Jada Pinkett Smith shares precious photos of herself and late best friend Tupac Shakur

Before there was Will Smith, there was another very important rapper in Jada Pinkett Smith's life.

The 42-year-old has revealed to fans some of her precious memories of best friend Tupac Shakur on her Instagram account.

The pair were inseparable after meeting while at school at Baltimore School for the Arts when they attended there in the 1980s.

Before they were famous: Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed high school photographs of herself and late friend rapper Tupac '2Pac' Shakur

While known for his raps about gangs and violence on the streets, Jada showed off a much softer side of the rapper, who went by the stage name 2Pac.

Bonding over their love for theatrical arts - Tupac was at the arts school to study acting, poetry, jazz, and surprisingly ballet - in one picture Jada and Tupac are clearly preparing for a performance.

Standing in front of their lockers, the actress took a dramatic pose while the soon-to-be mega star stares down the lens of the camera, looking very dapper in a trench coat with a scarf and appears to be wearing eyeliner.

Best friends: The pair were inseparable after meeting while at school at Baltimore School for the Arts when they attended there in the 1980s

The only crew that mattered: While known for his raps about gangs and violence on the streets, Jada showed off a much softer side of the rapper

In other pictures taken directly from their year book, unlike his usual hard man attire he wore during his rap career, Tupac can seen sporting a very sensible knitted sweater.

Just a couple of kids: While they would both go on to enjoy huge success, the pair looked like any other teens in their pictures

A young Jada obviously showed a flare for fashion, wearing the then very stylish look of a shirt with suspenders and big Eighties hair that was also shaved on the sides.

The pair remained very close until the rapper's murder 17 years ago at an intersection in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The California Love singer was shot in a drive-by shooting as he sat in a car alongside fellow hip hop icon Suge Knight on September 7, 1996.

Shot a number of times, he was raced to a nearby hospital but died six days later at the age of just 25.

While extremely close, the pair were not speaking at the time of Tupac's murder as despite not been romantically involved, they had a very volatile relationship.

In documentary Tupac: Resurrection the rapper said Jada was and will always be his friend.

The star said: 'Jada is my heart. She will be my friend for my whole life.'

Sitting down with documentarians after his death, the actress called him 'one of my best friends. He was like a brother.

'It was beyond friendship for us. The type of relationship we had, you only get that once in a lifetime.'

Last year on the what would have been the rapper's birthday, Jada posted a picture of herself receiving a big hug and a kiss from Tupac, who was wearing his signature bandana around his head.

The actress captioned the photograph with just the words: 'I 

miss him.'

Closer than lovers: After high school the pair remained close with Tupac describing Jada as 'my heart'

Jada went on to marry fellow actor Will a year after Tupac's death they have two children Jaden and Willow.

Tupac's murder remains unsolved, and just a year later his main rap opponent Christopher 'Biggie Smalls' Wallace - known as Notorious B.I.G. - was also murdered in a drive-by shooting while visiting Los Angeles, California.

A different love: Jada went on to marry fellow actor Will Smith - seen here together at the After Earth premiere - a year after Tupac's death they have two children Jaden and Willow

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