ) simultaneous with their availability to subscribers. As this practice violates

2958-579: The 2014 film The Interview was released simultaneously on digital and at selected cinemas, after major chains dropped the film due to terrorist threats by a hacking group believed to have ties to North Korea (whose regime is satirized in the film). The group had also leaked confidential data from the internal servers of the film's distributor, Sony Pictures . The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in worldwide closures of cinemas due to economic restrictions and guidance against public gatherings, which prompted direct-to-digital releases for several major films;

3045-707: The Chinese film Lost in Russia was acquired by ByteDance for 630 million yuan (almost 100 million in US dollars) and streamed on its platforms (including TikTok ) for free in lieu of a theatrical release, as part of a larger relationship with the company and the film's distributor Huanxi Media. A number of U.S. films were shifted directly to video-on-demand rentals in lieu of a theatrical release, while some have been sold directly to subscription services, including Disney+ , Max , Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video . OV ("original video") are movies made for direct-to-video release in

3132-770: The Hot Rap Singles chart and No. 44 on Hot 100. The final single, " Temptations ", was released in August 1995. It reached No. 68 on the Hot 100, No. 35 on the Hot R&;B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks , and No. 13 on the Hot Rap Singles. Several celebrities showed their support for Shakur by appearing in the music video for "Temptations". Shakur won best rap album at the 1996 Soul Train Music Awards . In 2001, it ranked 4th among his total albums in sales, with about 3 million copies sold in

3219-482: The Japanese market. OVA (" original video animation ") is distinguished from OVM ("original video movies") or V-Cinema, which usually refer to non-animated works. Different production studios may use other labels like "V drama". The OVA market developed in the mid-1980s. The lax restrictions and censorship in comparison to broadcast television appealed to filmmakers, allowing them to include more controversial content, as

3306-496: The Middle East and North Africa. In March 2016, Codeblack's parent company, Lionsgate, announced a partnership with Kevin Hart and his company Hartbeat Digital to establish Laugh Out Loud, a video on demand service. Jeff Clanagan. Codeblack's CEO, became president of Hartbeat Digital and Laugh Out Loud. That same month, Codeblack produced a game show series on Instagram similar to " The Newlywed Game " called "The Perfect Match" before

3393-540: The Notorious B.I.G. , was at first considered a suspect due to their public feud; he was also murdered in another drive-by shooting six months later in March 1997, while visiting Los Angeles. On September 22, 1996, a peace summit was convened at Mosque Maryam by Louis Farrakhan in response to his assassination . Shakur's double-length posthumous album Greatest Hits (1998) is one of his two releases—and one of only nine hip hop albums—to have been certified Diamond in

3480-425: The Rim (1994), Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997). Shakur's most notable songs include " California Love ," " Changes ," " Dear Mama ," " Hail Mary ," " Keep Ya Head Up ," " Hit 'Em Up ," " Ambitionz az a Ridah ," " All Eyez on Me ," " Ghetto Gospel ," " Do for Love ," " So Many Tears ," " To Live & Die in L.A. ," " How Do U Want It ," " 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted ," " Brenda's Got

3567-531: The U.S. While Shakur was imprisoned in 1995, his mother was about to lose her house. Shakur had his wife Keisha Morris contact Death Row Records founder Suge Knight in Los Angeles. Reportedly, Shakur's mother promptly received $ 15,000. After an August visit to Clinton Correctional Facility in northern New York state, Knight traveled southward to New York City to attend the 2nd Annual Source Awards ceremony. Meanwhile, an East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry

Codeblack Films - Misplaced Pages Continue

3654-456: The United States was Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation in 1992. The practice of creating and releasing regular fiction specifically for video did not really take off until 1994, with Disney 's The Return of Jafar and Universal 's The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure , neither of which was intended to hit theaters at any point in its production. Several of

3741-580: The United States. Five more albums have been released since Shakur's death, including his critically acclaimed posthumous album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996) under his stage name Makaveli, all of which have been certified multi-platinum in the United States. In 2002, Shakur was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame . In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked Shakur among

3828-408: The actors' theatrical rates. With the increasing prominence of digital distribution platforms in the 2000s and 2010s, direct-to-digital releases began to emerge alongside, or in lieu of home video. In November 2007, Ed Burns ' Purple Violets became the first film to "premiere" exclusively for sale on iTunes Store , being exclusive to the platform for a month exclusively. It had premiered at

3915-475: The animated sequels, like MGM 's The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue from 1998, have sparked criticism due to the deliberate neglect of the original source material by creative content limits as these franchises will abruptly discontinue. Several other film series will be continuous if they become more successful, like Scooby-Doo for instance (their video debut Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island became one of

4002-464: The best-selling DTV films of all time ). By 1994, an average of six new direct-to-video films appeared each week. Erotic thrillers and R-rated action films were the two most successful genres. Family films became more important than such genres later in the 1990s, as retailers stocked more copies of blockbuster films instead of more titles. According to the Los Angeles Times : Often,

4089-408: The blunts and hits for all the young black males, to be the media's kicking post for young black males. 2Pacalypse Now was certified Gold , half a million copies sold. The album addresses urban Black concerns said to remain relevant to the present day. Shakur's second album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... , was released in February 1993. A critical and commercial success, it debuted at No. 24 on

4176-540: The budget for these films can now range from less than 1 million yuan to upwards of 10 or 20 million yuan. Although these "Online Big Movies" rarely feature well-known actors, in recent years, many "Online Big Movies" have hired veteran actors from Hong Kong action cinema and Taiwanese cinema to join its cast. These movies are also to be differentiated from films that are made for theatrical release but were later acquired by digital streaming services, in that these "Online Big Movies" are produced by internet companies with

4263-575: The company — and on any in the East Coast rap scene, like rap duo Mobb Deep and rapper Chino XL , who allegedly had commented against Shakur about the dispute. All Eyez on Me won R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year at the 1997 Soul Train Music Awards . At the 1997 American Music Awards , Shakur won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist. The album was certified 9× Multi-Platinum in June 1998, and 10× in July 2014. At

4350-557: The completed film from the theaters, or never exhibit it in theaters at all. Studios then generate revenue through video sales and rentals. Direct-to-video films are marketed mostly through colorful box covers, instead of advertising, and are not covered by publications like Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide . The first direct-to-video release to go into production was E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind in 1984 produced by CineTel Films . Direct-to-video releases have historically carried

4437-765: The concrete". In 1993 Tupac played a character named “Lucky” in the film titled Poetic Justice alongside Janet Jackson . Poet and activist Maya Angelou , whom worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X during the civil rights movement, wrote the poems used in the 1993 film. In April 2022, handwritten poems written by Tupac when he was 11 years old were up for sale for US$ 300,000 but only sold for $ 90,000. The poems were for Jamal Joseph and three other Black Panther Party members while they were incarcerated at Leavenworth Prison . Even at his young age, Shakur's writing dealt with themes such as black liberation, mass incarceration, race, and masculinity. The poems feature

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4524-498: The downfall of live-action family films at the box office is their strength on video. Their appeal is to families with young children, who may go to only a couple of movies per year but who will watch many videos multiple times. The teens and young adults who drive blockbuster box office statistics stay away from family movies. Some horror films that are unsuccessful in theaters, like Witchcraft , begin successful direct-to-video series. Studios may also release sequels or spin-offs to

4611-530: The explosion in quantity and variety of such movies established and cemented genres like J-horror and yakuza films . The success of OVAs and V-Cinema has resulted in less stigma regarding direct-to-video releases in Japan than in western markets. While there are still OVA and V-Cinema releases, the market is considerably smaller than it was in the 1980s and 1990s. In the mid-to-late 2010s, low-budget B-movies that are made exclusively for digital streaming became

4698-456: The films did not need to rely on sponsored advertisements for financial support. The result was animated films with greater sexual, violent, or political content. The market continued to expand during the Japanese asset price bubble and began to decline with the collapse of the bubble in the late 1980s and early 1990s. With the rise of VHS home video and the decline of the Japanese economy in

4785-458: The first planned single, "Out on Bail", which was never released, at the 1994 Source Awards . In 1993, while visiting Los Angeles, the Notorious B.I.G. asked a local drug dealer to introduce him to Shakur and they quickly became friends. The pair would socialize when Shakur went to New York or B.I.G. to Los Angeles. During this period, at his own live shows, Shakur would call B.I.G. onto stage to rap with him and Stretch. Together, they recorded

4872-504: The gangsta lifestyle , leaving behind his previous political messages. With standout production, the album has more party tracks and often a triumphant tone. Music journalist Kevin Powell noted that Shakur, once released from prison, became more aggressive, and "seemed like a completely transformed person". As Shakur's second album to hit No. 1 on both the Top R&;B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and

4959-497: The last minute due to the success of another film with a similar subject matter or an ultimate studio decision. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is an example of this. However, despite the movie's critically acclaimed success, its box-office performance was very poor, which has been attributed to the last minute nature of its theatrical release. The film had much better commercial success in its subsequent home video releases. Other times,

5046-565: The late 1960s and early 1970s. A month before Shakur's birth, his mother was tried in New York City as part of the Panther 21 criminal trial. She was acquitted of over 150 charges. Other family members who were involved in the Black Panthers ' Black Liberation Army were convicted of serious crimes and imprisoned, including Shakur's stepfather, Mutulu Shakur , who spent four years as one of

5133-510: The late 1980s, film studios struggled to recoup investments on big-budget films. Inspired by the success of OVAs, Toei released its first V-Cinema, Crime Hunter , in March 1989. Following Toei's success, other studios began to release a slew of direct-to-video movies. Relaxed censorship in V-Cinema gave way to the premier and rise of expressive auteur directors such as Takashi Miike , Hideo Nakata , Shinji Aoyama , and Kiyoshi Kurosawa . As

5220-547: The marginalization of other African-Americans , but he was also synonymous with gangsta rap and violent lyrics. Shakur was born in New York City to parents who were both political activists and Black Panther Party members. Raised by his mother, Afeni Shakur , he relocated to Baltimore in 1984 and to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. With the release of his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, he became

5307-495: The mid-20th century, direct-to-video films employ both former stars and young actors who may become stars later. Direct-to-video releases can be done for films which cannot be shown theatrically due to controversial content, or because the cost involved in a theatrical release is beyond the releasing company. Animated sequels and feature-length episodes of animated series are also often released in this fashion. The first feature length animated film to be released direct-to-video in

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5394-412: The other actors "because he was bigger than the movie". Shakur played a gangster called Birdie in the 1994 film Above the Rim . By some accounts, that character had been modeled after former New York drug dealer Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant , who managed and promoted rappers. Shakur was introduced to him at a Queens nightclub. Reportedly, B.I.G. advised Shakur to avoid him, but Shakur disregarded

5481-470: The poetry classes of Leila Steinberg , and she soon became his manager. Steinberg organized a concert for Shakur and his rap group Strictly Dope. Steinberg managed to get Shakur signed by Atron Gregory, manager of the rap group Digital Underground . In 1990, Gregory placed him with the Underground as a roadie and backup dancer . Shakur debuted under the stage name 2Pac on Digital Underground , under

5568-487: The pop albums chart, the Billboard 200, it sold 566,000 copies in its first week and was it was certified 5× Multi-Platinum in April. The singles " How Do U Want It " and " California Love " reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Death Row released Shakur's diss track " Hit 'Em Up " as the non-album B-side to "How Do U Want It". In this venomous tirade, the proclaimed "Bad Boy killer" threatens violent payback on all things Bad Boy — B.I.G., Sean Combs, Junior M.A.F.I.A.,

5655-481: The pop albums chart, the Billboard 200 . An overall more hardcore album, it emphasizes Tupac's sociopolitical views, and has a metallic production quality. The song "Last Wordz" features Ice Cube , co-writer of N.W.A's " Fuck tha Police ", who in his own solo albums had newly gone militantly political , and gangsta rapper Ice-T , who in June 1992 had sparked controversy with his band Body Count 's track " Cop Killer ". In its vinyl release, side A, tracks 1 to 8,

5742-471: The producers to work on extremely low budgets and dispense with some film production elements, like scripts, and the increased privacy and convenience of the format change were preferred by the target market. During the late 1990s and onward, pornographers began releasing content on the Internet. Occasionally, a studio that makes a movie that was prepared as a direct-to-video film will release it theatrically at

5829-601: The public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere . This distribution strategy was prevalent before streaming platforms came to dominate the TV and movie distribution markets. Because inferior sequels or prequels of larger-budget films may be released direct-to-video, review references to direct-to-video releases are often pejorative . Direct-to-video release has also become profitable for independent filmmakers and smaller companies. Some direct-to-video genre films (with

5916-526: The release of the film, The Perfect Match . In September 2016, Codeblack announced that it was partnering with Queen Latifah 's Flavor Unit Entertainment to co-produce and co-finance several films including The Love Playbook: Rules for Love, Sex, and Happiness based on the book by La La Anthony . In April 2017, the first trailer was released for All Eyez on Me , a biopic about rapper Tupac Shakur distributed by Codeblack which would be released in June on what would have been his 46th birthday. The movie

6003-457: The release of these titles were outside of usual distribution, studios and directors worked quickly to capitalize on niche markets or upcoming and current trends to increase financial returns. This period of history in Japanese cinema has been described by film journalist Tom Mes as "a far more diverse and vibrant film scene [than previous eras]". By 1995, the V-cinema industry was in decline, but

6090-448: The sale of the recordings but the suit was settled in June 2001 and rereleased as Beginnings: The Lost Tapes 1988–1991 . Shakur's early days with Digital Underground made him acquainted with Randy "Stretch" Walker , who along with his brother, dubbed Majesty, and a friend debuted with an EP as a rap group and production team, Live Squad , in Queens , New York. Stretch was featured on

6177-596: The sole intent of digital release. In additional to the digital distribution of these films in China, many of the "Online Big Movies" have also been released on digital platforms outside of China, such as on YouTube . Several YouTube channels, such as Q1Q2 Movie Channel Official and YOUKU MOVIE are popular channels that distributes these "Online Big Movies". Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( / ˈ t uː p ɑː k ʃ ə ˈ k ʊər / ; born Lesane Parish Crooks ; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli ,

6264-533: The songs " Runnin' from tha Police " and "House of Pain". Reportedly, B.I.G. asked Shakur to manage him, whereupon Shakur advised him that Sean Combs would make him a star. Yet in the meantime, Shakur's lifestyle was comparatively lavish to B.I.G. who had not yet established himself. Shakur welcomed B.I.G. to join his side group Thug Life, but he would instead form his own side group, the Junior M.A.F.I.A. , with his Brooklyn friends Lil' Cease and Lil' Kim . Shakur had

6351-409: The term "direct-to-DVD" replaced "direct-to-video" in some instances. However, the word "video" does not necessarily refer to videocassettes. Many publications continue to use the term "direct-to-video" for DVDs or Blu-rays . Both disc-based release types may also be referred to as "direct-to-disc". A new term sometimes used is "DVD premiere" (DVDP). Such films can cost as little as $ 20 million, about

6438-400: The time of his death, a fifth solo album was already finished, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory , under the stage name Makaveli. It had been recorded during the summer of 1996 and released that year. The lyrics were written and recorded in three days, and mixing took another four days. In 2005, MTV.com ranked The 7 Day Theory at No. 9 among hip hop's greatest albums ever, and by 2006

6525-457: The traditional release windows mandated by the cinema industry, major chains have typically declined to screen the films. Since 2018, Netflix has partially backpedaled from this strategy, giving its films a one-month theatrical run before their premiere on the Netflix service. Unique circumstances have also resulted in direct-to-digital releases, sometimes alongside a limited theatrical release;

6612-565: The warning. Through Haitian Jack, Shakur met James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond , also a drug dealer who doubled as music manager. Soon after Shakur's death, three more films starring him were released, Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997). It was rumored that Shakur was being considered by George Lucas to portray Jedi Master Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequel films (1999–2005). According to former Death Row Records chief engineer Rick Clifford, George Lucas

6699-617: Was 13, he lived in the Pen Lucy neighborhood with his mother and younger sister at 3955 Greenmount Ave. The home was a two-story rowhouse that had been subdivided into two separate rental units; the Shakur family lived on the first floor. After his death, the block was renamed Tupac Shakur Way. While living in Baltimore, Shakur attended eighth grade at Roland Park Middle School, then ninth grade at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School . He transferred to

6786-427: Was also a poet and activist who became one of his era’s most revolutionary voices." Tupac had passion for theater and admiration of William Shakespeare . Years after Tupac's death, Nas said "I put Tupac beyond Shakespeare." Shakur's first film appearance was in the 1991 film Nothing but Trouble , a cameo by the Digital Underground. In 1992, he starred in Juice , in which he plays the fictional Roland Bishop,

6873-553: Was an American rapper and actor. Considered to be one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, academics regard him as one of the most influential music artists of the 20th century and a prominent political activist for Black America . In addition to his music career, Shakur also wrote poetry and had numerous starring roles in movies. Shakur is among the best-selling music artists , having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. His lyrical content has been noted for addressing social injustice, political issues, and

6960-494: Was brewing between Death Row and Bad Boy Records . In October 1995, Knight visited Shakur in prison again and posted $ 1.4 million bond. Shakur returned to Los Angeles and joined Death Row with the appeal of his December 1994 conviction pending. Shakur's fourth album, All Eyez on Me , arrived on February 13, 1996. It was rap's first double album—meeting two of the three albums due in Shakur's contract with Death Row—and bore five singles. The album shows Shakur rapping about

7047-520: Was certified Platinum , with a million copies sold. As of 2004, among Shakur albums, including posthumous and compilation albums, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... was 10th in sales at about 1,366,000 copies. In late 1993, Shakur formed the group Thug Life with Tyrus " Big Syke " Himes, Diron "Macadoshis" Rivers, his stepbrother Mopreme Shakur , and Walter "Rated R" Burns. Usually, Thug Life performed live without Tupac. Thug Life released its only album, Thug Life, Volume I , on October 11, 1994, which

7134-555: Was directed by Philippe Caland, who wrote the script alongside Shintaro Shimosawa and worked with Nina Yang Bongiovi to produce the film. The film Addicted was released by Codeblack in 2014. It was shown on a limited 846 screens. Codeblack signed an agreement with Times Media Films in October 2014 to distribute its films to South Africa. In March 2015, Lionsgate's Codeblack Films entered an agreement with distributor Eagle Films to distribute all films produced or co-produced by Codeblack in

7221-407: Was featured as the closing film at the 2017 American Black Film Festival. On January 11, 2019, Lionsgate announced the end of the partnership with Codeblack Films, while also being separated from the former company and continue to operated independently. Direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film , television series , short or special to

7308-450: Was named after Túpac Amaru II , a descendant of the last Incan ruler, who was executed in Peru in 1781 after his revolt against Spanish rule . Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur explained, "I wanted him to have the name of revolutionary, indigenous people in the world. I wanted him to know he was part of a world culture and not just from a neighborhood." Tupac's surname came from Lumumba Shakur,

7395-708: Was overturned due to the prosecution's having concealed evidence that proved his innocence. Shakur's godmother, Assata Shakur , is a former member of the Black Liberation Army who was convicted in 1977 of the first-degree murder of a New Jersey State Trooper . Since 2013, she has been in the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list after she escaped prison in 1979. In the 1980s, Shakur's mother found it difficult to find work and struggled with drug addiction. In 1984, his family moved from New York City to Baltimore , Maryland. Beginning in 1984 when Shakur

7482-478: Was released pending an appeal of his conviction in 1995. Following his release, he signed to Marion "Suge" Knight 's label Death Row Records and became heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry . On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas ; he died six days later. Following his murder, Shakur's friend-turned-rival,

7569-570: Was released through Codeblack and Lionsgate. Codeblack released Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day as a limited release to 102 AMC theaters in April 2012. In 2013, Codeblack acquired the rights to produce films from the Flyy Girl book trilogy by Omar Tyree . It was later announced that Sanaa Lathan would be starring as Tracy Ellison in the movie adaptation written by Geoffrey S. Fletcher and Nicole Jefferson-Asher and produced by Effie T. Brown . Codeblack released Why We Laugh: Funny Women ,

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