Compare and Contrast
2Pac & Saint John the Baptist
Although they lived in very different times, Tupac Shakur and Saint John the Baptist had many commonalities. Both became extremely famous for expressing what they believed. The media's portrayal of Tupac Shakur as a tattooed thug has focused public attention on his accused crimes instead of his music. This rapper, raised in Marin City, California, by a Black Panther mother, is more complex than his enemies like to admit. Shakur (who performs as 2Pac) was a talented lyricist with a gift for storytelling and getting his point across to our youth. He continued to grow as a writer on his hard-hitting album, “All Eyez on Me” which benefits from West Coast-style production by such artists as Dr. Dre. Recorded shortly after Shakur was released on bail from a prison sentence for sexual assault, the double album shows a relatively contemplative rapper who's ready to make peace with some of his demons.
The following list of positive lyrics from Eyez and 2Pac's previous albums certainly doesn't make him a saint, but it does reveal surprising emotional depth:
1. "Life Goes On," All Eyez on Me : In one of the most touching moments on his new album, the rapper with "Thug Life" tattooed on his chest shows that he isn't insensitive to the loss of those he loves: "How many brothers fell victim to the streets / Rest in peace young niggaz / Is there heaven for a G? / Be a lie if I told ya that I never thought of death / My nigga, we the last one's left / And life goes on."
2. "Dear Mama," Me Against the World : An insightful 2Pac repents the stress that he's caused his mother: "Mama, I finally understand / For a woman it ain't easy trying to raise a man / You always was committed / A poor single mother on welfare / Tell me how you did it / There's no way that I can pay you back / But the plan is to show you that I understand. / You are appreciated."
3. "Keep Ya Head Up," Strictly 4 My Niggaz : With a kind of compassion that is rare from any performer - let alone a gangsta rapper - 2Pac advises: "Be real to our women / And if we don't we'll have a race of babies / Who hate the ladies / That make the babies / And since a man can't make one / He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one." Hard to believe this is the guy who wrote "Wonda Why They Call U Bitch."
4. "Brenda's Got a Baby," 2Pa...
... middle of paper ...
... ghetto kids not believe in God. Why? So that's wrong religion -I believe in God, I believe God puts us wherever we want to be at. They didn't make sense that God would put us in the ghetto. That means he wants us to work hard to get up out of here.” Tupac’s notion as to where God puts us where we should be and that we shouldn’t have to go into a church to praise him and talk to him, it’s similar to St. John the Baptist lifestyle while living in the Desert of Judea. Even though the desert and the ghetto were different, that’s where they both came from. Both are very similar, because both didn’t have material things, only the necessities to live and sometimes not even that. Like 2Pac, John the Baptist didn’t live in the ghetto but he made due with the same provisions. He wore clothes that were made of camels’ hair, and his food consisted of locus and wild honey.
In conclusion, this was overall an interesting assignment. I’ve learned that we don’t need depend on material things. Both people were humble and made due with what they had.. And both lived a hard, yet influential life. They tried to give back to the community as much as they could with their wisdom and views on life.
“You take a record and use it to empower yourself” having growing-up in the Westside of Chicago in a neighborhood fill with violence, Lupe make a lot of records that show listeners that even with the odds against him that he use his struggle to better himself.
The movie was about racial discrimination and violence with teens. The movie was placed in Harlem and showed how teens struggled with the police, gang violence and family related issues. He also starred in the movie “Poetic Justice” with Janet Jackson and played a character named Lucky. While starring in this movie, Tupac began to be more recognized as both a rapper and an actor. After the movies were produced, Tupac released 2 more albums, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... and Thug Life Volume: 1. In his album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... he portrays his political and social views of the black community; in this album the song, “Keep Ya Head Up” became a gold certified single.The album Thug life: Volume 1 was by the group Thug Life which was started by Tupac and included Big Syke, Mopreme. The Rated R and Macadoshis. Due to controversial rap, the album had to be modified and re-recorded. The song “How Long Will They Mourn Me?” was later played in 1998 from 2Pac’s Greatest Hits Album. After these albums were released, many artists and record companies were reaching out to Tupac asking for advice and tips. Artists then began to follow Tupac and his ideas and he was named The Father of Rap. Rap artists began to rap about poverty, the police and other real life problems. At this time the police started to have a big impact in the songs. During his career rap became more and
Tupac Shakur is one of the most influential artists of all time, regardless of genre. Tupac only lived for 25 years, as he was killed in a drive by shooting outside of a Las Vegas casino, which was allegedly the result of a feud between two rap groups. Tupac’s music has always cast a long shadow across the hip hop music industry, because his lyrics discussed deep and meaningful issues that his community was dealing with during his life time. The songs that I have selected to break down, in the ways they relate to and portray women during this time, are “Brenda’s got a baby,” “Dear Mama,” and “keep ya head up.” The lyrics, and stories that are discussed in these songs are extremely relatable and are example of why Tupac was able to rise to prominence,
Lamar has been successfully achieving his dream by rapping about the stress and difficult situations he has encountered but strongly claims that we will all be alright in his song, “Alright.” He released a song called “i” that reflects how violence has increased in the cities and how he wishes everyone should love each other as humans. His last song on “To Pimp A Butterfly” called “Mortal Man” he states “only because you don’t wear the same color as mine, that doesn’t mean I can’t respect you as a human being.” He clearly states how he understands the reputations of other gang members may seem important but should all still respect others as people. Lamar has been a role model to several students from the city of Compton that was able to create a scholarship called “Be Alright” that is based off the same song called “Alright.” Kendrick Lamar has been respectively producing music for his fans without a doubt of impressive beats and
“Now I got every man in America who wants to take an order from me, you know what I’m saying, who wants to know what I want to do, or what 's my plan for young black males. And that makes me scared...and I will give my whole life to this plan I have for Thug Life” (Tupac: Ressurection, Page 121).
Tupac Shakur was well known for positive lyrics in his music, but unfortunately had a life riddled with controversies and run-ins with the law. His history with the judicial system and the way he lived his life could not be covered up by the positivity themes his songs conveyed. Many of Shakur’s real life occurrences completely contradict the lyrics of his songs. Although he may have had a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality, and his songs were mostly uplifting and encouraging, he did not live up to those messages.
“ Poverty, murder, violence and never a day 2 rest.” Those were the words of Tupac Shakur, a legendary rapper. Tupac Amaru Shakur (born June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac, Makaveli, or simply Pac, was an American artist renowned for his rapping and hip hop music, as well as his movie roles, poetry, and his social activism. He is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest-selling rap artist, with over 75 million albums sold worldwide, including over 50 millions in the United States alone. Most of Shakur's songs are about growing up around violence and hardship in ghettos, racism, problems in society, and sometimes qualms with other rappers. Shakur's work is known for advocating political, economic, social, and racial equality as well as his raw descriptions of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and conflicts with the law. Many fans, critics, and industry insiders rank him as the greatest rapper ever.
After their deaths, Wallace and Shakur’s music can be found in many different cinematic works (examples). With the connecting over a common enemy, hip-hop has become an accepted idea that both whites and blacks enjoy today. In fact, shortly after Wallace’s death, a fresh face came into the game—Marshall “Eminem” Mathers. He went on to become one of the most significant and influential rappers of all time. Mathers is white, and would not have been able to become a part of the hip-hop scene without the conflict between the east coast and the west coast and everyone coming together because of it.
Songs are one way of expressing feelings and emotion, many artist do this constantly in their music. To some it is why they make music. There are endless signs and verses that hint at many things such as problems, politics, living in racist era’s also places. I chose to focus on one main rapper and his music only. I chose to examine, review, and study a few of his songs. Kid cudi grew up in cleveland, Ohio. His father passed away when he was a young age which affected the kid ever since. He writes about living his life and having to go through many obstacles
Although this original face of rap music was murdered at the young age of 25, Tupac’s expressions of dreams for black social justice, along with his declaration of “thuglife,” have contributed to his beloved legacy by hip culture, even 19 years after his death. He was considered a figure of empowerment for urbanized communities because of his support in black nationalism that aims to “define, defend, and develop of Blacks as a people,” especially because he grew up in the impoverished intercity (Stanford, 2011, pg. 4). In “Violent” he raps,
Jeffries, M. P. (2011). Thug Life: Race, Gender, and the Meaning of Hip-hop. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Tupac Shakur was one of the most influential music artist of the 20th Century. “Murda, Murda, Murda, and Kill, Kill, Kill…” these are they lyrics to one of the songs written by Tupac Shakur. Amidst all the controversy surrounding his personal life, this artist has managed to overcome all obstacles and spread his hope/hate message to a surprisingly receptive audience. Tupac’s music is borrowed from the styles of early rap and hip-hop yet its appeal rested in Tupac himself. His persona of “Thug Poet” opened up a portal into the new genre of “Gangsta Rap.” This new style of music revolutionized the music industry and allowed several new artists to break through in Tupac’s creation, Gangsta Rap, such as; G-unit, Eminem, and many others.
Tupac Shakur (2pac) was known as one of those rappers that has made a difference in the black community during the 90’s. All his music talked about the reality of black lives and the struggle of being black not only for black men but also for black women. His songs gave hope to African Americans, and to help them see that black was/is beautiful. Even though Tupac has many hit songs and albums, Keep Ya Head Up has been one of the best songs that Tupac has ever recorded! “The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice the darker the flesh the deeper the roots”.
Eminem came from poverties that many would not succeed from. Many doubted Eminem for becoming a rapper because of his color, lack of lyrical skills, and lifestyle. It even accumulated when he dropped out of high school and pursued his rapping career. He never believed of failure which motivated him to engineer his own long rhyming skills. He used his own adversities to inspire his songs which many consider masterpieces. His daughter Hailey made a great contribution towards his career as he wanted to flourish in her eyes and give all he had never had. Eminem has changed the interface of rap music and has generated a new era of rap which he will be considered as the ‘Greatest Rapper of All Time’.
Eminem, as well as many other rappers, frequently incorporate poetry into their music in order to create a unique form of rap. Not only do Eminem and these other rappers aim to entertain their fans, but their unique style of blending rap music and poetry “provides a significant form of education for adolescents, one that extends beyond the classroom and into their peer group circles”(Powell 245). These artists combine these two styles in order to send a positive message to youth experiencing poverty-stricken lifestyle in certain areas in America. The “rap lyrics concentrate primarily on the contemporary African American experience” (Powell 245). In this particular song, Eminem aims to empower and encourage individuals to take a chance on their dreams and essentially “lose themselves” in the moment. The rapper aims to inspire his audience with lines “you only get one shot do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo…” (Eminem 27-28). He motivates his audience to take chances in life because they may never come again. If one does not take a cha...