Tupac Shakur’s mother, Afeni Shakur Davis, dies in Marin County

Afeni Shakur Davis, political activist, philanthropist and mother of the renowned rapper Tupac Shakur, died Monday night in Marin County at the age of 69, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to Ms. Davis’ home in Sausalito just after 9:30 p.m. on reports she may have suffered cardiac arrest, said Lt. Doug Pittman, a spokesman for the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

Pittman said Ms. Davis was with a family friend when she began experiencing some physical discomfort. When her condition worsened, the friend called 911 and firefighters from the Southern Marin Fire Department responded and began CPR.

The late rapper and poet Tupac Shakur (right) with his mother Afeni in a scene from "Tupac: Resurrection." The late rapper and poet Tupac Shakur (right) with his mother Afeni in a scene from "Tupac: Resurrection." Photo: COURTESY PHOTO Photo: COURTESY PHOTO Image 1 of / 118 Caption Close Tupac Shakur’s mother, Afeni Shakur Davis, dies in Marin County 1 / 118 Back to Gallery

She was rushed to a nearby hospital where, despite lifesaving efforts by medical personnel, she was pronounced dead around 10:30 p.m.

Ms. Davis was a fixture in southern Marin County, said Pittman, who had worked with her on a number of occasions dating back to 1989 when he first met her as a sheriff’s deputy.

Her son, Shakur, got his start as a member of the East Bay group Digital Underground and then rose to fame in the early 1990s as a solo artist known for violent lyrics that never failed to stir up controversy, but also for political activism and quiet introspection on songs like “Dear Mama,” one of his many hits that enjoy enduring popularity.

Shakur was killed at age 25 in 1996 when an unknown assailant opened fire on a BMW he was riding in after attending a heavyweight championship boxing match in Las Vegas between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon.

Besides being the mother of one of America’s most revered hip-hop icons, Ms. Davis was a savvy businesswoman — whose defense of her son’s legacy and handling of his estate, which included releasing music he left behind, landed him on Forbes magazine’s annual list of the Richest Deceased Celebrities.

She was also a political activist and, as a onetime Black Panther, was acquitted of conspiracy charges in New York in 1971, just one month before Shakur was born. The family moved from New York, living in Baltimore for a time, before settling in the Bay Area.

Ms. Davis, who was born Alice Faye Williams but changed her name when she joined the Black Panthers, enrolled her son in a number of arts schools and programs to foster his creativity at a young age, even as she struggled with poverty and addiction.

“Arts can save children, no matter what’s going on in their homes,” she told the Associated Press in 2005. “I wasn’t available to do the right things for my son. If not for the arts, my child would’ve been lost.”

As a teenager, Shakur lived in public housing apartments in Marin City and attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley.

Recently, Ms. Davis served as an executive producer for an upcoming Shakur biopic, “All Eyez on Me,” which is set to be released this fall. She also founded the now-defunct Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Georgia, which focused on helping at-risk youth.

“She was a well-known, well-respected and loved part of southern Marin County,” Pittman said. “She has been a leader, and this is a tragic loss for this community.”

The Sheriff’s Office said that an investigation into Ms. Davis’ exact cause of death was ongoing and that the office expected to release more details soon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale