Tupac Shakur, born the son of two Black Panthers, grew up to be one of the best-selling rappers of all time, selling over 75 million records even after his tragic death in 1996. His song “Changes” (based on Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is") recorded in 1991 and produced in 1998 discussed many of the injustices the African American population face (Statistics Brain Research Institute, 2017). Focusing on racism, the war on drugs, the perpetuation of poverty, mass incarceration rate, and overall the oppression the African American population experiences, the song mirrors many of the topics discussed in class. Therefore, this paper will discuss, analyze, and draw connections between the lyrics and discussions we have had in class.
The son of
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The juxtaposition of Tupac’s image of a gangsta’ rapper and utilizing his celebrity to inform audiences of the systemic and structural oppression the African American population encounters is truly inspiring. According to Brown, “through his music, Shakur illustrates that he is a social critic and a good example of Black protest music. At its core, black protest music is characterized by the expression of resistance and the articulation of the heartache and pain that Blacks have endured throughout history. Likewise, Shakur as a social critic conveys through his music the despair, anger, and resentment that resonates with many African Americans” (2005). Just as in, the song “Changes” where he illuminates social oppression that affect the African American population. For example, just within the first stanza, Tupac makes reference to poverty and welfare, issues of substance abuse, and racism. Tupac stated “I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black” making the correlation between his skin color and the poverty in which he grew up. He goes on to reinforce this connection further by stating, and “My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch.” He also illustrates the relationship between police brutality and race by declaring, “Cops give a damn about a negro? Pull the trigger, kill a nigga, he's a hero.”
In the second stanza of “Changes”, Shakur says, “take the evil out the people, they’ll be acting right, ‘cause both black
Tupac Shakur was a very influential person in the 20th century. He was born on June
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 song Changes was recorded by Tupac Shakur, a deceased African American hip-hop artist. He rapped about the African American subculture in America. The record label released this song in 1998; it is still popular within subcultures of America. He grew up in the 1980s, and the social policies of that period, such as the War on Drugs, influenced his music. The videos of the song were found after a quick search on YouTube. The lyrics of this song are found on the internet from Google search of “Tupac, changes”. I have read the lyrics and listened to the music. Tupac focused on “that’s just the way it is” through the song (2Pac-Changes). He wanted the African American community to change their behaviors and rise above the social perception
On September 7, 1996, Tupac Amaru Shakur was riding in the passenger side of a black BMW driven by Marion Suge Knight, president of Death Row Records. Tupac and Suge had just finished watching Mike Tyson defeat Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tupac was standing up through the sunroof while the car was stopped at a traffic light. The Cadillac containing the gunmen passed an entourage of Tupac’s allies, many of them bodyguards. Four unidentified men pulled alongside Suge’s car, fired 13 rounds, and sped away. No one gives chase and there were no witnesses on the street. How come? Why not, especially after a heavyweight fight? Tupac was shot in multiple places
Tupac Shakur is one of the most legendary and popular poetic/rap artists to this day. He is considered to be one of the most influential people of his time, influencing every African-American citizen in North America. Thought of as the creator of rap, Tupac has sold over seventy-five million albums worldwide although his career ended as quickly as it started. Six, is the number of years Tupac spent making rap professionally. Thirteen is the number of years Tupac spent writing poetry and rap lyrics. Twenty-five is how old Tupac was when he received four bullets to his chest causing him to pass away. In those twenty-five years, Tupac has influenced millions of people and artists
Tupac Shakur was one of the most influential artist of our last decade. He not only made several albums, but was also a large role in many films and a poet. Millions of people bought and still buy his albums. He was a pioneer to gangster rap, and he sang about things that mattered. Although, he was a role model and was admired by many, he also had a lot of enemies, and in the end, his enemies over powered his fans by taking his life. Some say that he may still be alive, but no one really knows.
The song ¨Changes” is written and performed by Tupac Shakur who was born June 16, 1971 and was shot down September 13, 1996. Tupac was quite successful and was known to be a gangsta rapper as well as a poetic rapper at the same time. Changes seeks the best out of both these worlds and addresses the issue of poverty and poor treatment by police that the African American community face often on a day to day basis.
he history of rap has so many unforgettable legends such as Nas and Jay-Z and that is just two that are alive. What about the amazing artist that are no longer with us? Some of the great, highly known rappers are Iggy Azalea and Tupac Shakur. They both have given the world lyrics that have change lives and have given advice to some many people of youth. Tupac is the type of artist that is a big spokesperson on racism, abuse, poverty, and etc. Tupac believed in defending yourself and becoming violent to protect your people. Iggy music is very spunky and energizing in which she symbolizes excitement and having a good time. They both are very wise spoken artist who were very in touch with their fans and others. Which one was better Tupac
Tupac is just one of the many artists that talked about social justice issues. He along with many others gave a voice to people that were scared whilst expressing themselves. Even though Tupac did not have the best life he still found a way to express himself through music. Social justice issues are something that we can left untouched that is why artists talk about them throughout
Thesis: the paper’s focus on hip-hop as a music genre that has changed the lives of the black Americans
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,
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
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.
2Pac Shakur landed in the top ten again this week with ‘Changes’, and so it appears that he is enjoying more success posthumously than when he lived. Has his iconic status increased because of his death, or could it be that his lyrics have struck a chord with African-Americans across the nation. Rolling Stone hit the streets of 2Pac’s old neighborhood in Marin City, asking young African-Americans how the lyrics of ‘Changes’ made them feel. “Here’s a brotha’ who understands brotha’s,” answered one high school student, who seemed to capture the sentiments of many in the area. Where, though, in the lyrics do young African Americans identify with 2Pac’s message?
Death Certificate is the second studio album released by MC, Oshea “Ice Cube” Jackson, on October 29th, 1991. Ice Cube spoke out with honesty, social commentary, and expression on several issues such as police brutality, drugs, and gang culture. Filled with hostility, sinister humour and grating realities, it is one of the most controversial rap albums ever – and the hardest in Cube’s repertoire. After twenty-five years of the album’s initial debut, Ice Cube signed with Interscope Records to commemorate his masterpiece by releasing a 25th anniversary edition of Death Certificate. The special edition includes three brand new tracks, including “Only One Me,” “Dominate the Weak,” and “Good Cop, Bad Cop.” This paper will discuss how hip-hop artists, more specifically Ice Cube, use their lyrics as a platform to raise awareness on the issue of police brutality against African-Americans by critically analyzing the lyrics of three tracks on Death Certificate’s 25th anniversary edition. I aim to present how Ice Cube used his lyrics to draw public attention to the political and social oppressions of African Americans and how the topics are still relevant many years later. Ice Cube is one of many Hip-hop artists to speak against the topic but he is known as starting the revolution by writing the notorious anti-police-brutality song, “Fuck tha Police”, with his former group, N.W.A.