“A warrior poet had been born and bred, and now he needed to walk the earth. He would be in danger for the rest of his life. But he would also bring art to his world and ours” (Clifford 26). Born in New York on June 16, 1971 as Lesane Parish Crooks but known to the public as Tupac Shakur was an iconic Hip-Hop artist, actor, poet, dancer and writer. Being raised by his mother Alice Faye Williams also known as Afeni Shakur, a former Black Panther leader, and other members of the Black Panther Party may have been the reason Tupac Shakur fought for justice for African Americans. From the time he about two years old, he was encouraged by his mother to write his thoughts and emotions as a form of discipline. Biographer and family friend of the Shakur …show more content…
Portrayed as a thug to the media, Tupac Shakur was criticized for his crimes rather than his music. The media rather report on his cases and arrest chargers and failed to recognize his music when he spoke of poverty, justice, equality. Tupac’s music was aggressive and his messages spoke on acts of racism, sex, crime, and even death. Songs such as “Ambitionz Az A Ridah,” and “Hail Mary” depicted images to the youth: it was okay to be tough, put women second, die, and get shot at by the police. Tupac’s music stood out for many reasons. Some say his music inspired other West Coast artist to change their approach when they created songs, and others say it changed the way his fans thought. Other West Coast rappers like Ice Cube and members of N.W.A, Ice T, Snoop Dogg, and Too Short followed in that trend. They rapped about police brutality and not getting along with political authority. This caused many youth in inner city communities to react the same way, thinking it was okay to defy authority and that although consequences would come of it black people could not be stopped. Although Tupac had many songs he expressed with violent words, he also had songs that uplifted many black and Hispanics of poor upbringings. For example, “Dear Mama” was a song written reflecting on how men should respect women because women gave them life and raised them to be strong, also because women …show more content…
From growing up in the poor neighborhood of lower Manhattan, moving to East Harlem, Baltimore, Maryland and eventually to Marin, California where his life of crime became existent is what turned Tupac into the icon he is was back then and is today. Also, he had many considerable qualities. He was compassionate, funny, loyal, and charismatic. Joseph states when a friend of Tupac’s was murdered in the streets of New York he organized a party and used the money raised to start “Stop the Violence” march. Tupac educated the black and brown youth as well as the inner city people, his poems used in colleges and universities give them a chance to speak on the struggles they faced growing up. Poems such as “The Power of a Smile” encouraged them to tell their story about everyday life in the black and Hispanic community. He also spoke on relatable issues such as being raised by single mother and how she struggled to take care of him and his younger sister. In the song “Dear Mama” he provides insight of how although she was a political, educated black woman she struggled with hard drug abuse. He poured out his emotions and appreciation for educating him, and inspiring him to live a better
Conformity can be very crucial, infact a lot of people eventually start hurting themselves or doing drugs just because they don't feel themselves anymore.Why can't society change? why can't that one kid that always follows everyone in the back can turn into the kid that just hangs with the people they really wanna hang with?We need to embrace ourselves so we can stop all this conformity from consuming us.Tupac was a nonconformist, he always did what made him happy and always told the truth.
In the short story “Tupac and My Non-Thug Life” by Jenee Desmond-Harris she talks about the death of Tupac Shakur and the impact it had on her and her friend Thea. I think its interesting that although Harris and Tupac are polar opposites she uses the connection of their race and applys it to this “coming of age” journey. Harris expresses that Tupacs music made her feel apart of something and that she valued the racial equality being voiced through his music. I can relate to this on multiple levels. For example when I’m feeling down and listen to sad music that i can relate to. Listening to music and lyrics that you can relate to brings you a sense of belonging like you arent the only one that has ever felt this way.
C) Listening to the song and watching the music video makes me feel bad for women and disgusted with the behavior of these men that Tupac is talking about. It makes me feel bad for women because all women deserve to be respected the same as all men especially after all that they do and give to us. I am also disgusted with the behavior of men because they degrade the women who made them who they are today. But at the same time it makes me happy, that some people like Tupac realize the problem and want a stop to it.
In Jenée Desmond-Harris’s narrative Tupac and My Non-thug Life, the author’s use of a photograph aids the reader in conveying what Desmond-Harris and her friend Thea were like. The photograph captures the natural essence and innocence of the young high-school girls as they enter an age of self-discovery. The purpose of the photo is to bring the descriptive details of the narrative to life and provide a vivid image of the girls during their adolescent years. The photograph reflects a youthful and rather naive time the girls find themselves surrounded in.
The theme of lines 1-5 in, ¨Untitled 1¨ by Tupac Shakur is that African Americans have been oppressed, over many generations. He describes the world, ¨as a ghetto, that they cannot leave,¨ referring to ghettos such as
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”.
In the same fashion that Elvis defined Rock ‘n’ Roll; Tupac Shakur defined the hip-hop music scene, as we know it today. What made Tupac (also known as 2Pac, or Makaveli) so special were his enormous talent, his on screen friendly looks, and the sense that he was “real” and talked the talk, while walking the walk. Tupac was born on June 16, 1971, Tupac Amaru Shakur. He was named after Tupac Amaru, the Inca Indian that was sentenced to death by the Spaniards. He was originally from Brooklyn, New York. Tupac spent a lot of time moving around as he was growing up. He was the son of a Black Panther activist Afeni Shakur and Billy Garland. Tupac moved from Harlem, to Baltimore, to Oakland. The constant moving caused Tupac to fit into his new communities by joining gangs, and his lengthy rap sheet was created even before his profalic entry into music and film. He was arrested eight times before even turning twenty (MTV.com).
Johnson, Freddie Lee, and Tayannah Lee McQuillar. Tupac Shakur: The Life and Times of an
Tupac Amaru Shakur was an African-American rapper, poet, and record producer during the 1990’s. In his adolescent years, he attended the Baltimore School for the Arts where he took acting and dance classes, like ballet. He was taught radical politics by his mother, which helped him develop ideas about topics he would later use in his many works. At an early age, Tupac had seen the injustices of the real world. His mother was a former Black Panther activist who turned to substance abuse during Tupac’s childhood. Aside from that, he and his mother also moved many times while they lived together in New York City. While Tupac was in Baltimore, he discovered rap; not long after, he and his mother moved to the West Coast where he joined the rap group
“ 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.
One of the many adversities he had to adapt to was the feuds of the East and West Coast. This influenced his songs and the way his fans depicted the East Coast, Bad Boys. He also had to deal with the way blacks were treated and looked at by the white community. Although his music brings up many controversy, he is undoubtedly a big part of the way African Americans are being depicted today. He reached the people not just through his music but by the constant protests for equality also while striving for the betterment of his the African American community. The way that society and media looks at African American people and hip hop music are all rooted from
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.
It is so hard to become a rapper. But it is harder to become a Great Rapper. I believe Tupac is a great rapper. Not only a great rapper, but the greatest rapper. Like Snoop Dogg had said, “Tupac was many different things at once. Hardheaded and intellectual, courageous and afraid, revolutionary and….oh yeah, don’t get it f***ed up, gangsta.” To be a great rapper, you must have impact, commercial success, be good at song writing, a lot of performances and live shows and lastly, hella good rapping. The first song I heard from tupac was “ambitions az a ridah and all eyes on me” and it was real original so I went and listened to ‘Brenda got a baby’ which made me think “dammmmm he good, he good as hell”
With his tattoo-splattered physique, piercing deep-set eyes, and shaved head, Tupac Amaru Shakur came across as middle America's worst nightmare, the darkest strain of hip-hop. To fans, Shakur was only "thuggin' against society, thuggin' against the system that made me," as he once rapped. Like some other rappers, Shakur was criticized for his sexist lyrics He celebrated his mother, Afeni, but was equally capable of debasing women in his music. The contradictions hardly ended there. In his last video, "I Ain't Mad at Cha," Shakur--newly arrived in Heaven--saluted an old friend for quitting the "thug life." In "Only God Can Judge Me," Shakur foresaw death bearing down on him, yet seemed unable to tolerate his rival, The Notorious B.I.G. and B.I.G.'s mentor, Sean "Puffy" Combs. Shakur's "Hit 'Em Up," the last single issued during his twenty-five-year lifetime, set new highs of profane rage against B.I.G., who was later gunned down after Shakur's own untimely death.