Artists are influenced by the environments they have grown up in. Gang Starr and 2Pac had very different upbringings, which influenced their style of music. 2Pac from a young age “took to the streets, selling drugs and becoming involved in the gang culture” (Ray) and being part of the gang culture inspired him to write songs about what he has witnessed. In contrast, Gang Starr was raised in a respectable home because his father was a judge for the “Boston municipal courts, and his mother…was the co-director of library programs” (Caramanica). When growing up his dad would listen to a lot of jazz music, which influence Gang to appreciate this genre of music as well. Before pursing the music industry Gang Starr was a social worker and he worked