His parents had separated before he was born, and his mother moved him and his sister around the country for much of their childhood. The family was often at the poverty level, but Shakur managed to get accepted into the prestigious Baltimore School of the Arts as a teenager. While in school, his creative side flourished, as he began writing raps and acting. Before he could graduate, his family moved to Marin City, California, when he was 17. In the following years he lived on the streets and began dealing. Eventually, he met Shock-G, the leader of Digital Underground. The Oakland troupe decided to hire him as a dancer and roadie, and while he toured with the group, he worked on their own material. 2Pac made his first recorded appearance on the group's spring 1991 album, This Is an EP Release, and also appeared on their second album, Sons of the P. The following year he released his debut, 2Pacalypse Now. The album became a word-of-mouth success, as "Brenda's Got a Baby" reached the RB Top 30 and the record went gold. However, its frank and explicit lyrics earned criticism from moral guardians, and Vice President Dan Quayle attacked the album while he was campaigning for re-election.