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GACY OF TUPAC SHAKUR; FARIAH TADEA, WILLOW BAY, BILL RITTER TUPAC SHAKUR: (rapping) (inaudible) roll, he got stretched to (inaudible), remember when you had (inaudible), never quite learn (inaudible )... WILLOW BAY, Host: Many of the stars of the rap music industry are meeting in Washington today with a new message, stop the violence. Now, that's a rather dramatic change from the more traditional content of rap songs. But since the murder of the rap star Tupac Shakur over a year ago, there's been a measurable change, a dramatic change, in fact, in the industry. As ABC's Fariah Tadea (ph) reports, that's just part of the legacy of the man whose star continues to rise, even after his death. DANYEL SMITH, "Vibe" Magazine: He was a mixture of good and bad and ugly and sweet and nice and a mess and everything else. But he did sort of give kids an idea of a way to be. TUPAC SHAKUR: (rapping) (inaudible), the sweeter the juice... FARIAH TADEA, ABC News: (voice-over) He is Tupac Shakur, the rapper who sold millions of albums before being gunned down at the age of 25. Now, a year after his death, Tupac is more popular than ever. A new double album hits stores next month. His biography is on "The New York Times" best-seller list. And this weekend's release of the film "Gang Related" gives fans one last glimpse of the rebel they love. TUPAC SHAKUR: (Clip from "Gang Related") It's the last time, Frank. The last time we kill somebody. FARIAH TADEA: (voice-over) Danyel Smith is the editor of "Vibe" magazine, which published Tupac's biography. He appeared on their cover an unprecedented four times, largely in response to their readers. DANYEL SMITH: They pictured him as someone who would kick a door down. They pictured him as someone who would kiss his mother before he left in the morning. And it was a great package for someone to believe in. FARIAH TADEA: (voice-over) The rage for Tupac has even reached academia's ivory towers. This semester, the University of California at Berkeley has a class on his life and lyrics. TEACHER: So what do you guys think just about that part right there? "Time goes by, puffing on by, hoping that it gets me high" ? FARIAH TADEA: (voice-over) Nowhere was Tupac more popular than in Los Angeles, where he recorded with Death Row Records. KKBT's Julio G (ph) says his listeners see Tupac as a new urban Elvis. JULIO G, KKBT: They'll say, like -- you know, they'll say he's alive, he's in Cuba. Or, you know, a lot of people say that's why he recorded so much material, because he faked his death.
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