The African American Subculture in Changes by Tupac Essay

This “strain” can take on two forms: individual or structural. Individual strain is a reference to one’s own needs and the pains that a person has to endure when trying to gain them. Structural strain is a reference to the pains felt to both fit and achieve on a certain level within specific contexts. All of this information points to strain theory fitting into the category of the Postmodernist School of Criminology. This school of thought teaches of how criminal behaviors are in fact used to correct inequality that is caused by society.

copies, and I want that so badly, but I can't do that. I would be wrong to do that, knowing what I know and having the brain that I have, for me to even go and write some simple *censored* would be wrong even though I would get paid and I would get more people's money." (Patrick, Tony, n.p.) This means that Tupac has a strong will and values. He resisted the temptation to write some easy rhyming words and get peoples money. He instead followed his values and worked

Changes - Tupac Shakur Changes by Tupac, is a song about the struggles and racial issues of African American people living in the poverty stricken areas or ‘Ghetto’s’ of America. Tupac sings about the injustices for his people living in poverty and how people need to stand up and make a change for the better, as the way things are going are not helping to

The book I chose to read is Tupac Shakur:The Life & Times of an American Icon. This book hasn’t been out for very long. It’s publication date was January 26, 2010 so it is a somewhat newer book. Fred and Tayannah examined very closely and did a great deal of research to write this book. They had to examine all the theories and myths about Tupac Shakur. So i’m guessing you can imagine how hard they worked to write & publish this biography.

Strain theories of criminal behaviour have been amongst the most important and influential in the field of criminology. Taking a societal approach, strain theories have sought to explain deficiencies in social structure that lead individuals to commit crime (Williams and McShane 2010). Strain theories operate under the premise that there is a societal consensus of values, beliefs, and goals with legitimate methods for achieving success. When individuals are denied access to legitimate methods for achieving success, the result is anomie or social strain. This often leads an individual to resort to deviant or criminal means to obtain the level of success that they are socialized to pursue. This is the basic premise of strain theory. This

To help understand Tupac’s poem, you must grasp yourself around the image of a very young boy, who has no father, grew up in the rougher parts of New York, and was barely supported by his mother.

Tupac Amaru Shakur was a very influential person who overcame many difficulties. Tupac was a rapper of truth that spoke about the things that go on in the “Hood” and the unjust police. He was treated differently because he was black and was even arrested for jaywalking. After he was arrested he was beaten by the cops who wanted him to “learn his place”(Joseph 29). This shows how bad Tupac had it because he was African American. Tupac died an early death at 25 because of a brewing rivalry between the East and West Coast rappers. Shakur was a person who would stand up for what he believed in no matter the cost and died fighting for that. He never let anyone win a battle that he was determined to win and always knew what he was fighting for. His mother was the same, as a loyal member of the Black Panther Party, a group that protected all African Americans from police brutality. Tupac was literally born to be a fighter and carried on his mother's legacy. Despite his rough life, Tupac Shakur became one of the most influential rappers of all time.

“it's time to fight back," that's what Huey said. Two shots in the dark, now Huey's dead” are all references to the Black Panther Party, a neighbourhood watch who were formed in order to stop the police brutality among African Americans. Tupacs parents were affiliated with this party which would have meant that he had somewhat of an emotional attachment to this group. The use of allusion to a group that Tupac’s parents were a part of and by highlighting their mistakes, in that violence is not the way to solve issues and that changes must be made on how issues such as police brutality are solved. This can be proven through the use of enjambment as Tupac continues his reference to the Black Panther party by alluding to the death of huey newton, the founding member of the black panther party who was brutally killed at an early hour of the morning. Huey Newton’s radical militant viewpoint in order to eradicate police brutality would eventually end up in his death. By bringing up this Tupac hoped for the listener to understand that violence is not the way to solve violence.

A few years later his family moved to the West Coast in California where he began to to grew as an artist. In 1995, he became a solo artist and signed to Death Row with label CEO Marion “Suge Knight. That same year he also dropped his album Me Against the World . He record this album while he was in jail. According to a BET article, he was arrested for a felony with a deadly weapon. Despite his issues of being in prison, he was the first artist to go Number One on the Billboard charts while he was in prison. On September 7th 1996, Tupac was gunned down and was pronounced dead after 6 days of fighting for his life. As an artist he spoke a lot of violence and how to be aware of the society that everyone is exposed to. He spoke to the youth and was actively involved in the group the Black Panther which emphasizes equity and black power. Tupac music had meaning and emotion behind it that most struggling people in the urban community could connect to which made his so popular because people could relate. According the Rolling Stone index, Tupac was viewed as “one of the most dynamic, influential and self destructive pop stars of the Nineties.” Despite him going to jail for his wrong doings, he was a man who spoke only of the

Tupac Shakur, TLC, and even the young sensation Zendaya Coleman are a few celebrities that are seen as nonconformist in the media. Just like every teenager, I can’t live in a world without music,and I definitely can’t live without these three inspirations on my playlist. Their lyrics have such a great meaning deep down in them, especially the older generation of artist including Tupac and TLC. Just like any other non-conformist, Tupac went against society’s ways and when he wrote he talked about dreams,world peace, and racism. “I’m 23 years old. I might just be my mother’s child, but in all reality. I’m everybody’s child. Nobody raised me; I was raised in this society.” Basically what Tupac is saying is that even though you were raised by

To gaze into the lyrics of both Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur is like living in the ghettos of New York City where violence never stops. Both of these artists grew up seeing and living a life filled with violence. Gunshots and drive-byes, death and murder were a daily occurrence. Although the lyrics of both artists are simply telling their life stories and how hard it was to grow up in their “hoods” they contain vulgar, hateful, and sexual verses that send the wrong message to their listeners. Whether these listeners are teens or adults, white or black, they are continually sending notions of hatred and fear through their lyrics and actions. Ultimately,

Many contradicting views surround rap music’s controversial subjects and use of language. While some consider it highly offensive, there is some validity to the rhetoric applied in political rap. In the 1990’s racial inequality is rampant with uprisings and segregated neighborhoods that condemn minorities and lower socioeconomic classes to inhumane living conditions. Specifically, Tupac Shakur’s posthumous song “I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto” combines an emancipatory lyric with a hopeful and upbeat instrumental to assess the racial inequality in society and the possibility of a better future.

Furthermore it states that humans, being conformists readily buy into these notions. However, access to the means for achieving these goals is not equally available to everyone. Some have the education, social network and family influence to attain these goals. The socially and economically disadvantaged do not have the opportunity, education or necessary social network for attaining material wealth and economic or political power. Thus the strain theory predicts that crime occurs when there is a perceived discrepancy between these goals and the legitimate means for reaching them. Individuals who experience a high level of this strain are forced to decide whether to violate laws to achieve these goals, to give up on the goals pushed upon them by society, or to withdraw or rebel.

When most people hear the name Tupac, they think of a tattooed thug, a gangsta rapper killed in a tragic shooting who only got what was coming to him, a man who lived by the gun, and who died by the gun. However, those people probably have never taken a chance to look beyond what their eyes tell them, past the ignorance and into the depths of the man who really was Tupac.

Strain theory is where certain stressors or strains that occurs in an individual's life can increase the likelihood of a crime. These strains can lead to negative emotions or thoughts such as anger or frustration. Negative emotions can create a criminal response for crime to occur. When a criminal act occurs it is usually to escape the train or stressor, or perhaps to avenge the source that is causing the strain or stressor. An example of this is by vividly imagining an individual who is suffering from chronic unemployment who is unable to get a job, so this individual begins to start selling illicit drugs or robbing other individuals just to make currency to sustain him or herself. Although the individual may seek revenge against the person who lead to them being unemployed. “The major versions of strain theory describe 1) the particular strains most likely to lead to crime, 2) why strains increase crime, and 3) the factors that lead a person to or dissuade a person from responding to strains with crime.”