2Pac: “Trapped”
From: 2Pacalypse Now, [Jive, 1991]
Thug Life: “Pour Out A Little Liquor”
From: Thug Life Vol. 1, [Interscope, 1994]
2Pac: “Old School”
From: Me Against The World, [Interscope, 1995]
On September 13, 1996 the rap industry lost a superstar, a mother lost a son and millions of people lost a living legend. Ten years have past and no arrests have been made for Tupac Shakur’s murder. More albums under Tupac’s legacy have been released than in his lifetime. A bouquet of conspiracy theories have replaced flowers and documentries substitute his rap shows.
Although the loss of Tupac has birthed fanatics that cannot let go, Tupac’s memory remains a healthy inspiration for millions. In the `90s, Tupac’s music broke racial boundries that on some level bridged people despite a brick wall of demographic seperation. I grew up on a street that was center of cultures and occasionally our cultural differences would collide, but after beefs were squashed we eventually mixed in peace. Not one house party would be without a Tupac album and thankfully music is blind to color, religion and income.
Tupac’s music continues to be scrutinized for promoting violence and ugly characteristics, but in a Westernized world that ignores third world atrocities and homeland poverty, it is not a suprise Tupac’s life was controversial. His see-saw actions made him a saint and criminal with no clear balance. The situations that filled his life are a lot for any man to bear and his decisions were a reflection of his age.
I often wonder how dead rappers would be living if they were alive. I see a lot of dead rappers disspointed in rap’s futile advancements. There is nothing new about Tupac that I can write, he is dead, but in remembrance I can feel why his music will never die.
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Girls who used to frown say I'm down when I come around…
See, I never really liked 2pac (save for his verse on DU's 'Same Song'), so it's strange seeing people so fanatical about him.
Still, each to their own, eh?
Man, Tupac was/is brilliant.
I see three levels of thug in rap.
The first is gangsta-as-tittilation. Violence! Sex! Drugs! OMG! Hey he's rapping about selling crack to whores! Whatever. Candyfloss. No content.
The second is gangsta-as-reporter, the whole "goddammit this is what life is like out here and this is the only way we can get you to listen" thing. Tittilates, but aims to scare and sadden and anger too.
The third… is Tupac, and pretty much Tupac alone. He wasn't just reporting, and he wasn't doing it to excite us or shock or anything… it was like it was part of his world, part of him, and somehow he was filled with love anyhow,and it all came through in his music. There's a person there, a whole character.
I agree with you. Somebody told me recently “Tupac was just another gangsta”… It saddened me to realize that there are still people out there that won’t try to listen to what he was talking about, and how he was talking about it. He was indeed filled with love.
tupac is jesus for po' thug folks.
important and valuble? yes. but <i>that important</i>? hell no. for every decent verse he sang, he crapped out 40 more, and while his presence isn't without merit, he's just another pretty pint-size rapper. he might have actually had something valuable to say had he endured the maturation process of another 15 years, but by that time no one would be interested (ask krs-one), and he'd be doing shorts on beyonce's daughter's new solo project.
i too think it's stupid that no one has been caught for his murder, but that's the nature of the game… snitches and rats get stitches from bats.
can we let the dead guys just be dead guys, and move on?
that song OLD SCHOOL is beautiful… i'm definitely more of a fan of the pre-Death Row Pac….
Sadly with Tupac, theres a polarisation between largely-ignorant dick riders, and hip-ho heads who are apathetic towards him… its hard to view him in an unbiased light.
Biggie was better – Tupac was just jealous; but he will always be a legend.
Es Won, "hip-ho heads" is the quote of the week, I could not have said it better myself.