I See No Changes
"We need to change the way we eat.
We need to change the way we live.
And we need to change the way we treat each other" — 2Pac, Changes
There's scarce a rapper alive whose success doesn't owe to actually being or pretending to be a thug. Tupac's 'street cred' gave him the high ground from which to call on black people to improve their lives and their communities. It may not be out of range to say that, between Martin Luther King Jr.'s passing and his own, Tupac Shakur was the most influential black leader in America.
That may sound funny to hear, what with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton still fighting the fight, Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court, and Bill Cosby manning the airwaves, but that only speaks to the unspeakably large void left behind by Tupac's death.
The Jacksons and Sharptons of the world are best received and most supported by civil rights-era blacks who grew up marching on Selma and defending the humanity and the most basic rights of their people. But their fight against institutional racism doesn't always hold resonance with poor people just trying to survive. Even Jackson and Sharpton, mavericks that they are, wear suits to work every single day. They fly around the world, meet with important people, and live a life most of their supporters can't imagine or relate to. Even those who buy the idea that Jackson and Sharpton are working on their behalf may still find it tough to relate to such men, or feel that they're speaking directly to them.
On the other hand, Tupac's admonition that the black community needs to "change the way we live" gave each and every one of us a role to play in shaping the future, as opposed to waiting for some law to be passed or some CEO to put more money in Jesse Jackson's bank account as proof of the 'power' of the black community. Tupac was the guy who could look black men in our communal eye and tell us we weren't living right, a rare experience indeed in an era in which five of every six black children are born out of wedlock.
Tupac's reach goes further than the others. Only Tupac could get inside the head of that guy, bobbing his head to the beat at the bus depot, because it was Tupac that that guy was — and is — listening to.
Article comments
1 - Adrian
I will be brief in my responce. At the very end you mentioned that you would pick anything up from 2pac's "Deathrow years". One thing I would like to point out is, he wasn't with deathrow but for a year or so. He was released from prison and went straight to the studio and recorded 25 tracks in 2 weeks. For his all eyes on me album. The only other record he put out on deathrow was makaveli. Which was released after his premature death. So, I feel it's wrong to advice anyway to just buy from those years, which really don't exist. 2pac's Me aganist the world was truly legendary, for he was still a humble man at this time in his life. This was before prison, and him being shot 5 times. Songs like Dear mama, So many tears, and Lord knows, were amazing songs. One cannot neglect his Thug Life album, released in 1994 through interscope records. Classics like, Ain't got time for bitches, and pour out a lil liquor.. Where I'm goign with this is, I total disagree to say to people to only buy from his deathrow years. 2pac has put out great music from the start. Like Brenda's got a baby. Come on now, don't try to advise, nor disect the work, and living lengend like 2pac when you obviously didn't do your full research. I wont deny his last 2 albums with deathrow were concurring that he was beginning to step onto a whole new platform as an artist, not to mention his acting ability, but his death only glorified everything about him. He may have lived a short life, but he did more than most people do their entire life
2 - Alex (Lesotho)
Peace be with you. On this day Oct 2008 was written by a man inspired by another man.
I am from Lesotho within South Africa but was moved by the lyrics of Tupac Shakur.
I wonder how he did it. He died like a hero (Abraham Linc, JF Kennedy, Martin Luther Jnr,MalcomX, Chris Hani, Che Guevera,and all world war I & II Soldiers)-Being shot!. He deserves a great award for his works.
I have even seen that there is a course for his lyrics at the University of Carlifonia, and even in a course about poetry AT HARVAD UNIVERSITY.
Its hard being in Africa but he makes me like being black.
3 - hani
i never forget you soujah
am learn from ya
AND ALWEYS I KEEP HEAD UP