The More Things Change…
The first disc — Thug — starts off strong, with Death Row hits from Tupac's prime, like "California Love" and "So Many Tears." It's not until around "How Do U Want It?" that you regret having picked the edited version.
In the beginning, listening to radio edits matters less than you'd think. Most rap you hear on the radio or see on BET has already been sanitized for your listening pleasure; typically, you've heard the "clean" version of a song play on radio before buying the CD. Radio friendly editing, though, is a tool best used to lure in the listener and, as its name implies, make a song more amenable to radio and music video producers constantly worried about what their advertisers will think. But once lured you were in the hands of the artist and his idea of creative expression.
It doesn't work that way with edited CDs. On some popular songs, such as "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted," radio edits sound better than their explicit counterparts, to the where one wonders whether their profanity actually detracts from the song.
But with unfamiliar songs like "Definition of a Thug Nigga" and "They Don't Give a Fuck About us," songs that you won't hear on the radio, but only when you buy the actual CD, the wheels begin to come off.
There are many reasons to produce an edited CD; maybe you're marketing to younger listeners, or to those who listened to Tupac way back when, who are ten years older and may not like profanity, even if they like the artist saying it. But none of them outweigh the absolute havoc that redactions wreak on the listening experience.
One helpful Rule of Thumb for these situations: when you can't even sing your song title without editing words out, the song should stay as is. Or, pick one that wouldn't be racked by editing. Listening to edited rap is about as pointless as wearing a condom after getting married — which is to say, quite.
An edited Tupac is a sanitized Tupac, which is a far cry from the way his fans have always known and remembered him. If you want non-offensive lyrics that your 12-year old can listen to and your minister wouldn't disapprove of, you don't want to be listening to Tupac. Perhaps, instead of trying to make him all things to all people, its producers might be better served to "let 2Pac be 2Pac" and accept that not everyone will respond to the man he is, nor should they.
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