2Pac’s Chart Dominance Continues as His ‘Greatest Hits’ Overtakes Beatles Classic

2Pac’s enduring legacy in the music industry continues to make history even more than two decades after his tragic passing. On September 12, a day before the 27th anniversary of his untimely demise, ‘Pac’s 1998 Greatest Hits compilation achieved a significant milestone by securing a spot among Billboard’s longest-charting albums of all time.

With a remarkable total of 491 weeks on the chart, the 25-track album has surpassed The Beatles’ Abbey Road by one week. It now joins the esteemed ranks of classic hip-hop albums like Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid m.A.A.d City (567 weeks) and Eminem’s Curtain Call (648 weeks). At its peak, 2Pac’s Greatest Hits reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Kendrick Lamar, another influential figure in the hip-hop industry, has consistently paid tribute to 2Pac’s memory. Last week, as the hip-hop community remembered the fateful date of the late rapper’s passing, Kendrick Lamar shared a series of photos and videos from his recent trip to Tokyo on his personal ‘burner’ Instagram account.

Among the images is a photo of Kendrick sporting a vintage ‘Pac shirt featuring the iconic 1994 photograph by photographer Mike Miller, where 2Pac defiantly raises both middle fingers. While Kendrick’s post lacked a caption, its timing held significance, as it coincided with the day ‘Pac was tragically shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, marking 27 years since the tragic incident. ‘Pac passed away less than a week later in a hospital, abruptly ending the life and career of one of hip-hop’s most influential figures.

Kendrick Lamar’s deep admiration for 2Pac has been evident throughout the years. In a particularly memorable interview with Home Grown Radio in 2011, the former TDE rapper recounted a vivid dream where ‘Pac appeared, encouraging him to carry on his legacy.

“It’s a crazy true story, actually. You know one of them things when you really delirious in your sleep? I was sleeping one night and a silhouette [came] and he said, ‘Keep doing what you doing, don’t let my music die,’” Kendrick shared.

“The shit scared the shit out of me! Just off the fact that prior to that, a day before, my mom bringing up, ‘You know, you and 2Pac, y’all like days apart, y’all birthdays.’ I never knew that shit, that’s some wild shit.

“Once she said that shit — and I’m really big on shit like that — somebody comes in your dreams and relays a message, you gotta listen to it because I’ve got past family relatives that’s been coming to my dreams forever and been talking to me.”